Sera Ch. 02

The very idea was a foolish flight of fancy by the time I'd returned with our bags, bypassing the apartment that had been reserved for Gina and taking them both to mine. Just before I could get through the door, I heard her soft hail from behind. I waited for her to speak as she approached from down the corridor but, when she did, it was only to say, "This our room?"

"Uh, we each have one, but this is mine, yeah."

"Let's go in," she said simply.

Seconds later, we sat facing each other on the couch, she silently noting the quality of our accommodations before she told me about what had happened between her and Auntie Ashleigh.

"Well," she sighed, "it's like this: She likes me alright, she just doesn't like me being here."

"She- she told you that?"

"In so many words."

"Well... what did she say?"

"She started out by repeating that it was nice to meet me, asking me not to take anything she'd said too personally because she was only trying to explain her motivations under an already tense situation, so on and so forth. So, I assure her I'm okay with it and all, cause what the hell else am I gonna say, right? After that, she just asked me the expected questions, kinda like small talk, you know?"

"Uh huh."

"Then she kinda reiterates those comments she didn't want me to take personally, like when she said that my presence made some family business awkward. I can only assume she meant her staff... Anyway, she told me she understood that we were friends and everything, but that some here might be made to feel unintentionally uncomfortable during the discussion of some family topics if I were present and, as she said, in order to promote open communication, my presence may not be asked for or wanted. Of course, this is her way of telling me to expect being left out, and she went on to tell me that it would be rude to allow me to remain based on possible personal histories that people within the family have a right to keep within the family. She said more, but she was really only belaboring that point. You know what I mean."

"Yeah. Hey, smutty, you know that if you're told to leave, I leave too. Right?"

"Yeah, I know, slutty, and thanks. It makes me feel a lot less... uncomfortable."

"Good. So, OMG! Sheila!"

"I know," she replied, shaking her head with a wondrous grin. "I never would have expected..."

"Her," I finished.

"Yeah, pretty much. She sure as hell fills a room for such a little thing, doesn't she?"

"Tell me about it. At first, I was confused. I thought I was looking into some weird 3D mirror, or having some kind of a hallucination before I clicked in."

"She sure doesn't look her age, and she doesn't look like the kind of woman who's led the lifestyle we've been told about, either. She doesn't even look like she's given birth. Did you see her hips?"

"Yeah, I would've expected some used up old barfly like Norah."

"Imagine if Norah could see her now?" Gina marveled with a grin.

"Really. Heh. What'd you think of Auntie Kathleen?"

" ... Uh, I'm not sure what to make of her. Especially after that fight. And what were you laughing about, you scamp!?"

I started laughing again and explained as she laughed silently beside me, afterwards commenting right out of the blue, "You seemed pretty interested in Steven."

"Huh?"

"Steven. I saw you checking him out a few times."

"I wasn't 'checking him out'!"

"You were staring. A couple times, he was staring back."

"Well, he's... interesting."

I'd found since meeting Auntie Kathleen and my cousin Steven that all of my relatives seem to have a subtle draw, but none were like Steven's. However, I wasn't about to tell Gina that. It was something I didn't fully understand myself and I knew she wouldn't.

"In what way?"

"He seems familiar," I answered honestly. "Both he and Auntie Kathleen do."

"Hmmm... not to me. By the way, the feeling is mutual where Ashleigh and I are concerned. I can't help but like her, I only wish circums-"

She broke off and pointed behind me with a surprised, open mouth smile, what she was going to say forgotten as I whirled around to see what had disrupted her.

"Mr. Sparkles!" I happily greeted my furry little apartment mate.

"Uh, your apartment came with a cat?" she asked as I bounded up from the couch to scoop him up.

Sitting again, I replied, "I guess so. Isn't he adorable?"

"You named him?"

"Sure," I said, settling back into the couch with him.

" ... So what do you think of her offer?" she asked, changing the subject, or so it seemed at the time.

"It's incredible. I'm not moving, of course, but it's incredible. This whole thing, from the day I got that invitation till now, feels like something that belongs in some story that starts with, 'once upon a time' and ends with 'and they lived happily ever after'."

"You're right it does, but I'm happy to hear you're not being... seduced," she said, resting her eyes on Mr. Sparkles in my lap.

" ... Because I named-? Oh, no. No, I... I mean, I have a home."

"Right."

"And a life with people I love and who love me."

"Family," Gina cemented with her smile.

I returned her expressive sentiment and, after a few moments, asked, "Guess what, smutty?"

"What?"

"It's true. (giggle!) I asked Delores when I was getting our suitcases from the car."

"Oh, god, you mean..."

"Yeah! (giggle!) I even asked her if I could take her clothes off and do stuff with her!"

"No way. What'd she say?"

"She said yes and asked me if I wanted to!"

"Unbelievable. Uh, I hope you're not, ahhh..." she laughed, me along with her.

"I might have them take their clothes off. Maybe do stuff with each other while we watch..."

Gina's grin was considerably wider than it was moments before, and I knew her imagination was working within its latent conservative guidelines.

Just then, there was a soft knock at the door. I gave Mr. Sparkles to Gina and got up to go answer. Opening the door, I was surprised to find my namesake on the other side, grinning motherly at me, her knees slightly bent so I wouldn't have to look up so far.

"I wondered if I could borrow a cup of sugar?"

"(Giggle)"

"I hope I'm not intruding."

"Nope, c'mon in."

She and Gina politely re-greeted, my aunt taking note of Mr. Sparkles before she turned to take a seat, saying, "I got one too. A little black, shorthaired female. Ashleigh's got style, I'll give her that, alright."

"Did you name her?" Gina asked as she took a seat in one of the comfy chairs.

Kathleen paused, her smile becoming wider, but guilty before she replied with, "Trixie."

I grinned with her as Gina laughed softly.

"Well, that's one of the reasons I came over, kitten. Oh, I hope you don't mind me using that. It would reduce a lot of confusion and I do like it for you."

"Nope, it's okay."

"Does it bother you that Ashleigh would know that? I mean, is it something people would know?" Kathleen inquired.

"Uhhh... it kinda bothers me, yeah. It's not a big secret or anything, it just makes me wonder how they found out."

"It bothers me," Gina admitted.

"Me too," the blonde informed. "It makes me wonder what all else she knows about us. She didn't bully you after we left, did she?"

"No," Gina replied. "She was actually quite open and forthright in a... respectful way, and I really can't even say I blame her where family privacy is concerned."

"And she does seem really nice," I offered.

"Neither one of you should be too quick to trust her, no matter how nice or forthright she may come off. I don't trust her and I know her better than you do, granted not much better. Besides, look at Sheila. Just because someone is related doesn't necessarily mean they're to be trusted, even if you do know them. Some of the worst acts ever committed have been done by family members."

"She's right, slutty. Look at my family."

"Are you staying, Auntie Kathleen?"

"You can just call me 'Kathleen' if you like, sweetie pie. As for staying... Well, mine and Steven's situation is somewhat fluid at the moment. It's just as well for us to stay for the time being, but I can't see a permanent vacation here."

"Me neither," I informed her. "I'm gonna stay long enough to get to know you and the others, but I got a life back home."

"I definitely look forward to getting to know you, kitten."

I showed her a big smile that said likewise before she went on.

"About my little, uh, performance. I apologize for the way I acted with Sheila. It's just that... Well, do you know of anybody who'd like to throttle Sheila where you come from?"

"Oh yeah," I assured with a laugh. "Enough of them to form a club."

"Well, what they have against Sheila pales in comparison, I'm sure. I wasn't kidding when I said she had things to answer for. Anyway, I kinda lost it and I'm afraid I wasn't very ladylike. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Auntie," I told her with a reassuring smile. "I've had my unladylike moments."

"Thanks. Um, I find I have to ask... 'Slutty'?"

Gina laughed a bit and explained, "Just a couple of nicknames between us. She's 'slutty' and I'm 'smutty'."

Auntie Kathleen's brow raised as she laughed, saying afterwards, "Slutty and smutty. How adorable, I love it. So, kitten... what do you think of her?"

"Sheila," I assumed, to which she nodded with a curious expression as she regarded me. "Uhhh... She's not like anything I would have expected. I really don't know what to think of her, but I can see how..."

"What?" Auntie probed.

"Well, I've heard people say that she had this way about her that kinda made people go along. I can see that. I can see how someone like her could ruin lives like that."

"Same here," Gina put in. "She has this strange... appeal."

"She does, doesn't she?" Auntie Kathleen agreed. "Looks incredible for her age."

"Better keep Steven away from her," I blurted for some stupid reason, drawing Gina's attention.

"She's his aunt," she pointed out.

"That wouldn't matter with her," Auntie stated. "Believe me, it wouldn't. And yes, I've already warned him up and down about her. Steven's a good boy though, he does what his mum tells him."

"At least he has the staff to keep him occupied," Gina slipped with a well meaning grin.

"Oh my god, I know!" Auntie laughed. "I just about stabbed myself with my nail file when she came out with that! She wasn't kidding about that list, either! (giggle) Have you seen it?"

We shook our heads and she leaned in to inform with a conspiratorial tone, "Names, physical stats, everything right down to the crucial measurements. Oh yeah, Ashleigh's quite the gal."

We all giggled about it for a minute before she raised her voice to its previous volume to say, "But girls, on a slightly more serious note, I need stuff. Kitten, I don't know how long you and Gina are planning on staying, but I'm sort of switching horses in mid stride here, and I'd like to get out for some essentials. You two?"

Gina shrugged as we looked at each other and she asked, "How long are we going to be here?"

"Ummm... I dithered, trying to quickly calculate how long a time I could get away with. "Two weeks?"

" ... We leave two weeks from today?" she asked, looking unsure.

"Yup. No longer."

"Alright, two weeks," she almost grudgingly, but somehow tolerantly agreed with a smile, looking to Kathleen and adding, "And yes, we probably should get out for some things, but my car's only a two-seater."

"Well, I have the spare keys to Steven's car, we could use that so all three of us can go."

"He won't mind?" I asked.

"Mummy gaveth that car, Mummy can taketh it away, too," she joked. "But I would ask that one of you drive. I do have a driver's license, but I prefer to be a passenger if there's another driver who doesn't mind."

"I'll drive," I happily volunteered.

"Then it's settled. I'm going to hop on over to my apartment for a few minutes first. Meet you in ten out in the corridor?"

"Ten should do it," Gina grinned while I nodded my affirmative.

Steven

It'd be pretty hard not to be impressed with my apartment, even for one such as I who grew up in a wealthy home. I mean, I had a pretty cool bedroom before we were kicked out of that tax bracket, but it had nothing on the apartment that was assigned to me.

Aside from the veritable electronics frontier beyond the small entry, there was a mini kitchen, a bathroom as big as back home and better appointed, and a bedroom with a huge, four poster bed.

Sleeping at the center of this perfectly made bed was a kitten. It looked like a black Tabby, but it was so small that I couldn't be sure. Leaving it to sleep, I checked the small refrigerator and found a case of Molson Canadian. Taking a can, I wandered back into the living room/NORAD control center and stared at the impressive array.

Ashleigh had spared no expense, including a LARGE screen television and what looked like a very expensive laptop with a PDA beside it. Taking another sip, I stepped closer and took note of a small pile of texts and software manuals for business applications.

"Shiiit." I expressed.

"Yeah," I replied, "That invitation may have lacked incentive, but... ho-ly shit."

"She ain't kiddin' when she says she wants us to stay."

"I can't remember the last time I felt so welcome anywhere," I joked with myself in a wry humour.

"I'm totally blown away, and I don't just mean by this apartment."

"Totally. But one thing's for sure: This whole thing definitely deserves more study. I want for us to tread cautiously here, but this could be just what we need."

"What Mum needs."

"Yeah... But us, too. We can never forget that, never, never, never forget that, ever."

"Oh, fuck. I just remembered what happened back in the library. Fuck, why'd she have to go all crazy and force me to...? Shit!"

"Relax, I got a feeling it might not be that bad."

"Have you been paying attention for the last eighteen years, moron? Peeling her off Sheila was one thing, having to verbally shut her down..."

"But I have a feeling she might not fly off the handle. She'll be pissed, yeah, but ever since Saint John, it's like things are different with us. She even mentioned it herself, but I never took it seriously until today."

"(Sigh) I still don't wanna have to deal with her."

I wandered to the opposite side of the room and through another set of French doors that opened up to a balcony that overlooked part of the 'backyard'.

Ashleigh's grounds were something else. There was a wide, cobblestoned track that led over a rise and down behind a thick stand of trees, narrower pathways branching off here and there to lead through a beautiful landscape that wasn't exactly a garden, rather an enchanted wood where the paths would sometimes disappear into shaded tunnels through the thick trees and underbrush. The area was randomly accented with a perfect picnic spot, a pool fed by a creek, a picturesque rock garden, or a bench beside a birdbath. Not too far from the house was a large, in ground pool with a deck and pool house.

"Yeah, I gotta hand it to sis, alright," my other mother's voice remarked.

She was to my left, at the close end of her own balcony and looking over the side as I was. Her expression showed that she truly was impressed, yet her overall demeanor was that of an uninvolved observer.

"She's done well for herself," I agreed, moving to the end of my balcony and closer to her. How old was she when she left home?"

"Sixteen."

"She must have an interesting story," I speculated.

"I'll bet she does. What do you think of her offer?"

"To stay? ... I don't know. Totally unexpected."

"Like you predicted. Right now, I'm just trying to process all this. I don't trust Ashleigh because I don't know her as well as I'd like, and her investigators don't exactly build my confidence in her."

"Yeah," I said, nodding in agreement and taking a drink from my beer.

"And I don't know what your personal mini palace is like over there, but mine is very nice. Not just nice, but tailored to me personally. It even came with a little black kitten, for God's sake."

"Yup," I said, nodding again while, in the relative distance, a bright red ATV emerged from one of the tree tunnels of the enchanted wood with a small trailer in tow. "It's such a blatant incentive, but so up front after the unassuming invitation that it flies. Plus she is your sister, whether we trust her or not."

"Yeah. ... Right now, I think we should stay. At least as long as there's no reason to leave, right?"

"I agree. But, I'll be looking for that reason."

"Good boy. That's what I like to hear."

"Chip off the ol block," I remarked with more wry humour.

" ... Look, I didn't appreciate you making a fool out of me in the library."

"You made a fool of yourself," I calmly stated, "I was trying to prevent you from doing it again."

I couldn't believe I'd said it and she didn't even answer right away as I just kept staring down into the enchanted wood, the red ATV now lost to my sight. Well, it was true. She'd embarrassed me, rolling around on the damned floor, fighting with Sheila like that in front of kitten and her friend Gina. For the first time in my life, I was ashamed for her.

Finally, she stated with a slightly aloof tone, "Anyway, I have to get ready. I've got to get on something and then get back here."

"Get on what?"

"Kitten."

"I hope you mean that figuratively."

"Why, do you like her?"

"She's innocent and she's my cousin."

"Oh. Well, I'll try to keep my whorish little fingers off her, then."

"Mu-uuum," I groaned with a sigh. "That's not what I said."

"It's what you meant."

"I'm sorry, it's just that after all that's happened... Anyway, I really think we should keep our minds on what's going on around us."

"Yeah, yeah... Look, I don't want us to-"

She looked behind her suddenly before turning back to me, saying instead, "That's my luggage, yours will probably be along in a few seconds. We'll talk later, okay? Right now, go take a look around the place while I find out which way the wind blows with kitten."

"Right."

"Love you, sweetie pie."

"Love you too, Mum," I returned.

She flashed a smile that said we were okay before receding to the interior of her apartment, her voice calling after me, "And stay away from Sheila!"

After I dealt with my baggage, and once I found my way to the back door of the palace, I began with a walk through the enchanted wood, or at least part of it. I knew I wouldn't have time to see the whole thing and my first destination, the end of the wide cobblestoned path, proved it so.

The thick stand of trees hid a large, two bay garage with an even taller section at one end that was accessed via an extra wide man door. Its construction was of cinderblock and, at the edge of the cobbled yard that fronted the outbuilding, the driver of the ATV I'd seen earlier was loading large, irregularly shaped pieces of flat sandstone in the trailer. He seemed a bit younger than Mum, good looking in an outdoorsy kind of way with light brown hair and a square jaw that matched his tall, powerful frame, easily identifiable even in the dull green work clothes he wore.

"Afternoon, Sir," he greeted, shooting a friendly expression as he worked.

The 'Sir' thing kinda threw me for a loop at first.

"Hi."

"Name's Jack, Chief Gardener. Help you with anything?" he offered while setting a rather heavy piece in the bouncy trailer.

"No, just out for a little walk, thanks. Mine's Steven, by the way."

"Pleased to meet you."

"Likewise. What are you doing with the rock, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Building a 'natural' wading pool out back."

"Oh. That sounds cool."

"Will be when it's done, Sir."