Same Love, Different Feelings

The elevator door opened. “Hi, baby! How are you?”Daniel, my younger brother, jumped up into my arms.

“I’m great; look mommy got me this new t-shirt.’ His blue eyes shone like sapphire stones.

“Oh wow! It has superman on it.”

“I know right.” he grinned from ear to ear and I heard a throat clear. I looked up. “How is college, Ana?”

“It is great mom. Where is Mike?”

 “He is with your dad in the parking.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Dad? He came with you guys to see me?”I felt a tingle in my heart.

 “Uh yes, of course, why else would he come?”She said, without looking at me. Dad was here! He was here to see me. He loved me.

“But why did-" she cut me off.

 “Daniel, come on I’ll get you that ice cream you wanted. Ana, why don’t you go look at some clothes?”

She pointed to the store in front of us.

“I’ll just come with you guys.”

“NO!”

“I mean, Ana, buy something for the holidays. We will come to you soon.”

“Okay, I guess.”

They stepped into the elevator and Daniel smiled at me. “I’ll get you one too.”

“Thanks, Daniel.” and then they left.

I turned around to face the store but then I realized, for the first time in my teenage life, I did not want to shop. I wanted to see Dad. I smiled to myself and walked into the elevator.

Upon reaching the parking, I saw dad and mark in the parking, laughing.

 “Oh Anna, how are you, sweetheart?”His eyes lit up as he spoke.

“I’m good, dad. How are you?” He smiled and said that he was okay.

“Hello Anna.” mike said.

I had never liked him and that day, for the first time ever, I questioned why. He had always been so nice regardless of the way I behaved.

“Hi, Mike. How’s the company doing?”

“It’s great. In fact, we are expanding.”

“Really?” he nodded.

“That’s amazing. Congratulations!”

“Thank you.”

“Ana! Ross!”I turned around and there was mom. She was far and loud. She walked in a weird way, dawdling towards us fast.

“I thought you were shopping,” she heaved, out of breath.

“Why don’t you relax, darling? Ana’s not going anywhere,” Mom looked at Mike and smiled weakly.

 ‘Helen, mike, Ana…” dad began, “would you like to come over for dinner?”

“I don’t know Ross, we wouldn’t want to crash a family dinner.” mom said to dad. I felt a pang of jealousy at the word, family. What was family and where was mine?

“All right, we’ll be happy to join you.” mom said.

“Well, I’ll get going then. I was here to pick up something Samantha needed for dinner when I saw mike. Thought I would get a little business advice. Congratulations again and see you later.” Dad said and I felt my heart break into a million pieces. He just smiled and turned to hug everyone.

Mike shook hands with him and mom gave into the hug, smiling.

“Good to see you, Ana.”

“Don’t,” I said. He looked like he had something to say but he did not and left the parking.

“Ana, I am sorry-“mom began to say.

“Just don’t, mom. Stop.”

Mike went to start the car. “Let’s go, guys.”

“Come on Daniel, let’s go.” mom said, extending her hand.

“Daniel?”Mom turned back, her hand empty.

“Mike, where’s Daniel?”

“I didn’t see him after you went to pick up Anna,” Mike said.

“Ana where is he?

“How am I supposed to know? He was with you. Where’s Daniel, mom?”She had never been this bad. Lying to me and losing Daniel on the same day.

“I don’t know.”

“How can you be so careless?”I folded my arms and looked around.

“STOP SHOUTING AT ME! Go find my son.” she drops to the ground. Mike and I look at each other with furrowed brows.

“You go report it to the airport security and I’ll go look for him in the mall.”I hesitated.

“Mike-“I began but he had already left.

I wanted to look for Daniel too but then I realized what he meant. He wanted me to console mom.

 Mike had disappeared into the crowd outside the parking and I was still there, my eyes fixated on her.

My heart ached for Daniel; it was the first time in a year that I had seen him, heard him, and touched him. Now, he was gone again. No, no, he has not, I will go look for him and I will find him.

I rushed outside the parking. I had moved only a few steps when I could not anymore. No matter what had happened, I could not leave her.

“Mom, come on, get up.” she lifts her head up and they are moist.

“Ana, honey-” she extends her arms.

“No mom, I can’t. Gotta find Daniel.”I say and run out. She cannot mess up things over and over again and expect me to be there.

I walk up to a security officer. She looked at me and her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Are you Ana?”

“Yes?”I wanted to ask how she knew me but I just did not care anymore.

“We have your brother in the control room.”

“Do you? Thank god! ”

“In fact, he has been there for the past thirty minutes. How could you leave a child alone?”I had no patience left for her.

“Miss, where’s the control room?”I asked and the officer rolled her eyes.

“Follow me.”

We soon reach a big room with LED screens, people, and Daniel. He was sitting on a couch in the corner, clutching to himself for dear life. The officers told me that he would not talk to anyone.

“oh, Daniel.”

“an-na!”I ran to him and picked him up in my arms.

“Where did- why did you leave Ana, I was scared. There were lots of people but no you. oh Ana I was so scared.” his words muffled into sobs.

“Why wasn’t I informed earlier?”

“We couldn’t get a phone number out of him. All he would say is Ana. It’s protocol to wait for 2 hours before an announcement in case the parents come to find the child themselves.”

My eyes widened when I remembered another person who didn’t have my number. Oh, mike!

“May I leave now officer?”

“Yes since we haven’t filed-“

I couldn’t wait for her to finish so I just left.                  

There were many things going through my mind but I refused to think about them. I held onto Daniel who had fallen asleep in my arms and looked for mike

I checked every corner of the airport but could not find him. So I began towards the mall.

Daniel felt heavy when the adrenaline wore off. I slowed down. How old was he again? Six? I stopped, not because I was tired, but because I could hear something.

I turned around and walked to the parking.

There was my mom where I had left her, as I had left her, sobbing. There was mike, hugging her. I wanted to shout at them, tell them I hated them but I didn’t feel so angry anymore. I felt Daniel stir up in my arms. He was awake and looking at the same sight.

“Mom, Dad.” he wriggled around in my arms. Flabbergasted at his words and the sight in front of me, I let him down. When did that happen?

He ran straight to the duo and joined in on their hug. I felt moisture welling up in my eyes and before I knew it, I was running to join them.

It was November; as in the deadly cold month. However, all I felt then was warmth, the kind that everyone deserved to feel in the holidays.

If they were surprised, they didn’t say or I didn’t hear. This warmth felt familial. Something I had not felt before but then it did not feel strange. It felt perfect. Something everyone in the world deserved to feel.