Sarah's thought's and talking to her mom and brother.

NOTE: Matt is married to Sarah Glass but Mary is not married to Carlos and she never got in all that trouble in high school. Lucy is married to Kevin and they live in the garage apartment.

I sat in the back seat of the car in silence as we drove to the air port. We arranged to have my things shipped and then boarded the plane. I sat in seat by myself, the rest of my family sat in pairs in the seats in front of me; I looked out the window as tears slipped down my face. This place had been my home my entire life… This was where I had played in the dirt with my brother. It was where my brother told me never to ever let a boy kiss me, and that if any one ever tried to hurt me to tell him because he would always protect me.

I miss you guys. I don't want to go, but dad is right, I can't stay in that apartment alone, but I could stay with Aunt Susan. She would let me if I ask. I know she would. I tried to ask her, but she said to let dad have another chance that people change. I don't know how she thinks he changed, he didn't want to come and get me until she told him he had too. I want to stay here. This is where you are buried, and this is my home.

I laid my head back against the rest and cried myself to sleep. I woke up as we were landing in Glen Oak. I sat up and looked out the window. There weren't any farms like there had been in my town.

This wasn't my home.

We got off the plane and walked out to get our baggage. I carried what little I had brought and walked out with them to the parking deck. We all loaded into the car and drove home. We drove for about thirty minutes before we pulled up in front of a large white house in an upscale neighborhood. I crawled out of the back seat after everyone else. When we walked into the house Annie said," You can have the attic room Mary and Lucy will show you where it is." I walked up two flights of stairs until I walked into what looked like a storage room. Mary said," Mom's gonna try and move some of this out this week so you'll have more room. There's a bed back in the corner and a lamp and desk. If you need anything just come find us." They turned and walked out and I walked behind the piles of boxes to find a bed. I sat down, fighting off tear, and let my mind wonder.

Great…I live in the attic. Mary called Annie mom…she's not our mom. You are, and I will never call her mom so don't you worry. You'll always be my family.

I sat there on the bed without moving until my dad knocked on the door. He asked," Can I come in?" I looked away and said," It's you're house you can do whatever you want." He came in and sat down beside me. He said," This is your house too. I want you to feel welcome here. We are your family." I broke in," You were my family. You are not my family anymore. You walked out on us." He tried not to get upset," Well we are here now and I'm willing to listen whenever you are ready to talk. Matt wants to say bye to you before he goes back to school tomorrow morning." Then he got up and walked out of the room. I sat back on the bed and let the tears fall I had been trying so hard to keep inside. Someone else knocked on the door and walked in before I had answered. Matt sat down on the foot of the bed. He just looked at me without saying anything. Then he said," I'm sorry about your mom and brother." I couldn't take it anymore, why did they call them my mom and brother. I raised me voice and said," they were ours Matt. She was our mother, and he was our brother. We were a family until you guys walked out on us. We were your family!" He just looked at me trying not to cry, but I was well past being able to hold my tears inside. He sat there for a minute more before he said," I'm going back to New York tomorrow. I'm only a phone call away if you decide you want to talk to me. I'm going to try to come home next weekend with my wife so you can meet her. I'll see you then." He went to hug me but I pushed him away. As he walked out the door, my mind went back to my childhood.

Flashback

October 7, 1990: It was the day before my 4th birthday, Matt had come into my room that morning to wake me up. He had been the brother I was closest too when we were still a family. He helped me get ready then he took me out to the toy store to let me pick out my birthday present. I had gotten a board game, and we went home and he played with me all day. That night we had had my birthday party with the whole family.

End of flashback

That had been the last birthday they had been there for because they left that December. I never had a birthday party after that either. We tried to have a party for my fifth birthday because mom said it was a special birthday, but we just couldn't afford it. After that, I gave up. I stopped believing in Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth fairy ran out of money before I started to lose my teeth. My life hadn't been the best but it was like that saying my mom always told me. We might not have had everything we wanted, but we had it all as long as we had each other… so what about now. What do I have now that she's gone? I don't have it all anymore, and what I have I don't want anymore. When I was little, I used to dream of my dad, brother, sisters coming home, and moving back into our old house, I had prayed for it for eleven year, but some dreams die hard.