Nightwish (An Echoes of Eternity Novel Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

become moody, withdrawn, and confused, which made me realize that I should disregard her words as just another symptom of her disease. I turned away from Grams.
    And I set my gaze on my mother, a stunning brunette in her late thirties, whose curly dark tresses fell below her shoulders. Her radiant but insincere smile faltered then returned, dropped then lifted, as though someone in the distance controlled it by flicking a switch. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said, taking a half-step toward me before stopping and strapping her arms across her chest as though too self-conscious to hug a stranger…who wasn’t really a stranger in the broader sense of the term. It was a deliberate attempt to feign affection that ended up coming off as guarded and distrustful.
    “You too,” I said almost inaudibly, unable to look into her eyes. But now that I’d had a few seconds to contemplate her existence, I didn’t trust that my mother had suddenly come forth of her own volition. I could tell that she monitored me from the corner of her eye, giving the impression that she didn’t trust me…for reasons I couldn’t understand. If anything, I should feel distrustful. After all, she’d disowned me, and now she’d appeared after the most momentous occasion of my life. It ticked me off.
    So I thought I’d press the issue, since I figured that I’d earned that much: “What are you doing here?”
    “My name is Delphine.” My mother steepled her hands and placed her fingertips against her lips. “I’m so proud of you. You’re the first in our line to earn a degree.”
    Proud ? If she were proud, she would have made her existence known…years ago! Her praise felt hollow and meaningless. I resented it. And I resented her. But rather than get upset at her, I misplaced my anxiety by striking out at Grams: “What the hell is going on?”
    She notched an objectionable eyebrow. “I beg your pardon?”
    “You can beg all you want,” I said, “but I won’t apologize. You never told me about my mother, and now…she just shows up? I think I deserve an answer.” Ordinarily, I wouldn’t have reacted so strongly, but she’d lied and now seemed to play that off as unimportant: again, very uncharacteristic of her.
    “Oh, dear!” Grams said. “It appears that I exercised poor judgment.” She snapped her mouth shut, unwilling to offer anything more.
    Incredulous, I stared at her, anger jutting through my veins. “It appears ? That isn’t just an accident…like you forgot to take out the garbage.” It occurred to me that I was skirting a touchy subject (her Alzheimer’s), but Grams avoided the subject my entire life. “We’re talking about my mother… your daughter! And you’re saying that not telling me was ‘poor judgment’?”
    “Indeed.” She looked distant, unapologetic.
    Disgusted, I stared at her and waited for an explanation…that never came. I decided to try a tactic that had worked of late: getting off the subject, only to return to it a short time later. I considered it the equivalent of a computer reboot. “It’s still kind of chilly for early May. Where did your Bears’ gloves and scarf go? Some Bears’ boots would look really classy. And hey, I bet I could get a great set of Bears’ earrings and necklaces around this time of season. Guess I’ve already picked out your Christmas gifts.”
    Grams offered a plastered-on smile. “Are you feeling ill, my darling?”
    Darling ? She’d never called me that. Depending on her mood, she’d always had a nickname for me, which usually began with the first five letters of my name. When she was calm, she often called me Serenity. When happy, she referred to me as Serendipity. I now withdrew from her, first because Grams would have met my sarcasm and raised it a notch. Second, she would have tossed in a curse word before using a term like ‘darling.’
    “Have you been stricken with an ailment?” she asked, grinning as wide as a jack-o-lantern.
    Then a