Finding Jordyn

Chapter Twelve: The Beginning in the End

Jordyn's pov.

"Any word?" Ofe asked for the third time in the last couple minutes. "If you ask me one more time I'm going to lose it." I growled out. We were currently in the lobby having a moment without Max's heart monitors incessant beeping. Not to sound mean.. I know the beeps are a good thing I just can't.. Focus. Taylor walked by and I stood up and followed her back into the room though. Apparently she had that effect on me. Gabe was flipping channels, "there's nothing about her on the news." "and no amber alert either." Bird added. "It's a media blackout," Taylor said sitting on the edge of Max's hospital bed. "Should you be here? Shouldn't you be home?" Gabe asked, concerned.

I left the room unable to handle it after seeing Taylor's face when she saw Max again. Ofe followed me out quickly. "Hey hey, Carter's gonna be fine yeah? Your mom.. She wouldn't hurt her." I scoffed, "Carter's her favorite. Carter is everyone's favorite." "Not mine. I mean I like her and all but.." Ofe quickly chimed in and I smiled slightly and shook my head, "you don't count." "Why don't I count?" he asked, fake offended.

Taylor walked out suddenly and showed me her phone. It was a picture of Carter and mom.

Carter: meet me at Clifton's Diner on route 50 in 2 hours. Come alone.

My phone chimed with an identical message. I looked back at Taylor. It was up to us to save Carter.

...later at home...

"They're not going," Grant said and I looked at Taylor, "She's not going alone. I'll be there." "Neither of you are going," David said. "Look, I'm going. Fourteen years ago I watched that woman take Carter and Jordyn and I didn't do anything and that's haunted me forever. Carter is our sister and I'm going to get her and bring her home." Taylor said adamantly and I smiled up at her, "Terrifying Taylor is a good look on you." "You'll be extra careful?" Grant asked in a scared voice. I hugged him, "the extraest carefullest." "That's not a word," Taylor chimed. "Today it is," I argued back. "She won't suspect that Taylor is wired," I commented as Kyle got us ready to go to the diner. The plan was me, Taylor and Elizabeth would go inside and meet mom and Carter, while Kyle and David would wait outside in the car listening in.

We walked into the diner and Elizabeth warned the waitress away from the situation as she guided us towards the booth with mom and Carter in it. Mom scowled at Elizabeth, "I thought I told you to come alone." "That was never going to happen mom," I said and she huffed. Mom got up and patted Elizabeth down before ushering her into the booth seat next to her and motioned to us to sit down. Carter was all the way by the window and Taylor scooched in and hugged her, Carter noticed the wire and looked up at me. "Hey sis," I said softly and she smiled, "Hi."

"Oh good, now that we're all here.. I can finally tell you the truth." Mom said ominously. "What truth?" I asked. "I'm your real mother." She said to Carter. "And I'm Taylor and Jordyn's real mother." She continued. "What are you talking about? You kidnapped us." I argued. "twice," Carter added.

 "Female, age 23. 5 feet 8 inches tall. Brown hair, brown eyes. Graduate of Jacobsen Nursing College, June 1996. Health: excellent. Marital status: single. Siblings: none. Donor number 3-5-2-6." Mom said. Elizabeth's face dropped. "We couldn't get pregnant.. We used a fertility clinic who suggested an egg donor." Elizabeth admitted with tears in her eyes. "They chose me. I'm your mother. Biologically." Mom said. "Why didn't you tell us?" Taylor asked Elizabeth. "We wanted to wait til you were older but we didn't get a chance. And telling you without Carter and Jordyn just felt.. Incomplete." Elizabeth explained. I could tell that it was hard for her to say these things. The truth was equally as disturbing to hear. 

"What do you want from us?" Taylor asked mom, annoyed. "I'm your mother. I have rights." Mom said. "Mom.. you can't expect them to let you see us after everything that happened.." I said softly in disbelief. "They have to." Mom argued. "I just want to be in my daughters' lives." Mom said. "That's never going to happen," Elizabeth said slowly. "Then we're not leaving here," Mom said. "Mom.. please.. Think about what you're doing for a minute." I begged her. "Did you really think that we'd just walk out of here with you and live some kind of happily ever after?" Carter asked her and she frowned, "I'm your mom. You love me. You told me that you loved me. Jordyn.. You understand don't you? This woman, Elizabeth. You don't see her as your mother."