As an exchange student from Scotland, a whole new world opens up to Darren Green when he moves to the United States. He'll live with a host family, start at a new school, and he'll have to make new friends. However, what won't be a part of this new...
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WHAT SHOULD ONE WRITE TO a stranger whom you don't know but who gave her daughter to an orphanage eighteen years ago and hasn't seen her child since, but whose child has now gotten a means of contacting her mother but doesn't want to meet her but does have a friend who wants to contact her?
That was exactly the question Darren was facing as he got behind his laptop that same Friday evening. He wanted to consult Liam, but Liam had just left to hang out with his friends from the football team. Because of Liam's accident, it had been a long time since he'd hung out with them, so Darren decided it was better not to interrupt his night out.
Which left him uninspired at his desk, staring at the Facebook profile of one Rebecca Kingsley, mother to Dakota, trying to think of a message to type up.
"Hi, my name is Darren. I'm from Scotland, but am living abroad for a year..."
Delete. This wasn't about him, and she didn't need to know who he was, he figured; he should try to keep it short and to the point, while at the same time not overwhelming her. However, he thought to himself, how could you not overwhelm someone with news about her long-lost daughter?
He started typing again. "Hi, my name is Darren. I'm sorry for suddenly writing to you like this, but it concerns your daughter..."
No, that was not it either. "Concern" made it sound like Rebecca should worry, and Darren sounded much more formal than he wanted.
"Hi, you don't know me, but..."
Way of stating the obvious.
"Hi, my name is Darren. I currently live in Jacksonville, where I met a friend..."
Nope.
Darren sighed and threw his head back. He never had this much trouble writing, but writing to Rebecca felt different in every way. If only Liam was here... Liam would know what to write. He wouldn't make it too difficult.
Maybe he should try it another time, he thought to himself. He could do it when Liam was home too, and they would sit down and write something together.
But no. He shouldn't wait any longer than he already had. Dakota deserved to know her moher, and Rebecca should know her child was still alive. So, Darren took a deep breath and turned to his laptop screen again. The small pop-up in the right corner where he was supposed to write his message was empty, but he made another attempt.
"Hi, Rebecca." That already sounded better, Darren thought. Much friendlier, and not as if Darren was some random stranger writing to the wrong person. "You probably don't know me, but let me introduce myself: my name is Darren. For the past few months, I've been living in Jacksonville, where I met a girl." Did that sound like he was about to write a romance?
Darren shook his head and told himself to keep writing. "She told me she's an orphan, recently adopted, and she's just turned eighteen. On her birthday, she got to know the names of her parents.
