Wasn't Expecting You

Brother

"Morgan?" A female voice called from the hallway.

We were sat in a waiting room, a lot like a doctors office. Helen had helped to organise this meeting so I didn't know who we were meeting. When I looked up I saw the same comforting brown eyes, brown hair and the soft scent of vanilla and caramel lingering that I met when I was a vulnerable 12 year old who's life had been upended. It had been six years and yet she still looked exactly the same.

I stood up to greet her as a large smile graced her face.

"My, you have grown up into a stunning young lady," she complimented and I blushed.

"You remember me? You must see thousands of kids!" I remarked.

"I do, but I remember the ones who make an impact on me," she smiled. "I could tell you wouldn't be eaten up by the system, despite your shitty hand in life. That, and I was able to place you with Helen and Craig," she said gesturing to my foster parents.

"Something I'm grateful for every day."

"Shall we?" She said, gesturing down the hall to her office.

Everyone else got up to follow too and one by one we all filed into her small office.

"You have quite the group with you!" She observed as she sat down at her desk.

"Uh yeah, well you know Helen and Craig. This is my boyfriend Joey and his mom Sophia. Sophia was in the system all her childhood too. But more than that, she has accepted me into her family," I glanced from Joey to Sophia, who placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Honestly, it's so great to see that you are doing well," she said to me before looking to Sophia and Joey. "My name is Carla Hogan, you may have gathered that I was Morgan's social worker when she was placed with the Robertson family and I've worked closely with them over the years with dozens of cases. I only wish they were still fostering!"

"We are getting a little too old these days," Helen defended. "Not all the kids were like Morgan!"

"You are all talking me up too much," I muttered embarrassed.

"So where did you two meet?" Carla asked, thankfully changing the subject.

"At College. I live in Arizona now, Joey is cousins with my roommate and things went from there," I explained briefly.

"Ah young love." She sighed before her facial expression turned more serious. "As much as I would love to sit here and catch up on your life, Helen briefed me about what's happened and I've done some searching."

"Ok. I'm listening," I said.

"Did your mom tell you anything about your brother?"

"I only got a letter this morning, it has his full name and date of birth. She said he was taken from her at birth and I don't think she ever tried to find him," I explained, now feeling a bit pathetic with the tiny amount of information I had come here with and hoped for answers.

"I have to say, I thought it might have been more difficult to find him just with your mothers name and his, but it turns out one of my colleagues has handled your brothers case since birth," Carla explained while pulling a file from her desk. "I just want to confirm with you the full name and date of birth your mother gave you before I tell you anymore."

"Uh yeah," I say pulling the letter out. "Beau William Sanders, born November 10, 2014. I can only assume he would have been born here because as far as I know, my mom never left San Diego. But then I didn't know she had a second child either."

Carla scans over the folder that she has in her hands, checking the information that I told her. I feel my palms starting to sweat and my heartbeat pick up. She looks up at me and smiles before handing me a photo.