Ｔｈｅ Ｓｅａｒｃｈ

It had been a few months and it was my summer break from collage, I decided to go look for my family over break. The first place I looked was ancestry.com and I ended up with one lead in another state, it was about 9 hours from here. I packed up everything that I'd need for awhile and put everything into the car I bought a month ago, Liam already knew that I'd be taking this trip so there was nothing to worry about on that side.

As I was getting into my car Noah and Max ever so happened to walk outside for a smoke, before they lit their cigarettes they looked over at me. Noah the straight forward one walked over to me. "Where you taking off to?" He asked just before I closed my door. "A trip of course, I'm going to make the best of my summer break." He nodded "Make sure you text or call, wanna make sure you stay safe."

With that I drove off and went towards my lead, I really hope I can end up finding my parents. What if they don't recognize me though? Too much what if's were going through my head right now, I just need to focus on the good things. Like possibly seeing my parents again and even my brother, I wonder if I might have more siblings now.

I had been driving for 5 hours when I pulled off at a restaurant, I left the dorms at 7:00 am this morning, it was currently 12:00 pm and I was getting hungry. When I walked in I was greeted by a waiter, now wait a damn minute. There's no way in hell that Blake is working as a waiter right?

"Oh, hello Ash. Been a hot minute." I was quiet as he showed me a table and I sat down. "I'll be your waiter today, let me know what you'd like to drink." He said whipping out his notebook and pen. "Are you stalking me?!" I asked as Blake's face almost went pale, he bent down a bit to my level. "Did you have to say that so loud? Of course I'm not stalking you, I just needed some extra cash."

He was speaking in a pretty hushed tone while saying that, I couldn't tell if he was being truthful but right now it didn't matter. "Well, what does this place have to drink?" After I asked he started listing out all the drinks, including soda, water and tea. I noticed him hesitate to say the daily special on alcohol, which I'm sure he knows I'm underaged.

"I'll take some sweat tea." I said as he finished speaking. "Coming right up! I'll be back soon." After he walked away I looked down at the menu, I figured I'd just get a Philly cheese steak. I put down my menu and looked around the diner a bit, as my eyes looked across my surroundings I noticed how little people were actually inside the diner to began with.

Blake walked back out with my sweet tea then he asked the normal question. "Are you ready to order?" Of course like when I was a kid I had to open back up my menu to get the wording right on what I wanted, I ordered the full sub so I could have some now and some later.

As I waited I pulled out my phone and scrolled through some things until my food came out, when I got my food I took a picture and sent it to Liam to brag but as I did so Blake sat down at my table. "This place is so slow, there's nothing better to do. Mind if I sit here?" I shook my head, I didn't mind but it was kinda weird that Blake was somehow everywhere I went these days.

"So, what're you doing so far from the collage?" Blake asked leaning forward in his chair. "Wouldn't you like to know." I said taking a bite of my sub. "Actually, I would like to know." Ughhhhh, this is so annoying. I just wanna eat in peace. "Actually I do mind, could you maybe go and do your job?" Blake laughed slightly. "Nah, don't wanna." 

A gruff voice called out Blake's name from the back, Blake hopped up and rushed back into the kitchen. Maybe it was his employer, I finished eating in peace and when the check came out I went up and paid quickly to get going.

I got into my car and went my way to where my parents could possibly be, I turned on the radio and listened to songs as I calmly drove down. After about 4 hours of driving I made it into town, this was where I should be able to find my family. I was shaking as I parked in a random parking lot, I wasn't sure where to start looking for them. This town didn't seem too big, maybe I could ask around.

I walked into a pretty busy looking store and walked up to the store clerk. "Uhm, hello. I'm looking for some people with the last name Taylor, do you know anyone with that last name?" The store clerk looked me up and down before his eyes started to get teary. "A-Are you the girl that got kidnapped several years ago?" I nodded and the man came out from around the counter. "Ashley Taylor? Is it really you?" Before I could answer I got wrapped into a hug, this guy was sobbing all over so I pushed him back. I don't want snot on my clothes.

"Ashley, don't you remember me? Its me, your father." I felt a sharp pain shoot through my chest as he said that, but this one wasn't because I needed my meds. Then a wave of relief washed over me. "So where's mom? And my brother? Do I have more siblings now?!"

"Calm down, let me answer." My dad took a deep breath and looked at me. "Ok so, your mother is in town. We're still married, as for your brother he left for collage awhile back but might visit soon. You don't have any more siblings. Tell you what, I'll give you the address to my house and you can go there and talk with your mom until I get home." My dad gave me a piece of paper with his address on it, I thanked him and hurried to the house.

My heart was pounding as I knocked on the door, I heard feet running towards the door. When the door opened I was wrapped into another hug, it was my mom. I hugged her back and she soon let me go and we walked inside the house, as I walked inside she walked with me to the sofa in the living room. We sat down and she started to ask me questions about what happened.

"I'm so glad to see that you're alive, if you don't mind me asking. What was is like with the kidnappers?" I had to think of the best way to put it. "Some days I didn't eat, at least I always had clothes. I had to work to eat and sleep, I survived though. Everything has a bright side, even everything back then. Right now though, the bright side is that I got to meet my family again."

I lied in that small speech, I didn't always have clothes but I don't want my mom or anyone to worry about me one bit. "I'm so glad I got to see you again too." My mom said as the door to the house flew open. "Guess who!" I heard a male voice coming from down the hall. 

I heard footsteps walking into the living room, I saw a young man next to a woman lean around the corner. "Hey mom, I'm home! And guess who I brought with me, its my girlfriend! Surprise!" I looked at him for a few seconds before he noticed me. "And you are????" He asked as my mom stood up facing him. "This is your sister, Ashley. You might not remember her." This was my brother? Gee I really don't remember anyone's face at all.

"Wait, for real? Ashley?" His supposed girlfriend looked so confused right now it was actually kinda funny. I just nodded my head considering the current situation. "NO WAY! I THOUGHT YOU DIED!" My brother was very clearly holding himself back from hugging me, wait, this whole time I've been thinking of him as brother, I forgot his name-

"Wait, I actually kinda forgot your name." He chuckled a bit before speaking. "Its Sebastian." I nodded and looked over towards his girlfriend. "Nice to meet you, I'm Ashley but you can call me Ash if you want to." She snapped out of her confused trance and nodded. "I'm Caroline, nice to meet you Ashley." We all moved into the dinning room and sat down at the table, all of us started to talk and catch up on things. I needed to catch up the most though since I hardly knew much about my family and I just met Sebastian's girlfriend so there was a lot to learn.

As it started getting later my mom went to go make dinner and soon after my dad came home, he was also surprised about Sebastian's girlfriend. Eventually I went to go help my mom in the kitchen, when I got into the kitchen she was almost done but a few things which I helped with. It felt nice finally being part of a family again, it was nice to finally start feeling loved from someone other then Liam.

Wait, LIAM! I forgot to text him to give him an update or something of the sort! I would send him something but I didn't wanna be impolite since it was the first time I'd seen my family in years, then again I just felt my phone buzz in my pocket. I couldn't resist, I pulled out my phone and checked it to see a text from Liam.

I pulled it up and the message read.

Hey Ash, did you find your family? Its getting late so I wanna make sure your okay ^^

Aweeee, he's worried about me! How sweet.

Sup Liam, I'm actually with my family right now! We're having dinner in a bit, I got to meet my brothers girlfriend too! If you get the free time maybe you should come down and visit, only if you want to though. I can always send over my location OvO

After I sent my message I got a quick reply.

I can start driving up there tomorrow, just tell me the location.

I sent him the location and told him I had to go, I put down my phone and continued on with dinner. I loved my family and nothing felt better then being around them again, later on after dinner Liam asked me about hotels close by so I looked some up and sent him some that he might want to stay at. All the hotels were about a 30 minute drive outside of town and the only place to stay in town was a small inn but it didn't have a lot of space.

My parents let me use my old room, it wasn't decorated at all but I still remember staying in it. All my old clothes were still in the closet from middle school, I unpacked a bit and sat down on the bed. I could hear Sebastian's girlfriend making reservations on the phone for the inn in town, I laid back on the bed and stared up at the celling. Things were fitting into place so perfectly for me, it was like a dream. A perfect dream, the kind you never want to wake up from. It all felt a little too perfect...

W a s t h i s e v e n r e a l ?

A m I d r e a m i n g ?

I s t h i s n e w r e a l i t y g o i n g t o c r u m b l e ?

H o w m u c h l o n g e r w i l l t h i s d r e a m l a s t ?