“I only need a week to begin earning their trust,” Rachel replied.
Just then a crash echoed from upstairs.
“That’s them,” Ethan sighed.
Rachel stood calmly. “Then let’s meet them.”
The playroom looked destroyed — toys everywhere, books torn apart, crayon marks covering the walls.
In the center stood the twins, waiting for the new adult to panic.
But Rachel simply walked inside.
She looked around slowly, then smiled warmly.
“What are you smiling at?” Lila demanded.
“At you two.”
“We’re not cute,” Sophie snapped. “We’re horrible.”
Rachel tilted her head. “Then people must not be looking very closely.”
The twins stared, confused.
Then Rachel knelt on the messy floor so she was at their level.
“You are not too much,” she said softly. “You are not broken, and you are not unlovable.”
The words hung in the air.
Lila’s arms dropped slightly.
“You don’t know us,” she muttered.
“Not yet,” Rachel said. “But I’d like to.”
Sophie inhaled, preparing for another screaming storm.
Before it began, Rachel started humming — a soft, gentle melody.
She calmly began picking up toys one by one.
No anger. No commands. Just humming.