Searching for Home
by Chelle & Nikki

~ CHAPTER 10 ~

Brianna sat with her heart pounding. She felt like she was being strangled as it became harder to take a breath. She couldn't move and she couldn't talk. That was hard on her because what she wanted more than anything at that moment was to ask questions or at least be able to bolt out of the room. She couldn't though, she couldn't do either of those things. "Lynn, what on earth has made you come here and say something like that? You had to have known how this would upset her." Taylor said, a hint of anger in his voice. He saw the reaction Brianna was having and knew that he couldn't make the situation any easier for her. "I'm sorry. I had it planned to tell you a different way. I didn't want to just blurt it out like that. I don't think you gave me much of a choice though." Lynn said as she sat back down across from Taylor and Brianna. Taylor ran his hands over his face. "I really think you should go." Taylor said sternly. "No. Don't go. I have a few things to say." Brianna said looking up as tears fell down her face. "Bri, I really don't think you are in any condition to..."
"Shut up Taylor! You don't know what kind of condition I'm in!" Brianna shouted. "And neither do you!" She added, turning toward Lynn. "Just who do you think you are?! Coming in here after you have stalked me for the last two days. You just walk in and say 'Hi. Nice to meet you. Oh By the way, I'm your aunt.'!"
"Brianna, please calm down." Taylor said, reaching out to her. Brianna just slapped his hand away and screamed "Calm down?! You are actually telling me to calm down?!" Lynn stood up and said "If you'll just listen..."
"NO! I'm finished listening to you! Now, you're going to listen to me! You think you can just walk in here, and into my life, and suddenly poof! We have ourselves a big, happy family reunion." Brianna stood up and began pacing. Lynn calmly said, "Brianna, I didn't know it would upset you this much for me to talk to you. But we have looked for you for so long and..."
"Oh, you didn't think it would upset me?! Is that supposed to make me feel better knowing that you looked for me?! What about my mother who just handed me to a preacher and walked away! Did she ever look for me?! Huh? Did she ever try to contact me? I wasn't that hard to find! I lived in the same town from the time I was seven until just a few weeks ago! You could have found me if you wanted to! Where's my mother, Aunt Lynn?!" Brianna said, addressing her aunt with sarcasm as more tears flowed. "Why didn't she come here to talk to me?!" Brianna could feel the anger rise in her and, although meeting her family was something she had thought about since she'd been told about her past when she was four, she wanted nothing more than to express her anger to this woman in front of her who had claimed to be her family. Lynn replied as tears fell from her own eyes, "She did look for you Brianna, everyday for nearly ten years! She wanted you but she couldn't keep you. She loved you so..."
"NO! Don't you tell me that! Don't you dare throw that in my face! She didn't love me! She just gave me away! She kept me for two weeks and then just walked into a church where she didn't know anybody one night and left me there with nothing! None of you ever cared what happened to me! And I will never forgive her for walking out of my life like she did!" Brianna shouted. Then she added through clenched teeth, "And I will never forgive you or your parents for letting her." Lynn dissolved into tears as Brianna walked right up to her aunt and stared right into her eyes. They were face to face, only a few inches apart. Brianna's confusion and anger had taken over completely now and she no longer cried. "Get out." She spoke to Lynn with a glare. "I want you out of my face, out of this building and out of my life. Do you understand? I don't want to see you, I don't want to talk to you. You are not my family." she had spoken quietly and calmly and then shouted "GET OUT!" Lynn flinched and then wiped her face and nodded. "If that's what you want Brianna then..."
"Get out of here now!" Brianna yelled, closing her fist tightly at her sides and shaking with emotion. Taylor walked over and held the door open. Lynn walked toward the door and whispered to Taylor, "I really am sorry. Please talk to her. If we could just get her to listen for a minute. There are things she needs to know."
"Just leave." Taylor said coldly. His anger was beginning to surface after Brianna's reaction. He hated to see her cry and he hated to know that someone had upset her so much and he couldn't really do anything about it. Taylor shut the door behind Lynn as she walked out of the office. He ran his hand through his hair and breathed deeply trying to compose himself. When he turned around, he saw Brianna staring out of the window her back toward him. He felt nervous approaching her but he wanted so badly to hold her. He wanted to offer whatever comfort he could. She never spoke or even faced him as he walked over to her. For a moment, he just stood behind her, neither of them saying a word. Taylor heard Brianna sniffling and felt a harsh tug at his heart. He gently laid his hand on her shoulder. She didn't move or speak. He took comfort in the fact that she didn't shrug his hand away. He stepped closer to her and saw that she was facing intently to the side. He looked down at the street and saw Lynn's car pulling out of the parking lot and up to a red light. Taylor watched as it rolled past the building and out of sight. At that moment, Brianna collapsed backwards into his arms and began to shake as she cried out. She screamed as he held onto her and lowered her to the floor. He sat on his knees, his arms tightly around her as she turned to the side and buried her face into his chest. She clung to him as though they were being pulled apart. He felt his own eyes filling with tears at the thought of her torment inside. He held her and waited for her sobs to subside. Once she could stand, he walked her to the couch and they sat down. She still clung to him. He pulled a tissue out of the box on the end table and dabbed at her eyes. "Taylor, I look like her." Brianna finally whispered. "I know." Taylor replied quietly. Brianna raised up and looked at him. "Taylor, I think I better go home." Taylor nodded and stood up. "Come on. I'll take you." Brianna stood up and they walked to the elevator. When the doors opened on the third floor, Taylor walked Brianna to his office and she waited as he talked to Isaac on the phone, explaining everything that had taken place. After he hung up, he stood and picked his keys up off of his desk and they walked out of his office. "How are you going to get back here if you take me home? I mean, I'll need my car." Brianna asked, stepping back into the elevator. "I'm not. I'm going to take you home in your car and stay with you until you are doing better. I don't have to be here today." Taylor answered. Brianna felt her stomach tighten at the words and was very thankful that he was in her life. "But what about your car?" Brianna asked as they walked passed Helen's desk. "Zac got a ride with Ike this morning so he can drive my car home. He's got an extra key from when I locked the keys in my car a few months ago." Taylor laughed. Brianna felt herself smile. They walked to her car and after she had settled in the passenger seat, Taylor climbed into the driver's seat and started the car. After making adjustments on the mirrors, he pulled out of the parking lot and started driving to Brianna's apartment. "Taylor, don't take me home." Brianna said leaning back. "What?" Taylor asked confused. "she'll probably be there. I just can't see them right now." Brianna replied, beginning to cry again. Taylor reached over and took her hand. "Alright, how about if we just go to my place?" He asked. Brianna nodded and squeezed his hand, causing Taylor to feel a slight flush on his face. They drove in silence. Taylor had picked up on the fact that Brianna was still angry and confused and didn't feel up to conversation. He didn't want to pressure her so he just didn't try to get her to talk about any of what had taken place.
"Here we are." Taylor said parking the car and turning it off. Brianna opened her eyes and raised her head. she realized that she was still holding Taylor's hand. She hadn't been aware of it due to the fact that she had been so greatly lost in thought. She quickly let go as she felt her face become warmer. She knew she had turned red when Taylor just slightly laughed. He had been completely aware that she had held onto his hand and he had made no effort to let go of hers. They got out of the car and Taylor led her to his apartment. It was on the ground floor of a very nice apartment building in a gated subdivision. Brianna noticed that the parking lot was full of BMWs, more than one Mercedes and a few brand new Trailblazers at the end. Taylor himself drove a silver Lexus and Brianna saw that there was a red one just a few spaces down from where he had parked. "Wow, impressive." Brianna said as Taylor unlocked his door. He just grinned over his shoulder and stepped back allowing Brianna in first. His apartment was nice. The living room was spacious. A large couch sat against the wall facing the huge tv on the floor. A smaller couch sat arm to arm with the large one and faced a recliner. A glass top coffee table sat in front of the large couch. Behind the tv was a series of shelves lined with framed photos of the Hanson family and friends. To the side of the recliner, a white mantle lined a gas fireplace. On it were two candle stick holders and between them a large framed picture of the whole Hanson family together around that very fireplace with a Christmas tree in the corner. "Have a seat, make yourself comfortable and I'll get us something to drink." Taylor said. "Ice tea ok with you?" he asked. "Yes, thanks." Brianna answered as she sat on the larger couch. A minute later, Taylor walked back into the room and handed her the glass of tea. He sat down beside her and they sat quietly for a moment until Brianna sighed and fell backwards. "Taylor what am I supposed to do?" Taylor sat their glasses on the table and leaned back next to her. "I wish I could tell you. You have to make that decision for yourself." Taylor took Brianna's hand and she looked over at him. "I will tell you this though," Taylor began. "I am here for you no matter what. You are very special to me and it hurts to know that I can't protect you from some things that might hurt you. But I care about you a lot and I will help you in any way I can." Brianna smiled making Taylor's heart flutter. "You are a good friend ya know." Brianna said.
"Know what I miss most about Anna and Ray?" Brianna asked.
"What's that?"
"The way they used to hold me whenever I was scared."
"Are you scared?"
"Very much."
"Come here baby."
Brianna leaned against Taylor as he wrapped his arms around her. He rubbed one hand up and her arm as the other hand gathered her hair and let it fall over and over. "Shhh. It's alright." Taylor whispered as he felt the easy shaking of her upper body and the pressure of her face on his chest. Brianna cried silently for a long time. Nothing was said except a soothing word from Taylor every now and then telling her it was alright and assuring her that he was there. She felt sad and angry and scared and confused all at the same time. She had never felt that way before. It was scaring her to even feel that way. She kept trying to wake up but she knew she wasn't dreaming. She also know that, as bad as she didn't want to, she would have to talk to Lynn again. She had never met her real family before. Anna and Ray were the only family she had known besides her foster family but she never counted them. She had secretly dreamed of one day her mother coming and grabbing her in a tight hug and taking her home. Over time, she had let go of that though and had learned to call that house she grew up in 'Home'. Anna and Ray were mom and dad and by the time she was eleven, and the adoption had become final, Brianna really didn't want it any other way. She had wished the other family members had accepted her more but over the years she learned to care less and less. She lost the desire to meet her birth family. Her first foster parents, an older couple named Sherry and William Timmons, had been told by the preacher about her mother. He didn't know her name. All he knew was that she was very young. She hadn't been wearing a wedding ring and that she had simply walked in, handed Brianna to him and walked out without a word except "I can't keep her." He had described her as tall with dark hair and eyes the color of blue sapphires. Brianna had immediately been placed with Sherry and William. At age four, she'd moved on to live with Brian and Sophia Holsten. At age six and a half, she'd met Anna and Ray and they had applied to adopt her right away. After it was final, when she was seven, Brianna had moved to Mississippi.
"Taylor?" Brianna whispered after her crying had stopped and she was able to talk. "What?" Taylor asked quietly. "Will you take me home please? I have to talk to them." Brianna said sitting up. "Are you sure? There's no rush." Taylor said. "No I have to. I have a lot of questions I need answered and this may be my last chance. I can't say if I'll ever want to see them again after today. I'd rather get it over with now." Brianna said. "Well, that makes sense." Taylor replied. He and Brianna stood up and Taylor held open the door for her. They walked out and got into the car. As he started the car Taylor asked, "Do you want me to be with you?"
"Yes." Brianna said without a moment's hesitation. Taylor couldn't help but smile. He was also glad that he would be there. He knew that after what ever happened, Brianna would be in no shape to be alone.

: Previous Chapter : Next Chapter :
: Chapter Index :

Go Back To: The Gifted Ones