Chapter 59

We returned to the mall, and I took my scooter home. I stayed in the real world, anxious about the Connors and how foolish I had been. How could I find lovers when I knew nothing of love?

Mama and Dad were both home, and noticed that I was upset, but I was too ashamed to discuss my failure with Dad, and Mama would not understand for she was not an adept.

That upset me further. I went to my room. Mama did not practice The Art. Dad and Doris and I were keeping this secret from her. From my own mother who raised me and cared for me.

“I am a horrible daughter,” I wept.

Pavel was Mama’s boyfriend from Belarus. He was pale and his teeth were crooked, and things he did to be friendly always seemed strange to me. He was a scientist where Mama worked, and she was very sad when he had to leave.

But then she met Papa Bruce, and he is handsome and kind and much sexier than Pavel!

Mama was still talking but I wasn’t listening. I slipped into the OffWorld and found both Doris and Dad waiting for me.

“You’re mad, and I don’t blame you,” Dad said before I said a word. “But let me explain.”

“You do not love my mother.”

“Yeah, uh, I -”

“Why did you marry her if you did not love her?”

“Actually, she and I never got married. All the paperwork says Pavel. Turns out stand-ins are still legal in some cases.”

“But - but why?”

“To bring you here.” Doris took my hands. “Just as you brought me young James. Bruce found you and brought you to me.”

“Me?”

“Let me start from the beginning.” Dad said. “Pavel, me, and about a dozen other guys were part of a new markets tour about eight years ago. Do you remember a bunch of white guys coming to your school once?”

I did remember. Our village did not get tourists so we knew they were important.

“About a year later, Pavel went back, met your Mom and sent me pictures of the woman he was dating. And of her daughter. And I was shocked, because when I got back, the first thing I told my teacher was that I’d found a tiny little kid with the deepest aura I’d ever seen - but she was a baby and I’d probably never find her when she grew up.”

“Me?”

He grinned. “You. Pavel was crazy about your mom, but his immigration status was fucked up. It took him about a year to get into the US, but going anywhere was likely to get him put out again. So. I call him and say, what if I bring your girl up here for you. What do you want, he asks. I said one year. Give me one year before you take her.”

“A year? To make her fall in love with you?”

“Nah,” he laughed. “To see if Doris could teach you. See if I was right.”

He married Mama for me. I was confused. Why me?

“And he was right.” Doris smiled. “In less than a year you have done what some adepts never learn in a lifetime.”

“But my mistakes - Mike and Brenda and -”

“All make mistakes while learning. Someday I will tell you of Bruce’s follies.” She synced my senses to hers. “Look at your mother. Study her aura.”