26|We're Not in New York Anymore

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New York City, New York/Nashville, Tennessee
September 18, 2018

I informed all my professors on what my current life situation was and they were all very understanding of me not coming to school for the remaining days this week. Olivia will unfortunately also have to miss her remaining days this week. Connor booked three plane tickets to Nashville for the first flight available at 5:00 A.M.

Connor arranged for Zhi Rou to take care of the dogs while we were gone. Zhi Rou was the cleaning lady who made me fall down then proceed to tell me "the floor is wet".

    "Where are we going daddy?" Olivia asks while Connor puts her in a car seat.

    "Nashville, Tennessee," he responds.

    Connor and Olivia had to pack for the trip, I however still have nothing. But, thankfully I have clothes at my house I'll be able to wear.

    "Why?" She groans.

    "Because something bad happened to Harper's family," he briefly explains.

    "Oh," she sighs.

    The traffic is reasonable due to it being so early. Queens, New York, the location of the John F. Kennedy airport, is only 18.2 miles from Connor's house.

    Upon arrival at the airport, we quickly move through security and wait for our flight to be announced for take off.

    "I've never been on a plane before," Olivia whispers to me.

    "They aren't too scary," I whisper back.

    "Flight to Nashville, Tennessee is now boarding at gate four," a woman says over the intercom.

    "That's us," I say while standing up.

    Once we board the plane I get the window seat, while Olivia sits in between Connor and I.

   I still haven't came to complete realization that my father is gone forever. It feels like just yesterday I was a young girl playing kickball in my front yard with all the kids in the neighborhood with my Dad as the pitcher.

    I close my eyes before drifting off to sleep.

   I am awoken by the sound of the pilot telling us our flight is now landing.

   "That was quick," I mumble while rubbing my eyes.

    "How would you know? You were asleep the whole time," Connor makes a fair point.

    After exiting the plane, Connor and Olivia retrieve their luggage.

    "I rented a car for all of this week," Connor tells me as we exit the airport.

    "Is it already here?" I ask.

    "It should be somewhere over here," he leads Olivia and I down the sidewalk.

    "Here!" He shouts, startling me.

    "Thank you Antonio," Connor takes the keys from the mans hand.

    I quickly put Connor and Olivia's stuff in the back of the silver car before getting in the front seat.

    "I was supposed to pick my Lamborghini up from the shop today," Connor says as he pulls out of the airport and onto the highway.

    "You have a Lamborghini?" I ask.

    "Yes, I have a lot of cars in the garage too, you just for some reason haven't looked at any of them," he shrugs.

    "Well that would be snooping," not that I haven't snooped through some other stuff.

     We arrive at the hospital and I quickly bolt for the entrance, leaving Connor and Olivia in the dust.

     Jessica texted me saying that my Mom is on the first floor in room eighty seven. Connor and Olivia quickly catch up to me as I rush to my Mom's room.

     The door is open, but a curtain covers everything beyond the door.

     "Do you want us to give you some alone time?" Connor asks.

    "No, please, I want you to meet her," I insist.

    I slowly enter first, my mouth falls at the sight of my Mom connected to multiple tubes. She is in a coma and it is unknown if she will ever come out of it.

    "Hi Mom," I whisper as tears pour down my cheeks.

     "I'm here with Connor and Olivia," I grab her hand and squeeze it.

     "They've been through a lot with me once I came to New York," I break down even more.

    After a few hours of talking to Mom without any response, I take Connor and Olivia back to my childhood home.

    "This is it," I say as we pull up to the somewhat small White House sitting on a few acres of land.

    We all get out of the car and head up to the door, I unlock it using the key I still kept even after moving to New York.

    The yellow walls bring peace to me. Connor slowly walks around the living room, looking at the pictures of me hanging on the wall.

   "You were valedictorian?" He asks while looking closer at the picture of me on the stage from when I was giving my emotional speech.

    "Yep," I respond, giving him a small smile.

    "Who's this?" He asks while pointing at a picture on the wall of my twin brother and I.

   "That was my twin brother, Ryder. He was kidnapped from my family during a robbery whenever we were only a year and a half old. Authorities assumed he is dead at this point, but my family still believes he is out there somewhere," I sigh while running my hands over the picture. His eyes are filled with sympathy and sorrow.

   "Your eyes were huge," he says, changing the subject.

    "Thank you?" I respond, not knowing if that should be a compliment.

   I take them into my old room. Nothing has changed due to the fact I didn't take much with me when I left for New York.

  "I have to meet with the funeral directors tomorrow at 9:00 A.M," I tell Connor.

    He nods, but doesn't say a word.

   We piddle around the house a while before falling asleep. I pray that my father made it to Heaven safely and that God will do what is best for my Mother.

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