It had been thirty minutes since the selected boys left for the office, and still, none of them had returned. The room was unusually quiet now. Some of the girls were lying on their beds, staring at the ceiling, while others whispered among themselves.
Charlotte sat by the window, her fingers playing with her bracelet. Her heart was starting to beat faster. She kept glancing at the door, hoping to see her best friend walk back in.
Finally, the door opened.
The sister stepped in with just four boys—Joshua, Benjamin, John, and David.
Their faces looked dull. None of them was smiling.
"Alright boys," the sister said softly, "go back to your beds. Don't feel bad, okay? There will always be another chance."
The boys didn't say anything. They just nodded slowly and walked back to their corners.
The sister turned to leave, but Charlotte stood up quickly and hurried after her.
"Excuse me, Sister."
The woman stopped and looked at her. "Yes, Charlotte?"
Charlotte took a small breath. "Was Charles adopted? Along with Diego? By the same people?"
The sister gave a small smile and nodded. "Yes. They were both picked by the same couple."
Then she added, "If you want to say goodbye to your brother, that's alright."
"Thank you, Sister," Charlotte said. She gave the woman a quick, grateful hug and stepped back just as fast. Everyone knew the sister was not the hugging type.
They walked down the quiet hallway toward the office. Charlotte's shoes made light sounds on the tiled floor. Her heart felt heavy and hopeful at the same time.
When they got there, Charles and Diego were already seated beside their new parents. The couple looked kind and gentle. Charles' face lit up as soon as he saw Charlotte.
She walked in and greeted the couple politely. Then she turned to Charles. The moment their eyes met, neither of them could hold back the tears. They hugged each other tightly.
"I'll miss you so much," Charlotte whispered.
"I'll miss you more," Charles said, wiping his eyes.
The sister gently explained to the couple that the two children were twin siblings. That was why saying goodbye felt so hard for them.
Charlotte reached into her pocket and brought out a small white handkerchief. She placed it in Charles' hand.
"This is for you," she said. "Don't lose it."
"I won't," he promised.
It was time to go.
The sister told them to be good children and make their new parents proud. Then, to the children's surprise, she gave both boys a quick hug.
Charles and Diego waved as they walked out with the couple, hand in hand.
Charlotte and the other kids stood by the doorway, waving back until the car disappeared from sight.
The other kids had gone back to their beds, but Charlotte couldn't stop staring at the window as the car disappeared through the streets.