His Girl

1. May 2010

Lauren's plane had just touched down in Chicago. She still couldn't believe she was here. At Easter her mom had dropped a bomb on her that her real dad lived in Chicago and she had a brother. She was shocked and then angry with her mother for keeping this from her.

She'd lived all her life with a man that had treated her different and barely liked her, but now she knew why. She wasn't really his. Her mother had been with someone else and tried passing her off as her husband's daughter. Apparently he'd figured it out as Lauren got older, but they kept it from her.

After she got over her shock she reached out to her brother. She'd always wanted an older brother to look out for her, and now she had one. She just wasn't sure how he'd react. Apparently he'd always known he had other siblings because their dad wasn't exactly the faithful type.

They spent the next two months talking almost every day getting to know one another. When Lauren's school year ended in May, her brother, Kelly, offered to fly her to Chicago to spend the summer with him.

Lauren jumped at the chance to escape from Tennessee for a bit. Things had not been the same between her and her mom since Easter, and she'd never gotten along with her step-dad. While her mother objected, Lauren didn't give her choice. She told her mom that she'd kept this from her for long enough and since she felt the need to tell her, then Lauren felt the need to know her real family.

Kelly had bought the ticket and Lauren was excited. Her best friend, Wes, had dropped her at the airport right after their last day of school and told her to enjoy her summer. She was nervous and excited at the same time. Kelly promised he would be waiting on her.

Once she exited the plane she looked around the large airport and all the people. This had been her first time flying and if she was being honest, she hated it. She had a fear of heights and was claustrophobic, but she'd wanted to come so she'd told herself to get over it. All the people milling about and people in a rush made her anxiety kick up, especially when she couldn't find her brother.

They'd skyped several times so she did know what he looked like, but she couldn't find him the crowd. People brushed past her, some bumping into her, and Lauren felt the onset of a panic attack. She'd thought she'd finally outgrown them in her teen years but apparently not. Her pulse was racing and she felt her breathing quicken as people kept brushing past.

"Sweetie breathe, you're ok," she heard as a blonde haired woman swam in front of her. She felt the hands on her shoulders as the noise of the busy airport started to fade.

"No... no... stay with me," she heard as she felt taps on her cheeks. "Match my breathing," the voice said holding her cheeks.

Lauren tried and slowly she felt her breathing slowing down. "That's it. You're ok. Just keep slow deep breaths," the voice said as her vision became clearer. "Kelly get your ass over here now!" The woman yelled across the airport as she kept an eye on Lauren's breathing.

"K.... Kel?" Lauren managed as her breathing returned to even.

"Yea. He's here honey. I'm Shay. Well Leslie Shay. Paramedic on Amublance 61 and Kelly's roommate," she smiled.

"Oh," Lauren managed a weak smile. "He's mentioned you before. I'm Lauren, his sister... I uh.... sorry about that," she mumbled waving her hand around as Kelly ran up.

"I'm so sorry Sis," he said pulling her into a hug. "We got caught up in the crowd and I wanted to get you something and then Shay saw you. I'm sorry. I should've been here," he said holding her tight.

"It's ok.. it's ok. I'm ok now. I just.... I haven't had one in a while," she whispered her face blushing bright red. What an impression she was making on her brother and his friend she thought.