Finding Me by Stephanie Rose Page A

owed that to myself more than him. My inner peace was short lived as anger dissipated into guilt. I felt disloyal to Lucas for even entertaining the possibility of meeting Marc.
    I trudged through the muddy city snow to my block. The slushy crunch under my feet broke through the Saturday silence. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Christian’s truck parked in his parents’ driveway, and I didn’t feel the slightest twinge of anything. A slow smile spread across my face. I was over it, and it felt fan-freaking-tastic.
    I wheeled my suitcase up the front steps to the stoop. Our lit Christmas tree was visible through the bay window even though it was early afternoon. I had a feeling Mom did that because I was coming home. And when I opened the door, home felt wonderful.
    I dropped my bags by the door and hung up my coat. I pulled off my furry boots and tiptoed into the living room, where my seven-year-old brother Joey was so focused on his latest LEGO creation he didn’t hear me creep up next to him. His sandy brown hair was shorter than usual and spiked in the front. My baby brother grew like a weed when I was away at school and lost his baby face. His mouth twisted as his piercing blue eyes focused on which miniscule block to add next. He had nothing of Mom in his features; he was all his father. I expected the line of girls to form at the door the minute he turned thirteen.
    “Boo!” I grabbed Joey’s waist and plucked him off the floor.
    “Bella! You’re home!” He wrapped his arms around my neck and squeezed so tight a cough sputtered from my throat. I gave him a sloppy wet kiss on his cheek and he squirmed away.
    “My baby’s home!” My mother ran toward me so fast she almost knocked me over. Calling me her baby was funny as I was as tall as she was. I relaxed in her embrace. No matter how old I was, hugs from my mother made everything in the world right again.
    “I wish you would’ve let us pick you up.”
    I pulled away and shook my head. “That made no sense; the train station is right at school. By the time you guys drove up and came back it would have taken the whole day.”
    “My butterfly is home!” I craned my head to the sound of Dad’s voice in the hallway. The look of pure joy on his face as he met my gaze made tears prick my eyelids. The rage returned in my gut remembering Marc calling himself “Daddy” in his email to me.
    I ran over to him and he lifted me by the waist and twirled me around as I squealed.
    “Let me look at you.” Dad cradled my face in his hands, just like when he dropped me off at school. Both times I was close to crying into his chest, for different reasons.
    “Did you get taller?” I laughed and shook my head.
    “You just saw me at Thanksgiving. And I’m eighteen, Dad. I don’t think I’ll grow anymore.”
    “You look different.” Dad squinted his eyes at me as he stepped back.
    “She’s in love.” Mom stepped over to us and put her hand on Dad’s arm; she gave me a wink. I chuckled at the scowl on Dad’s face.
    “And you,” Mom poked Dad’s shoulder, “will be sweet as pie when Owen comes home with Bella in March.”
    “Mm-hmm,” Dad grumbled as he looked between us. “Owen and I will be fine as long as he behaves himself when he’s here.” Dad kissed my forehead and turned toward the door to pick up my bag. “I’d hate for him to go back to school without his hockey stick.”
    I groaned and dropped my head to my hands. Mom put her arm around me as we followed Dad upstairs. “He loves you very much. Try to remember that when he turns into an ogre at the mention of Owen.”
    “Is Daddy an ogre like Shrek, Mommy?” Joey tried to lift my backpack for me as he made his way up the stairs.
    “Yep,” Dad called over his shoulder. “You can help Daddy build a huge tower for Bella to keep her away from boys.”
    Dad strode to my room and dropped my suitcase onto the floor.
    Joey’s brow furrowed at Dad. “But we’re boys, too. How will we