I'll Keep You A Daydream Away.

Buildings, fields and roads were flying past as the train continued on its track towards Baltimore. I sat watching Harry as he slept peaceful in his pushchair, I wondered how he could sleep with all the rumbling of the train and the chatter of the other commuters, and I certainly couldn’t. I could feel people glancing into the pushchair to get a sight of my new-born, once they’d seen him they all smiled but once they noticed that I was his mother, I received many dirty looks. I guessed it was because of my age, I wasn’t really that bothered, they could stare at me all they wanted. Listening to the announcements made as we arrived in various other stations made me feel giddy about returning to Baltimore, there were a few reason for it. The main one was my mother had somehow found out about Harry and wished to meet him, I have no clue why I agreed to come and see her when she hasn’t had any contact with me in the past years, but I wanted to see my father too, he recently sent me a card saying congratulations so I gathered that he wasn’t exactly mad.

I watched the weather change as the train journeyed through places; finally an announcement was made to signify that we’d arrived at our destination.

“The next station is Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport Rail Station”

Long name for a station was all I thought.

Standing up and manoeuvring Harry’s pushchair and my suitcase towards the doors I waited for the green button to signify that I could step onto the platform. The luminous colour finally arrived, and without a second glance behind me, I pressed it and lowered myself and Harry down onto the platform. Commuters were everywhere, pushing and shoving, I slowed down as to not want to get shoved during the typical rush to get out of the station. It was warm and sunny in Baltimore, something I loved about this state; the weather was always different whenever I visited.

After pushing my way through the station, I finally arrived outside of it, looking for a familiar face who had promised to pick me up. Upon spotting him, I grinned and made my over to him, he was currently searched the crowd for me but once he felt the presence of someone beside him, he turned and shone them bright white shiny teeth at me before pulling me into a hug.

“Olivia, god I missed you”

“Rian, I missed you too” I replied softly.

Rian made a lot of fuss towards Harry, which made me chuckle since I hadn’t even noticed that he’d awoken and was now trying to grab Rian’s hoodie strings.

“He’s so much bigger than when I last saw him” He stated.

“Yes Rian, that is what happens in life, you grow” I joke making him role his eyes before he pulled my suitcase from my hands and made his way towards his car with me in tow.

The journey to my parents’ was talkative, with Rian rambling about how the band was doing, how everyone was doing and how he was stoked I was home for a few days. When we arrived, I glanced at Rian before sighing and stepping out the car.

“If you have any problem with them, just give me a call and I’ll come and get you, but you have to do that anyway since Jack has begged me to ask you to stay with him since he wishes to play with Harry, I swear he’s twenty three going on three” He said causing me to laugh at his last comment.

“Alright, tell him I will only stay if he promises that he will get up at three am to feed him” I replied, smirking.

Rian left me and Harry and took my stuff with him to Jack’s as I turned to look at the house I hasn’t set foot in, in around five years now. I was Nervous to say the least. Pressing the bell and waiting for an answer was like waiting for the end of the world. Cold and horrible, But soon enough the door open and the short brunette hair of my sister Aimee was standing directly infront of me, her eyes lit uponce she realised who I was.

“Olivia, what are you doing here? Why haven’t you visited? I’m the only one in at the moment and who is this little man?” She bombarded me with questions before stepping aside to allow me to enter.

The house still smelt the same, of cinnamon and smoke, it was a comforting smell.

“Mum asked me to come see her, she is also the reason I haven’t visited, what time are they planning on coming home? And this is Harry” I replied to all her questions in one answer as she led me into the kitchen which is obviously where she was before I arrived.

“Oh okay, she didn’t mention anything to me about you visiting, and Harry is a beautiful name”

“Okay then”

“They’ll probably be back in like an hour or so?” Nodding, I rocked Harry, wanting him to fall asleep but he seemed to be wide awake and not want to sleep.

I glanced around the kitchen which had changed dramatically since I was last here, It was an orange colour when I was here last with brown wood counters. Now it was a light blue with white counters that reminded me of my apartment and how cliché it was.

Aimee sat at the breakfast bar with her laptop in front of her and a study book, I gathered she was making notes for homework and so I started up a conversation about that with her, she seemed glad to talk to me.

I was the eldest of six, three girls and three boys. Aimee was 17, Ryan was the second eldest at 21, he also went to college, but he went to one in New Jersey so he was very close to home, then there were the twins Josh and Chris who were 14 and lastly Kayla who was 10.

Leaning back in my chair, I noticed that all of the pictures around the kitchen were of the kids, but I was in none of them, my mother really didn’t like me anymore obviously. Awaiting the arrival of my parents was nothing but nerve building. Harry finally fell asleep which gave me a sense of relief but soon enough I heard the click of the door lock and my mother and father came through the main kitchen door.

Both of them eyed me up, I could feel them both taking notes on my clothes, my hair and lastly Harry.

“Olivia” My father spoke first, making his way towards me in which I stood from my stool and embraced his arms which he held open.

“I’m glad you came babygirl” He murmured against my hair, as to not let anyone else hear. Pulling away I saw my mother staring at me with interested eyes before she spoke.

“Olivia, well haven’t you changed” The bitterness was clearly heard in her voice, I really couldn’t be bothered to deal with childish arguments or comments today.

“Well I’d hope so” I replied sarcastically causing a smile to appear on my father’s face.

“You have a child now? I always knew that would happen” Should have guessed that she would bring that up.

“Yes mother, I have a child”

“Let me guess, Daddy ran from you?”

“No”

“Oh then, inform me on who is the father”

“That boy that you assumed I was the reason he never called”

“Alexander? He would never get back with you” The way she said you made me feel like dirt, glancing at my father who instantly realised how awkward this was and made an attempt to get rid of it.

“Well, Alexander was always nice when here, I see no problem with that” I smiled at his response, my dad always liked Alex.

“So he has stuck around then? Yet I saw him with a girl the other day who definitely wasn’t you”

“He broke up with her the other day actually” I replied, rolling my eyes as she was going to try and find a way to ruin my thoughts on Alex.

“Always knew you’d turn into a slut” That was enough for me; I instantly looked at my mother before talking.

“With that comment, I’m leaving, you’re not worth my time if you’re going to treat me like that, bye Aimee it was nice to chat to you, dad nice to see you too” I stated while walking out of the kitchen and hearing my parents start to argue.

“Olivia wait” I turned while in the middle of strapping Harry into his pushchair to see my father and sister walking towards me.

“It’s been lovely to see you sweetheart, you can always visited please ignore your mothers comments” My dad spoke while pulling me into a hug which I gave back.

“and I want to get your number so we can chat” Aimee smiled while handing me her phone to allow me to punch the numbers in. After doing so, she gave me a hug before opening the door for me, waving at both of them I made my way towards the road as I felt like walking instead of calling Rian.

~~

Stepping into a Starbucks, I noticed a familiar face ordering coffee with another familiar face serving them. The one serving glanced up at the sound of the door clinking and instantly their face lit up before the turned to speak to the person behind them.

“OLIVIA” Alicia was practically flying at me before pulling me into a bone crushing hug, the sound of my name instantly made the other turn with wide eyes before smiling lightly at me.

“ALICIA” I mimicked causing her to hit me around the head.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming to Baltimore?” Before I had chance to speak, the other had spoken.

“I’d like to ask that as well” Rolling my eyes at both of them I answered.

“I came to see my parents, which didn’t go exactly well so I left early”

“Ah right, well where are you staying” Alicia asked as she moved us to a table.

“Well according to Rian, with Jack, god save me” I joked, watching as Alex’s face filled with a slight flicker of jealousy before he covered it up by distracting himself with Harry, he really was good with him.

“Have fun with that” Alicia joked before making her way back to work.

“Soooooooo, why did you tell Rian and Jack that you were coming but not me?” Alex asked with a slight sound of annoyance in his voice.

“I was going to surprise you but obviously that isn’t going to happen so SURPRISE” I replied, the last work causing him to snort in laughter while drinking which made me laugh as well.

“Well then, what are you doing for the rest of the day?”

“Nothing that I know of, why?”

“Well I have nothing to do either, so will you accompany me to the mall to help pick my mother a present?” He asked so sincerely, I had nothing to do so I thought I might just as well.

“Sure” I replied as we stood and I allowed him to push Harry allowing me to pull my phone out and text Rian to where I was and that the surprise was off.