It was dark and cold.  All that was heard was the sobbing of Natalie.  The sound of the fire gave her chills.  She has been breathing in the smoke for exactly three hours.  Three silent hours sitting there with not one word from her or her father.  She sits wrapped up in the blanket near the fire while her father, Lucas, rocked back and forth on the rocking chair drinking his ice cold beer.  Natalie hates when he gets drunk because he gets abusive.  There was so much tension within the room,  yet not one word was spoken between them until Natalie had to open her mouth.
“Dad why do you drink so much?” Natalie said with no response, “DAD! … Is it because of mom..?”

“SHUT UP” he said while smacking her, “Go away.”

“I’m .. I’m sorry..” Natalie said with no response.  He just sat there rocking back and forth.

Natalie left to her room in tears.  Her room was a Lucas free zone.  Her room was the one place she could feel safe.  She would lay in her bed and just think.  She would wrap herself inside of the blankets and laid down.  She always tries to remember the happy memories of her family.  How they all used to be one big happy family and how it all went downhill once her brother Jason died. She was only seven and he was fifteen when he died. Even though Natalie’s doors would be shut you could still hear her parents screaming at each other and literally fighting.  So many years had past but that didn’t change the fact about her mom and dad split.  They split only a few months after he died.   Natalie’s dad would drink all of his pain away almost daily. She mostly wants to think of things to make her happy while she laid down and tried to fall asleep.  Like when her mom, her dad, Jason, and her used to go places.  Even if it was the park, they went somewhere together every Saturday and Sunday.  She honestly wishes she could live with her mom instead.  Natalie’s dream is for her mom to come back and her dad to stop drinking.  He doesn’t even care that her mom left, and she would rather be with her mom than with her dad.
She went back into the living room and said, “Dad, I-” As she got closer she realized he was passed out on the couch snoring, with a broken bottle shattered all over the ground.  She checked the time, which was 3:08 am. She had enough.  She knew she had to get out of there.  She stole his phone and his wallet, grabbed her coat and then went outside.  Natalie didn’t know what she was going to do, but she was going to get out.  She walked around town for awhile, then went to the bus stop. She waited patiently until 5:45 am for the bus to come.  For that long period of time she just sat there thinking.  She moved around every once in awhile, and then she got up and began pacing herself walking back and forth just thinking… She just thought about her life and just would think of her happiest moments.  The main thing that would pop up in her mind was her mom. Peyton Davis. She came up with this insane idea to find her, figure out what happened to her, find out why she left and how she had the audacity to leave her with Lucas.  She went on her Dad’s phone and went on his facebook and looked under friends for Peyton but obviously they wouldn’t be friends.  So she searched Peyton Davis. She clicked on her profile nervously.  She looked at all her photos, but they were all of her and Natalie and Jason. Infact her profile picture was of Natalie and Jason when she was five years old.  This made her cry.  She looked at the About and found out she works at a diner in downtown Stockton called Salty’s.  It was this small diner which she had taken Natalie to once or twice.  She remembered it very vaguely. Natalie then checked the time and it was 6:08 a.m. She didn’t feel like going to school. She was determined to find her mom.  She jetted inside quietly to change into warm clothes, and she took his phone and left. She had to think really hard about where to go.

On the way there, she replayed in her head how it would go down.  She wanted to know what she should say. Natalie wants her mom to explain everything to her, and she is going to have many questions so that she has to reply.  Natalie wanted to know things like, would it be a good talk or a bad talk? What would she say?  How would she say it? Should she even go and say something at all? 

She said aloud, “ Hey, uhm, this might sound strange and awkward but.. uhm..I’m your daughter and uh…… no no no I can’t .. hmm… Hi do you know who I am?  No no no no no not that either because just no no no no.. uh ugh what about mom? no I can’t be straightforward.  Definitely not that either.. ugh..

She kept walking. She walked about one and a half of a mile.  Then she saw Rosewood park which was about two blocks away from the diner.  She went around Rosewood lane and saw the diner which was about three stores down. She was shaking and became insanely nervous once she approached the steps of the diner.  Her stomach turned into a big knot. She didn’t know what to feel at all. The room wasn’t full, but it was not empty either.  It had twelve customers and five waitresses. She sat down at a big table, looking around to see if she could spot her mother.  She looked over and saw this tall bearded guy who was most likely in his late fifties with cowboy boots and a cowboy hat.  There was a waitress with hazel eyes, a big bright sparkling smile, with dark brown hair, late 40s, and she was the most beautiful woman there, it was then that Natalie knew that was my mother who had disappeared on her when she was younger.  She looked up and seen me just gawking at her. 

She told her, “ I’ll be right with you ma’am,” Natalie knew that she didn’t recognize her because she looked away like it was nothing.  Unless she didn’t see her.

But Natalie replied with, “Okay.”

As she walked toward her table with a cup of coffee in her right hand, cream in her left hand Natalie began to shake.  When she put the coffee cup down, she had a birthmark just on top of her wrist. Which is exactly where Natalie has hers.

She grabbed a pencil and her little notebook to take orders out and said, “ So what can I get for ya little girly,” with a big smile.'

Natalie replied angrily with,” You don’t know who I am, do you? Clueless huh?”

She took a good hard look at her.  Then she knew alright. She was just so stunned and didn’t know what to do or think.  She opened her mouth but no words could come out so Natalie just said calmly, “ Mom, it’s me Natalie” Both of them started to get really teary eyed.

“  I...Hi… can I.. Hi.. uhm.. I don’t know what to say.. can I.. can I hug you? ”

Natalie nodded yes and I forgot everything I was supposed to say to her.  Like all of my fears and everything bad just went away completely.  As if time just stopped and nothing was important at all.   Natalie she just missed her mom and her hugs more than anything in the world, she wasn’t even mad at her. She knew that she had to have had an extremely good explanation to leave her.

“ How are you, what have you been up to baby girl, how is your dad? “

“ I’m sure better now, I’ve done absolutely nothing since you left.  My dad he uhmm how do I say this… He’s the worst.  I hate living with him.  It’s a living hell to be honest.  Can I ask you a question? It’s a touchy subject though. Oh well why did you leave me?” Natalie said.

“ I honestly can’t say that I wasn’t expecting this question.  You basically answered my question though. He is the worst man alive after your brother died.  He completely lost it.  I guess he has never changed and I truely am sorry for that.  I just had to clear my head.  My intentions were never to leave you sweetie.”

“ What did he do to you?” Natalie asked

“ He would always beat me up, in fact it would almost be on a daily basis. I just got scared and I couldn’t take anymore.  I thought maybe he would realize we still have another  kid.. I’m sorry Natalie Davis.” Peyton replied
“ You could have taken me or called the police for help.  The last 8 years were a living hell.  I just wish that we could go back to the way we used to be.” Natalie said.

“ I’m sorry baby girl.  The one thing I want you to know is that I love you with all of my heart okay.  And I really hope you can find a way to forgive me.  I have money put away.. so you and I can run away together.. Would you?  I’ll get you out I promise.  We can start over.

“I want to do that so badly you have no idea.”

Peyton’s eyes got big and she smiled big.  Okay bug. “ As much as I love you don’t you have to be at school right now little missy?”

“ Pshhhh NO!” Natalie said.

“ Natalie! Go to school and let me finish my shift then swing by here after school and we can talk about leaving and all the arrangements.”

“ Okay, bye mom I’ll see you later. Natalie said then gave her a hug and left.

Natalie walked to school which wasn’t that far from the diner.  She arrived at school and they were towards the end of third period.  Mr.Hack asked Natalie, “ And excuse me young lady but where have you been since you decide to walk in here 45 minutes late?!”

“ Sorry sir I was uhm.. busy” she replied.

“ Doing?  And give me a good answer don’t try pulling anything to get out of the detention you are about to receive.” He said while writing her name down.

“ Go ahead.  You wouldn’t care if I told you anyways.” she said as he gave her a big glare and grabbed out a referral.” Okay I’ll tell you! I was with my mom.”

Mr.Hack began to laugh while writing in the referral, “ Your mom? and I have a pet unicorn which can skateboard.” 
“ Shut up! I was Whatever. GOD DAMMIT I HATE YOU SO MUCH!”, Natalie said trying not to cry.

He looked up shocked and shouted, “ That's enough Ms.Davis step outside right now!”

She said, “ BUT THAT ISN’T FAIR.. You know what whatever bye I don’t have time for your bull. “

He said chasing her down the hallway, “ Ms.Davis don’t make me call the principal or your father which would be even worse.  MS.DAVIS COME BACK RIGHT NOW AND I’M NOT KIDDING AT ALL WITH YOU! “

Natalie stormed back to the diner.  She opened the door and in front of everyone she yelled out, “Lets leave right now!”

“Right now?” Payton said smiling.

“ Right now… mom” Natalie said with a smile.

¨ Okay then.” Peyton replied with a huge smile.  She threw her notepad on the floor and her and Natalie ran out together laughing and got in the car and drove off.

They were a few miles out of town listening to music.  They were singing to oldies, and at that exact moment Natalie knew everything would be okay.  But the out of nowhere… BAM!!! A big SUV slammed into them hitting the driver's side.  Her mom was dead within an instant!  Natalie screamed, “MOM!”

But she then woke up, and everything was all a dream.  That killer dream that felt so real to her.  But she woke up sweating and realized she just fell asleep and her life was still there.  She got out of bed, walked out the hall, and there Lucas was.  Passed out like always.  That dream changed everything.  She realized that no matter how hard she tried, nothing would bring back her family, and she would just have to except that.