Portrait

I

Kara is my birth mum which means I was in her tummy until I came out when the Euros came back. Sam is my gene mum which means I’m made of her and also Kara. The other grown-ups are also my mums which means they help bring me up which makes me a grown up. I’m not a grown up but I help bring up the girls who are smaller than me but I'm not a mum because I'm not a grown up, but I'm responsible. Some of the other girls don't have birth mums and Nned has four gene mums but most are like me but it doesn't matter because we're all part of Tempest.

It rains a lot and when it does the forest smells damp and the streets and we wear raincloaks but I like not to which makes Kara cross because I drip on things and she won't let me stay outside until I'm dry like I said.

And they arrived just as you appeared, you child of reconnection. Maybe that’s why Tempest gave you to us. You’ll keep us safe again.

Kara is a red that means she’s strong and she used to fight Shivans but I'm not allowed to ask her about that except sometimes. She holds me with one arm and its like flying. Sam is a green which means she’s smart and she does things for a co-op with a computer but I don't understand the numbers. I'm back from the doctor and she says I'm blue which means I'm good at writing and drawing and singing. Sam says she thought I'd be green like her. But I like drawing.

I drew her picture and she put it up on the wall. Portrait of Sam, by Rin, age seven.