A long lost daughter returns...

You guys know that typical tragic story that usually goes like this...
There were a girl that everybody calls “All American Sweetheart” with mischievous laughing green eyes and her dirty blond hair forever pulled up into a ponytail, constantly running out on the field or the court to do something she loves; sports. She was perfect in every aspect except the fact that she couldn’t hear but it didn’t deter her at all. She was one of the top students at her school and top players of the respective teams. She had it all and she was at top of the world. America noticed her as an all American high school softball and volleyball player across the nation. She is a social chameleon, able to blend in with whatever groups existed at the school or outside in the world so she was very well liked girl with an amazing childhood.

The second she turned 13 years old, that’s when her life have taken a very dark turn and so many bad things have happened to her. She struggled to keep the light in her eyes and laughter on her lips as she faced those events. The darkness became too much for her so she turned to two vices which nearly ruined her life but her academic and sports life was already over. She lost the motivation to continue her academics and she was denied sports because her academics was circling around the drain. She got up and fled from her old life to new one, her new version of hell. That’s when all-American sweetheart died and the cold and emotionless woman was born without any laughter and joy in her life. She have lost so much during her duration in the hell to the point where she gave up the hope of love, joy, happiness and future.

She found her way back home where she is safe again. Emotionally frozen, denied of experiences she could have when she was transitioning from a teenage to young adult and forever confused and insecure, regretful of her actions. As her stay at home gradually became longer, she slowly starts to thaw out and start to learn how to experience the joys of life again. Being able to laugh again. Love again. Have fun again.
Then one day, she suddenly got up and disappeared without any warning or any head ups to anyone because she felt like she needed to get away so she can explore the world out there and rediscover her identity once again. People couldn’t find her anywhere or find a way to contact her over the years and it was presumed she got killed or died somewhere else.

Now think about this.

You are walking down the sidewalk 5 to 10 years later, the thought about that girl is far from your mind because you have made peace with it and a person caught your eye which caused you to stand still because something about her is so eerily familiar to you but you couldn’t put your finger on it. The slender woman walks toward you with confident strides and her long seemingly wild brown hair is flowing down her lower back reminds you of the woman that is presumed dead. There is no identifying features about her that could connect her to that all-american sweetheart because this woman looks similar yet so different. As she turns her head toward you, her sunglass-covered eyes connects with yours briefly and she flashed you that halfway smile which caused a dimple to appear in her cheek which caused you to make some connections because you had few things to compare. However, as she walks by you without another glance in your direction, it didn’t register to you until she was a good distance away.

You spins around and calls out to her to see if she would turn around, indicating that she is not the person you are desperately hoping she would be but the woman didn’t react and kept on walking, slowly disappearing into the crowd. You scrambled to follow her to wherever she is going so you could verify your suspicion and you see her disappearing into the bar so you followed her into a bar, finding her sitting at the bar drumming her fingers. It is apparent that she was fully expecting this encounter as you approached her and there were no surprise in her face when she turns to look at you, tucking her sunglasses on her head. Her green eyes watches you steadily as she silently waits for you to say something but you felt like a breath was sucked out of your body because those eyes are the woman you thought you have lost. The long lost daughter and sister have returned.
With a slight smile, she taps on the bar counter and signed to you, “Let’s have a shot of fireball, shall we? I am sure you have plenty of questions for me.” before she turns toward the bartender to place an order, seemingly unfazed by this encounter. Seeming taken back by how casual this woman is treating this situation, you started to doubt yourself before she slides over the proof of identification, verifying who she is and she props her head up on her fist, looking at you.

Anger and betrayal was the first emotions you felt when it comes to her because one day, everything was going very well for her then next day, she was gone with only things she needed without a note explaining her reasons for leaving. The tears came along with rage while you laid it all out for her to see but she didn’t bat an eyelash because she knew this would happen so she just simply sat there in silence, sipping at her drink while letting you scream at her. Starting at you unblinkingly, the woman puts her glass down on the coaster with a light sigh and small self-deprecating smile gracing her full lips.

“Ok. If you are done… let me tell you my story…..”