Inspiration Point (14 page)

“This is my daughter.”

“I never knew you had a daughter,” Nicole replied
trying to mask her surprise.

“This is Hayln,” my mother said putting her arm around
me.

“Well you look beautiful in this dress Hayln,” she
said. “And what a beautiful name – so unusual.”

My mother signed the account.  “Thank you,” I
said as I took the bag.

We walked to the car, and I hung the dress in the back
and got in.  We drove away, and I thought how enjoyable this has been
being with my mother.

“Did your father ever tell you about your name?” She
asked me obviously still thinking about what Nicole had said.

“Only that you picked it,” I answered.

“Yes I did, I picked both your names, you and Emin,
but not until you were born.  I wanted to wait to meet you both first, and
I wanted names which meant something to us,” she explained.

“I never looked into the meaning of my name,” I told
her honestly.

“When I saw Emin for the first time, I saw strength,
even as a little baby.  Strength and honor – that’s what Emin means. 
And when I saw you, I knew you were unique, one of a kind – that’s what Hayln
means.  I never knew how true that was until later obviously, but true all
the same.” 

She smiled at me, with a look on her face, which I'd
missed for so long.  She looked like my mother, full of love and
devotion.  I felt happy.

When we pulled into the driveway, I saw Tyler waiting
on the doorstep reading. 

“Looks as though you have a visitor,” Mum said.

“Yeah, I asked him to come over, I need to say
goodbye.” I said without any idea of how I was going to do it. I had gone most
of my life without a best friend, and now I was being forced to say goodbye,
not knowing when I would see him again.  I took a deep breath to steady
myself.

“I’ll take your dress upstairs for you,” she said
smiling kindly.

I walked over to Tyler, he looked worried, and anxious
as if he knew what I was already going to say.

“Hey, didn’t Emin ask you in?” I questioned, thinking
that was rude even for him.

“Yeah he did, but I wanted to wait here,” he answered.
 “You’re leaving.” A statement not a question.

“Yes, did Emin tell you?”

“I saw him packing, and guessed.  He said you’re
leaving tonight,” he didn’t sound particularly happy.

“We’re all going to the benefit at the University, and
we will leave during the ceremony.  My father has a car there, he won’t
tell us what is happening after that, but we will be gone for a while I think,”
I said as I sat next to him waiting for his reaction to the news, but he was
silent.

“That’s why I wanted you to come over, I couldn’t
leave without saying goodbye.”

“This is a mistake Hayln,” he said desperately. “You
shouldn’t go.”

“We have to Tyler, otherwise who knows what will
happen to Dad, and they want me too,” I said trying to make him see
sense.  “Plus, it's too dangerous, for everyone, if we give them what they
want – trust me.”

“It doesn’t sound like these are the sort of people
who will just give up once you’re gone Hayln.  Running can’t be the
answer!” He said anxiously.

“It is for now until we can think of something else,”
I reassured him.  “It’s the only way we can all stay together.”

“At what cost?  You will be fugitives, I might
not ever see you again?” He was desperate now.  His shoulders were
slumped, his head was in hands pulling through his hair.

“You know I will make sure that won’t happen, but it
might take some time.  You are going to have to trust me,” I said looking
into his eyes, trying to get him to see how serious I was. 

Zeke was right, I would be able to figure a way around
this, I just had to put my mind to it.  Tyler wasn’t listening though.

He stood up and was yelling at me now.  “It’s too
dangerous Hayln, how can I make you see sense?”   

I stood too and noticed Zeke pulling up in his car, he
waived at me but was watching at Tyler’s reaction.  He stayed where he
was, sensing we still needed a minute.

“This is the way it has to be for now.” I said calmly,
but he was shaking his head he wasn’t going to change his mind.

“So I'm meant to just wait around here, hoping you are
okay, and that one day you might contact me to tell me what – that you still
can’t come home?”  He was pacing in a circle, I reached out to him to try
and get him to understand, but this made him worse.  He flinched away from
my touch and yelled at me.  “I can’t take this Hayln, I have to go. 
I hope everything works out for you, I honestly do,” and he stormed away from
me.

“Tyler!” I yelled after him.
 
“Tyler, don’t leave like this,” but it was no use he was nearly at
the corner. 

I was devastated, this isn’t how I wanted to say
goodbye to my best friend – I felt dizzy and sick. 

Zeke was at my side as my legs started to give way, he
wrapped his arm around my waist to support my weight.

“What happened? Are you alright?” He said as he helped
me to sit on the front step.

“He’s so angry at me for leaving,” I murmured. “He
thinks we’re making a mistake.”

“He’s just upset Hayln, he doesn’t want you go – he’ll
miss you,” he said brushing my hair with his hand.

“I know, it’s just… that’s not how I wanted to say
goodbye.  Now when I think of him while we are gone that’s what I'll
remember.”

“It will be okay, I promise,” he reassured me.  “If
you would like I will check on him for you, after you leave.”

That took me by surprise.  “You would do that for
me?” I asked, knowing Tyler wasn’t his favorite person.

“There is not much I wouldn’t do for you Hayln,” he
said as he brushed my cheek with his fingertips.
 
“Besides
I have an ulterior motive you know.”

“And what’s that?” I questioned.

“Well, I need you to be on top of your game.  You
have to figure out a way to come back to me, or let me know how to get to you –
and I can’t jeopardize that.  So, if checking on Tyler will make you feel
more at ease, of course I’ll do it.”

“Thank you,” I said as I fell into his arms.  “It
would make me feel better.”

“Then consider it done,” he said as he kissed my
forehead.

“Sorry to interrupt you lovebirds, but if Hayln
doesn’t start getting ready soon we will never get to the benefit on time,”
Emin said, interrupting us once again.

“I have plenty of time Emin, but thank you for
interrupting,” I complained.

“It’s fine Hayl’s, I’m not going anywhere,” Zeke reassured
me.

“I won’t be long.” I said as I stood up to go inside.

Emin laughed, “That will be a first.”

I didn’t dignify that with a response; instead I
thumped him as I walked past him to the stairs.

I was in my room staring at myself in the mirror when
my father called out to me from his study.  I walked down the hall, he was
behind his desk putting together the last of his papers.

“Things didn’t go well with Tyler, I take it?” He said
putting his paperwork down.

“You heard then,” I confirmed

“As soon as we can find a way, we will let them know
we are alright and then we just need to find a way around this mess I created.”
He stood up protecting his ribs.
 
“I am sorry for
everything Hayln, for the lies and this impossible situation we’re all in.”

“I know Dad, and I’d like to say that I understand,
and I forgive you, but to tell you the truth, I don’t truly know how I feel
about everything yet.  I can’t talk about this now okay, I have to start
getting ready for tonight.”

“I understand Hayl’s, and I will be here whenever you
are ready,” he said accepting I wasn’t ready to face him yet.

I smiled at him a little weakly and went back to my
room.  I felt like a shower, to freshen up, so I grabbed a few things and
went to the bathroom.  I know I will have to have a conversation with my
father about this sooner rather than later.  But later is my choice for
now.  I still have to attend the benefit and disappear without causing
suspicion, not to mention saying goodbye to Zeke.  I got a shiver down my
spine just thinking about that, even with the hot shower on my back. 

I turned off the water and dried myself, then headed
back to my room with the towel wrapped around me.  The dress was hung up
in my room – it looked beautiful.  I looked in the mirror at myself - I
did not look so good.  My skin had gone blotchy from the heat, and my eyes
gave away the fact that I hadn’t been sleeping so well.  I pulled my hair
up, sighed, and then let if fall.  I had no idea how to turn the girl in
the mirror into someone who should be wearing this spectacular dress.

“Can I come in?” My mother said as she knocked on the
door.

“Of course,” I said a little relieved, hopefully she
may be able to help me.

She came into the room dressed ready for the benefit –
she looked glamorous.  She wore a long black fitted gown which hung to the
floor, her hair was twisted loosely into a french roll showing off her neck and
shoulders.  She smiled at me appraising her.

“Has Dad seen you?” I asked, knowing how he would
react.

“Yes, he and your brother are getting ready now. 
I thought you might need a hand,” she said avoiding what I was getting at with
Dad.

I turned back to the mirror, throwing my hands to my
sides, “I have no idea what to do with my hair.”

“Well, I thought it looked lovely today when it was out
and just pulled off your face.  I could put a few more curls in for you
and I think I have a pin for your hair as well,” she said, already a few steps
ahead of me.

I let her have full control, I just sat on the bed
while she worked on my hair.  It felt lovely, like I was five again when
she did my hair for me every day.  Some of my hair still had rollers in,
when she came around to face me and lifted my chin.

“Would you like me to help with your makeup?

“No, I think I can manage, but thank you,” I said
grateful for her help.

“I’ll go find that pin for your hair then,” she said
as she left the room.

I went to my dresser and noticed my jewelry box. 
I'd had it for years, and I put everything I ever loved inside.  I opened
it up to see if there was anything I should be taking with me, but it all
seemed insignificant to me now.  I closed it, there was nothing I wanted
to keep in there and then I noticed the key.  It was a shiny brass key
with a love heart on the end.  I decided this is what I would take with
me, and I put it in my clutch as I had already taken my bag downstairs.

I looked into the mirror, my skin had improved since
the shower so I put on my makeup and grabbed my shoes just as my mother
returned.  She helped me into the dress and then took the remaining
rollers from my hair leaving soft rolling curls down my back.  She took
the pin and a section of my hair and swept it off my face and stood back to
admire her work.

“Perfect,” she said.

I looked into the mirror. “Not bad,” I smiled.

“This pin is beautiful,” I commented as I leaned
closer to the mirror to examine it.  On the head of the pin, was an
intricate silver flower, with what I assume were diamonds perfectly placed
within the design.

“It was your grandmothers, Mimi’s,” she said. 
“She would have loved to have seen you wear it.”  We stood looking at
ourselves in the mirror, we were like chalk and cheese.  I knew I never
looked like my mother, but it was glaringly obvious now.  However, the way
she was looking at me now, made me feel like her daughter again – she was
proud.

“Now, let’s go see if the boys are ready,” she said.

I took one last look around my room not knowing if or
when I would see it again, grabbed my clutch and went downstairs with my
mother.

“Wow, you both look beautiful,” my father said. 

I smiled at him and Emin, who was also looking at us a
little impressed.  My father’s eyes lingered on my mother as I knew they
would be, she did look stunning.  She seemed to shy away from his gaze, as
if she didn’t know how to react to his compliment.

“You two don’t look too bad yourself,” I commented.

“Not too bad,” Emin said sounding a little
disappointed.  “If I knew I looked this hot in a tux I would have found a
reason to wear one before,” he said admiring himself in the mirror.

“Where's Zeke?” I asked a little anxious.

“Don’t stress, your boyfriend is just packing the
car,” Emin said obviously still irritated with us.

“Emin,” my mother said in a warning voice.

“Yeah, yeah,” he said brushing her off, still admiring
his own reflection.

“Now is everyone clear on what we are going to do
tonight?” My father said bringing us back to the reality of the situation.