Power Rangers: Ottoman Force (Book Two)

4: Permanent Vacation

Adrian

    Being back felt a little odd. Everything looked the same, but it felt different after being away for so long.

    Arriving, I looked at my house for a long time. Even though it had been my house for the majority of my childhood, something about it felt foreign to me. It was like I recognized it, but at the same time I couldn't. Kaan and Ana Leticia stepped out of the car, but I didn't. I stayed plastered on the backseat, unable to so much as even unfasten the seatbelt. I felt this overwhelming fear that this vacation was somehow a permanent one, and that we weren't ever going back to Istanbul.

    They walked over and opened the door. I stayed there, frozen, unable to move a single muscle to get out.

    "What's going on?" asked Ana Leticia.

    "Nothing" I lied.

    "Look, I know it's hard for you to be back. But your parents really want to see you. Just give it a shot. Things might turn out ok" she smiled, trying to be all bright and sunshiny.

    "I don't know" I sighed. "I need to think before anything."

    A few moments passed before I realized I had no choice but to get out and enter my old house. I knew that a rain of images of Troy and how our family was before, would for sure rain down on me as soon as I stepped in. I unfastened my seatbelt, and got out and grabbed our luggage from the back.

    We walked up the porch, the smell of wet soil and plants, bringing old memories back from when I actually had a family. The porch still looked the same, with the same veranda sitting in front of the small balcony that overlooked the whole street, and front yard.

    After ringing the doorbell, my mom and dad opened. They both looked the same, but again I had not seen them in two years.

    "Adrian!" my mom started crying, as did my dad. She walked up and gave me a hug, then my dad came and hugged me as well. "We missed you!"

    I missed my parents, but I did not miss the life they had as rangers, the life that they as well as Troy wanted me to embrace.

    "Ana Leticia" my mom hugged her, and then Kaan. "It's so good to see you guys." My mom suddenly turned her attention to me, then took my hand and held it tightly. "Come on, there's something I want to show you."

    My mom held on to me, walking upstairs, pulling me with what could only be described as excitement. But excitement for what, exactly?

    We entered into her and my dad's bedroom. I was surprised to see a crib. A crib? Both my mom and I walked closer, and saw a baby boy, a toddler. For a moment I was confused, but then it suddenly clicked on me.

    "I want you to meet Ali Mateo. Your new baby brother" she smiled.

    I looked at him. I was shocked, but not in a bad way. Simply put, I could not believe that this whole time, I had a baby brother. He looked to be almost two years old, but was obviously less because I was gone for a little over two years.

    Ali Mateo had such a bright baby smile, it was adorable. He had the same emerald green eyes that I had, and had the same fair skin that my mom and Troy had, but had the same dark hair that my dad had.

    "How old is he, really?"

    "A year and a half. I found out I was pregnant before Troy..."

    "Did he know?" I quickly interjected before she could finish that last part.

    "No, he didn't" my mom's expression suddenly looked sad. She picked Ali Mateo up, and held him to me. "Want to hold him?"