Chapter 2

                                    

                                          
"both.                                                                                                                             
I want to stay.                                                                                                                 
I want to leave.                                                                                                              
I am three oceans away from my soul."  
                          
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Karlie 
                          
The girl walked through the hall, into the living room and plunked down on Karlie's sofa. 
                          
"You're- I..." Karlie was at a complete loss for words.
                          
"You gave up a baby for adoption ten years ago. That was me."  The girl spoke so calmly you would think she was reading a grocery list. 
                          
Karlie tried to make sense of what was happening but her mind seemed to have stopped functioning entirely and she felt the headache slowly returning in the back of her head. "But...-"
                          
"I wanted to see you," Lilah continued,
                          
"Kid, you know- it was a closed adoption, huh?" I am screwed. I am so so screwed. "D'you know what that means?"
                          
"I do, I'm not an idiot-" Lilah rolled her eyes playfully, "-I was just curious. I thought maybe you wanted to see me too."
                          
"I- Where are your parents? Do they even know you're here? How did you get here?" Karlie felt like her chest was caving in. She had to get this kid back home fast.
                          
"I left a note for my mom," Lilah shrugged. "I came by bus. It's only a 1-hour drive, did you know that?"
                          
"I didn't know anything about you," Karlie said weakly, more to herself than to Lilah. "Your parents are probably worried sick. I need to get you home. Come on, let's go."
                          
"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Lilah said, eyeing the bottle of tequila that was still on the counter. 
                          
"I can drive. Let's go. You can call your mom in the car."
                          
Lilah's mother didn't pick up and Karlie spent the whole car drive worrying about possibly being charged with kidnapping. Lilah, however, didn't seem fazed at all. She babbled about her school and the people in her hometown and didn't mind that Karlie was too busy trying not to her car into other road users to respond. There was way too much alcohol in her system and she was paying full attention but she knew she was still driving like a maniac. It wasn't until she left the interstate that she got the chance to look at the girl in the passenger seat. 
                          
And then it really dawned on her. Her daughter came to look for her. Karlie never thought she would see her again.  In her memory Lilah was still this tiny little human that was taken away from her right after the delivery. A few years ago, she successfully banned that baby from her mind- it must have been at least three years since she last thought of her. But here she was. Lilah Swift. A pretty name, Karlie thought, her parents have good taste. Karlie noticed that Lilah was wearing expensive clothes- so they're rich too, and that she looked healthy. It just confirmed what Karlie already knew; she made the right choice by giving her daughter up for adoption. She gave Lilah the chance she deserved.
                          
She started to notice more and more about Lilah that reminded her of herself. Lilah's eyes were emerald green and she bit her nails and cracked her knuckles, just like Karlie did.
                          
"My mom hates it when I do it," Lilah said when Karlie told her about their similarities. "Especially biting my nails. She thinks that trimmed nails don't look neat. My mom is a bit obsessed with how I look."