KOF School

Erin

The bike finally stopped in front of a home. The person dismounted and rushed inside. Krizalid stopped the SUV in the driveway, right beside the bike, and all of them got out.
"Should we just go in?" Seirah asked. "For some reason, it just feels wrong."
"They stalked us all the way to our apartment," Kay pointed out. "They led us here, we should see what's up."
Zayn felt his legs go wobbly, he didn't know the reason, but he was starting to feel increasingly anxious with every step he took, closer to the house.
They neared the front door, which was slightly ajar, and almost jumped out of their skin when it opened wide. The masked person was the one holding the door open, motioning for them to enter as they took the hood and mask off to reveal themselves.
To their surprise, it was Najd. Kay suddenly felt his phone vibrate and took it out to see a message from Iori.
Dash, your stalker is Najd
Your twin might actually have a crush on you
Kay ignored it and turned his attention back to Najd. "Why?" He asked, the one word demanding so many answers.
"Because your mother is alive," Najd smiled. "I had to stalk you, to make sure that my hunch was right, and I guess I found my answer."
Maxima stepped forward, his gaze scanning the interior before turning back to the young woman. "Where is she? Is Erin here?"
Najd smiled. "Follow me, she's in her room."
"But how did you even find her?" Krizalid asked, just as anxious as everyone else in the room. "I'm having a lot of questions now..."
"We'll answer them later," Najd said and led them towards a room. She knocked on the door and motioned for them to wait. "Open up, Auntie."
An older woman who looked just like her opened the door. She looked at Najd briefly before scanning the crowd of people that had gathered around her in surprise.
"E- Erin?" Maxima uttered in surprise.
Erin gently brushed past Najd and went towards him, her lips trembling as she regarded him in disbelief. Her eyes glistened with tears as everything rushed back, making her bring Maxima close with a hug. Of course, he hugged her back, unable to control his own tears as they escaped his eyes.
"Mom?" Seirah said in surprise. "It is you..."
Erin pulled away from the hug and turned to her, staring at Seirah's teary face intently. "Seirah? Are you Seirah?"
"Mom..." Seirah nodded and hugged her tightly.
Erin patted her head. "You've grown so big, oh my gosh..." her gaze then shifted to Krizalid and Kay, who both stood staring at her in surprise. "My boys... how tall you've gotten."
"Hi, Mom," Krizalid smiled. "You remember our names?"
Erin frowned slightly as she regarded them both. "Krizalid? Gosh, you have so many scars." She remarked as she touched the older brother's face before turning to Kay. "And... Dash."
Kay nodded. "They made it my surname, but yes, that's me."
"I missed out on so much..." Erin remarked as she hugged them both. "You guys must hardly remember me..."
"We do, Mom," Kay nodded. "Old memories, but I do remember you."
No one had noticed how Zayn had quietly slipped away, isolating himself near a corner. He couldn't keep himself from sobbing, though quietly he did, and didn't know how he would face her. He had been longing for his mother all this time, and here he was, unable to face her when she was right in front of him.
Erin's blue gaze swept through them, first at Seirah, then at Krizalid, then Kay, and finally landing on Kula at the back. "No, it can't be her." She shook her head and turned to Maxima. "We had four kids, didn't we? There's only three. What happened to our youngest? He was just a baby!"
All of them started searching around for Zayn, who seemed to have vanished all of a sudden.
"He was here just a minute ago," Krizalid remarked as he searched.
"He came?" Erin asked, her face lighting up with hope.
"Yeah, he did," Kay chuckled. And that's when he spotted him, standing in a corner with his back turned to them. "There he is. Yo, Zayn!"
But Zayn didn't answer and just stood there. Erin smiled and elbowed her way through the small crowd, going over to Zayn herself. The boy jumped when she touched his shoulder and turned around, quickly wiping the tears that streaked his face. He did not expect that it would be his mother who had come to get his attention, regarding him with a smile on her face.
"Zayn?" Erin said, her fingers gently stroking his damp face. "Oh... you're so big now. You were just a wee baby when I last saw you!"
"Mom," Zayn was afraid to say much, afraid that he'd burst into tears with no warning.
"Aww, get over here," Erin chuckled and pulled him into a hug, squeezing him so tight that he couldn't pull away.
Not that he wanted to in the first place.
Zayn hugged her tightly too, unable to stop the tears that poured out once again. Erin pulled away from him and wiped his tears, her own face wet from crying. Zayn didn't know what to do besides doing the same for her, rather awkwardly, much to her amusement.
"I have something for you, I didn't remember what it was for earlier, but I do now," Erin said, holding out her hand in motion for him to wait. She ran over to her room and rummaged for something for a moment before rushing back out. Zayn watched, puzzled, but patiently waited as she came over to him with something in her hands. "I made this for you. I had no clue why I suddenly felt like making this before, but now I do."
It was a little knitted mouse plushie, identical to the one that she was supposed to finish years prior before the accident but didn't get to. Zayn stared at it in surprise and took it, holding the little handmade article in his hands. He never thought he would see the little thing completed, but here it was, forming a little mouse and not an unfinished piece of work like the one resting on his desk.
"I didn't get to finish yours before since... everything just happened so fast," Erin sighed. "Here it is now, I made it a few years ago. I remembered that I had a family, but... but I forgot everything else. I knew my name was Erin, and I had four children, but... but you were all faceless in my memory, as if I only saw all of you in a dream." She went over to Maxima, her steps slow and her eyes laced with regret. "Max, I'm sorry for distracting you that day. I don't know what came over me."
"No!" Najd piped up, reentering the picture once again. "Auntie, it was not your fault. It wasn't your fault at all!"
And that's when they had another shock awaiting them.