Finding My Way Home

by Alina Man

  The Los Angeles traffic did not disappoint and the drive was worse than we had expected. What we thought was going to be a twenty minute drive, turned into a two hour tormenting experience. We were cranky, hungry, and exhausted.

  “See, this is why I hate big cities. Can you imagine having to make this drive every day?”

  “No Gigi, I can’t. I just want to get this over with. Do you think we should stop and eat?” My stomach was hurting and I knew she had to feel the same.

  “Maybe we should just check into the hotel and then see what’s around there.”

  The hotel was really nice and looked fairly new inside plus our room had a view of the ocean. Gigi threw herself on one of the beds and let out a loud sigh.

  “Thank God we didn’t go to their house today. I need at least twenty-four hours to recover. Think Brian is going to be there tomorrow?”

  “Yes he is. You asked me like a million times already. Look Gigi, you know I love you so this is why I’m going to be honest with you. What are you going to do if you start having feelings for him? He lives thousands of miles away. Are you going to be ok with that?”

  “I’m not dumb Bren. I don’t expect him to fall madly in love with me and come to my rescue. I want a few days to pretend I’m someone else and just enjoy myself. Sounds crazy I know but I need this.”

  I gave her hand a squeeze, knowing exactly what she meant. She decided to take a long hot bath and since we didn’t feel like going back out there and getting stuck in traffic once again, we opted to order room service. I was going to live on soup for the next few months just to make up for the trip’s expenses but couldn’t worry about it now. While waiting for the food, I sent Noah a quick text and didn’t expect to hear back from him because it was already past midnight at home. He answered within seconds.

  Noah – miss you like crazy

  Me – you saw me a few hours ago lol but I miss you too

  Noah – I take it you made it there ok

  Me – yes. Why are you not sleeping?

  Noah – I was waiting to hear from you

  There was a knock on the door and I got up to answer. The aroma coming from the cart filled with food was amazing and I realized just how hungry I was.

  Me – babe I have to go but I’ll call you tomorrow. Miss you

  Noah – have a good time. Love you

  Me – love you too

  I knocked on the bathroom door to let Gigi know the food was getting cold. We ate in silence and didn’t even bother to turn on the television. We fell asleep the minute the lights were out and it was the best night sleep I had in a very long time.

  I woke up feeling refreshed and happy. There was already a text from Noah waiting for me, wishing me good luck and letting me know he was thinking about me. I took a quick shower and changed into a summer dress, hoping it was appropriate for our meeting. The nerves were still swimming around in my stomach but I was ready for this. We got in our car and drove around for a few minutes looking for a Starbucks. After we got our coffees we were back on the road, on our way to meet the family.

  While Gigi talked nonstop about seeing Brian again, I kept praying that I would know the right things to say and not make a fool of myself. We arrived in minutes and I gazed out the window to the beautiful two story house. There were palm trees on each side of the house and blooming flowers in hanging pots. It was just as I imagined. I parked the car in front of the long driveway and walked around on shaky legs. I can do this, I told myself.

  “I’m so excited for you,” Gigi said in a singing voice. She reached out and knocked twice, while I tried to calm myself. The door opened and it was Brian’s smiling face that welcomed us. He was as happy to see Gigi as she was to see him.

  “Come on in ladies. I can’t tell you how happy everyone was when they found out you were coming. Dad still has no idea.”

  “Do you think that’s wise?” I mean what if he changed his mind? Or what if, like me, he wanted to do this on his own terms? I pushed the questions aside and followed Brian into the large room. There was a small foyer that opened into a large living space. At the end there were double doors and you could see the back yard and the pool. Everything was breathtaking; from the furnishings, to the art on the walls. On the side of the living room there was a massive staircase that I assumed led to the bedrooms.

  “Everyone is outside; we are having lunch there. I hope you are hungry.” I followed Gigi and Brian outside. The large backyard had a spectacular view of the city below and it was covered with lush grass and gorgeous flowers. On the right there was a massive pool with a waterfall. The left side is where everyone was gathered around and for a few seconds I was able to watch them without being noticed.

  “Guys, we have company.” Everyone looked up in unison but my eyes locked on one particular person. He recognized me immediately and started walking towards me. I couldn’t move; it’s as if my feet were cemented in place and no matter how hard I tried they wouldn’t budge. The closer he got, I saw that there were tears in his eyes.

  “Brenda, my baby girl,” he said and took hold of my hands as if to keep me from disappearing. “I didn’t think this day would ever come.” He pulled me closer and hugged me tightly. His body shook and I knew he was crying. In that moment I knew just how much it meant to him. I had made the right decision.

  There was nothing awkward, nothing remotely weird about it. It was as if we had known each other all our lives. That night after everyone went to bed my father and I sat by the pool and talked about my mom. We talked about all the times he tried to find me but he knew he had no right to do so while my dad was still alive. He couldn’t stop looking at me, telling me just how much I looked like my sister, and every now and then the tears would surface.

  The next day we drove back to the hotel and at my father’s insistence, we checked out and moved our stuff into his house. There was plenty of room there and he wanted to spend every moment getting to know me. We spent an entire week with them and on our last day, we had a big party where I got to meet cousins and aunts and uncles; there were so many that I had a hard time keeping up with them all.

  Saying goodbye was hard but we all promised to keep in touch and thanks to modern technology we knew that wasn’t going to be hard. I was sad to leave but at the same time I couldn’t wait to see Noah, just like Gigi couldn’t wait to see James. Brian insisted on following us to the airport and gave Gigi enough kisses to last her until the next visit.

  Noah was waiting for us at the airport, leaning against his truck. He looked as sexy as ever and my heart jumped happily at the sight of him. He moved slowly to meet me halfway and encircled me in his arms.

  “Welcome home baby.”

  Epilogue

  Dear Diary,

  It’s been exactly two years since my nana’s passing and just like Noah told me, the pain never went away. It lingers somewhere deep inside my heart, but no longer rules my life.

  So much has happened in these two years but the most important thing is that I grew up, or rather I was forced to grow up. Looking back at the years I spent in Boston, I realize that at that time I was playing a role, trying to be a character, like in the movies I loved so much. At the end of the day, no matter how good of an actress I was, I was still playing a role; none of it was real.

  Losing my grandmother suddenly put everything in perspective. I was no longer someone’s little girl, I didn’t have that blanket of comfort that I could hide under every time things went wrong. It hasn’t been easy but I was fortunate enough to have two wonderful friends by my side and no matter how many times I pushed them away, they only pushed me back harder.

  Six months ago, under the big tree where I got my first kiss, a very nervous Noah asked me to be his wife. I knew he was up to something the minute I walked out and saw the entire back yard covered in rose petals. Gigi, James, and my new family were all tucked inside the house, watching as I walked up to Noah. Of course I said yes and you bet I cried. It was the most amazingly rom
antic thing anyone has ever done for me and only made me love him even more. That day I got my very own happily ever after.

  We kept the house I grew up in and from time to time I can still feel nana’s presence. I can no longer see her but I want to believe that no matter how many years go by, she will always watch over me.

  After Noah moved in, we turned his house into a daycare and just like that, Gigi and I became business partners. At first we were worried that we wouldn’t have much business; turns out we were wrong. As small as our town is, people sure love to procreate. We now have over twenty little ones under our care and being around them sure puts a smile on my face.

  My newfound siblings turned out to be simply amazing. Brian, after months of dating Gigi, has finally caved in and purchased his first home only two blocks away from her house. Their journey has been nothing short of a true love story. But that’s Gigi’s story to tell, and who better to give you the details than the love bird herself.

  Max turned out to be a wonderful person and he genuinely loves me. At first I was worried that if I got too close to him I would betray my dad. Turns out I could love them both.

  As I’m writing this, I look back at all the paths I had to cross and while some have been hard and painful, they only made me stronger. I remember each tear I cried, each smile I smiled, and honestly I wouldn’t change a thing about it. At the end of the day, God’s plan was the only plan that mattered. The only plan that helped me find my way home.

  The End

  OTHER WORKS BY ALINA MAN

  Loving Sofia

  Unlock My Heart

  COMING SOON

  Happiness At Last – Gigi’s story

  Always In My Heart – Noah’s story

  For more information please visit Alina Man on Facebook:

  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alina-Man/471386426254846?ref=hl