Chapter Nine

Chevelle




“You’re worse than I am when it comes to shopping. I mean look at you.” I say, pointing to his bags of clothes hanging off of his arm as we leave the storefront of Abercrombie and Fitch. “You have like four completely full sacks. I have one. And Abercrombie? Who would have thought that you were one of those preppy boys?”

“Jeez, you’re mean.” He says on a chuckle and then trying to fake a serious face asks, “Why do I keep you around again?”

“Chevelle?” I hear a woman say as we step off of the escalator to the second level.

Turning around, I see a petite woman with chocolate brown hair and eyes the same shade of blue as my own. There are two people flanking her, teenagers, with the same blonde hair as my own, eyes the same blue steel color. One of them is a girl. Looking at her is like a mirror reflection staring back at me.

“Is it really you?” the woman asks, disbelief in her voice.

“Do you know her?” River leans into my ear and asks. Shaking my head in answer, I watch as tears well in the woman's eyes.

“I’m sorry but who are you?” I ask, although I have a gut feeling that I already know the answer.

“It’s me…Corrine...” she says, whispering, “I-I’m your mother.”

“My mother?” I say, backing up into River. “But…how is that possible?” I ask, not wanting to believe her words or what is right in front of my eyes.

If this woman is my mother, how come she never visited me while I was in the hospital?

“Surely you know about the birds and the bee’s…” the boy says from her left shoulder. The girl snorts a laugh, but it’s cut short by a death glare from Corrine.

“I’ve been searching for you for years.” She says as she takes a step towards me. I tense up at the movement and River wraps his arms around me in comfort. “Where have you been? I’ve looked everywhere…”

“Not everywhere.” River murmurs into my ear to where only I can hear. My heart feels like it’s going to beat out of my chest and tears prick my eyes as I realize what this means. I have a family. Some kind of a link to my past, to who Chevelle Daniels is.

“I’m sorry…” I murmur, trying to figure out what to say. “I just…”

“She was in a coma for two years. She has no memory of her prior life.” River cuts in at my loss for words.

“Oh my god.” Corrine says on a tear-filled gasp. “Sweetheart, what happened?” The term of endearment doesn’t settle well with me, causing me to squirm in Rivers embrace.

I know this woman claims that she’s my mother and I can’t deny what’s standing right in front of me, but if she’s my mother then why did she never visit? Or my father? And why has she been searching for me for years? Surely my parents would have been notified of the accident.

“I was in an accident. Or so I’m told. I don’t remember.” I say, leaning into River’s embrace. “Who are they?” I ask, nodding my head in the teenagers’ direction.

“Oh. I’m sorry. I forgot.” She looks up at the girl first, grinning from ear to ear. “This is Caprice. She’s your younger sister. She’s sixteen. And this is your younger brother, Cruze. He’s seventeen.” She says, gesturing to the tall, gangly boy with unruly blonde hair and eyes so much like my own.

“Hey” Cruze says with a nod as Caprice rushes over to me, crushing me in a hug. I stand stock still, not sure what to do.

“I missed you so much! Will you come back home with us?” Caprice asks, pulling back but bouncing on her sneakered feet.

“I-I live here in the C-city.” I stutter.

I have a family, I think to myself, the words seem so surreal to even think, and they want to have me as a part of their lives.

“Could you visit?” she chirps.

“This is a lot for Chevelle to take in. Chevy, why don’t we trade phone numbers and maybe we can take things slow, catch up? Maybe you can come home for a visit, bring your boyfriend with you. We’ll make a day of it. Have a cookout and let you meet your older brother Cam. What do you say?” I don’t correct her about calling River my boyfriend. I’m sure with me being snuggled in his arms, it very much looks like that is exactly what we are.

“Okay.” I respond with a nod and then dig my phone out of my pocket and hand it to her. “Will you put your number in here?”

She takes the phone, plugs in her information, and then hands it back to me.

“I sent myself a message from your phone so that I’ll have your number. I’m so glad to have found you.” she says on the verge of tears once again. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ll get your number from mom if that’s okay. Maybe I can call or text you too? I’ve really missed having my sister and well…no friend could ever take your place,” Caprice says as she wraps her arms around me again. This time I wrap my arms around her, returning her embrace.

“That sounds great. I could use a girl friend. And sounds like a sister is the best kind.” I say as we pull away.

Cruze gives me one of those awkward one-armed hugs that guys give when they’re uncomfortable but don’t want to be rude. “I’m glad that I got to meet you...again or whatever.” I say with a shake of my head. “I know this is weird. I really wish I remembered.”

“It’s cool. I’m sure you’ll be sick of me again in no time.” Cruze says with a crooked grin.

“May I?” Corrine asks, not wanting to make me uncomfortable, which I appreciate greatly.

I nod and step away from River to return her embrace. “I really missed you baby girl.” She whispers into my ear.

“Thank you.” I say, not sure how to reply.

“I’ll talk to you soon. We’ll make a plan for you to come home and introduce you to your other brother and Thom, my new boyfriend.” She says with a sheepish smile, tears still swimming in her eyes.

“Sounds good.” River wraps his arms back around my shoulders, pulling me into his chest. He must sense my discomfort and I appreciate the strength he’s offering.

“Bye.” They all say in unison and begin walking away, Corrine trailing behind. Reluctance to leave evident in the conflicted look on her face.

“Bye.” River and I both call back as we turn and head back down the escalator. The last thing I want to do is continue shopping and he must know this as he steers us towards the exit as we step off. My whole body is numb, except for my heart. It beats erratically but it hurts, dear God does it hurt, and I don’t understand it.

“Thank you.” I murmur as we exit the building, the early afternoon sun warming my chilled skin.

“Always. And I will be there for you if or when you decide that you want to go to see them too, if you want me to be.” I know that he says things that confuse the hell out of me, leaving me not sure if he wants friendship or something more, but I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have River in my life. I hope that I never have to find out.

By the time that we get home the numbness has worn off and instead, I’m a bundle of mixed emotions. I want to cry and scream; throw a fit like a toddler who doesn’t know how to handle what they’re feeling, and maybe even throw up.

I want to be pissed off because they should have known; somehow, they should have known.

They should have found me. How hard is it to check hospitals? I had identification on me. They would have been able to trace me to my parents. It doesn’t make any sense.

Regardless, I have a family that has supposedly been looking for me for the past I don’t know how many years, when I’ve thought that the only person that I had was River, and I don’t know how to digest this information.

“Penny for your thoughts?” River says as he cuts the engine, and then reaches over, clasping my hand in his warm one.

“They’ve been looking for me?” I whisper, as tears begin to build behind my eyes and my body begins to tremble.

“That’s what they said.” He murmurs as he uses his other hand to stroke the top of the hand that he’s holding.

“It doesn’t make sense. They could have found me. If they really wanted to...they could have…” My words are interrupted as a huge sob breaks free in their place and the tears that had been building burst forth, sliding down my cheeks in a tidal wave.

Scooting towards the center of the bench seat, River pulls me towards him, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and cocooning me in his warmth.

“Shh…” he murmurs, “It will be okay. Let’s not dwell on it for now. Okay? Let’s get you inside and let you rest. Maybe you will be feeling better a little bit later and we can try to sort it out then.”

“I just don’t understand…” I cry into his shoulder as the pain in my chest intensifies.

“And you may never but just know that I will be here no matter what.”