The Past Awakened (Distorted reality book 1)

Chapter 47- His side of things

(Kalston's POV)

My days are better than they have been in a long time. Brighter, and happier now that I'm spending them with the girls. I have a new sense of home. One I've been longing for a while now. Yes, Mom makes me feel loved, and I cherish both her and that love dearly. But, it's not the same. Just her and I when our family used to be so much more left me craving for that connection of others I can relate to. Mom would love Madison and Bailey. Sometimes I wish I could call her and bring her into this, but I can't. Not right now, and I'm unsure if ever. I have to keep my families separate. Until I know what I'm doing until I know it's safe for everyone, I have to keep my two lives separate.

Madison walks past my front window with her arms loaded making me chuckle at the sight.

Of course, she's off trying to handle things by herself again.

I head to help, laughing again once getting better sight of her struggle

"We really need to stop meeting like this."

She turns to me with a smile. "Yeah, it's a bit deja vu isn't it."

Grabbing several bags off her arms, relief settles over her.

"Why didn't you call, I would have helped you bring everything in. I don't mind being your muscle."

"Ah, it's a bad habit. You know me, not one to take the easy way out of things. Plus, my siblings and I are professionals at this kind of thing. We're the masters at loading up to take as few trips to the car as possible. We used to make a game out of it."

Imagining her younger self struggling the same, it would have been nice to know her then. Without the ability to go back in time, to cross paths sooner, I try to do the next best thing and listen while she speaks of her past. I ask questions to open her up and think about how it would have been to live a life with a big family as she tells of hers.

The thing that gets me is how she doesn't remember much about before her adoption. Grant it, I can't say I have a fantastic memory of my childhood either, but there is still a lot that I can recall, or at least know is waiting to be thought back upon.

That's weird, right? That doesn't seem normal. Maybe something happened to her?

It's not uncommon for that to happen. Your brain shutting traumatic things out. I wonder if that's the case.

The conversation about her past seems to make her uncomfortable, but I want to know more.

A few more questions and then I'll drop it.

Her mention of her mom makes me wonder if she has any memory of her dad. I mean, I assume not, but I don't want to keep that as just an assumption.

"What about your dad? You said you were with your mom, do you remember anything about your dad?"

Madison goes quiet before showing her disinterest in staying on this topic.

"No, I don't. We've been talking about me this whole time, what about you? Tell me about your family."

Also wishing not to have things directed at me, it's only fair. I can't keep pushing for us to get closer, getting her to open up, and still expect to keep my past quiet. If I want her to let me in, I have to be willing to do the same no matter how much I wish not to.

Not too much though. She doesn't need to know everything. Not yet at least.

"My family? Uh, there's not much to tell. It's just my mom and myself now. My dad left when I was 13. As far as siblings go, Iris was the closest thing I had to any. Needless to say, things got a bit lonely after she left. I'm a little jealous of you and your siblings. I would have loved having someone else to play with growing up. Going on adventures alone wasn't as much fun."