Katia

Dead bark and leaves crunch beneath our feet. Spots of moonlight speckle the forest ground. It's hard to see. Fuck. I hate running and there are so many sticks and limbs on the ground. I know one of us will trip any moment. What was I thinking? I stop and rest my hands on my knees. I'm panting like a dog. Kandace grabs my hand.

"Come on!" She whispers.

"Wait." I gasp for air.

"Who's out there?! I'm calling the police!" A distant voice yells out.

"Shit." Kandace and I say in unison.

Okay. I guess I should explain the disaster that's taking place. Let's back up, shall we?

I completed my junior year of college. Finally. I was starting to feel drained and burned out. Classes were running together and boring me to death, but I passed.

Christine and I are doing so well. Admittedly, I was nervous as hell to trust her again, but I did. The beginning was rocky. She had her insecurities with Elaine and I couldn't go more than an hour without wondering what she was doing, where she was, or who she was with when we weren't together. It lead to a bunch of arguments and disagreements. I didn't think we were going to make it, but we did. That's all behind us. Christine and Elaine get along better than I expected. I wouldn't call them best friends but anytime they're around each other they enjoy the other's company. Christine's doesn't get agitated when I spend time with Elaine anymore. Which is nice and Elaine transitioned into the friend role pretty seamlessly. She has a girlfriend now. I couldn't tell anyone because I felt so bad about it but I was kind of jealous. I was ashamed that I was even harboring feelings for her. I had no right, but I got over that too. Everything is back to normal. As normal as my life can be anyway.

Kandace and I have only gotten closer. She's my best friend. Just don't tell Liv I said that. We're in constant contact through out the day and we hang out as much as we can. It feels like we have to make up for lost time. She knows things before I can tell her. We even finish each other's sentences. Right now though we're in a heap of trouble.

We found our mom or at least I think we did. Dad wasn't having much success. Though, I don't think he was trying very hard either. I hired my own investigator and I've also been putting in quite a bit of leg work. It's summer, I don't have much to do. The last two leads were a bust but I feel like I'm close. Chris has no idea what I'm doing. She'd have a fit. She thinks I'm visiting family, which is not a complete lie. I told Kandace where I was going and what I was doing just so someone knew my whereabouts. However, she insisted that she should come with me. She didn't think it was safe. She thought I might get in trouble. Boy, was she right.

We got here later than expected so it was dark when we arrived at the house suspected to be my mother's. Against Kandace's advice I decided to creep around back of their neighbors house. There's a fence. We hopped over it. Okay, Kandace hopped. I struggled and fell.

"Kat, this is a terrible idea." Kandace whispers.

"When did you become such a fraidy cat?" I ask. "You used to be so bad." I wipe the dirt from my legs.

"I was a trans teen with a dad that hated me. I was acting out." She growls.

"Well just act out a little more for me."

She rolls her eyes. We creep towards the house that my mother could be in. It's easy to see inside of the well lit cottage style home. It's a cute house. Quaint. I obviously get my sense of style and decorating from her. The inside is so pretty. There's a little kid running through the house carrying a toy airplane over his head. He looks like Kaden. Well... Kandace when she was Kaden. Is that the appropriate way to say that? I'll ask later.

Kandace and I look at each in disbelief. I stare back at the little boy smiling and playing without a care in the world. A pair of headlights flash over Kandace and I and we duck behind a row of bushes. A tall slim man walks to the house quickly, checking his watch.

"What if that's mom?" I ask.

"Are you trying to be funny?" Kandace says.

I giggle. She does too. Moments later we see her. Our mom gathers their child up into her arms and gently tickles his belly. He laughs and yells. I don't realize it but I'm crying. Kandace wipes the single tear from my cheek.

"Do you think we should say something?" She asks.

"No. Let's just get out of here." I say.

"Are you sure? We're already here." Kandace says.

To our surprise there are faint knocks on the window we're standing by. The little boy is looking right at us. He's smiling and waving. Oh my god. Now he's pointing and saying something inaudible to us outside. Kandace and I begin to panic.

"Run!" She says.

We both bolt towards the fence. She helps me over before she comes over herself. I fell again. This time on something that causes me to yelp in pain. A light comes on in the neighbors backyard before we hear a door creak open. With adrenaline and fear coursing through our veins we take to the woods for cover, but my feet won't stop running. That is, until now. My lungs are burning and I'm having trouble breathing. On second thought, I'm not sure if I'm tired or if I'm having an anxiety attack. Shit.

"I have a gun!" The voice shouts out again.

Kandace begins to walk back towards the stranger's house.

"What are you doing?" I ask, my voice hoarse and harsh from shortness of breath.

"It's better we try to explain than him call the cops or shoot one of us." She says.

She's right. I nod and follow my sister back towards the house. We're faced with an older gentleman. The lines in his face are deep and unfriendly under the street lamp. He's at least 80 and looks just as scared as we are. He steps back, white knuckling his old shot gun. He looks a little relieved to see it's just two young ladies.

"You-you two lost or something?" He stutters.

"Yes, actually." Kandace says.

"What are you doing on my property?" He asks.

"Our friends played a terrible joke on us and we were just trying to get back to their house. We're not from here." She explains. In this moment I'm more than grateful she's here. I'm not sure what I would have done or said without her. My hands are still shaking.

The old man's eyes slide over to me. "She alright?" He asks jerking his head in my direction.

"Yeah my sister is just a little shaken up. Your big gun scared her." Kandace says charmingly.

He looks away sheepishly and let's his guard down a little.

"Frank!" The man from next door shouts. "Are you okay over there?"

"Yeah! Yeah! I'm alright." Frank waves him off.

The man waves and disappears back into his house.

"You girls get out of here and be careful. There are some real jerks out there." Franks warns us.

"We will. Thank you." Kandace says taking my hand. We scurry out of Frank's yard and back to the street. I'm still a little rattled.

"Hey! Stop!" A lady calls from behind us.

What now? We turn around and it's her. It's really her.

"Mom??" Kandace and I say simultaneously.

She looks at us like we have two heads. We all just stand there like statues, frozen in time. I can't move or speak.

"Kaden? Katia?" She covers her quivering lips with her hands.

"Kandace." I croak, still in disbelief.

"Hey... mom." Kandace says awkwardly.

She steps toward us, into the blinking street light. Her grey eyes and midnight hair identical to mine, to Kandace's. She has aged, not poorly, but noticeably.

"Girls." Her voice breaks and she starts crying. Oh. I see. She's the reason I'm an emotional wreck half the time. I begin walking towards her.

I reach out and place my hand on her shoulder. "Where have you been?"