"Yes, can I help you?" Asked a gray-haired middle aged woman behind the counter. We were at the Charlotte county children's home (a.k.a orphanage), and I needed to look at their records.
"Yes, Im looking for some information about a child who came here about 17 years ago."
"What's the name?" She asked with a very bored look on her face.
"Well, now her name is Kaitlin Thomas. Actually it's me," I answered with a little smile. I figured if I was nice to this woman, she would give me the information I needed.
"What?" She asked in the same monotone voice.
"This is Kaitlin Thomas and she was adopted from here 17 years ago. My name is Lydia Thomas and my husband Gary and I adopted her," Lydia placed a hand on my shoulder like I was some price to display. I felt myself flinch. Even though she had been my 'mother' since I could remember, it just felt weird to know that the really wasn't my birth mother.
"Sorry lady. I don't remember the name."
"Well don't you have records, like of adoptions and things," Lydia asked raising her voice. I could tell she was trying to make the best of this.
"All the records we have are in the back room. They are from 20 years ago and are unorganized but maybe they'll help you," She pointed to the back room and we went looking.
"I think she's insane or high one," I whispered to Lydia as we found the room full of manila envelopes on tall gray shelves.
"I think she's both," Lydia replied as we began our search.
There were literally hundreds of files to search through and we only had a few hours. Luckily the files were classified by year and Lydia remember that I was adopted in the month of June. I was getting nowhere on my search, (and very mad) when Lydia cried out.
"Oh!...look at this," She cried and I went over to her table. She held a copy of a birth record from March 9, 1984.
"March 9, 1984 at Union County Hospital, a baby girl was born to Julia Stevens. Stevens is a native of Monroe, North Carolina and she works at the Mecklenburg County community center. The child's name is Alexis Marie Stevens...
The article went onto explain that I was born small in weight, but healthy and that my grandparents were natives of Union County. Monroe, NC was a small town outside of Charlotte.
I was suprised to see that my biological father's name was not listed but Lydia said that it was possible that he just didn't want it printed. (To that, I was skeptical.) Even without proof, I had no doubt in my mind that that I was that baby.
Lydia and I quickly put back the files and made a copy of the article. We left the children's home and headed back to the hotel.
"I want to find her," I resolved in my mind and said it aloud.
"Honey, there are thousands of people in this city and I don't know if we can find her..."
"No!..She's my mother. The woman who gave birth to me and I want to find her, if not my father," I shouted as she drove to a stop in the hotel parking lot.
"Tomorrow we'll find her. Cause tonight you need rest..."
"No! Im fine. I want to start now. I have the name and area where she lived so Im looking now. With or without your help!" I said and slammed the car door. I ran up to the room and grabbed my coat and cell phone.
"You need rest Kaitlin..."
"Im just going out for a while. I won't be gone long," I replied and left her standing in the doorway.
-------
"Taylor?"
"Yeah. Did you find anything?" He asked with a strange tone of voice. For a moment, I thought he was Zac but soon passed the thought.
"Yes. My biological mother's name was Julia Stevens, but I don't know my father. And I've found that my birth name is Alexis Marie Stevens,"
"Oh man. That's huge, Are you gonna try and find your birth parents?"
"Yeah. Im gonna try and find both of them, but I don't know where to start. Right now, Im just looking around the city. Im in a cab and Im going to the community center here in Charlotte."
"Well, you be careful out there. Call us if you find anything okay?"
"I will. Thanks so much Tay. Listen, you haven't told anyone about what we talked about that night right?" I asked and his end of the phone was silent for a few minutes.
"Uh...no. Especially since this is Zac."
"Zac?! I've been talking to you this whole time?"
"Yup. Im afraid so. You didn't know it was me?" He asked and I could just see him smiling.
"Well, where's Tay?"
"Oh. He's busy taping for the documentary. Listen Kaitlin, I really need to go but I'll tell him to call you later, Okay?"
"Yeah whatever. Just disregard whatever you just heard okay? Bye,"
"Bye"
----(a California studio)
"Hey, Zac we need you in here!" Tay called me from the doorway as I held the phone in my hand.
,p>"Yeah, Im coming,""Who were you talking to?" He asked coming up beside me.
"Kaitlin. She thought I was you and started rattling on about how you two..." I stopped talking just as Natalie came in the room with Zoe.
"You were talking with Kaitlin? Did she find anything about her parents yet?" She asked and switched Zoe to her other hip.
"Guys we need you in here!" Ike called from the other room. We all went into the other room and I pulled Tay by his shirt sleeve.
"We really need to talk later," I hissed as Natalie came up beside us.
"Hey babe. Im going with your mom back to the apartment to make lunch. I'll be back in a bit," She kissed Taylor on the lips then followed my mom and Zoe out the door.
"What do you need to tell me?" Taylor asked as we sat down in a couple swival chairs.
"We'll talk later," I said as a camera light began to flash.