I walked up the stone driveway hesitantly. A light was on in the room I remembered as the kitchen. Bracing myself mentally, I moved onto the porch. From somewhere inside, a dog barked. I remembered my old Great Dane, a big dog named Blue. He had always jumped on me when we played fetch, rather than go after the actual ball. I had had Blue for my entire childhood, I remembered him watching sadly from the window when I drove away.

But Blue would be dead by now. He had already been sick, and it had become so that he had to be carried off the couch; a two person job. I knew it was his last days when I left, which in part made it all the more hard.

I braced myself and knocked on the door. Waited. Finally, I heard footsteps pounding towards the door. A young girl, three or four, answered. "Hello," She said brightly, smiling toothily.

"Hi," I gave her a small wave. She had the innocent air as only a toddler could, her smile so real and earnest that it made my heart twist. "I'm looking for a lady names Leah. Does she live here?"

The girl ran into the house, her short pigtails swinging behind her. "Mama!" She yelled, "A lady wants to see someone!" 

I leaned against the doorway as I waited, my body feeling like a pile of bricks. A few seconds later, the girl reappeared, holding two lollipops. She handed one to me and I unwrapped it, "Look," I told her, "It's an Indian shooting star." I pointed out the picture on the wrapper, "These ones are lucky." I handed the orange paper to her.

She took it solemnly, her big blue eyes as round as plates. "I'll keep it forever." She vowed, checking her own wrapper. 

From the house came a brown haired, blue eyed woman with a hesitant smile. I stood up straight, ignoring black spots that dance in my vision, and shook her hand. "I'm Bailey," I greeted her, "I used to live here and I was wondering-"

The woman threw herself at me, "Bailey! It's been so long, we all thought you were dead!" 

"Um, well I'm not. Do I know you?"

The woman looked closely at me, "It's Siera. And this is Jenny, remember?"

I stared at her. Siera had been a teenage girl, only a few years older than me, who had been, as my mother called it "Blessed with a child," in high school. Her parents had kicked her out, so she stayed with us. This was only a few months before I left.

"Is it really you?" I asked her.

"Yes! Your mother let us stay here and take care of her. When she died, she left us the house."

I felt like she had thrown a brick at me. My mother was dead?

Siera must have seen my face, because she covered her mouth with a hand, "I'm so, so sorry. I would've though Keisha-"

"Keisha and I aren't exactly on speaking terms." I snapped, thinking of my sister. Keisha had always looked up to me, following me around endlessly. When I had left, it crushed her. She called me everyday, trying to get me to come back. I just stopped answering the phone, sick of the constant guilt trips. 

"I'm sorry." She said again. 

"It's fine," I rubbed away an oncoming headache. "Do you know where I can...visit her?"

Siera gave me directions to a newer graveyard and told me to visit sometime again. "I will," I lied, waving to Jenny one last time. 

I moved down the driveway, sure that I looked drunk from the way I swayed side to side. My eyes kept closing on me, and I cursed myself for not taking a nap before I came. Jet lag had really set in early.

The spots flew into my vision like a horde of angry bees. My knees buckled and I gave way to the darkness.