Chapter 8
�Hello?� I recognized the voice despite not having seen the owner for several months. �Hey ya, Auntie Cay!� 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 Calea a talented soccer player, but she also sent the most amazing Christmas presents. �Well, has mom told you that Victor 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 Shae 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 Cay, 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. Victor 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. Victor was always kissing her on the forehead after performances.� �He mentioned tongue action.� �Okie, maybe a little more than friends.� The delight in Calea�s voice was evident, �Umm, did they ever, ummm go any further than kissing?� �They slept together at the end of September.� Calea 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 Nik 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. Nikolai wasn�t lying though. There were still bruises on his legs.� �So she isn�t a slut!� Suddenly my face lost it�s 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, Shae 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 Victor 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. Nikolai wasn�t my father; Victor was. My parents were Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz. 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 Nikolai Morozov. I had wished then, that I had a father who loved both mom and me. My wish had come true. �My father is Victor Kraatz.� 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, Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz.� My smile grew even wider, though I�d scarcely have believed it possible. �Ekaterina Kraatz. Katia Kraatz.� 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 Kraatz.� The name didn�t sound new or awkward. It sounded perfect. This was the real me. I no longer had to be Ekaterina Morozova; I wasn�t even Katia Kraatz. From now on, I was Morgan Kraatz.
[
Serial Fiction
] [
Standalones
] [
Blueness
] [
Shae and Vic
] [
Forum
] [
Links
]
Email the webmaster
