Search For The Truth (On Hold)

Meeting Mom? Sure, Why Not?

Matthew

I had no idea Teddy was so insane. A computer hacker? And obviously an internet freak. Not a bad one, of course, because in this case he was extremely helpful. I'd thought about going behind Mom and Dad's backs and texting Teddy anyway, but I knew that wouldn't bode well. However, it turned out I didn't need the internet anyway. Teddy had found me, and we were together at last. I still had no memories of him, but my heart told me I didn't need memories of him. We knew we were brothers and that we loved each other, so that was that.

Jacob and Lee questioned me about the confrontation at lunch, and I gave them the truth. There was no use denying it. Besides, they'd just get on my nerves until I told them.

The second the last school bell rang, I was out of the classroom, down the hall, and out onto the front lawn of the school. Aiming my line of sight in the direction of the giant dogwood tree, I spotted Teddy's outline, leaning casually against the tree.

"So what's the plan?" I prompted when I'd reached him. His eyes sparkled in mischief.

"Can you drive?"

"Uh... What does that have to do with Mom and Dad?"

"Just trust me," he grinned. "Do you have a license?"

"Yeah, but law states that you have to be with someone twenty-one years or older if you're under eighteen- or something like that," I pointed out.

Teddy rolled his eyes. "Dude, it'll only be five minutes, and if you happen to get whooped by the police, tell them the truth about where we're going."

"And where are we going?" I questioned, though I was pretty sure I already knew the answer.

"Mom and Dad's house, duh," Teddy laughed. "Maybe they know the whole truth. And anyway, not only will we be reuniting with our birth parents, but you'll be getting away from your foster parents for a little while at least."

I contemplated that. "Hmm. True." I gave in. "Fine, follow me. I'll drive you to Mom and Dad's, as long as you promise not to steer me off course."

So we began the long journey of reconciliation.

*

"You're knocking."

"Nuh uh. You're older so you get to do it."

I sniffed, giving Teddy a solid glare. We were probably acting stupid, but hey, give us some slack. We were both extremely nervous and excited. We were about to meet the parents we'd been away from for some time.

"Well, excuse me," I shot back at him. "I believe this was your idea, so you get first dibs on talking to Mom and Dad."

Teddy returned the glare, then broke out into a smile. "Fine." Moving slowly as if he was afraid the house would disappear, Teddy stepped up to the ebony door and rapped his fist against the smooth wood.

Five seconds passed. Ten. Teddy knocked again. Twenty seconds.

We were about to give up when a lock slid back inside the door and the handle rattled. Someone cracked open the door, and a woman with long golden hair and sharp blue eyes peeked out at us.

Beside me, Teddy sucked in a huge breath, electric eyes widening in shock. I knew why. The lady standing before me was familiar. Very familiar.

Even the way she just poked her head out the door instead of opening the door completely.

The way she analyzed me as she would her sons when they came home from school.

And that face... it triggered memories.

Memories I'd been wanting for the past two years of my life.

"Mom." The word rolled off my lips, familiar yet foreign, but comforting all the same. Recently I'd been saying that word to another woman, someone who wasn't my mother. But this seemed right.

Before I could do so much as say hi, Mom had leaped out the door and wrapped her arms around Teddy and me in a tight embrace.

"You found us! You did it!" she whispered, sobbing. "My little boys have come home!"

*

Once inside, Mom couldn't lay off. She kept resting her hand on my shoulder, grabbing me in an embrace, or ruffling my hair (which totally ruined my look). That in itself told me she truly was my mother.

She happened to have freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, so Teddy and I gladly munched on them while she called Dad.

She was a sneaky woman. Instead of telling Dad exactly what was going on, she merely said, "Honey, I need you to come home from work right now. There are some boys here who want to see you." Then she hung up.

Way to leave someone in suspense. That would've killed me if I'd been the one receiving the message.

Teddy picked up one of the cookies and examined it. "These look way better than my Mom's... I mean Mrs. Stratford's." He practically shoved it at me. "Here. Eat it. I know you want it."

Having Teddy around was really fun. He was epic at brightening my day in seconds. Perhaps that's why we were glad we were brothers, because we were able to cheer each other up.

"Fine, fine!" I laughed, taking the cookie from his hand. It was warm, the chocolate chips still melting in a gooey mess. Just the way I loved them.

"Wow." Teddy ate half of his in one bite. "Way better than Mrs. Stratford's. She never makes them like this. Tell me your secrets, Mother!"

April Hansen grinned and handed Teddy another cookie. "Your foster mother cooked, then?"

"Eh." Teddy waved his hand around. "Kinda. Only on special occasions, but her cooking doesn't taste that good."

"What about you, Bailey?"

I met Mom's beautiful sky eyes. Her cookies were delicious. Just as I remembered them. "No, she doesn't cook. Doesn't do much of anything, come to think of it. She just-" I cut off, inhaling sharply.

"Bailey?" Mom leaned forward, clearly concerned. "You okay?"

For a moment, I just blinked. Then I stared down at the half-eaten cookie in my hand. "I... I remember! I remember these cookies, how they always had melting chocolate chips, how they always seemed fresh and homemade. I haven't remembered things like this since I was kidnapped!"

Beside me on the leather couch, Teddy stopped and stared at his cookie. His hands were shaking. "I remember. You, Bailey, and what we were talking about just before we were kidnapped. You were telling me about Joseph and how he accidentally pulled the fire alarm and caused all these fire engines to come to school. I remember the SIA and our fight against them, and how they put us to sleep. And after that, Bam! We were separated and couldn't remember each other."

It was as if seeing Mom had lifted the fog the SIA had placed over our minds. As if she had replanted all of our real memories back into our heads.

I remembered everything.

Now, I wasn't normally a crier. But I dare you to go through what I've gone through, regain your memories, and not cry. Tears leaked from the corners of my eyes, racing each other down to my chin and cooling off the melted chocolate chips in my cookie.

I remembered.

Everything.