Ain't No Mountain High Enough

"I Wish"

The morning after the party, I spent hours on my laptop researching ways to find an estranged family member. I ended up going through a box of her things I still had and found her social security number, as well as her birth certificate, but I still wasn't sure where to start. I searched up her name (Maddison Riggs) online and a bunch of social media accounts came up, but none of them belonged to her. So I tried her maiden name (Gage), and there were just more social media accounts that didn't belong to her. I did, however, find a couple Instagram accounts that were private, and I wouldn't be able to see them unless I was following her.

Next I tried obituaries. I found a couple for a Maddison Riggs, and one for a Maddison Gage, but they weren't my mother. I found myself relieved that I didn't find her there.

After hours of searching, I leaned back in my wheelchair and rubbed my hands over my face, groaning. My head was pounding and I realized how hungry I was now that my mind wasn't so focused on looking for my mother.

There was a knock on my door, and then Arjun's voice. "Randall?"

"Come in," I replied, my voice coming out muffled beneath my hands.

The door opened, and Arjun, wearing a red Christmas sweater and jeans, walked in with a mug of coffee. "Any luck?"

"Not really," I said with a sigh. "I found two social media accounts of a Maddison Gage, but they're both private so I don't know if it could be my mother or not."

"What if she ended up marrying someone else? She could have a different last name," Arjun said, shrugging. "Or you could call up the last number you knew she had and see what happens."

I hadn't even thought about a different last name she might have, and that nearly overwhelmed me. As for calling her number, I wasn't quite sure where that would get me. "I find it strange that she left behind her social security number and birth certificate," I said, picking the papers off of my nightstand. "Maybe she had copies? I don't know. I thought maybe they could be useful, but I don't know where to start."

Arjun set the mug he was holding on the nightstand and took the papers from me. "Well, I guess you could try calling the company about it and finding out if they know where she lives."

I nodded, though I wasn't sure. I knew it would probably be effective, but maybe I was procrastinating because a part of me didn't want to find her. Still, I picked up my phone and dialed the number of the agency.

~ ~ ~

I told them my mom's social security number, and they told me they would call back when they knew where she was. I figured it couldn't take that long, so I settled to just wait. In the meantime, Arjun and I sat around playing Smash Bros Ultimate while Ms. Harlow was at work.

"Arjun?" I asked after a moment of silence. "Did you ever try looking for your dad?"

He nodded, but kept his eyes glued to the TV as he made his character, Sephiroth, catapult my character, Solid Snake, right out of the arena.

"Did you find him?"

Arjun nodded again. "Yup. With a wife and three kids. I never told Mom. It was a few years ago, so...I'm trying to forget I ever saw it." He gave me a pointed look that told me to shut up about it.

"I'm sorry," I said, sighing. It didn't make me feel better about my own mother. What if she was married and had other kids now? The thought almost disgusted me.

Arjun shrugged as the video game announced his victory against me for the tenth time. I was really not good at this game. "Not your fault. Mom clearly didn't need him anyway." He put the remote down and stood, stretching his arms out. "Well, I have to get ready for work. I've got a long shift tonight, so you'll have to keep Mom company."

"No problem." I thought about getting more about what Arjun's father was like from Ms. Harlow, but I didn't want to bring up a painful subject. I knew his ditching her broke her heart to pieces.

Arjun left the room, and I busied myself with turning off the game and putting the Nintendo Switch remotes back on the console. My mind was entirely focused on my mom, though. When would those people call back? Would they ever call back, or just forget about me?!

As if on cue, my phone started to ring, and I hurriedly wheeled backward to grab it off of the sofa. My face drained and my heart began to pound when I realized who was calling. It wasn't the agency.

It was Valerie.

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Listen to "I Wish" by Stevie Wonder!

Peace ✌️~ A.J.