Chapter 8
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�Hello?� I recognized the voice despite not having seen the owner for several months. �Hey ya, Auntie Cate!� I gushed, �It�s Katia.� �I�m a little confused actually and I was wondering if you could help�� �Sure kiddo. What�s the problem?� I have the coolest Aunt in the world! Not only was my mother�s younger sister Cate a talented soccer player, but she also sent the most amazing Christmas presents. �Well, has mom told you that Dominic moved back to Newington?� �No!� She exclaimed, �When did that happen?� �Late June.� �He moved back in June and I have to wait until February to hear about it? How could Ally do this to me! I�m her only sister! It�s her job to tell me things like this. I mean, she doesn�t trust me with her secrets, and now I�m not even getting scraps of gossip!� I held the phone away from my ear, slightly worried about permanent damage to my hearing. My Aunt�s voice had quickly risen in volume and pitch throughout her spiel. I waited until she calmed down somewhat and replaced the phone. �Auntie Cate, this would be a lot easier if you didn�t interrupt for a few minutes while I bring you up to date�� I thought of an argument custom made for my aunt and her mercurial temperament, �If you don�t interrupt, you�ll find out what�s going on sooner.� �Alright then, shoot.� �Ok. Dominic and I seem to get along fairly well. In the fall, he agreed to pay for me to take swimming lessons. Over Christmas break, I was helping him get some decorations out of his attic and I happened across a box of his old diaries. I would have walked right by, but the 2003 one was sitting right on top and I just couldn�t resist� I�ve always had so many unanswered questions about his split with mom� Anyhow, I borrowed the diary and I�ve been reading it ever since.� �Oh my lord! You�re even more like me than I thought! What did the diary say?� �There was something going on between them. He kissed her.� �They were best friends. Dominic was always kissing her on the forehead after performances.� �He mentioned tongue action.� �Okie, maybe a little more than friends.� The delight in Cate�s voice was evident, �Umm, did they ever, ummm go any further than kissing?� �They slept together at the end of September.� Cate squealed. My 27-year-old aunt actually squealed. �I knew it! I knew something had happened!� �How did you know?� �I visited at the beginning of October. Your mom had been sleeping in the guest bedroom for over a month because Andrei claimed she was kicking him in her sleep. I ended up sharing the bed with her; it was the first time since we were kids and I got some great gossip. I didn�t get kicked once throughout the night. Heck, your mom didn�t even roll in her sleep. Andrei wasn�t lying though. There were still bruises on his legs.� �So she isn�t a slut!� Suddenly my face lost its grin, �When did they go back to sharing a bed?� �I think it was a couple of days before I left on the 21st. After the split became public, Ally just wanted to be alone.� �Do you know why?� �Ah, your mom wasn�t feeling well. She never said anything and she certainly didn�t let your dad know, but I could tell. It�s a sister thing. I think it had to do with depression over Dominic leaving. She was making herself sick! I believe she just needed to be cuddled by someone who loved her. Either that or she wanted to be closer to the bathroom when she threw up!� Oh god! �Shit! I have to go! I�ll call you later.� I slammed the phone back in the cradle and practically slid down the edge of the counter to the floor. The world was spinning. My head seemed suddenly heavy and I buried it in my arms. �Katia?� Mommy walked in with my father, �Are you alright sweetie?� I glanced up, pasting a bright smile across my face. �I�m great! I was just thinking. We�re doing a survey in class: Was I born before or after my due date?� �Before.� My father said. �After.� Mommy replied simultaneously. �I mean�� She made a show of concentrating, �Before. I can�t believe how forgetful I�m becoming!� She giggled nervously. I couldn�t breathe, �Well, I�m finished all my homework. I think I�ll go play outside for a little while.� I dashed into the backyard before either could protest. I clambered up into the safe, comforting, concealing branches of my favourite tree. Settling myself in my most common perch, the second fork up; I drew my knees to my chest and leaned against the strong trunk before starting to shake uncontrollably. My life was a lie. My entire life! And my mother, the person I loved and respected more than anyone, had been keeping secrets from me for eight years. There were too many clues to dismiss, too many hints and suspicions to ignore. Andrei wasn�t my father; Dominic was. My parents were Allison Monroe and Dominic Riefen. I dropped my head into my hands and began to cry. A teasing breeze crept up, and stirred my hair gently while drying the salty tears on my cheeks. It seemed to dredge up a fleeting memory. I suddenly recalled what had spoiled my good mood after the swim: knowing I was the daughter of Andrei Peretkov. I had wished then, that I had a father who loved both mom and me. My wish had come true. �My father is Dominic Riefen.� I whispered to myself, trying it out. A wide grin spread across my face and I repeated an earlier statement in a very different tone. �My parents are 2003 World Ice Dance Champions, Allison Monroe and Dominic Riefen.� My smile grew even wider, though I�d scarcely have believed it possible. �Ekaterina Riefen. Katia Riefen.� Not bad. It tasted somewhat strange on my tongue and I decided it would take some getting used to. I then remembered something my mom had once told me: �Your Russian first name was chosen in honour of your father�s grandmother. You have his last name. Your middle name however, is all mine. You�re my little Morgan.� �Morgan Riefen.� The name didn�t sound new or awkward. It sounded perfect. This was the real me. I no longer had to be Ekaterina Peretkova; I wasn�t even Katia Riefen. From now on, I was Morgan Riefen.
