Last One Standing (wattys2017) (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)

A Little Unsteady

"Are you fucking kidding?" Griffin snapped, "We didn't fly all the way out here to have her mother push her away. She doesn't-"

"Your mother has been trying to find you for three years, Alexis." Eleanor's own voice was rising, "She has begged me to use all kinds of programs to see if they could track you down. She may not be in the best state of mine, but you can't ever change a mother's love for her children."

Her words had both boys dumbstruck, eyes on me. They looked as if they were expecting me to say something.

"Which brings me into our next conversation. I'm going to need you to be careful with what you say to her, honey. She can snap at any moment, she isn't completely stable. But I have faith your reunion will give her hope and faith that she can get better."

I hugged my arms around myself and sent a look back at the boys. Griffin offered a reassuring look, eyes still distant and fearful of my aunt's next word. Toby had turned his head to stare out the window, fingers digging into his jeans.

Eleanor reached over and laid a hand on my knee, "I have faith you can save your mother's life."

**

I kept close to Griffin when we stepped into the rehabilitation center. Toby was wandering around curiously, eyes taking in everything around us and analyzing every little thing. I could feel myself doing the same.

The place was colorful. The walls in the lobby were white with blue bible scripts in a beautiful calligraphy along them. Red and black chairs were pushed against every other wall, people hanging halfway out of them as they enjoyed their visitation with their relatives. Down a little, I could see cartoon animals painted on the walls, obviously leading to a room for children.

My aunt set her things on the desk and started talking to the woman behind it as if they'd been friends for years. They smiled in greeting, laughed, then rounded back to the staff member's eyes falling back on me.

"You're real." she stated, shocked.

"Excuse me?" I whispered, stumbling back into Toby. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders to steady me with his best attempt at a smile.

"I just mean that your mother talks a lot of having a child, I thought you may be. . . a figment of her imagination." she explained with a sheepish look. A moment later, she outstretched her hand with a sticker, my name printed across it in bold letters. Griffin reached forward and snatched it with his peculiarly long arms and stuck it on my shirt over my heart.

"I want to show you something first." Eleanor stopped a few seconds after she started walking away from the desk, "I'm sorry boys, but you're going to have to hang back. Only family is allowed back."

Griffin took me in his arms and patted my back, "You can do this. I'm right out here, I'll be waiting to hear everything when you come back out."

I swallowed and pushed back from him. Toby did the same, but like Griffin, his words weren't all that comforting.

My heart was pounding against my chest so loudly I could swear everyone in the building could hear it, and I felt as if I were going to pass out if I took another step.

"Come on, Alexis." My aunt took my arm and guided me down the hallway, doing her best to support most of my weight to keep it from falling on my bad foot. I ran my fingers along the beautifully creative wall, my eyes drifting from picture to picture until I saw where we were headed.

A sign hung at the end of the hall, lit by neon with Pediatric Care in a florescent green.

"This is the children's playroom." her quiet voice echoed through the silent hallway as we approached a window. I laid my palm against the cold glass and stared in, shocked and saddened by what was inside.