Where you lead, I will follow

1

"Mom?" I asked. I poked my head around the corner and saw my foster mom cooking dinner. "Tomorrow I turn sixteen, you know."

"What? Honey, Ollie, I know. I have loads of presents and a cake and-" mom started, but I cut her off.

I gave her my 'please-I-will-not-stop-begging-until-you-say-yes' look. I smiled, "I've never met my mom, Lorelai! Who is this mysterious Lorelai? How can I know she's my mom and not some bank robber? Oh, but I don't! I've never met this Lorelai."

"Okay!" she slapped some flour on her apron. "You're turning sixteen. Maybe you deserve to surprise Lorelai in Stars Hollow tomorrow."

"Rea-"

"I'll tell you what," mom began talking again. "You can ride the bus to Stars Hollow. Call me when you get there, and call me when you figure out when you're coming home."

"Okay, miss! You've got a deal!" I ran up the stairs and into my room. I flipped open my phone and quick called Larithe.

"Hello?" Larithe called out.

I giggled, "Hey, Rithe, guess what?"

"Olivia? Ollie, what? Tell me now!" Rithe demanded. She sounded almost as giddy as myself.

"Well," I stalled, "I may or may not be... riding the bus to Stars Hollow to meet my mom tomorrow!"

"Huh? Ollie, did you say tomorrow?" Rithe's voice grew quieter. "Tomorrow's your sixteenth birthday. Right?"

"Yeah, aren't you happy?" When Rithe didn't answer, I sighed. I hated when she did this. I huffed, "Rithe, seriously. I'm meeting my birth mother tomorrow? Sixteen years apart?"

"U-um, what about your dad?" Rithe still sounded sad.

I scrunched my eyebrows, "Well, yeah, he'll be there, too. Lorelai, Christopher, and Olivia! All one big happy family!"

"If it's big and happy, why are you in foster care?" Rithe whimpered.

I processed what my best friend had just said to me, and then I raised my voice, "Rithe, why are you so mad? They had me at sixteen themselves! That's like you having a baby right now! They didn't have a choice."

"I'm sorry," Rithe whimpered, "that I had something planned. You'll be gone, but I guess I can do this with just me and Marine.

I sighed, again. This phone call was going no way as I had expected it to, "Sorry, Rithe. I'm truly sorry. See you later, it's lights out now."

I hung up and put my phone away. When I went to shut off the light, I smiled. This was the first time I was going to meet mom and dad. It was going to be great.