The Journey Taken Together

Chapter Five

**Dedicated to writingwrld**

(Officially edited)

~Thea~

When I arrive at the airport, I venture quickly towards the ticket stand. I had no time to buy my tickets online, so I just have to pay for them here. I see a group of estranged people in front of the desk and frown.

Some people don't know how to act properly in public.

All around the pure white airport are people dressed in business suits, and others who believe their lives are normal. In the corner by the bathrooms, I notice a couple caressing their child. They both look happily in love. I envy them. I desire that kind of love. Daniel may be really sweet and kind to me, but he is also a player.

On numerous accounts, I have caught him in bed with other girls.

I don't get it . . . how could he do that to me?

Every time I think about them I cringe and try to get the thought out of my head. Although, sometimes these thoughts help me. They make me realize that not all relationships are perfect, and there are worse things that can happen.

Right?

I walk up to the counter surrounded by chaotic customers and wait. I look towards the lady sitting at the desk and immediately feel bad for her. Dealing with rude people on a daily basis must take its toll. I definitely would not like to deal with the kind of psychotic people she is dealing with, but that is life.

After standing in line for at least thirty minutes, I decide to explore the airport and wait for the line to shorten.

While on my stroll, I come across many homeless people getting escorted out by police, and a pang of guilt hits me. It reminds me of my mother, who left my brother and I to start being a drug dealer. The last time I saw her was on the street around my house. We had a conversation when she found me there. Her words will never leave my mind.

"Thea?" I hear a womanly voice from behind me. I turn around and see my mother in dirty clothes. Her hair is very greasy, and it looks as though she has not eaten in days.

"Mom," I reply. She tries to hug me, but I step away. Her actions still hurt me at that time, and I was too young to understand what she was doing for us.

I never knew that behind my back, my father was having affairs and spending all of my mom's money on those other women. My mother only had about $200 a month to buy food for us, which is way less than what people make today. A year after fighting, my mom and dad got a divorce. That definitely took a toll on my mom's money.

Since the babysitter was the aunt on my dad's side, there was no one left to watch us while my mom worked. She handed me and my brother over to a foster home, and we never saw her again. I don't understand why she expected us to forgive her, but I'm still in the process of trying to recover.

"Thea . . . I'm so sorry it had to be this way," she says while shedding a tear.

"Mom . . . you need to go. I have a new family now, and I don't need you making me regret all of my feelings towards this. If you don't leave, I unfortunately have to call the cops on you," I say while fumbling with my keys to unlock my car.

"Thea . . . you don't need to do that. I will go, tell your brother I said I love him," she says and starts to walk away from my house.

What she doesn't know is that Edward died years ago. Him and I got split from out foster home a few months after she put us in, and he went to a new family. We were still able to send letters to each other, but they weren't frequent. A few months after he was placed into his new home, he died from drug overdose.