TownePlace Suites by Marriott Portland Beaverton
10:45pm

I finally arrived in Portland about an hour ago. After spending three hours in the public library in Walla Walla, I finally found my birth mother. At least, this is the only match that I found that it could be. Unless she was dead. But I refused to believe that. The Maria Sinclair that I found online is now a Cardiothoracic Surgeon at St Vincent Hospital East Pavilion.

From what I could find online, she went to medical school and she graduated from Stanford. According to all of the studies and research that she has published, she was a very well-respected surgeon. I had my doubts that she was my real mom. After all, how could someone so smart be my mother?

The distance between Walla Walla and Portland was too long for another cab ride. So, with no other choice, I rented a car. I kept my cell phone off ever since I ran off from the morgue. I know that since I got a rental car, Sean is probably going to be able to find me. Let's also not forget the hotel that I just checked into. He was probably already on his way here.

Maybe it'll be a good thing if he's here when I meet her. I just wasn't ready to turn my phone on and call him. I still felt ashamed that I ran off to begin with. I know I needed to handle some things on my own, but he was right. We're a team and we should have been together. We should be together right now.

I looked at the clock on the bedside table and groaned when it flashed 10:45 pm. I was planning on getting up early tomorrow and heading to the hospital. I had no idea how I was going to introduce myself to her or tell her who I was. What if she asks about my past? Or my upbringing? What if she is ashamed of me once she knows the truth?

A knock at my hotel room door startled me. Too tired to even think about who it could be, I dragged myself out of the bed and walked over to the door. I pulled it open, "Can I help...you-"

"Yes," Sean said with a relieved sigh. He grabbed my face and kissed me like his life depended on it. "You can."

He never broke the kiss as he pushed me into the room and kicked the door closed behind him. His hands were all over me as he kissed a trail to my neck. My head fell back with a moan and I was lost to him. Like always.

"How did- you find me?" I asked breathlessly. I couldn't think while he continued to kiss my neck. He grabbed the bottom of my shirt and pulled it over my head. I was wearing one of his shirts that I brought with me in my bag. It went all the way down to my thighs, so I didn't have anything on underneath. He seemed to really like that.

He ran a hungry gave over my naked body and I shivered under his stare. "We have time for that after."

It was as if the next part happened instantaneously. He shed his clothes, pulled my body to his and we were in the bed. He flipped us over, so I was on top of him. I straddled his waist as I leaned down to kiss him. This whole thing was out of control. I leaned up on my knees and guided him inside me. I sucked my bottom lip between my teeth as I took all of him. I felt his hands grip my thighs as he moaned from the pleasure.

Our eyes met and he smiled up at me. "You are so beautiful like this."

I felt my cheeks heat as I started to lift my body up and down against him. I had no idea what I was doing. I had never done it like this. On top. It made me feel...exposed. Vulnerable. And incredibly sexy. He lifted his hips in time with me and I bent down to kiss him, needing to feel his mouth, his tongue.

"God, I've missed you," he said against my lips.

"I missed you, too." And I did. Even though we haven't been apart for long, I did miss him.

He rolled me over, so he was above me and he gave me a sexy smile. "I think I'm addicted to you, beautiful."

My heart squeezed in my chest. When I didn't say anything, he leaned down to kiss me again. He deepened the kiss as he started thrusting harder and faster.

"More..." I moaned into his mouth and he definitely reciprocated. Next thing I knew, I was calling his name as my orgasm shot through me. He wasn't far behind me. I raked my nails down his back and two seconds later, I smiled as he released himself inside of me.

He fell beside me on the bed, trying to catch his breath. I tucked myself against him and laid my head on his chest. We were quiet for a while before I finally spoke. "Sean, I'm sorry that I-- Left you at that morgue. I just..."

"Needed space."

"Yeah. When I read that letter, I couldn't think. I just took off and I'm sorry."

"Lydia, I'm not mad that you took off. Or that you needed space. I would have given you all the space you needed."

I laughed softly. "So, why did you find me then? For a quickie?"

He chuckled beside me before he grew serious. "No, never just a quickie with you, beautiful."

"Then, what?" I asked. I got worried when he got serious like this. Something told me there was more to this story than just missing me.

"I-- I kept something from you."

My heart felt like it fell into my stomach. I sat up in the bed, pulling the sheet to my chest. "What did you keep from me?"

He let out a long breath as he sat up and ran a hand through his hair. He looked up at me and I saw fear in his eyes. "I was going to tell you. But, it was your birthday and we had such an incredible night. I didn't want to ruin it. Then we got the call from the morgue and--"

"Just tell me, Sean."

"PSYCHO Amy escaped."

I felt my eyes widen and I got up from the bed, wrapping the sheet around me and I started pacing. "She escaped? How? When?"

"A couple days ago. She got into a huge fight and escaped from the ambulance. They think she has an accomplice."

I let out a sarcastic laugh. "Oh, great. So, we have two PSYCHOS chasing us now?" Then something dawned on me. "That's why you tried to find me."

"I was scared, Lydia. I was worried she would come after you."

"You should have told me. Didn't we promise not to lie to each other?"

"I'm sorry. Like I said, I was going to tell you. I had every intention-"

"But you didn't." I interrupted. I stopped pacing in front of the bed crossed my arms over my chest. "How did you find me anyway?"

He looked away sheepishly and my anxiety started to spike. "Oh, God. I'm not going to like this either, am I?"

"I called Michael."

"You. Called. Michael." I repeated the words slowly, as if I wanted to make sure I heard him right.

"Yes. I bought him a plane ticket and flew him to Seattle. We pieced together what was probably in that note. Then we went to..."

"Went where?"

He closed his eyes when he answered me. "We went to see your dad."

"WHAT?! Why?" My head was spinning right now. I couldn't believe he did this. One one hand, I understood his concern. On the other, I was furious. "How could you do that?"

"We needed the name of your birth mother. I needed to find you. Amy is probably trying to find us. You had your phone off."

I put my hand to my head, rubbing my temples as I tried to soothe the headache that was forming. "But what gives you the right to call my brother, then go see my dad--"

"I love you. That gives me the right."

My hands fell to my sides as his words rang in my ears. His stare held mine as he rose from the bed and came to stand in front of me. He cupped my face in his hands and tilted my head back. "I love you, Lydia. I am so in love with you. The only reason I did that was because there was a possibility that Amy could find you. If I found you, and I was too late--"

His voice broke off and I felt my eyes watering. I didn't realize how much I needed to hear that. From someone who meant it. Someone who knew me. I wrapped my arms around his waist.

"I love you, too."

St Vincent Hospital East Pavilion
11:36am Portland, OR

We were now standing in front of the hospital where am I supposed birth mother works. Last night Sean and I had a long talk and he explained everything that happened when he was trying to find me. I ain't even about the money he had to pay my father to give up my birth mother's name.

I was surprised when he told me Michael was here. The three of us had breakfast this morning before we all drove here, to the hospital. He was just as worried as Sean was about PSYCHO Amy coming after us. I'll admit it, I was worried. But I wasn't going to let it keep me from trying to make some kind of contact with my mother.

Sean explained how his secret facial recognition software worked, and that Anne was still working on it. It took a lot of convincing on my part to have them not follow me into the hospital. I turned my phone on and told Sean I would keep him updated.

"Ready?" Sean asked.

I turned to look at him, and ever since he told me he loved me, I could see the emotion clear on his face.

"Ready as I'll ever be," I said before giving Sean a kiss.

"We'll be here if you need us," Michael added. He was standing on the other side of the car and I smiled at him.

"Thanks, Michael."

I started making my way inside the hospital. I follow the signs for the surgical floor and try to think of what I was going to say to her exactly. I couldn't just walk up and say "Hey, I'm your daughter!" But then again, what else could I say?

The smell of antiseptic got stronger on the surgical floor, and in a weird way it soothes me. I've been to the hospital so many times when I was younger, I guess I felt safe there. Around people who were there to take care of me, not hurt me.

The surgical floor was extremely busy, with people calling different codes, and doctors running back and forth. I'm sure I wasn't supposed to be up here. I saw a brunette woman standing at the nursing station. She was wearing a doctor's coat, she had a pen in her hair, and was typing away quickly on a computer. She seemed to know what she was doing, so I walked up to her with the intention of asking her if she knew where I could find my mother.

"Excuse me," I started to say, and she turned towards me.

I froze in place when I felt like I was looking into a mirror. I didn't need to ask this woman where to find my mother. I also didn't need to look down at her badge to see that she was Dr. Maria Sinclair.