Soulmates

5

(2007)

Kegan did all the emailing. If I were in charge of it I probably would have shut completely down and it would of never happened.

I flipped the name over in my head a million times "Dianna Aspen."

"Hey Clark, 4pm. That's when they're okay with meeting. We need to tell your parents."

"Okay... come over."

She didn't bother to wash her arm after she drew a check mark next to my message, so I put on long sleeves so it wouldn't give my moms a heads up. I walked downstairs and warned them that Kegan was coming over.

"Oh no, the house is a disaster!"

"Hush Megan, she's family!"

They still straightened up until the doorbell rang.

"Kegan! It's such a pleasure to have you over!"

"Thanks Mrs. Monroe. May I come in?"

"Of course! Have a seat, dear, Clark is right inside!"

She shuffled inside and sat down on our overly pillowed couch. I sat next to her and we motioned for them to sit down with us.

"Is everything alright?" They asked in unison.

"We have something to tell you." Kegan actually held my hand because she was going to make me do all the talking.

"Oh no, you've gotten her pregnant? I'm a little disappointed that it is so early, you both are so young but of course we'll support and help raise the baby."

"Uh, no." I was caught completely off guard by that, especially since Kegan and I hardly ever kissed. "Not that. Uhh.. we kind of weren't each other's first soul mates."

They looked confused, but relieved that I wasn't about to be a father.

"We were only matched about a year ago... when both of ours died..."

"Oh my gosh honey, why didn't you tell us? I hate that you went through that horrible experience all by yourself..."

"I mean we had each other... but anyways... I never met my first and now we think we discovered who it is... we just need a chaperone to make sure that we don't get kidnapped when we meet her parents."

"Of course, but you're not going to their house or anything right, that's dangerous!"

Kegan asked to use our computer and when she came back she told us it was at the coffee shop by the mall now.

"So, Kegan, if you don't mind us asking..."

"His name was Jacob Kole, he was kind of a local tragedy..."

"Oh my gosh, Hannah, wasn't that the kid you babysat?"

"The car crash of last year? Yes, I cried so hard, that boy was a complete angel!"

She left for a minute and then came back with a few photos of her at about age 25 with a 5 year old, as well as a card that had obviously been in a scrapbook for at least 15 years.

"This was right before Clark was born, I was babysitting because I wanted a glimpse of what my baby would be like. Small world, isn't it?"

He had the same features of the pictures I saw around Kegan's house, just fatter and smaller.

My hand burned slightly and I realized Kegan was doing our gesture and so I did it back. She was misty eyed but didn't wipe it off, so I felt them very slightly on the outskirts of my eyes.

"Thank you for showing me these." Shewas smiling at the card that said something about daycare ending because of thenew baby.

~~~~~

I didn't want to get my hopes up. The worst thing that I could do to myself was to become super obsessed with this girl and not have her be the right person. But still, I needed that closure.

My mom waited in the car, not wanting to be obvious that she was security but still reminding Kegan and I that if there was anything sketchy then we should run right outside to her.

We went straight after school and so we were early and ordered some hot cocoa as we waited.

A woman came in and looked around as if meeting someone. I stood up and walked over to her. "Mrs. Aspen?"

"Yes, that's me. And you are?"

"Clark, you've been talking to Kegan, but please sit down."

She sat across from us and put her coat over the seat as a waiter came to get her order.

"So I know you wanted to talk about my daughter, but what specifically?"

My eyes darted to Kegan, not sure exactly what they talked about and what I needed to bring up. "I'm not positive, but I think your daughter and I might have been soulmates. I just want to know a little more about her."

She rolled her eyes and looked at the two of us, "if you asked me, it looks like the two of you were soulmates. I feel like you just wanted to torture me."

"No, I swear I-"

Kegan interupted "M'am we just want closure. Clark here never got to know his first soulmate and if there's any chance it was your daughter he has to know."

She motioned for me to start again. "About a year and a half ago she said the first couple of words to me, then cuts, then silence. About a year ago Kegan showed up and told me that since she was there now then that meant the last one was gone..."

"She would completely cover her arms because she didn't want to believe that there was anyone else out there to help her... but around age 10 I do remember the messages being 'love, Clark.' That's the only reason I met with you. Just in case you were the right one."

We found her. Dianna Aspen