Say You'll Remember Me

Chapter Sixteen

My heart was pounding as I opened the door to the diner. It was Sara’s idea to come here and I wasn’t exactly sure why I had agreed now that I was facing it alone. Hunter said he would go shopping another day to come with me, but Christmas was close and I knew he had nothing for his family. I felt like this was something I should do on my own, but now that it was here and I was facing her, I really wanted him beside me. Sometimes he made me stronger, he made me braver just by holding my hand.

Sara smiled as I found her sitting in the corner away from everyone else. She stood up getting ready to hug me, but I stopped at the empty booth before she could reach out to hug me. I sat down and she sensed I wasn’t there yet, sitting back down across from me, “Charlie. I’m so glad you came.”

I nodded, “I’m not sorry about how I reacted the other day at the farm,” I said realizing this was the first time we had seen each other since then, “but Hunter talked me into letting you get a chance to explain. So I’m here.”
She nodded her head again and then there were tears in her eyes. The waitress came over and I ordered a milkshake, which took both of them by surprise. It was cold outside, but I loved chocolate milkshakes any time of the year. Sara kept staring at me, “you look so much like your mom. I can’t believe it, it’s like she’s sitting here across from me and we’re seventeen again. It’s the eyes, they’re just like hers.”

I blushed, “I’m actually twenty,” but I smiled, “but I really look like her? I don’t remember what they look like.” 

She smiled, “you look just like your mom. You’ve got her smile, but you’ve got your dad’s fighting spirit. I can see a good mix of both of them in you,” she paused and then looked down at my hands, “so tell me how did you end up here?” Sara asked starting the conversation off. I looked at her and I wasn’t sure I wanted to give her my story until I heard hers. 

I sighed, “my entire life I’ve lived with strangers. Once they started to become monsters, which is always what happened, I left. I lived on the streets for a few nights before the police would find me and send me to another foster family. I uh, I turned eighteen and just floated around, I never had a real home. I came here because I was trying to get as far away from Texas as possible.”

Sara shook her head, “I’m so sorry,” she said her hands on her lap, “I should’ve fought harder you’re right. I always knew you were out there, but I always hoped that you had found a wonderful family that could’ve taken such good care of you. I imagined you getting adopted by the richest man in Texas and growing up with everything you ever wanted. It’s the only way I could let myself stop trying to find you. Because if you were happy with someone else, I didn’t want to ruin that.”

“But I wasn’t happy. Did you ever think what it would've been like if that didn’t happen? Because I didn’t get adopted, I didn’t even get a decent foster family. Most of the time the foster father would make a move, and that’s when I would bolt. It got worse as I got older. Sometimes I wouldn’t even give it a chance to happen, I would just leave the night I arrived. Sara, I had a shitty life, one that you could’ve changed. I didn’t even know you existed. Grandma never told me about you before she died.”

A tear slipped down her cheek, “I know. And I’m so sorry, I don’t know how to make it up to you.”

“It doesn’t matter anymore,” I said sitting up straighter, “I’m here now. I like this place, for the first time in twenty years I really want to stay here.”

Sara gave me a weak smile, “is it because of Hunter? I saw the way you two are together, you’re adorable. You remind me of your mom and dad when they were dating.”

My cheeks went red and I felt the flash of emotion from losing them. I fought off the tears, I wouldn’t cry in front of her. I didn’t want her to know that I cared that much about our meeting today. But I offered her half a smile, “Hunter has a lot to do with it yes. He’s different from everyone I’ve ever met. He doesn’t care about what I’ve done or how I lived. He just loves me. It’s a big first for me.”