I DO NOT OWN THE TWILIGHT SAGA

Archer, Marnie, and Jade end up sleeping over my house that night. Archer sleeps on my bed while Marnie, Jade, and I share Nana's king-sized bed that she's had for longer than I've been alive. And later that morning, when they've all left and I'm left to my own devices, I decide that today's the day. I can't put it off anymore. I need to find out what Mom's hiding from me. There's really no reason to put it off any longer, and it can't hurt to try.

So while she's sleeping in her room, I clean the entire kitchen top to bottom, knowing that a clean kitchen will put her in a good mood. Then I get to work on making her something for brunch. I make her favorite food: French toast. It's been her favorite since she was a little girl, and I'm pretty sure that's all I ate while I was in her womb.

By the time she walks into the kitchen at eleven-thirty, her hair in a messy ponytail, and her clothes all wrinkled, I am just finishing the final batch of French toast.

"Damn, that smells good," she says as a way of greeting. She heads to the coffee maker and pours herself a cup of freshly brewed coffee. "What's the occasion?"

"I just wanted to start the new year off right. Plus you worked hard yesterday, so you deserve a nice breakfast," I tell her. She must still be out of it, because she doesn't even question my lame excuse, and sits down at the table after she pours creamer into her coffee. I turn the stove off and then grab two plates and two forks from the cabinets and serve the both of us some food.

We eat in silence for a few minutes, her still half asleep, and me anxious about confronting her. All through brunch, I debate on how to start the conversation, and decide to ease into it. If I bombard her, she'll get defensive and I won't get any information out of her.

"Ya know, Mom," I begin, "on Thanksgiving, I was up in the attic organizing those boxes filled with pictures and stuff." She mutters something incoherent, probably just so that I would know that she's listening. I reach behind the vase where I had stashed the lockbox I'd found, and pull it out. Her eyes immediately lock onto it and she stops eating.

"I found this in one of the boxes. And I figured out the combination, and when I looked inside, I found my birth certificate." I open the box and retrieve my birth certificate, unfold it, and show it to her, pointing to where it says "twin". "Why does it say here that I'm a twin?" She doesn't answer for a long moment, clearly shocked at what I'm showing her. I put it down and show her the sonogram photo. "And why does this sonogram photo show two embryos instead of one?" Again, I reach into the box to pick up something I hadn't yet looked at. I unfolded it, and it was a picture with a handwritten note attached to it.

"Autumn, don't—" Mom tries to grab the letter from me, but I hold it out of her reach. But I don't reach it. I know that this letter is gonna tell me everything I need to know, but I don't want to read it yet.

"You have one chance to tell me for yourself what you've been hiding all these years. I'm giving you one chance. And if I have to find out the truth from this letter, you know you're gonna regret it." Her eyes are wide, all thoughts of breakfast forgotten, and I can see her struggling internally on what to do. "Mom!"

She swallows hard, and I can see the panic on her face. After a second more without a response, I let out a humorless laugh and shake my head. I can't believe her. She's still evading the truth. So I turn back to what I carry in my hand.

The picture is an older one, obviously taken in the early nineties. It shows a man and a woman, sitting on a checkered blanket in the middle of a park, smiling into the camera. The woman is beautiful, with smooth pale skin and wildly curly dark hair. The skin around her dark eyes are crinkled because of her smile, and she seems genuinely happy. The man beside her is not what you would think of as traditionally handsome, but he's not ugly either. He looks to be of Asian descent, probably Japanese. His hair is longer than I personally like, the black strands hanging into his eyes and clumps of hair hanging around his neck, just slightly above his shoulders. His almond eyes are dark, and just like the woman's, they're full of happiness. In between them sits…me! No, not me. Just a toddler that looks like me. The toddler looks to be about a year or two old. Her dark hair is up in pigtails, and her hazel eyes are bright and full of laughter, looking off to the side, at something unknown. She looks just like me. Exactly like me. Then I look at the letter and start reading.

Dear Angela, it reads.

We hope that all is going well with you! It's been a while since the adoption, and we know that you said you didn't want any pictures, but we couldn't resist! Tabi is two years old now, which is so crazy! Of course you knew that, but Connor and I still have a hard time coming to terms that our little girl is no longer a baby anymore. It seems like just yesterday that we brought her home from the hospital.

She learned how to walk just a few months ago, and it seems like we can't get her to stop! She's running anywhere she can, and has us on our toes every moment of the day. She's also a healthy eater! She loves vegetables and eats everything on her plate! I never thought I'd say that about a two-year-old, but it's true. And she's talking more and more every day. Her first word was "Momma", much to Connor's disappointment, but that overjoyed me knowing that we had broken that stereotype.

Anyway! How is everyone doing? Is Autumn flourishing just like Tabi? I bet she is. Identical twins seem to mirror each other, even when apart. And you much have just graduated high school last year. Connor and I hope that you are able to follow your dreams to become a photographer, like you told us! And we hope Andrea is doing well, also. She's such a nice woman, I would have liked to get to know her better!

Also, I know that you said that you wanted this to be a closed adoption, and that you were happy with receiving a letter every so often…but I just want to make sure that's still the case. I know that you're not able to take care of two children at the moment, but I think Autumn and Tabi would benefit greatly if they knew each other while growing up. I'd hate to see them go their whole lives without ever meeting each other.

Please write me and let me know if you'd like to get together and allow the girls to bond!

With Love,

Jessica, Connor, and Tabitha Hope Mori

As I finish reading the letter, my heart starts to hurt. Not physically, but emotionally. My throat grows tight and my eyes fill with tears. I look up from the letter to see Mom looking at me with a helpless expression.

"Autumn, listen—" she starts, but I cut her off.

"I have a sister…and you never told me?" My voice is thick with tears, as I try to hold in my meltdown. I knew this was coming. I knew it. But actually seeing that picture and reading that letter just… I dunno. It just confirms it all. That my mom, the woman who supposedly told me everything, the woman who I trusted more than anything, hid something so big from me for my whole life. And I had to find out on my own.

"Let me explain! Please, Autumn. Please, just let me explain!" I let out a bitter laugh.

"Explain what? That you've been hiding this from me? That you lied to me?"

"I was sixteen, Autumn! I was so scared about having a baby, but having two? I wouldn't have been able to take care of the both of you!"

"So you separated us?! Why didn't you just give us both to the Mori family?" She looks guilty.

"Because I was selfish. I didn't want to give the both of you up. I knew that I want a baby, but I just couldn't take care of both of you." The tears overflow now.

"And why didn't you ever stay in touch with them? You could have given me the chance to have a relationship with Tabitha! I could have gotten to know her! What were you thinking!" I'm yelling now. I can't even describe how disappointed and angry I am at her now. "And the fact that I had to find all this out on my own! You couldn't even tell me?" I stop short as I remember another detail. "And what about Nana? Did you swear her to secrecy?" The look on her face is answer enough.

Having had enough of this conversation, I get up from the table, and make my way up to my room. When I've slammed my door behind me, I take out my phone, and make a call to the one guy who has room for me. Archer. I don't explain everything to him, just that I need a place to stay for a while. He doesn't hesitate before he gives me his address. And then I'm packing a duffle bag with clothes and toiletries. My laptop and my chargers go on top, and then I zip it up. I put my jacket on, and strap my book bag to my back. Grabbing the duffle, I storm out of my room. I know I must be crazy to run away like this. I know that I'm only seventeen and I'm pregnant and I should just stay with them. But both Mom and Nana lied to me. Straight to my face. And I just can't look at them right now without remembering that.

Mom follows me as I walk to the front door, tears running down her cheeks and a hopeless expression on her face.

"What are you doing?" she questions. I don't look back at her as I answer.

"I'm going to stay at a friend's house for a little while," I tell her.

"Please, Autumn! I know you're mad at me, and you have every right to be! But I made a mistake—!" The front door now open and the icy cold temperatures seeping into the house, I stop short when she says that word. I turn back to look at her, wondering if she's actually serious.

"A mistake?" I shake my head. "A mistake is losing your car keys. You kept my sister from me." Mom starts to talk again, but I shake my head. "I just need to be away from here."

I load my bags into my car, and climb in, feeling a deep sadness settling over me as I drive away. Mom and I have never had a fight before. We've never really had any reason to. Petty bickering? Yes, we've done plenty of that. But never a full blown fight. And the first one we have ended with me staying at someone else's house.

Great. Just great.

A/N: What did you guys think? Please review!

~Gina