Living with Jennifer Lawrence

[9:] Lost but Found

Jason's P.O.V.

“Macy! Aunt Macy!” I called as soon as soon as I entered the door. I practically ran here after seeing Maddie on the bus.

“What is it, boy?” she answers. By the distance of her voice, I assume she's in the kitchen.

“Macy, I think. . .” I say, breathlessly.

“Are you all right? You sound like you ran a marathon!” she says as she chops some carrots.

“Sorry, it's just that. . .” I speak in between breaths.

“Spit it out, boy!” Macy says.

“I---I think I saw Madison today.”

Macy drops her knife and her eyes widen. “Are you sure?” she asks in a low tone.

I nod in response. “I mean, it looked just like her!”

“Okay, okay, calm down. Why do you think it's Madison?”

I replay the whole scene in my head and told Macy what happened this morning.

“So everyone is going on the bus, right? And this girl, she needed a place to sit, so I offered her to sit with me, and---”

“Jason, it could have been anyone---”

“No, Aunt Macy, I'm pretty sure it was her. I asked her what her name was and she said, Maddie as in Madison! Macy, come on! It has to be her!” I protest.

“You need to find out some more information about this girl, okay? You don't know for sure if it's your sister---”

I had a twin sister named Madison. We grew up in Chicago and were born on a special day---February 29th. Our day comes every four years and we won't celebrate it again until 2016, two more years to go.

We lived together with our mother, Madalyn, until she couldn't take care of us anymore. Well, not both of us. Our father had passed away when we were two or three years of age, and were separated by the time we were four.

I vaguely remember Maddie, I've seen the pictures Macy has had, and she looks the same. Me and Macy came to California to have a better life, and because we saw Maddie on TV.

I'll never forget that day.

“Jason, hurry!” Aunt Macy called from the living room.

I rushed to Macy to see that she wasn't injured, she just wanted my attention.

“Look! I think that's your sister!”

I didn't reply. Instead I took the remote and turned the volume all the way up just so I could hear her voice again. Her hair was dyed dark, but it had to be Madison. It just had to be.

On the screen, in bold print said Maddie Andrews. She had the same last name as me and looked very similar to me. We're twins, of course.

“You think that's her?” I ask.

This happened over a year ago. We were still living in Chicago. Madalyn handed me over to her sister, Macy, and poor Madison had to be in foster care when we were toddlers.

Macy couldn't take care of two children at the time, she was unemployed so she offered to take me in. Unfortunately, Madalyn decided to take Maddie with her, and not me. Thought I deserved a better life. I wonder if she had a favorite child.

Macy has told me the story.

It was the dead of winter, Madalyn showed up unannounced with the two of us, hand in hand. Macy said we wore thick winter jackets with gloves and such.

Macy had asked, “Madalyn, what are you doing here?”

“Their father passed. . .” she said in between sobs. “We have no where else to go.”

“I'm sorry to hear that, but---”

“Please, Macy, just take Jason at least. Give him a better life.” Macy had told me that our mother handed ne over just like that, no questions asked.

“What about Madison?” Macy asked.

“Don't worry about it, we'll figure it out. I just can't take care of them both, I'm so sorry.”

So Aunt Macy took me in, and had taken care of me like I was her own son. I remember my mother. Vaguely. But I remember her.

I later learned that Maddie was put into the system and none of us knew why.

So when we saw Maddie was adopted by a celebrity, we were ecstatic.

“Pack your bags, Jason, we're moving to California.” Macy said.

And we've been here ever since.

“Macy, I really, truly believe it's Madison.”

“Jason, look at me. You're going to get more information about this girl, okay? You are going to get some answers, dammit, and then you are going to return to me, you got that? Maybe we can get her back. And I'll do whatever in my power to do so.”

“How?”

“First off, we're going to need an attorney.”

^~^
*plays dramatic music*

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