Finding Family, Finding Love

Chapter Four: Settling in~

It had been a couple of days since Brooke and I had officially moved to Miami. I know that I had said that I was going to find my father the day after we moved in but I didn't realize that there was so much I had to do first.

First: I had to register at the college, let them know that I was there and wasn’t going to be living on campus. Thank god.

Second: I had to set up my finances down there and man that was definitely a headache. I never realized exactly how much banks don’t like to cooperate with you. They decided tried to tell me that I could transfer that much money from one account to the new one unless I had established a permanent residence. I had all of my paper work. I finally got all of that taken care of when I demanded that I talk to the manager and explained exactly why I needed to transfer my money down to Miami from a New York bank account. Jeez….suspicious much.

Third: We still hadn’t unpacked any of our stuff, and I needed a job. Quick.

And Fourth: I was scared…..what if I met him and he decided that he didn’t want the responsibility of a grown daughter. What if none of it mattered and I came all the way down here for nothing. Not only me but my best friend, I dragged her down here with me. I know that even if I am scared that I will force myself to find my father and I will not, NOT, chicken out. I will not run away from something that could be the best thing that has happened to me in a long time. I still wonder though if maybe my mother was right keeping this from me. I had never asked her, I had never even thought about my father until my mother met Mac. He was the only real father figure in my life. They were friends for two years before they started dating and they have been dating for three so five years is a long time. I expect him to pop the question to her any day. See now I’m rambling.

I need to get this apartment in order. I have been sitting in my bedroom on my mattress just thinking about all of my problems since I have moved here but I am determined to make this work. I stood up and looked at all the boxes scattered around the room.

“Damn, this is going to take forever.” I said out loud. Brooke had left to talk to the University about her classes and the like so I was all alone and talking to myself.

“As long as I don’t answer myself I think we will be fine.” I sighed and decided that I would start with the kitchen. That and the living room. Mac did really good at finding us an apartment. It had three bedrooms and one and a half baths. I got the half bath connected to the master bedroom. The kitchen was pretty good size and so was the living room. I also found out that Mac had already paid the first years rent for us. God I love that man. If he doesn’t propose to my mom, I’ll propose to him. Ewwww. Gross.

I walked out of my bedroom and walked out into the hall which I finally realized that Brooke must have had time to unpack something this morning. There were all of our framed pictures of family and friends hanging on one wall and pictures and autographs, also framed hanging on the other. The hallway opened up into the living room where off to the side was the front door and the kitchen. I began unpacking and just had the dishes in their rightful place when I heard my cell ring, it was still in my room. I ran back and grabbed it on the last ring and just missed the caller. I looked at the screen and saw it was my mother.

~Great! Now she’ll probably freak out considering I didn’t call her last night.~ I thought as I dialed her number. It only rang once.

“Ava?” My mother answered.

“Yes, Mom it’s me. Sorry I didn’t call last night. We got here late and we were tired.” I walked slowly back into the kitchen. We already had a table so I sat down and flipped through the various papers laying on the table.

“That’s okay honey, I just worry. With you being so far away and all. I miss you already.” I heard her sigh on the other line.

“I miss you too, Mom. You know that as soon as classes start I won’t be able to call you every five seconds?” I loved teasing her. Her last boyfriend before Mac had made both of us call him where ever we went. I think I ended up calling him once when I decided I had to go to the bathroom.

“Oh, shut up Ava. That’s not funny.” I giggled after I hear the laughter in her voice. I looked up as Brooke came in the door. I looked back down at one of the magazines laying under my arms.

“Hey mom, Brooke just got back can I call you later?” I asked looking back up at Brooke.

“Sure sweetie. Love you.”

“Love you too Mom.” I replied before hanging up. Brooke has been my best friend for years. For so long that I would trust this girl with my life. My mom says that we are like two peas in a pod. We never go anywhere without the other it seems for the most part that, that is true. Brooke was blonde and she showed it quite often, she also had beautiful hazel eyes. She was short but still taller than me and she was beautiful. Most of the guys at our old school was in love with her for her pretty looks and her accent. She was born in England but moved over to America when she was 13. I don’t know how she has kept that thick accent of hers but she has.

“Ava…..earth to Ava!” I came back to the land of the living with Brooke waving her hand in front of my face.

“Hey, where were you?” she asked me.

“Off in lala land I guess. So did you get all of your school stuff done?” I asked standing back up and started unpacking again.

“Yep….that’s not the only thing I got done either…” She paused. I stopped what I was doing and looked over at her.

“What did you do?” I asked hoping she hadn’t already gotten herself into trouble.

“Well, for one don’t get mad…..” she paused again, “I found out where your father works….. I know that you wanted to find him but I was checking out some of the forensics classes and one of the teachers mention that Horatio Caine or one of his CSI’s had been in just a week ago giving a lecture. So I pounced on it. I asked him if we were allowed to know which crime lab he worked at. I didn’t explain everything to him but just said that someone I know was looking for a job in forensics and that Horatio might be interested in another person on his team. In the end he gave me this.” I looked down at her hand. There was a piece of paper folded up nice and neat. I took it and looked at it. It was an address.

“Is this his work address?” I asked looking up at her.

“Yeah…..I know how much you want to find him….oooffff!” I cut her off by giving her an energetic bear hug.

“Brooke you are the best friend that a girl could ask for. I don’t know what I would do without you.” I said as I put the paper in my back pocket. I attacked unpacking with new enthusiasm.

“Well, for one you would probably get laid more.” I looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

“What?”

“You asked what you could do without me. You could get laid more if I wasn’t around.” I shook my head at her when she joined in the task of unpacking.

“You are so weird sometimes, Brooke. That’s why we are such good friends, we balance each other out.” I watched as she began unpacking the living room as I finished up the kitchen. Unpacking really did go faster with two people.

Once thing I knew was that everything was starting to come together and tomorrow I would hopefully be meeting my father for the first time. Suddenly my nerves came back full force. This will be a good thing……..

……………I think………………….

TBC