We were pretty tired when we got there hours later, but I managed to find the house before the sun went down.

"Mom? Dad? Michael?" No one answered once we were inside, so I slammed the front door behind me. "I guess no one's home. C'mon, honey, I'll help you to the sofa." I put my arm around Kurt and walked with him to the family room.

Kurt collapsed on the sofa when we got to the family room and I went to get a quilt from the upstairs hall closet. I covered him in it once downstairs, and that's when I heard the garage door slam. I bolted into the kitchen to intercept my family before they could reach the family room.

It was my mother. She gasped, dropping the sacks of groceries she had in her arms. Neither of us said anything for what seemed like eternity.

"Erin?"

"Hi, Mom….."

"My God! Where have you been? Where have you been?!" Mom was crying.

"Mom, I—I'm fine." I smiled to show her nothing was wrong. "To answer your question, New York."

Mom stopped. "New York?"

I nodded. "I've lived there for two years now and have been going to school there, too. Before that, D.C."

"Why didn't you call us or write to us or come see us?"

"I….. I don't know. I guess I was scared."

"Of what, darling?"

I didn't say anything at first. "I was scared you'd hate me for leaving."
"Wha…. Erin, we don't hate you for leaving. We hate the fact that you left. Why? Why did you go? You know we saved your note. We've had it in the front desk for years."

"It's a long story."

"Well tell me."
"Uh… Maybe later. Where's Michael?"

Mom smiled. Going over to the kitchen sink she took a framed picture from the windowsill. "You're in luck. They'll be here in an hour to spend the week with us." I looked down at the picture. There was my brother, sitting with a woman and a little girl of about four.

"I…. I'm an aunt?" I gasped.

Mom nodded, her smile widening. "That picture was taken a week ago. Michael and Suzanne have been married for five years now. Suzie's an ER doctor. Little Erin was born four years ago."

I looked up from the picture and stared at my mother.

"Honey, we….. we didn't ever think you'd be coming back…… When you don't call, don't write……"

"Mom…." As I hugged her I began to remember how much I had missed my family.

"So, gosh, you must be…. Twenty! You're twenty now?"

I nodded.

"Oh, I can't believe it…." Mom beamed. "My little girl, all grown up…."

Down the hall I could hear the front door slam as my blood ran cold. I turned and watched my father come down the hall, flipping through the newspaper. "Maggie, Sam down the street wants to know if he can borrow our car to pick up his kids from school tomorrow--" He stopped dead in his tracks, staring in to the family room. The paper slipped from his hands, and I heard a muffled "bamf" from the family room.

"No, no! Kurt!"

"What in God's name was that?" My father was yelling as I raced in to the room. I looked down at the sofa, and it was empty. Even the quilt was gone. "No…." I groaned. "C'mon, honey! Come back!" As the last couple words came from my mouth all three of us heard a painful moan come from the ceiling as "bamf"- Kurt reappeared and fell to the floor with a thud. "Kurt!" I cried, running over to him as he lay weak and moaning on the floor. He was clutching the quilt in his hands and I quickly wrapped him in it, taking him up in my arms. Leaning against me, Kurt looked up at me and smiled through his pain. "I suppose I shouldn't have done that?"

I laughed, and Kurt gave another moan as he buried his face in my neck. I looked up to find my mother sitting across from me. She was crying, and my father stood over us, scratching his head.

"Mom…. Dad….. I think I need to talk to you."