Theia had initially stiffened when he first hugged her, but she found herself relaxing as he spoke to her quietly, rocking her. For the first time in the months since her mother died, she felt safe. It felt ridiculous, even to her, but she felt like this person at least genuinely cared for her.
He continued, "Also, I understand why you wouldn't want your name changed as it was your mom's. Unfortunately, I couldn't prevent it, but I did ensure that it's still there. It's just there as another middle name, so your full name would be Theia Alexia Grimaldi Lexington. That's not so bad, right? " As he continued to comfort his baby sister, he was anxious in his heart, hoping that she wouldn't cry anymore.
Theia looked up at the face that so closely resembled hers and hugged him back. Now she was certain that he genuinely loved her. She could see it in his eyes and in what he said to her. She smiled at him, and as she did, Alexander felt his heart grow warm. This was the feeling he had always wanted. It felt like what a family should be like. Something he'd always seen but never experienced. This was the reason he spent so much time searching for her when he found out about her. All he wanted was a family member who genuinely felt like family.
"Ahem! Ahem!"
Theia and Alexander let each other go and looked at the principal.
"While I am indeed happy that you both are on good terms already, perhaps we should finish up here?" He asked, smiling.
Theia felt embarrassed. She had gotten carried away with the feeling she got from him. After they finalized everything and she confirmed with the principal regarding her early graduation due to the special admission, they left the office together. As she walked, she could hear whispers about them. In particular, that they looked like they could be twins and how good-looking her brother was.
As they walked through the gate to the car park, Theia could feel the slight chill of the cool air surrounding them with the smell of fresh grass. It was the smell of spring. She laughed happily for a moment before turning to her brother. "What is your full name?"
"Alexander Theodore Lexington, "he replied, smiling.
"Ah, so I was right."
He looked at her, his brows scrunched up adorably in confusion.
She continued, "I was right about the names. When I heard yours, I wondered if my mom named me Alexia because of you, but now I'm wondering if Theia was because of Theodore as well. You know, as a way of me having a connection to you and my father, since I noticed his name is Theodore Lexington."
His face had the look of comprehension. "It's quite possible. In fact, it sounds like that is exactly what she did. Your mother seems like she was a really thoughtful person. "
"Yeah, she was," Theia admitted, her face sad.
"I can tell. She raised you, didn't she?"
Theia laughed. It felt like a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders as she got into the car. She was happy that he acknowledged her mother's efforts. She asked him about their father and why he was looking for her now. After they got into the car, Alexander began telling her the truth about the Lexingtons. Her face had already paled when she heard that she was the result of an affair, but after hearing about their father and his mother, she felt numb. He even mentioned that he wouldn't doubt that her mother didn't know he was married because their father was a manipulative person, fully capable of lying to get what he wanted, and Theia's mother was a beautiful woman.
It wasn't that she didn't believe him. It was more that she couldn't believe he was such a decent person growing up with them as parents. When she said as much, he laughed, telling her that he was like this to her because she's his sister. While he may not have been the type of person his parents were, he was also not as good as she believed.
I'm telling you these things because I want you to be on guard," he said. "Don't take the things they say at face value, and whatever you do, don't agree to meet any "business associates and their sons." Do you understand, Theia? " Alexander looked at her, confirming.
"I understand. Basically, interact with them as little as possible so I don't end up in a compromising position. "
"That's right. I honestly wanted to wait a while before telling you these things because I knew it would disillusion you, but more than that, I wanted you to be safe. Also, I'll introduce you to someone. Her name is Alessia Redington. She's a year older than you, but she's starting college as well. As far as I know, she got accepted at Yale as well, for special admission, but she was unsure whether or not she'd go there. As much as I want to stay with you and teach you all that I can, I also have to go back to school. "
"Where do you go?"
"Harvard. Third year doing a major in business and a minor in public relations as well as marketing. "
What an overachiever, she thought. "How old are you, Alex?"
"I'm nineteen this year. I also skipped a couple of grades in school. " He ruffled her hair lightly and said, "I guess you're almost as smart as I am." he teased.