At that moment, I felt that time stood still. Here I stood, completely frozen on the boardwalk, and I felt like everything was moving in slow motion. I found myself staring into the distance. “Olivia, are you okay?” Allie said to me, concerned. “Yeah, I thought I saw something,” I replied. “What did you think it was?” Allie said. I didn’t reply. I was too busy studying the crowd of people at the other side of the boardwalk. “Olivia?” Allie continued to ask. The crowd of people started to part, and then…. I saw her. I instantly started to dash toward her as fast as I could run. “Mom!!!” I screamed for joy. “Olivia!!!” she yelled as we both ran toward each other. We embraced right there on the boardwalk. At last, I was reunited with Meredith….my mother. “Mom…. I missed you so much…I didn’t think I was ever going to see you again,” I said as I kissed her on the cheek. “Me too, sweetie,” she kissed me on the cheek. She held me by the shoulders as she looked me straight in the eyes. “Olivia, I’m never going to let you go. I’m going to be there for you going forward, as your mother.” I embraced her once again and said, “I love you, Mom!” “I love you too, sweetie!” she replied, tears running down both of our faces. I noticed the faces in the crowd around us. Perfect strangers were looking at us embracing there on the boardwalk. A lot of these people, who didn’t know us, were smiling at us, noticing that they were witnessing something joyous and beautiful. I felt like my heart was exploding at that moment out of sheer love. I heard heavy footsteps behind me. “Olivia? Why are you runn—wait…. Olivia is this…” Allie said as she caught up to Meredith and me. I looked at Meredith and we both chuckled. Allie, this is my mother, Meredith. Mom, this is Allie, my best friend from the foster home. “Allie, nice to meet you,” Meredith said kindly to Allie. “Nice to meet you too, Meredith. I’m so happy that you came back for my friend. You’re even prettier than Olivia described you! She talks about you ALL the time,” Allie said. Meredith looked at me and smiled as she said, “Oh, I bet she does.” I smiled back at Meredith. I looked back at Allie as I said, “Allie, do you know where Molly and the girls went?” “I don’t know, they said they were going to go on a few carnival rides, and they would meet up with us at the Ferris wheel when they were done. They’re probably heading over to the Ferris wheel right now,” Allie said. “Let’s walk over and meet with them,” I said as we started walking toward the Ferris wheel. “Mom, we have so much to get caught up on, I have so many stories to tell you,” I said to Meredith excitedly. “Oh, I’ve got plenty of stories for you. I have been working night and day to find a way…. ANY way to get you back home,” she said to me. “Oh, hey! There they are!” Allie said, as she pointed to Lauren waiting in line for the Ferris wheel with Molly and Amaya. We got in line behind them. Molly turned around and looked started at Meredith. “You must be Meredith,” Molly said. “It’s so good too finally meet you!” she continued as they hugged each other. “It’s good to meet you too, Molly. You know, it’s good to match a face to the voice, seeing as much as we’ve talked on the phone the past couple of days,” Meredith said to Molly. Molly turned to the girls. “Lauren, Amaya, this is Meredith,” Molly said, introducing the girls. “Meredith, this is Lauren and Amaya. I see you have already met Allie. These are the girls that Olivia has been staying with. They’ve all become very good friends,” Molly said. “You’re Olivia’s mom…. Oh, I’m so happy for you, Olivia!” Amaya said, jumping in the air. “Nice to meet you,” Lauren said to Meredith. Lauren turned to me and said, “See, I told you she would come back for you!” I nodded to Lauren, but I was staring at Meredith, admiring her. I was giddy with excitement and pure joy. I found myself just standing there, smiling at Meredith. She looked back at me with adoring eyes and gave me a hug. I felt so warm. So loved, and so full of love. I was so excited and so full of hope for once. As much as I had learned to love living with my friends at the foster home, I was filled with deep joy knowing that I would soon be going home. Of course, given the events that occurred last time we tried to leave Florida, I didn’t think I’d be convinced that I was going home until we were on that plane heading home. I looked at Meredith and all I could do was smile. I felt like as much time as we had spent apart that we should have plenty to talk about, but I was at a loss for words. I didn’t know what to say. “So…. Mom, how are things going back at home?” I said awkwardly. “Chaotic,” Meredith replied. “I’ve been on the phone constantly, trying to find out a way to get you home. What’s this about Mike finding your birth certificate?” Meredith continued. I sighed and said, “It’s a long story, I’ll fill you in later.” Molly and the girls were talking and laughing amongst themselves, but meanwhile Meredith and I were relatively quiet. I had so much to tell her, but I couldn’t tell her in front of Molly and the girls. Judging by the silence, I felt that Meredith had many things to say that required a private audience with me as well. “Hey Olivia, there are only four people allowed on each Ferris wheel car,” Allie said to me. “Yeah, if you don’t mind, I’d kinda like to go on alone with my mom,” I replied. “It’s okay Olivia, I understand. I figured you would want to spend some time with your mom,” Allie said. I wished that the line would go faster so I could finally chat alone with Meredith. I thought about how excited I was to see Stella, Evan, and Chloe again. I fell into a daydream thinking about Evan. The butterflies I felt when I was with him the last time we met. I longed to have that feeling once again. “So, Mom, how is Evan doing?” Meredith gave me an intense, yet puzzled look. She raised an eyebrow at me. I knew why. I had to backtrack. “….and Chloe and Stella,” I continued awkwardly. “They’re doing f—” Meredith said, interrupted by Lauren. “Meredith, Olivia, the line is starting to move, and we’re next.” Lauren chirped. As Meredith and I got into the gondola, Meredith immediately started to continue our conversation. “So……you seem awfully interested in how Evan’s doing,” Meredith said. I felt exposed, like I was being interrogated. “I….I…..” I stammered. “Do you……. love Evan?” Meredith said sincerely. I nodded yes. “Isn’t it kind of weird, that you were like father and son before, but now you two like each other as…..I don’t know…..I mean…..you haven’t been a girl very long. You’d think that you could play the field a little longer, rather than falling for the first boy that you know,” she said, puzzled. I sat there silently. I didn’t know how to reply. Meredith continued, “Well, I guess you could do far worse than Evan. I suppose that if you did start dating Evan, I can accept that. He’s a really good kid. You know, I think I like the idea of the two of you together. You’d make a cute couple,” Meredith continued. I hoped that was how she truly felt. To be honest, it was painfully awkward having this conversation with Meredith. However, she seemed to be more accepting of it than I thought she would be, and I was relieved to have her approval. “Anyway, Evan, Chloe, and Stella are doing better. They’re all still reeling after losing Chris, though. But they’re getting through it. Their grieving process will continue for a while. Plus, Evan and Chloe both miss you a lot. Now I can see why Evan has been especially mopey as well. They are all going to be very happy to see you again,” she said. “What’s the story about your birth certificate, anyway? I heard that Mike allegedly “found it,” she said confusedly. “Well, Mike had exhausted all his resources, but he really wanted to see us reunited. He had someone up in Michigan forge a birth certificate for me. I’m Olivia Marie Foster, a thirteen-year-old girl born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. My biological parents were killed in a car accident back home in Michigan and I disappeared after that,” I said. “I see. Well, that’s certainly a sad story,” Meredith replied. But as of tomorrow, you will be Olivia Marie Parker,” she continued. I smiled. “Anyway, I had some really big news to tell you, and I wanted to make sure we were alone to tell you,” Meredith said. She was shaking. Whatever it was, she was very excited to tell me. She was practically glowing. Her eyes were starting to tear up. “Olivia……I’m pregnant,” she said, starting to weep tears of joy. I was blown away. I couldn’t believe it I didn’t think it was possible. I was completely dumbstruck. We had been trying all these years to have children, and now I found myself not in the role of a father, but instead in the role of a daughter, and now a big sister. “What?! No way! This is…..like a miracle, Mom! You’re finally going to have a baby!” Meredith started nodding her head yes emphatically. “And….I’m going to be a big sister!!!” I exclaimed, as I moved across the gondola to clasp onto Meredith, however I backed off when the gondola began to shake. I got up and moved to her side anyway and buried myself in her arms. I felt an unfathomable rush of pure joy and happiness as I cuddled up to Meredith. “I’m so happy, Mom,” I said, starting to tear up as well. “Me too!” Meredith cried. “We’re going to be a family!” we said in unison, jumping in our seats, as we were trying not to shake the gondola. “Oh, and Olivia, I just found out yesterday. I haven’t told anyone else yet. Not even Stella and the kids. I figured I should tell you first,” Meredith said. “Oh, thank you mom, I really appreciate it,” I replied warmly.  “Going to be a family,” I thought to myself. What we thought was going to be impossible was suddenly very possible. Our reality had totally changed. Before, we were a husband and wife struggling to have children. Now, Meredith was going to be a single mom with two kids. It was a very extreme shift in dynamics, but still I felt exceptionally happy for her. Ultimately, I was happy for both of us. She was going to be a mother, and I was going to be a big sister. Meredith held my hands as we admired the view of the ocean from the top of the Ferris wheel. “I feel so complete now that we’re together,” Meredith said emotionally to me. “Me too, Mom,” I replied with a warm smile. “All three of us,” I continued. Meredith smiled. “Yes….all three of us,” she repeated warmly.