Is this destiny?

Imani woke up later than usually and went straight to have breakfast.

Based on her regular routine, she exercises first, but she overslept because of last night\'s dinner-event and she is not sure at what time JoAnna will need her, so she decided to fill up her stomach, and the exercise will come later.

When Imani entered the dining room, she saw a number of girls already present and they stopped their chatter and turned to her.

Imani smiled and greeted them before moving to the table with food to pick what she wants to eat. She recognized a number of faces from last night: Rosa, Francisca, Merve, Azra, Esma, Xiaohui, Panya.

The girls also recognized Imani, but now she is not in her casual t-shirt and jeans, but she is wearing dark gray short-sleeved t-shirt and pants which are obviously too long for her (because they are folded at the bottom). It was the smallest size in the storage, Ernesto didn\'t plan that a thirteen years old girl will need a uniform, but Imani made it work.

Rosa guessed that Imani is a member of Sarah\'s military based on the clothes, but she looks too young.

By the time Imani sat to eat, Rosa\'s curiosity swelled.

"Are you a member of the military under Sarah\'s command?"

Imani paused at Rosa\'s question while wondering where did Rosa get the \'military\' part? The army of Chaos should be a secret. "What?"

"We met Stacy and Zoey and we know that they joined the military which helps Sarah make the world a better place.", Azra explained. "Are you part of it?"

Imani was surprised by this description of the army of Chaos, but she likes it. "You can say that."

"Really? How old are you?", Panya asked. She remembers clearly that Sarah told them that they are kids, too young. And Imani looks much younger than they are!

"I will be thirteen this year.", Imani responded.

The girls exchanged looks.

"Did you also attend the camp and take the training?", Rosa asked Imani.

Imani was confused. "Camp?"

"Are you like Daniel and Sarah is your mother?", Xiaohui asked and all the girls looked at her.

Imani smiled. "Yes. Sarah is my mother."

Now all the girls looked at Imani.

"Who is Daniel? Is he the boy with whom you spent last night?"

Panya\'s question made Xiaohui explode into a blush and she nodded in response.

Imani chewed slowly and her elation of calling Sarah her mother faded when she realized that Daniel spent the evening with Xiaohui, and he was talking about them. Did he talk about the army of Chaos? He should know that it is a secret!

"How much did Daniel tell you?", Imani asked Xiaohui.

"He told me that he was imprisoned in a mine and that Sarah and Aiden saved him and many others who didn\'t have a home to return to. He said that there are thirty kids about his age living in the same place, studying, and learning many things, and that Sarah and Aiden are like parents to everyone."

Imani wanted to confirm that Daniel didn\'t say more. "That\'s it?"

Xiaohui was not sure what else should she say, so she said the first thing she remembered: "He said that chicken wings are better than pork."

Imani burst into giggles. She was not interested in Daniel\'s food preferences, and she was relieved that he didn\'t blurt out other things.

Rosa\'s eyes darted between Xiaohui and Imani before settling on Imani. "Is it true? They are like parents to you?"

Imani confirmed. "We have a house, and in one wing are girls while in the other one are boys. Each of us has a room and a bathroom and we have common areas to study, play, and eat."

"That sounds like my boarding school.", Xiaohui said.

"What do you study?", Azra asked Imani.

"Uhm, normal school stuff I guess. Everyone studies math, coding, history, literature, and arts. And there are other things like first aid and business classes."

"Do you learn to use guns and knives, like army members?", Esme asked.

"We all exercise and learn self-defense.", Imani responded cautiously.

Esme was about to repeat her question, she really wanted to find out about knives and guns, because she is not a strong and a muscular person, but Sarah\'s voice drifted toward them…

"Imani, don\'t just talk about the good things. You will make them wish not to go home."

Sarah and Aiden came from upstairs and they saw Imani answering questions, so they listened for a few minutes.

Imani smiled at the sight of Sarah and Aiden standing at the door. "I don\'t know what bad things are there. We all like it very much and are grateful for the opportunity and treatment the two of you are giving us."

Rosa saw that everyone is smiling and the mood is good, so she used this opportunity to ask more questions: "How many girls are there?"

"Five of us. You met us all last night, except for Masika who is in Italy.", Imani responded.

"So much more boys…", Rosa said under her breath with concern obvious on her face when she realized that out of about thirty kids only five are girls. "Are boys… nice?"

"Hmm… I\'m not sure how to answer that. What do you mean by nice?"

"Are they peeking when you shower, or doing something inappropriate?", Panya asked.

Imani shook her head. "No. We are together for almost a year, and we didn\'t have incidents. They are respectful and protective of us. Like older brothers."

"That is what Daniel told me. If I stay, he will be my older brother.", Xiaohui said.

Sarah observed the girls who looked at Imani with sparkles in their eyes, and spoke only for Aiden to hear: "I think that after today\'s batch, no other girl will want to leave."

"I thought you wanted them to stay.", Aiden responded.

Sarah confirmed. "I do, but if they have good families to go to, they should."

"I\'m sure that if they have a loving family, they will go no matter what Imani says."

Sarah agreed with Aiden and smiled when she saw him hungrily looking at the food on the table. She nudged him to go and get it. "Let\'s eat…"

Sarah\'s words paused when she got a notification that Sophia and Felix entered the property.

"Why are they back?", Sarah asked Aiden.

Aiden shrugged. "They should have sent the jet only…" Aiden paused and then frowned. "You don\'t think that this is related to Jeff being here?"

Sarah felt a headache coming. If Sophia is in her full oldest sister protective mode, this means trouble. "I don\'t know, but it could be. Let\'s wait for them at the door and make sure she does not storm in and disturb Anna and Jeff…"

Aiden grabbed a croissant and rushed after Sarah. He had a bad feeling about this, and if he is correct it means that the breakfast will come later.

Sarah and Aiden met with Bridgette in the hallway.

"Is the breakfast that way?", Bridgette asked.

Sarah confirmed. "Yeah."

"Are you done with food already?", Bridgette was surprised, knowing that Sarah and Aiden are not morning people.

"No. Sophia and Felix are here, we are going to greet them first.", Sarah responded without stopping her steps.

"Sophia and Felix?", Bridgette wondered why are the two of them back. She had a hunch that it\'s related to Jeff\'s presence. Bridgette turned and followed after Sarah and Aiden.

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