Before Beckett

Chapter 8

The next couple of months flew by and every day, Zoe thought about Kate Beckett.

Freshman year was going good for Zoe and Becca so far. They had a few classes together and spent a lot of their time together studying in the library and working through all the assignments that piled up. She thought eighth grade was hard enough. Freshman year was even worse.

The topic of Kate Beckett seemed to die down. The Myers' barely bought it up and Zoe wasn't sure if a Christmas break trip to New York was even going to happen. Even Becca seemed to stop asking questions about her.

Even though no one around her seemed to be talking about Kate Beckett, Zoe still thought of her every day and looked at the photos like she always did. It was a daily routine for Zoe. Look at the photos of her mother. Think about her mother. Talk to the photos as if her real mother was with her right there.

Zoe looked up at the ceiling of her room and closed her eyes. She was going to meet Kate Beckett and see if the cop was her real mother.

In November, Zoe had almost given up hope. There were six weeks left until Christmas break and Mrs Myers still hadn't hinted anything about returning to New York.

So one morning, Zoe decided to bring it up.

"Hey mum," she said. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure thing, Zoe," Mrs Myers replied.

"Are we going back to New York in Christmas break to meet Kate Beckett?" asked Zoe.

Mrs Myers sighed and thought for a few moments. "We're still looking at it," she said. "Plane fares are getting expensive at the moment. Your father is checking every day. If there is a considerable drop in prices leading up to Christmas, we'll book a flight. And it just would be the two of us flying across the country."

"Okay," said Zoe. "I'm fine with that. Would it be only a couple days or the whole Christmas break?"

"We have to spend Christmas as a family," said Mrs Myers. "So it would only be a couple days. As I said, it all depends on prices."

Zoe walked away feeling deflated. She walked back up to her room and starting thinking. Mrs Myers didn't really seem to want Zoe to meet her real mother. Zoe wasn't sure when they were in New York, but now thinking back on it, she noticed that Mrs Myers did look a little relieved that they didn't meet Kate Beckett. She got that Mrs Myers would be protective of her, and even though she was the only mother she'd known, Zoe wanted to know who her real mother was. Especially since she was alive. The only bad thing was that she was clear on the other side of the country.

Zoe had already decided that when she graduated high school and went to college, that she would want to move to New York. That way she could fly the nest and be independent and be close to her biological mother.

If Kate Beckett was indeed her biological mother.

But Zoe had a wall that had been built up around her for years now. Ever since her foster parents had given her the photos of her mother when she turned ten years old. The only way that wall could be torn down was by meeting her biological mother.

"What are you doing for Christmas break?" Becca asked a couple days later during recess. They were sitting with a big group of girls.

"I'm not sure yet," Zoe replied. "I know that we have family coming over for Christmas. Like every year. What about you?"

"We're going away for the week," said Becca.

"Really? That's cool. Where you going?" asked Zoe.

"Florida," Becca said. "I'm really excited because it will be warm and sunny."

"And I will be here doing nothing," Zoe said grumpily.

Becca looked at her for a few seconds. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," Zoe said quickly. "Nothing is going on."

"I don't believe you," said Becca.

"Nope, nothing is wrong," said Zoe.

"Hey Mum!" Zoe said, when she saw Mrs Meyers waiting outside the car that afternoon at school. The boys were already with her. They were just waiting for Brooke.

"Hey Zoe," said Mrs Myers. "Hey, your father and I have a surprise for you at home?"

"Really?" Zoe asked. "Any clues?"

Mrs Myers smirked. "You'll just have to wait."

When Brooke arrived at the car, everyone loaded in the car and they started to drive back to the house.

"Have you told her the surprise yet?" asked Brooke.

"Not yet," said Mrs Myers. "She'll get it when we arrive home."

"The suspense is killing me," said Zoe. "Is it something that we're doing for Christmas break? Becca told me that she's going to Florida with her family. And then she sensed that something was off with me."

"Like what?" asked Brooke.

"Ah, it was nothing," Zoe lied. "I just felt a bit tired today."

When they arrived at the house, everyone unloaded their bags and was sitting in the kitchen eating afternoon tea.

There was no hint of a surprise anywhere in the kitchen.

"What is this surprise?" Zoe asked, taking a bite out of a cookie.

"You'll find out soon enough," said Mr Myers. "Patience is the key, Zoe."

"I think we should stop teasing her, now," Mrs Myers said. "We'll show you the surprise now, Zoe."

"Finally," she muttered. "I've been looking forward to this."

Mrs Myers picked up an envelope and handed it to Zoe. "Here it is. Open it."

Zoe took the envelope from her foster mother and opened it.

Inside were two return plane tickets to New York!