Last One Standing (wattys2017) (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)

A Little Unsteady

Kids of all ages were scattered around the room, playing with different toys, on tablets, or sleeping in small beds or cribs. Most of them had a dark, distant look in their eyes that I'd seen in Lucas' far more than I would have liked too.

"They put two in each room, based on their ages." Eleanor spoke up again.

"Why'd you bring me down here?" I could feel tears stinging my eyes at the sight of all the hurt and neglected kids in the room.

"You see that little one in the corner over there." I followed her finger to the back of the room, finding nothing but a mess of blonde waves.

"What about her?" I could feel my chest tightening.

"That's Molly." I knew what would follow before the words formed on her lips, "She's your little sister."

I moved toward the door, ready to turn the knob when my aunt caught my wrist, "Think about what you're doing, Alexis. If things don't work out with your mother, then you'll be giving her false hope."

"Why haven't you adopted her?" I turned on her, anger boiling in my chest and spilling into my veins.

"I have three kids of my own that I can barely feed. I can't give her the life she needs." she responded. I pushed the door open a second later and walked in. Every pair of eyes in the room fell on me, including the elderly woman rocking in a chair.

"Hello there! Who are you looking for, darling?" She questioned, sitting up.

"Molly. . . Molly. . ." I stuttered, my face flushing.

"Molly Gardner." Eleanor waved at the woman as she offered the full name, "Hello again, Millie."

Looking back up, I was taken by surprise to find the little girl had stood up and was staring up at me with big brown eyes.

"Mama?" she outstretched her arms to me, her lips trembling. Eleanor diverted her eyes and crouched down.

"No, no. Molls. This is Alexis." she ran a hand through the little girls hair, "She's your big sister."

"I want Mama." she dropped her picture and hugged my legs, "You are my mama."

"We better go." my aunt cleared her throat and nodded for one of the teenagers in the room to pry the four year or five year old from my legs.

"Don't leave!" She cried, thrashing around, "Don't leave me!"

Eleanor yanked me out of the room and slammed the door shut behind me.

"She-"

"No. We're going to speak with your mother. Pretend that didn't happen." I didn't have a chance to look back over my shoulder as my aunt dragged me down the long corridor and toward another door. Opening it, she revealed a room decorated like a hotel. Two couches sat in the middle of the room, opposite each other. Recliners hung on either side and regular chairs and benches continued here and there throughout the large room. It wasn't hard to spot my mother in the lot of people that were wondering around aimlessly.

She still had bright blonde, almost white, hair that hung down her back in a loose braid. Her eyes, a pale, icy blue, were vacant and held no emotion. Eleanor sucked in a deep breath and led me toward the woman currently vacationing on the couch.

In that moment, everything that had just happened dissipated. I forgot about the tortured look on the toddler's face, the pain I felt when I found out Griffin and Toby couldn't come back with me. All I felt was hope beginning to spread through my chest; for what, I wasn't sure yet.

"Emily." My aunt touched my mother's arm so she'd look up from the magazine in her hand.

"El." She nodded, slowly lifting her head, "I didn't know you were visiting today."

Eleanor opened her mouth to respond, but realization hit me like a bunch to the gut and a gasp was forced out, catching my mother's attention.

This was it; I was here. Face to face with my mother, the woman I'd spent all of my summer searching for.

She let the magazine slide from her fingertips and stood up quickly, eyes widening so much I was afraid they'd fall out. It wasn't until I tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear that I heard my mother say my name for the first time in my life.

"Alexis." 

***AN***

Hope you guys enjoyed! 

What are your thoughts? Do you feel bad for Alexis' sister? 

There may or may not be a double update tonight, so keep your eyes open! 

Let me know what you guys thought! 

~ChasingMadness24