Deserve to be loved

A new journey.

"Sometimes we make the process more complicated than we need to. We will never make a journey of a thousand miles by fretting about how long it will take or how hard it will be. We make the journey by taking each day step by step and then repeating it again and again until we reach our destination."

After a long, tiring 9-hour journey, I finally arrived in Florence. My flight had just landed, and I was trying to call Joseph, but he wasn't picking up. Frustrated, I decided to rent a cheap hotel room for the night. As I walked through the airport, a strange feeling gnawed at my stomach, as if someone was watching me. I looked around, searching for eyes that might be fixed on me, but I couldn't find anyone suspicious. I dismissed the feeling and continued on my journey, calling for a cab.

After waiting for about 5 minutes, a cab arrived. I placed my luggage in the trunk and settled into the back seat. I told the driver to take me to the nearest inexpensive hotel. He informed me that it would take about 10 minutes to reach there. However, after just 5 minutes, that eerie sensation returned. Before I could process anything, the driver suddenly leaped out of the cab, and it veered off the road, crashing into a mountainous rock. All I could remember was being thrown out of the car, heading towards a cliff.

All I knew at that moment was that I was on the brink of death, and I prayed for help with all my heart.

Benjamin's POV

My wife, Angelina, and I were returning from attending a gala, exhausted by the endless show of wealth and fake fame. Nowadays, it seemed there was no room left for love.

We have four sons, but I had always yearned for a daughter, someone I could protect and give the world to. However, after the birth of our youngest son, my wife faced difficulties, and we abandoned the idea of having a girl.

It was late at night, and the road was empty when suddenly, my tire went flat. I stepped out of the car and called my driver, sharing our location. Then, I heard a whimper, a sound of someone in pain.

Angelina also stepped out of the car and asked, "Honey, did you hear that sound?"

"Yes, Lina, I did. I think we should check it out."

Within minutes, we discovered a young girl lying on the ground, battered and injured. Her face was caked with dirt, and at first glance, one might have thought she was dead. But when I checked her pulse, it was weak. We immediately rushed her to the hospital.

For some inexplicable reason, I felt an overwhelming need to protect her, to shield her from the hardships and evils of the world. I glanced at my wife, and I could tell she shared the same sentiment.

Fortunately, our driver arrived quickly, and we transported her to the hospital. I angrily demanded of the doctor, "If anything happens to this girl, I will hold you responsible."

After twenty anxious minutes, the head doctor emerged and informed us that the girl had suffered internal bleeding and required immediate surgery. I had to sign a consent form for the procedure. As I glanced at the paper, there were two options: Parent or Guardian. Subconsciously, I marked Guardian and signed it.

Lina remarked, "You know you signed as a parent?"

"Yes, I know, but I need to ensure this pure soul survives. She doesn't look older than 17; she has her entire life ahead of her."

Our sons arrived at the hospital and inquired about the situation. I explained that the girl was in the operating room.

Four hours later, the doctor came out of the operating room and said, "The girl has experienced a severe accident; it appears someone wanted her dead. However, we managed to save her. She has broken ribs, a fractured leg, and a twisted arm, but that's not the worst of it. She may suffer from amnesia. Do you have any news for her family?"

"No," I replied.

"We are her family," Lina added.

"She will regain consciousness in three to four days," the doctor informed us before leaving.

Turning to Lina, I asked, "What are we doing, love? She might have a family."

Lina's eyes welled up with tears, and she said, "I couldn't just leave her alone. If her family wanted to find her, they would have done so by now. I don't want a poor soul like her to end up living as an orphan."

"Mom, what are you saying?" Alexander asked.

"I don't have an answer for that, but time will tell. Let's wait for the girl to wake up."

"Can we see her?" I asked the doctor.

"Yes, of course."

When we entered the room, we received the shock of our lives.

"AMARA," Lina and I exclaimed together.