“When did this happen?” Maddie murmured under her breath. “Yesterday, the ketchup bottle still had its label…”
Rico followed her into the kitchen and picked up one of the bottles. After inspecting it, he chuckled softly and reached out to ruffle Jane’s hair. “Don’t be so hard on yourself, Jane. Without the labels, I can’t tell the difference either.”
Maddie crossed her arms, glaring at them both. “So why is it that your sandwiches don’t have any chili sauce and mine is practically drowning in it?”
Rico looked taken aback. “Hey, there’s no need to be aggressive. Jane even asked me what you like and I told her you love ketchup. She just tried to make it special for you. We don’t care for ketchup, so we skipped it.”
Maddie clenched her fists at her sides, biting back a retort. She knew Rico was too enamored with Jane to see through her clumsy excuses. It didn’t matter anymore—none of it did. After all, she had already made up her mind.
***
The day after Rico and Jane left for their trip, Maddie packed her things and went back to where it all began: the orphanage. She carried a bag full of gifts for the children, hoping to leave a part of herself behind in the only place that had ever truly felt like home.
“Maddie!” Mrs. Walker, the headmistress, called out, rushing to embrace her. “Oh, it’s so good to see you again! But where’s Rico? Didn’t he come with you?”
Maddie offered a small smile. “He’s been busy. Didn’t have time to visit.”
Mrs. Walker sighed, her expression turning wistful. “Busy with that actress he’s dating, huh? I saw the news. Such a shame. I always thought the two of you would end up together.”
Laughing softly, Maddie shook her head. “There’s no shame in it, Mrs. Walker. Rico’s always seen me as a little sister. Now he has his own life and I have mine.”
“But he took care of you for so long. When he finally had enough to support himself, he brought you home. That boy has always put you first.”
Maddie’s voice softened. “That was a long time ago. Things change. We’ve both moved on.”
Mrs. Walker nodded, but her expression brightened. “Your mom donated another two million dollars to the orphanage last week. She said it was in your name! You’re so lucky to have found your family after all these years.”
“Yeah,” Maddie murmured, a bittersweet smile on her face. “It’s about time I went back to them.”
***