NOAH

Ch. 16

Chapter 16

A frosty breath rises from my lips as I pass by my neighbors en route to Noah's car. My curls whip against my skin as my eyes clear the area of Danielle, making sure she isn't peeping as I slide into the comfort of Noah's vehicle. A developing infant curled in her womb wouldn't stop her vulture like talons from snatching him.

"She didn't see you."

I nod, double-checking, before he pulls onto the road. One hand gripping a silver wrapper, a milky chocolate bar inside, the other gripping the steering wheel. His tongue slides out licking the chocolate from his lips after each bite, absorbing my sight, rattling the butterflies in my stomach.

"Can I have some?"

He nods, grasping the bar between his teeth before handing it to me with his right hand. "Of course."

I let the silky treat coat my tongue as I snap more pieces of rich delicacy into my mouth. I mirror Noah, licking the chocolate from my lips as I move along. His deep chuckles fill the space, causing my eyes to find his.

"What?"

"You said some."

Steam surges up my neck as the empty wrapper crinkles in my hand, my fist clenching around it. "Sorry, I didn't eat breakfast."

He reaches into the side pocket of his door, pulling another silver wrapper to his lap. "I come prepared."

I shake my head, holding out my hand as he breaks off another piece for me. My fingers dance against the door as we chew in silence, waiting for the light to go green. Noah's forehead wrinkles, his eyes surely seeing nothing but his own thoughts as they stare ahead.

He glances at me as the light goes green. "Why didn't you eat breakfast?"

"That's what you were thinking of?"

"Well, it is the most important meal of the day."

"Says who?"

"Everyone."

"Why do you care?"

"Cause I do."

My eyes linger on his profile, soaking in his features, before they roll to the side as I let out a sigh. "It was either I eat a bowl of cereal or Dag eats a bowl. I much rather my baby cousin eats than me. Besides, Danielle's getting groceries tomorrow."

"Understood. I'll make sure to have candy on hand every time you're with me."

"Noah, that's not necess-"

The tip of his fingertip rest on my lip, fogging my body with steam. "Shh, that's what friends are for."

A shiver trickles through my body, despite the heat invading it, as he takes his finger from my lips. "Thanks, but what do I bring you?"

"Just bring yourself."

"Noah."

"Fine, I don't know, bring something for my car."

"Like?"

"Raine."

My lips lift into a smile as we pull into the DMV parking lot. "Fine, I'll choose it myself."

As Noah pushes the door open, my stomach sinks. Wall to wall is stuffed with people, frowns ranging from baby to elderly old woman. The mundane appearance of overworked employees, wailing of underfed infants, and whining from under slept mothers insisted we'd be waiting a long time.

A clock on the wall clicks, clicks, clicks, counting the seconds until closing, rushing me as I fill out my paperwork. Two people give up, leaving in a huff as the machine prints out my slip of paper, allowing us to endure the long wait with comfort. As much comfort as cheap plastic chairs could bring while waiting hours for something that should already be in my possession.

Noah tries to keep us entertained with Monopoly and I Spy for the first couple hours but, by the third hour, our heads are slumped against our chests.

A tiny girl with curly hair spins around, stealing a peek at Noah as her feet dangle off the sides of the, way too big, chair. She giggles, twirling back around as Noah waves at her. Her mother frowns at her, pulling her pink unicorn jacket up her petite shoulders.

"Noah, honey, stay still."

Noah slaps his hands to his cheeks, his eyes wide as little girl Noah spins around. "My name is Noah, too!"

She mirrors him, causing my lips to ascend. "Mom, there's another me!"

"Noah, leave these people alone."

As big Noah starts to speak to little Noah's mother, little Noah waves in my direction. I wave back before she goes on telling Noah more about her name.  As if his voice was washing away the tension, her mother's tone lightens, frown softens. Her eyes crinkle as she listens to Noah and little Noah interact, both girls seeming to be entranced.

The boom of the speaker drowns out the little girl and her mother. "N47."

Noah cuts the conversation short, attached to my side as we walk to the employee. I watch as my birth certificate is placed into a folder and put on the desk, before paying the twenty bucks. My heart beats against my ribcage as we rush through the doors.

My dingy converse tap against one another, folder softening from the moisture on my hands. I'm finally going to know her name, know my mother. As I rip open the folder, holding the document that knows more about my parents than I do, the sky roars. Tears burn my vision as two names I never knew wash through my brain, falling into the empty places I'd wanted so desperately to be filled. Now they are.

Mother: Michelle Anne Raine, 27

Father: Nicolas Baxter Raine, 32

The pain of not knowing, gone, falling from my eyes as the rain streams down my window. As I stare at her name, my eyes fall to her age, the realization that she's nearly ten years older than Danielle striking me. Where are you? Where did you go?

Where did he go?

Noah wraps his arm around my shoulder, nestling me into his warmth. "Why are you crying? I thought this was a good thing."

I chuckle as I lean my head against his chest, his heartbeat like white noise calming the fall of my tears. "It is. I wanted her name and I got both of them."

"Good." He says, his arms tightening around me as he points to my father's name. "You should look him up too."

"Really?"

"Yeah, they have the same last name. If they're still married, he could lead us to her."

I lift my head, my lips nearly meeting his chin as I look into his sunlit eyes. "Good idea."

"I'm full of them."

As I type his name into the search engine, the idea of him spins my mind into action. Is his hair curlier than mine or the same? How much did I take from him? Does he look like me? He had to be somewhat dark skinned with curly hair.  He made half of me.

"Raine."

My eyes jump from Noah then down to the pale man staring at me through my phone screen. He shakes another male's hand, his name on a plaque between them. His straight brown hair was gelled to his head, his features none of mine. Nothing about him was familiar to me. I'm surely mixed, my mother is white, and this man is white.

He can't be my father.