Almost Home

Ch. 13 - Matching Belly Button Piercings

The storm eventually dies down, and the power comes back on. Will and I manage to get Sara and Henry in bed, which was quite the task since Josh let them have three chocolate bars for breakfast.

When Mrs. Forbes comes home, Will explains to her what has happened and where everyone is. I work on cleaning up the mess that was made during Ultimate-hide-and-go-seek, hoping to make things easier for the distressed mom.

"Hey," Will walks over to me. "I'm going to stay here until they come back. You go home to make sure your grandma is okay."

I nod. "Call me as soon as you hear any news."

"I will," he assures and walks me out the door. "Bye, Val."

"Bye."

The hike back to my grandma's house doesn't take as long as I expected, but it does hurt. My foot is throbbing. I knew better than to complain with Mrs.
Forbes there, her daughter missing and all.

When I walk into the kitchen where my grandma sits with the phone next to her, she rushes towards me and pulls me in for a hug.

"Oh, I was so worried! Is everyone alright?" she asks, cupping the sides of my face. "Are you hurt? What happened to your foot?"

"Nothing. I just dropped something on it," I say. "But Rebecca is missing. She snuck out of the house during the storm and everyone's looking for her."

"Oh, dear," my grandma comments. "I do hope they can find the girl. It was so crazy of her to go out in the storm! I remember this one time your mother did that.. oh! The hell it put me through!"

I sit down at the kitchen table. "My mom snuck out during a storm?"

"To see Isaac," she sighs.

Isaac.

I think back on what Will said about how I looked like him. I just shrugged it off because a lot of people can look like other people. I've been told I look like Jennifer Lopez! She's not my mom.

Thinking logically, Isaac couldn't be my father because my mom had been dating my father for over three years when she got pregnant with me. It doesn't add up, and I really shouldn't be worried about it.

"Did you go out looking for her or did she eventually come home?"

"She came home," she answers. "She always came home."

I smile as my grandma does. "I should call her. I haven't talked to her much since being here."

She slides the phone towards me before getting up to give me some privacy. I dial my home phone number and wait for an answer.

"Mom?"

"It's Valerie," I correct. "Hi, mom!"

"Oh! How are you doing? Is something wrong?"

"No, no," I assure. "There was just a storm though. The power went out and everything, but it's back on now."

She laughs lightly. "I remember those Cottonwood storms."

"I bet you do," I comment, thinking about how she spent her storm days with Isaac.

"I miss you," she says. "It's lonely in this apartment without you."

"I miss you too, mom. Living in your old bedroom helps with the separation anxiety though," I admit. "Sort of feels like you're with me."

"My old room," she says slowly. "Oh, I wish I was there with you! There must be so many memories."

"Yeah," I pause, "uh, I actually found your old diary."

She's silent for a moment. "Oh my, it must be horrible. I will say right now that I don't condone any of those actions! I was reckless and dumb and you will not be like I was at that age!"