Lost and Found

Jade sat at the edge of the rocks watching the waves crash into each other. She always loved sitting here watching the sun rise. The way the sky would change into those magnificent colors of orange, purples and blues. Birds would always call to one another in the sky around her.

She sat there contemplating life on various days. Then thought about what day today really is, her nineteenth birthday. she sighed, pulled out her phone and looked at the empty screen.

"Well today will always be just another day. No one knows I even exist." She spoke aloud.

Jade looked up to see a family walking down the beach laughing and playing in the cold November water. Her eyes set on the mother chasing the little boy, splashing the water up at him and laughing.

She had always wondered who her mother was. Jade grew up in foster care ever since she could remember. Bouncing from house to house, not one family ever wanting her. The families never kept her for very long, nor were they that nice.

There was one family that she did like. The Johnson's, Carol and Mark had taken her in when she was seven years old. They had treated her like she was actually their own child. That was, until they had actually had a little girl and told the state they couldn't handle her anymore.

She remembered feeling so betrayed when she had to get in the car to be taken away. Like the love was never there and she was used till they found something better. The car drove away from the house, and she got placed back into foster care.

The seagulls flying around brought her out of her thoughts and back to reality. She watched the waves crashing against the sand and stood up. Watching how mesmerizing the water is, how delicate it can be.

Watching the water and she was startled by her phone ringing, "Hello?"

"Hey jade, what are you up to?" Glitch said. Glitch had been in foster care with her and became a great friend and brother. He was also great with computers and became a hacker and programmer for the Government.

"Sitting at the beach, thinking about family. Wondering why we never got a chance to ever have one. Were we just not good enough for them?"

Glitch sighed, "Jade, we are family. I know our life is not how you wanted it to be, but we can always make it better. Let's go get breakfast, seems like you really need it. Meet me at the cafe in thirty." With that Jade hung up the phone.

She sighed and thought about the so-called family she does have, Glitch. He was there when she first got back to foster care. he offered to play with her when no other kids wanted to. He became a big part of her life.

She glanced at her phone and noticed the time. she quickly walked to her car, a beat-up Honda. It was her first car that she bought with her own money. She worked hard to keep it running. She slipped into the driver's seat and smelled the vanilla air freshener that she had hanging from the rearview mirror.

Smiling while starting the car and putting it in gear. Jade drove down Hwy 7 away from the beach heading into a small town. She had spent the last couple months living in Merrium. It was a quiet and everyone seemed to keep to themselves. Driving down the deserted highway she started thinking about whether or not she should find her mother to figure out where she came from.

Turning left down a small dirt road she slowly watched the other cars passing her. Pulling into the parking lot to the cafe that Glitch and her practically lived at. She noticed him sitting at their usual booth.

The cafe was this small mom and pop place where everyone got treated like family. Walking in the walls were turquoise and had celebrity pictures on the wall from when they would visit. It reminded her of the fifties. the waitresses would go around the room and kitchen on roller blades. they would wear pink shirts and black flowy skirts with poodles on them.

Jade sat down across from Glitch and smiled. "Well, how are you doing?"

"Well birthday girl, I am doing great. I had Marge get you some coffee." Glitch said smiling.

And just like that Marge was there with her coffee and blueberry muffin. "Thank you, Marge. I always love the muffins you make."

"Thank you, I made it special for you on this special day. happy birthday and may you have an amazing day. Your breakfast is on the house."

"Marge, you don't have to do that. We can pay for out food." Glitch tried to protest.

"Nonsense. I will hear none of it young man. And if you argue with me, I won't make those strawberry cheesecake pancakes you like so much." Marge said as she shook her finger in Glitch's face warning him not to say anything else.

Glitch always got pancakes when they went to Marge's cafe. Jade always joked with him that if he ate enough of them, he would get fat.

As Jade was preparing her coffee when she sighed, "Glitch, I want to find my mother. I have to find out where I came from. I know that you say we are family, and I never want to change that. I just need to know."

"Then we find her. If that is what you really want. I just need ot you to find your birth certificate." Glitch said as he took the biggest bite from his pancakes.

Jade smiled as she sipped her coffee listening to the cars pass by. She had always loved coming to this cafe when she needed to study. She and Glitch had spent most of their life here. This was their home away from home.

Jade never realized how much she really did love this cafe. Marge was like a mother figure to them. Always making sure they ate and finished their schoolwork. Marge had a way of making everyone feel like they were family.

The sound of the bell on the door ringing brought Jade out of her head. She looked up to see a tall dark-haired man walking through the door. He was wearing a green jacket with beige pants. Jade couldn't figure out why this man seemed so familiar to her. She stared in disbelief at this man that was walking toward the counter to Marge. He seemed to be in his late forties and very good looking for his age.

Glitch flung a strawberry at her to get her attention. "Not sure if you are drooling or deep in thought over there."

Jade glared at him and drank the rest of her coffee. "Back to the topic of my mother." She slowly turned her head to stare out the window.

"Well let's get your birth certificate from the house and we will go from there." Glitch said as he stood up and grabbed his bag.

Jade smiled as they got up from the booth and waved at Marge to thank her for the breakfast. "Thank you again for the birthday breakfast. We will see you later for dinner."

"Have a great birthday sweetie." Marge yelled as Jade and Glitch walked out the door.