The flight to Thailand was long and exhausting. I used the first day there to relax and get used to the time difference. I spent the following days looking around and sightseeing. I hadn't gone to the beach yet, though. I wasn't quite ready.

The warm breeze danced in the wind as I made my way across Thailand. The sun was blazing that day,  pressing it's unbearable heat against my skin. I visited the hotel I was staying at the day the tsunami hit; it was in the process of rebuilding and was all boarded up.

I stood there for a few minutes, just looking at it, remembering the day we had gotten there and how excited Mason had been. Never could I had ever imagined I would be standing there, staring blankly at a hotel that had been destroyed just a short time after arriving back in 2004. A year later, it still felt surreal. A year later, my life had been changed drastically.

The next day, I woke up late. I rolled out of bed, ate some breakfast, and got ready for the day. As I walked across the room, I came across a folded paper sitting on the dresser. I opened it, recognizing it as the schedule for volunteering. Today's the day.

I packed my stuff and checked out of the hotel, before catching a bus to my next destination. By the time I got to the volunteering centre, I met a Thai woman, her dark hair pulled back into a ponytail and her brown eyes crinkling as she greeted me with a smile. She extended her hand and I shook it as she introduced herself as Lawan.

Lawan gave me a tour, explaining to me what my role would be and some of the activities I could participate in with the children. She told me that we'd mostly be teaching, or doing arts and crafts with younger kids.

She then led me to a small dormitory. "This is where you'll be staying with a few other volunteers for the next few weeks." She said, "I'll let you organize your stuff. I'll be outside if you need me."

"Okay. Thank you."

I dropped my bag on the floor and unzipped it, unpacking some of my belongings. I took out the picture of my family that I had put away; it was an old portrait with me, Mom, Dad, and Mason. For a while, I just stared at it as memories slowly came flooding back, before carefully placing it on a desk in the room.

The desk was filled with other portraits; multiple family photos just sitting there. I took a deep breath and looked away, taking the time to observe the dormitory. It was pretty plain; painted in milk white and one large window taking up nearly an entire wall. I packed the things I needed into a smaller bag, swinging it over my shoulder and walking out of the room.

--

That evening, all of the volunteers went out for dinner at a restaurant, where Lawan introduced me to many other people from various countries. I began talking to a woman in her early twenties from Sweden named Anne, and a guy called Axel from Germany.

I found out that Anne had been visiting Thailand with her parents, her nephew, her brother and his wife. They'd been at their hotel when the first wave hit, swimming in the pool. She lost sight of everyone immediately, but managed to get to safety. For the first few days, she was in the hospital, getting treated for injuries and illnesses. When she was finally healthy, her first instinct wasn't to go home. She spent the following weeks looking for the rest of her family, and then stayed in Thailand to help rebuild everything.

Axel's situation was a bit different. His sister had been in Sri Lanka on holiday when the wave had hit. Axel was at home. When he discovered the news, he was quick to pack a bag and head to Sri Lanka to see the damage the wave had caused and look for his sister. He later discovered that his sister had passed away, so he stayed for a very long time in Sri Lanka as a volunteer and helped rebuild the place. Eventually, he went to Thailand and stayed for months, connecting with others who had struggled with the tsunami and doing everything in his power to help.

I had told them my story, too. I recalled the hotel we were staying at and how we'd been on the beach when the first wave hit. I had told them that my mother, Piper and I had survived, and I had told them about Isaac too. I explained to them how I had stayed a couple weeks in Thailand just searching for my family, and helping Isaac find his.

At the end of the day, I made my way back to the dormitory. Anne was there, staring out the window and watching the sunset. I glanced back at the desk in the room; the one covered in family portraits. One in particular caught my attention.

Anne was in it, but she looked different. In the picture she was a teenager, and her long blonde hair fell over her shoulders as she wore a wide grin that revealed a mouth full of braces. She stood happily next to a young man who looked just like her; same wheat-coloured hair and same smile, along with a miniature version of that man standing in front of him. A toddler. Then there was a lady, who looked like neither of them, standing in front of two older adults who had the same facial features as Anne -- her parents, I thought.

"Is this your family?" I asked.

Anne looked over her shoulder and paused, before looking away and responding. "Yeah. That's my brother, his son, his wife, and my parents. The tsunami took all of them but my nephew."

--

The following day was my first day as a volunteer. Lawan had explained to me that for the first day, I'd just be doing some simple arts and crafts or games with the younger children to get to know them. She brought me outside, where the kids were sitting in a circle, waiting patiently with grins visible on their faces as they chatted amongst each other. Lawan began speaking to them in Thai, and then she introduced me in English. "Kids, this is Ava."

Lawan suggested that we play a game where the children introduced themselves, along with one food that began with the letter of their name. "I'll go first," she said. "My name is Lawan, and I like lemons."

The kid next to her giggled, smirked and said, "My name is Kasem and I like noodles!"

"No, no, Kasem." Lawan chuckled, "It needs to start with the first letter of your name. So if your name is Kasem, you like..."

"Chicken!"

"No... No, K--"

"Kiwis!"

"Yes, perfect." she laughed. "Kiwis, and Kasem. You see? It sounds the same. Okay, Preecha. You're next." Lawan stood up and said, "I'll be right back. Ava is going to look after you guys for now."

"Okay bye Lawan!" Kasem called.

"...My name is Preecha and I like pineapples."

"Good," I smiled.

The girl next to Preecha beamed and said, "My name is Suda and I like... Salmon!"

"My name is Pasuta and I like peaches!"

"My name is Manee and I like melons."

"My name is Weera and I like... um..."

The kid sitting next to Weera leaned over and whispered something, and then Weera shouted, "Water! I like water! My name is Weera and I like water...Is that good?"

"Yeah, it's great." I chuckled. "Alright--"

"Ava," said a voice from behind me, tapping my shoulder and startling me. I flinched a little and looked over my shoulder, catching a glimpse at Lawan. "A guy's been looking for you."

"...Looking for me?" I repeated, confusion audible in my voice.

"Yeah," she replied, pointing in a direction. "He was like, over there. Want to go see who it is? I'll stay here with the kids."

"Um, sure." I said. Still confused, I pressed my hands to the ground and pushed myself up, standing up and dusting myself off. I pointed in the direction she had been pointing at. "There?"

"Yeah."

"Alright." I began making my way in that direction, looking over my shoulder and telling the children, "I'll be back soon, okay?"

They waved at me. "Bye, Ava!" shouted one of kids -- Kasem.

As I continued walking, I could feel the pace of my heart picking up, the beat pulsing in my ears. I couldn't think of who it could have been. I didn't have a clue. Maybe it was Axel? No. Lawan knew Axel. She wouldn't have just referred to him as 'a guy.'

Maybe, just maybe, it was the other guy, from--

"Ava," said a familiar voice. And my stomach dropped.