Finding You

Chapter 24

Thought I'd start dedications for chapters and I've got a few people in mind so I'll write the @'s down and use them in the forthcoming chapters. My first dedication goes to @neexxkaz ! Your comments brightened my day ;)

Don't forget to VOTE and COMMENT and enjoy Chapter 24! <3

...

I'm itching with excitement the whole drive home.

I haven't been this anxious to receive a birthday gift in years. Truthfully, I think it's because I can't remember the last time I actually got a proper gift in the first place. Usually, I'm only given an envelope containing a stack of cash and a few gift cards, so the possibility of a surprise gift is what will probably cause me a speeding ticket.

I open the door to my apartment in a hast, dropping my jacket and keys onto the counter before plopping myself down onto my couch. I place the gift bag in front of me at my feet.

Upon taking the tissue paper out, a big red object that looks like a blanket catches my eye first. I take it out, and immediately burst out laughing. It's not a blanket.

It's a wearable sleeping bag.

This must be the gift that Angie said was Bella's. The first time Bella came down to New York, we were scrolling through Amazon looking for a new pair of AirPods for her, when we found this wearable sleeping bag in my Recommended List.

I smile at the memory, and message Bella to thank her for the gift, not expecting a reply as they're probably still on their way back to LA.

The next object in the bag is—standard—an envelope. Inside is a wad of $100 bills and gift cards for Nike and Vans.

I almost don't see the last object because it's so small that it was stuck in the corner of the bag. It's in a small, red box with a bow on it. I expect a bracelet or a necklace, but when I open it, I'm met with a flash drive instead. A flash drive?

I turn it over to find a pice of paper attached to it, saying PLAY ME. I run upstairs with the flash drive to find my Mac and I quickly insert it in.

My mind runs wild in anticipation of what this could be. It would seem that they put a lot more effort into this year's birthday gift, which I'm so grateful for.

I adjust how I'm laying quickly so that I'm sitting cross-legged in front of the laptop situated at the foot of the bed as the song "All I Want" by Kodaline slowly starts ringing through my laptop. The words For Ally: 21 years ago today, appears in front of a black screen before a photo of a baby in a monochrome filter fades in. Underneath is a subtitle that reads,

11-26-1998.
Alexandra Hazel Crawford.

The day I was born. This must be a montage video of me from since I was a baby.

The picture swiftly moves to a few different videos of a little toddler running around, destroying the house wherever she went, which puts a smile on my face.

One picture catches my eye. A picture of me holding a baby in my arms with the hugest smile on my face. Another subtitle reads,

08-03-2001.
Isabella and Alexandra.

The day Bella was born. The day my best friend changed my life. I feel a tear threaten to escape as I look at the faded memory with a smile.

The following slides are mostly compilations of me as I grow up. A particular slide causes my stomach drop instantly and I pause the frame.

A picture of a woman holding Bella in her arms when she was around the age of about 1 or 2, while I clutch onto a man's thumbs as I'm seated on his shoulders. We are all happy, and laughing. Complete.