Elizabeth Olsen is my adoptive mom

Alaska

We stopped the car outside the destination my aunt sent us. It's a White House with a little garden and a small parking lot. " this seems known" I say as I step out of the car.

I slowly approach the mailbox box seeing my family's last name on, but no first name. Only Valentino.

Mom takes a hand on my shoulder asking me if I'm ready. I'm not ready. But I want to do this. So we walked up to the door, as I was about to knock on the door my aunt opened the door.

————

My aunt invited us inside, and as we walked through the house to the garden, I studied the house, it hadn't changed, at least not on the first floor. I don't know about the second floor, where the bedrooms were.

We sat down at the table in the garden, the garden was smaller than I remembered. "It's so good to see you," my aunt says as she looks at me, "You have grown up so much" She spoke again, "It's good to see you too" I replied.

" you probably have a lot of questions, and I'm going to answer every question." Alaska, my aunt spoke again. " yeah I have, a lot." I say trying to find my words. "What happened? I thought you died in the fire." I asked, "Well, I was outside as the fire started, I was the one who called the firefighters but unfortunately the fire was too big. The house fell apart so no one could come inside or out. And right after this happened I was so sad and got sick and I moved to another city. I'm so sorry I couldn't take care of you, I was too sick and sad to even take care of myself. I'm so happy that you have Elisabeth now."

I look up to my mom, giving her a little smile showing her that I'm grateful for her. She takes my hand and strokes it slowly.

"I don't know what to say really," I say as I look down at my hands. " that's okay sweetie" Mom strokes my hand. " you don't have to say anything, I know this is a lot for you, and that is perfectly fine." My aunt replies.

"Do you want to look around? I haven't changed anything, I have been here barely, so I haven't had the chance to change anything."

I look up at my aunt nervously nodding, I want to see how it looks, but I'm also nervous. " can I take a look alone first?" I ask my mom and Alaska. They both nod so I start walking inside.

I walk first to the kitchen. The kitchen is not big but it's a perfect size for a family of 3 plus a few guests. On the fridge, there is some drawing that is ridiculously ugly that I made throughout the years we lived here.

I walk slowly to the living room, seeing the same sofa from when we lived here, it wasn't a really old sofa though, we had bought it a year before they died. Mama hated the old sofa, she said almost every week that she hated it. Papa didn't care about the sofa, so one day after Mama and I had been out together, we came home to a new sofa.

I'm very thankful that I have a good memory, some times it's annoying to remember everything, but I will never forget my Mama and Papa. I look at the small table in the corner with a small chair next to it. I sat down next to it, looking at the drawing on the table. I wasn't done with it, I had started drawing the family, it's not very clear; I was 5 years old, what do you expect?

I had drawn papa, mama and me, but mama looks a little bit different. I don't know why, but I always draw her in pink, but this time I drew her in purple; also I had written something, it's unreadable. Something in my gut tells me that it's something important, so I take it in my pocket.

I walk upstairs to the office; still intact and alike, nothing had changed. As I reach my parent's bedroom I stop and close my eyes.

It's okay. It's okay.

Don't cry.

You're allowed to cry.

No.

I'm not gonna cry

I opened the door and saw the big bed that wasn't so big that I remembered. I walk around looking at their stuff.

There it is.

The photo.

The photo is just one photo. Every year we took photos on the exact date. From newborn to 5 years old. My birthday.

I had forgotten how much the picture meant to me. I remember Mana always looked at it, every night before I went to bed. She carried me to look at it, it didn't need to be long, it could just be a few seconds or minutes. It was like a tradition to always look at it.  She used to say that family is the most powerful thing in the world and that when we look at the picture it reminds us that we are a family and that we can walk through anything as long we are doing it as a family.

After I was done looking at my parent's stuff I walked to my old bedroom.

I don't get how it's exactly like when we left, but it's cleaner though. It's not dirty at all. My aunt had to be cleaning the house throughout the years.

I walk to the middle of the room and sit down taking all in. "Sweetheart, can I come in?" Mom knocks lightly on the door. I look at her nodding lightly. She looks around and sits next to me taking my arm.

"Nothing has changed. I don't get why they didn't sell it. And why they didn't sell anything? They didn't even sell my old teddy."

"It's beautiful here, your aunt said that if you wanted anything you could take it," Mom replied, " yeah, maybe we can come back another day, with boxes, I want all the pictures. Mama loved pictures and said they hold memories. I want to hold the memories." I suggest

"That sounds like a great idea, is there anything you want with you now?" Mom asks me, "I have it already," I say and show her one of the photo albums.

She nods and I start showing her around the house.

I'm happy Alaska took contact and that our old house is okay. But it brings up so many memories.