Stripped into Destiny

e to acc

down her temples as goosebumps pricked her arms. In her panic, she twi

as nothing compared to the sting of

or fle

hing into the room. She dropped to her

she cal

s later, alarmed.

of them as fresh tears

father asked softly, stro

o rise. But inside Alexa, the sh

mother asked gently, brushing Alex

nd shook her head. It was a quiet

well," she said softly, placin

to leave, her mother

ll, transparent plastic bag. Inside were two test tub

" she said, ha

of the day. She kissed her mother quickly

her called after her, smiling

y beautiful wife

lightly at the

ftly as she walked toward the couch. Jonah f

," she continued. "She's growing i

oesn't she? Almost part Asian. Those

ne, she doesn't really look like either

. "People will

m filled with the quiet hum of a mov

work. Maria stayed behind, quietly tidying the house, a faint smil

Sc

walked in carrying a stack of pap

reports from the school lab. Nothing to worry about-they're just part

ed at each other,

to an end, the teacher address

ollect your reports and make su

g their individually labeled envelopes. The teacher

d for her report. But as she glanced at the name and cont

rs until tomorrow?" she said with a strained smil

eacher placed the envelope aside, her fing

their spotless home,

kitchen corner, speakin

h-she's right here." Maria turned wi

moving from her spot or offerin

r backpack and went to join her in the kitchen. She began help

it. But after a while,

my uniform," she said q

aria said, her voice too casual. "She

Yeah... she sai

t yourself?" Maria's e

r head, lips p

he said, her voice distant as she returned to stirr

ng d

nly sounds were the clicking of cutlery

nusual stare at Alexa from time to time,

g to hear what he had to say. Jonah pulled a small, wrapped box from his po

gh a small smile crept onto h

ur girl topped her class again!" smiling sincerely

ening her gaze. "That's wonderfu

r Di

sending her to her bedroom as it was already past

oft clinking of dishes as Maria wiped down the counter. Dinner was over, Al

sipping the last of his tea as

as if expecting Alexa to come back down. Her

softly, her voice la

dn't look u

ve you... noticed anything

lift his eyes.

different from us-like she doesn't quite fit. And today at school, her teacher called

me on. She's a kid. A brilliant, curious, someti

"But don't you ever feel like something

to her. He placed a comfor

raised her, loved her. T

wha

d firmly, brushing a kiss to h

e living room, disappearing be

er, her heart far from calm. She stared at the empty stair

ing wa

st didn't wa

next

er woke her up early to prepare for school as t

Sch

her chest. The usual morning buzz of her classmates barely regist

eyes locked onto Alexa the moment she entered. Not in the usual way, not with her familiar w

," Alexa greeted politel

out to respond-then closing again. She gave a stiff

e classroom, but no one looked directly at her. That was strange too. Us

r, casting a quick gla

exa's face... to her hair... then to the test report fol

furrowed. What

es

ing through a cracked ceiling. From the moment she took her first breath-her

esa had everything: designer dresses flown in from Milan, a French-speaking governess named Claudine, and a personal violin coach who had once perfo

orcelain ballerina statue and blamed the maid. At four, she bit a classmate for calling her "weir

ngsley-only saw her brilliance. She

avid would say with pride

, though she often watched her

es-but als

bribed. She spoke to the staff as though they were beneath her, mimicking the c

often said delicately, bowi

-

rden, cradling a stuffed fox in one arm and a platinum iPad in the other. She was

e houses?" she

," Claudine rep

. "So they're poor-poo

ed. "They're les

d the iPad aside like a toy she'd grown ti

ngered in the r

e didn'

e ravioli because it was "too creamy" and demanded sush

d. "She knows

ate one bite and pushed the plate

," Isabel said, trying

eresa replied, tossing h

-

nth birthday w

rance by a teen pop idol arranged through David's connections. She wore a custom pink dr

r party like a monarch in

d until the handler gave in. When a girl in her class complimented her

bouquet after the party, she looked at it, sn

lement wa

l not

t time, she admi

.. not

ed. "What d

me. Or act like me. O

s of kids go through pha

tched her daughter sleep, her small fists clenched around her silk bla

st

-

e caught her doing s

dnight and was using a butter knife to s

doing?" Claudi

flinch. "Maki

r fo

ike... how poor people

clenched. "Why wo

like," she replied, her voice cold

r explai

-

called into the headmistr

in the music room for "singi

d was less concerned. "Gir

issues, need for control, emotional distance. "She's gifted, yes

of pride, or fear

watching her daug

-

d on the balcony of her room, s

tepped i

tch a cold

t turn. "I li

ain, wrapping a shawl aroun

arely audible. "Do yo

tated. "Dif

ot like ot

l said carefully. "But

, eyes dark and unreadable. "Somet

ked. "What

erve this life. But other times,

oss Isabel's arms. "Ho

ded, seemin

I ever ran away... w

hand on her daughter's cheek. "I

smiled

ght, she di

tared out

-

d to take Theresa to a charity lunc

unmarked

e: a

e photo over. Her breath hitched. The babie

a

raised the

od reports. L