Hoping For Home

Ideas

I pace nervously around the room while the brown haired boy in front of me thinks thoroughly for a possible solution. This is kind of messed up.

"Let me get this straight" says Ethan after a long uncomfortable silence "You have a twin!?"

"I-" I start to say but get interrupted by my best friend's outburst.

"Your family thought you were dead?! Are you even in the system!? You and your family have been living a lie! How is this even legal! There are no records of you! Why did you suposibly die!? You didn't die! You're standing right in front of me! This is a joke right? You're trying to get me back from last time? Well guess wha-"

"Snap out of it!" I say yelling louder than him. Good thing we are at our special tree house we built when we were kids. It's kind of isolated so I don't think anyone can hear us "I'm shocked too you know? How do you think I feel about this situation? I have a twin for God's sake! A twin! I have a family! I have a mom and a dad! Parents! I have siblings! 11 of them!" I take a deep breath before continuing "God..." I sigh as I sit down and have a sip of water to calm me down.

Who could have thought? What am I gonna do next? It's not like I can show up to my family and say 'Hey my name's Maddie Grace and I'm you're long lost dead daughter'

What the heck?

I want my family. I know it. It's what I've dreamed for my entire life but how come I never thought of how to approach my family if I actually found them? This is really messed up.

"Okay... you're right" says Ethan "This is shocking but freaking out won't help" he continues sitting beside me, grabbing another water bottle and taking a sip like I did earlier.

You may be wondering what happened. Well... Clara gave me all the possible information she could give me about my family without me having an official ID. She gave me the basic backround of my family with names, ages and pictures of my parents and siblings. And I learned that they recently moved to Nashville. What a coincidence huh?

"So they just moved here?" Asks Ethan checking out the folders Clara printed out for me.

"Yep. I hope I don't run into them. What if I run into them? What would I say? I need ideas. I want to meet them but how?" I say getting worried about my future encounter with my family putting my head between my hands.

"Maybe you could show up at their address. I can go with you if you want and we could show them the papers and explain tha-" Ethan starts to say but I interrupt him.

"Show up at their address? Are you kidding me? I'd be freaked out. You show up at their address" I say getting scared of the idea of going to their home just knocking at their door. I'd faint before I reach the doorstep.

"Well then you give ideas! It's not like I'm gonna show up saying 'Hello I'm Ethan and I'm your long lost dead daughter's best friend. She was too scared to meet you so she sent me instead' " Ethan says with a fake smile.

I just roll my eyes and ignore his comment. He's right about one thing though. I need to start thinking about ideas. Why is my life so complicated?! Why couldn't I just be with my family since the day I was born like any normal person?

"Maybe you could call them! Explain the situation a little bit and set up a time and date where you could explain further" says Ethan thinking he came up with the brightest idea ever.

"Like they would believe me if I called. There is no proof that can be shown through a phone..." I say thinking deeply "I could write them a letter!" I say thinking of the idea "Yes! A letter is perfect! I could explain a little the situation like you said and I could also put some proof in there like the papers Clara gave me! And I don't have to meet them in person!" I say slightly surprised with myself for thinking about the letter.

"It's a great idea! But the papers wouldn't be much proof. It's just basic information about them. We need to show them that you are alive and that you didn't die like they think you did" He says agreeing with me.

"How do we do that?" I say determined to find a way.

"Or you could just leave no proof at all" he says like the just found the answer to the most difficult question. I just stare at him weird and open my mouth to say something but he beats me to it "Think about it. You want to meet them badly but we don't know if they feel the same way. By not putting proof you can find out if they want you in their life or not. If they really want you they will try to meet the person who sent the letter. Proof or no proof" Ethan says.

"Alex you're a genius! This is perfect! I'll start working on the letter so we can deliver it tomorrow! Or should we wait? I mean they just moved 4 days ago I don't want to overwhelm them. Or maybe I should just do-" I say but get interrupted mid sentence.

"You should send it as soon as possible. If you don't you might run into them and you just said you don't want that. So I think you should" says Ethan getting exited for me. Guess my excitement is contagious.

"Okay I'll start working on it" I say exited and go get a pencil and a notebook. Gotta brainstorm first.

Thinking about how I should start my letter I look around and concentrate for a good idea. Suddenly I get a glance of the clock. 3:50 already!? I have to pick up the girls at 4 from school!

"Ethan the girls! We lost track of time! I need to leave now or I won't be at school on time to pick them up!" I say as I remember that very important information. I grab my backpack and start to put the pencil and note book inside. Maybe I'll get some time to work on the letter while the girls are doing their homework. I step out of the tree house and climb down the wooden logs we call stairs as fast as I can.

I hop on the rusty old bike that was resting on a tree at the bottom of the stairs and take off.

"Bye to you too!" I hear Ethan shout at a distance.

--

"Are you gonna leave us now that you have a family?" Asks Hailey innocently staring at me with those big brown eyes.

"Yeah, what she said" says Megan backing her up, sitting down with her arms crossed.

"Of course not, I could never. You guys will always be my family, and I'll always be there for you" I say sincerely.

I love these girls more than anything and I want them to know that. I could never replace them. And I'll always be there for them.

"You aren't just saying that, right?" Asks Lexie.

"I promise. You can't get rid of me"

"Okay. Then, we're happy for you" Says Emma, and everyone agrees.

Even though a paper may not say it, these girls are my sisters, my family. I'm grateful for them every single day and could never leave them.

Rachel seems a little down. I'll have to talk to her about it soon. Right now, I'm just glad they're so accepting of me finding my family. I know any of these little girls would kill to meet theirs, or even learn a little more about their backround. I'll be sure to ask Clara if anything can be done for them. Even a little piece of information would be useful.