if and when I fell in love for the first time.
Finally, Chris came walking back and I saw the silhouette of two women walking behind him.
Chris’ face was bland, and his tone was equally impersonal as he said, “Kassia, I’d like to introduce you to your mother.” He stepped aside.
I caught my breath.
My mother was beautiful. Like an actress, or any one of those women who starred in reality shows featuring rich men’s housewives. She was beautiful, elegant, and sophisticated. Like Kate and me, she was also a strawberry blonde, and her eyes were also the same shade of brown. I looked so much like her, it was uncanny, and my heartbeat raced even faster.
My mother. This was my mother. My mother—
“Hello, Kassia. You’ve grown into a beautiful woman.”
Her voice was… odd. I didn’t know how to explain why, only that I knew I hadn’t heard a voice like it in my entire life. Ignoring it, I rose to my feet and said shyly, “Hello, ma’am.” I waited for her to tell me I shouldn’t call her that. That I should call her Kimberley or even Mom.
But she didn’t.
“I’m glad the dress fits you perfectly. I knew you’d be the same size as me and your grandmother.” Her gaze moved to Kate, who had risen to her feet as well.
I turned to look at my grandmother and found her unsmiling.
“Should I leave the two of you alone?” Kate asked. “I’m sure you and Kassia have a lot to talk about—”
Kimberley’s laugh cut her off. “Oh, dear heavens, no. There’s no need for that. I’m sure you’ve told her all about me?”
That was odd, too , I couldn’t help thinking. The way she smiled. It wasn’t something I had ever seen before.
“Not all,” Kate answered. “I’m hoping you’d surprise me and show us you’ve changed.”
My mother laughed again. “Well, then, I guess you’re in for disappointment.” Turning to look at me, she asked, “Shall we sit?” She didn’t wait for an answer, leaving Kate and me to take our seats as well.
The woman behind her remained on her feet, and when my mother saw where I was looking, she said dismissively, “Don’t mind her. We’ll get to her later.”
My mouth opened and closed, unable to figure out the best way to answer. Be polite to guests and offer a seat or be respectful of my mother’s wishes?
Everything was just so odd, nothing happening like I had imagined it would.
“Kassia, I need you to sign something.”
My heart leapt in my throat as Kimberley handed me a sheaf of documents. Adoption papers, I thought dazedly. I was pretty sure someone as beautiful as my mother wouldn’t have remained single. She was married now, and the nice man she had married wanted to adopt me so we could be a family.
I was just about to read the contract when Kate asked, “What’s it for?”
“Oh, just a trust fund for her, in exchange for a confidentiality agreement.”
The last words threw me off, and I lowered the contract back to my lap. “A confidentiality agreement about what?” I couldn’t think of anything I know that was worth hiding except, maybe, for the Fifty Shades of Grey DVD I had hidden under my bed.
“It’s all in there,” my mother answered, still smiling her odd smile.
“Just spell it out, Kimberley. What is in it?”
“Can’t you just read—”
“Kimberley!”
My mother’s face whitened.
I was shocked, too. I had never heard Kate raise her voice before.
The odd smile disappeared from Kimberley’s face. “This is how you want to play it?” She didn’t wait for Kate to answer. “Fine, then. The contract is for Kassia to receive a hundred thousand dollars in exchange for promising she will never contact me after this and never tell a living soul about the relationship between us. Once she’s signed this, we can all be dead to each other.” Her gaze never waved from Kate as she spoke, and this time I realized what the oddness was about.
In fact, it wasn’t oddness at all.
Her smile, her
Joan Elizabeth Klingel Ray