One quiet morning in the Xiao Long residence, the family gathered in the living room after breakfast. Summer sat on the right side of the couch, while Taiyang took the left. The boy rested on the large central sofa, playfully swishing his fluffy black tail with faded blue tips from side to side. Ruby and Yang chased after it, giggling and trying to catch it mid-air.
It was a rare peaceful moment.
Summer smiled at the sight before her, then gently tried to bring up a conversation.
"So… how are you feeling? Do you still feel any pain or—"
She stopped mid-sentence, her words catching in her throat. She had nearly brought up his trauma again.
But the boy just gave her a soft smile.
It was as if he was saying, *"It's okay."*
Taiyang spoke next, breaking the silence with a calm, sincere voice.
"As you can see, we've all been pretty worried about you. We know you've been through a lot… lost something important. But we want you to know—we're here for you now."
The boy looked up at him and nodded slowly.
"I understand. I don't really know what happened that day… but I'm sorry for worrying you all. Please don't blame yourselves."
He smiled again, a warm and mature smile. Too mature for someone his age.
Summer and Taiyang exchanged a glance—both silently acknowledging the same concern. His words, the way he held himself—it was all too grown-up. As if he'd been forced to become an adult long before he should have.
Taiyang scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Well… there's something we've been meaning to ask you. It's important, and we wanted your honest opinion."
He hesitated for a moment, then finally asked:
"What would you say if we… adopted you?"
Silence fell over the room for a few seconds.
Then—
"Wait—adopt?! You mean I get to be a big sister?!" Ruby shouted, nearly falling off the couch in excitement.
"Whoa, that means *I'm* not the only big sister anymore!" Yang grinned. "We're getting a little brother! This is so cool!"
The two girls began jumping around the room, full of joy.
But Taiyang raised his hand like a referee.
"Alright, alright—don't get too excited. The final decision is still up to him."
"And," Summer added, "we still don't know if he has any living relatives. He might not be truly alone."
The girls instantly stopped, sitting down with quiet pouts and eyes lowered to the floor.
The boy looked down for a moment… then spoke.
"I don't actually know who my real parents are," he said quietly. "I've been living in the snowy forest ever since the old woman who took me in… passed away. I was only one and a half years old."
That made both Summer and Taiyang's hearts sink.
He continued, voice calm but heavy.
"After she was gone, I lived alone. Then one day… some people took me. By force. They brought me to that island…"
The room's warmth shifted to a cold stillness. Even the girls froze. The weight of his words pressed into the room like snowfall in winter.
But then… he smiled again. A tear gently rolled down his cheek.
"…I would be very lucky to be part of your family."
His words melted the room like spring sunlight.
Ruby and Yang immediately wrapped him in a hug, tearing up with joy. Summer covered her mouth with her hand, eyes brimming with tears. Taiyang exhaled a soft breath, placing a hand over his heart.
For the first time in a long while… the boy was home.
---
After the emotional moment settled, the air shifted again—this time with playful energy.
Summer and Taiyang began bickering lightly over an important matter: the boy's name.
"Alright, we *have* to give him a good name," Summer insisted.
"Obviously. Which is why I should pick it," Taiyang replied smugly.
"I have a better naming sense, and you know it!"
They pulled out a small list of names they had secretly made earlier that week, dropping a few slips of paper onto the floor during their debate.
The boy bent down, picked up the list, and began reading each name quietly to himself.
Then… one word caught his eye.
"…Sapphire," he whispered.
His voice was so soft—but both Summer and Taiyang heard it clearly. Summer immediately grinned, her eyes lighting up.
"What about *Sapphire*… *Sapphire Rose*?" he said proudly.
Taiyang groaned and slumped in defeat.
"She wins…"
Summer crossed her arms and smirked like a champion, standing tall with satisfaction.
As their parents acted like overgrown kids, Ruby and Yang turned to their new brother with big smiles.
"Welcome to your new home, Sapphire," they said in perfect unison. 💖