High Hopes (Annie Leblanc's Twin)

1: the email

October 16, 2018

Third Person

"Good morning guys, I'm not going to school today because I don't feel super great. I'm doing some math right now," Annie said, turning the camera around to show her math textbook. She turned it back to face her.

"I'm not in a great mood either, so I don't really feel like vlogging right now. I'll catch you up later."

Annie stopped recording and put the camera on the kitchen table, across from where she was sitting.

She was working on her last math problem when Hayley walked through the front door with Katie. Her sister had gone to an audition for a national commercial.

"Hey Hayley, how was it?" Annie asked.

"I don't think I did terrible. They had me improv a few things that aren't anything close to anything I've done before, but I gave it my best," Hayley shrugged and sat down next to Annie.

"Well, that's good. I hope you get it." Annie hugged her sister.

"Thanks. I'm gonna get some chips and a pickle spear, do you want anything?" Hayley asked.

"Maybe a sprite?" Annie said.

"Sure—"

"Katie!" Billy yelled from his office, "come here!"

"I'll be there in five minutes!" Katie responded.

"You need to come here now, this is serious," he responded.

Both girls looked at each other. Their dad never talks like that.

Annie and Hayley watched their mom jog to her husband's office. She closed the door behind her. The girls internally groaned, knowing they wouldn't be able to hear the conversation. They decided to go to Hayley's room and make a tik tok.

Meanwhile, in the office, Billy started to explain to Katie why he had called her.

"So, we've gotten an email," Billy paused, "and I'm not sure if it's true or if it's fake."

"Well, what's it about?" Katie asked.

"Come read it for yourself," Billy said.

Katie looked at the computer screen, reading the email aloud.

"Hello Leblancs, this is a very important matter. Please do not stop reading until the end. My name is Natalie Elise Leblanc—"

Katie stopped. She began tearing up.

"Our baby!" She gasped, then continued reading.

"I recently found out I was kidnapped soon after I was born. I may be Katelyn Leblanc's child. The woman who raised me died in a fire when I was nine years old, and I have been in foster care ever since." Katie's mind went back to when her twins were born.

.
"Here's baby number one," the nurse said, handing me the girl that would soon be named Julianna. She was absolutely adorable. I couldn't wait to see the other little one, who'd be named Natalie.

A few minutes later, the nurse brought me another baby. When I looked at her, I knew something was wrong.

"This isn't my baby," I said to the nurse.

"Are you sure? She looks like you," the nurse said.

"I'm absolutely sure," I said.

DNA testing was done shortly after that. The second baby wasn't mine. After hours of searching everywhere, Julianna's younger sister was no where to be found.

"Where's Natalie?" Caleb asked me.

"We don't know, bubba. I'm sorry," I said to him.

Days had passed. Weeks, months, and years. Annie's twin was nowhere to be found.
.

"Billy, what if this isn't fake? What if this really is our baby?" Katie smiled.

"I don't know. She says her birthday is on December sixth, and Annie was born around 11:55 p.m. on the fifth. I remember Natalie being born a little after midnight," Billy said.

"Me too. I don't think this is fake. We have to email back," Katie said.

"First though, we need to get Annie in here and make sure she hasn't taken this photo," Billy said.

"Good idea," Katie nodded her head.

Annie heard her name being called.

"I hope I didn't do anything wrong," she said to Hayley.

Hayley smiled reassuringly, "I'm sure you didn't—"

"Annie!" Katie called again.

Annie sighed and headed to her dad's office. She stepped inside and closed the door behind her. She noticed that her mom's eyes were kind of red.

"Mom, were you crying?" She asked.

"That's, uhh, not important," Katie said.

"Annie, did you take this picture?" Billy asked.

Annie glanced at the computer screen.

"No, and I've never seen it either. Who is that?" Annie asked.

"Uhh, we think she may be your missing twin sister," Katie explained.

Annie's eyes widened.

"Oh my gosh, Natalie?!" She asked.

Katie nodded.

Annie squealed and bolted out of the room to go tell Hayley.

Billy and Katie wrote a reply to the email.

Dear Miss Leblanc,

This is Katie and Billy, your mom and dad. At least so far we have confidence that you are our real daughter.

We would love to meet you in person, but because of personal safety, we'd like to meet you at a meet and greet we are hosting at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Burbank, CA on October 20th. On the event website, tickets are sold out, but there are still seats available. If you would like to come, each ticket is thirty dollars. You can purchase tickets through this private link:

www.hyattevents.com/bratayley-tickets-extra-425?purchase

We hope to meet you there if you can come!

Love, Katie, Billy, Annie, and Hayley.

Billy and Katie hit send.