My Mother, My Aunt

The first rays of sunlight lit up my room. I tossed and Turned in my bed as the light hit my face, even with my eyes closed the world around me was still awake. when I finally got up from bed I could see tiny specks of dust dancing in the sunlight that was coming from my bedroom window. “I need curtains.” I mumbled to myself annoyed. Coffee was what I needed. I made my way out of my room and downstairs towards the kitchen where my mother would be.

she was sitting at the table with some toast and cut up fruit on her plate. She was eating happily in silence while reading one of her favorite books. “Morning.” I said still feeling groggy. my Mom replied with a simple “morning.” Without even looking up. I looked at the kitchen counter and luckily despite my mother being sucked into her book she remembered to brew some coffee.

I grabbed my favorite cup and poured the Coffee halfway. Then I went into the fridge and grabbed my favorite creamer. Peanut butter chocolate. A smile spread across my lips as I poured the creamer into my cup. “that’s practically chocolate milk with a shot of coffee inside.” My mother teased. I rolled my eyes. “That’s how I like it.”

My mother always thought I should try to drink black coffee more. She would go on and on about how it’s much healthier. thats not why I drink coffee though. I drink it for the taste, I could care less if it woke me up. that was just a bonus.

The house was empty besides me and my mom. My dad hasn’t been around since I was little. I don’t really know where he is, but I don’t have the heart to ask my mom. Any time someone brings up my father she always looks so miserable. Plus if he really is out there I doubt I would ever have the chance to find him, and he would never be able to find us.

We move a lot. almost yearly. my mothers job causes her to constantly relocate. Many would say that this is a struggle for a kid but I’ve gotten used to it. Infact I enjoy it. The way I see it is that there’s people out there who never get to travel. I’m lucky. You see someday I will want to settle down and never leave. I haven’t found that place yet. I have kept a record of all the places I’ve been to since I was 9, that’s when I decided I would keep a lookout for a town or city I want to go to once I’m eighteen.

A knock on the front door caused me to jump out of my thoughts. I looked at my mother who was unbothered, her eyes still glued to her book. I took a quick sip of my coffee and brought over a second cup of coffee to my mother. as I placed the cup down beside her plate I heard a second knock on the door. “I’ll get it, it’s probably the welcome wagon or something.” I said shrugging. Whenever we moved to a small town like this there was always some sort of welcome comity.

I opened the door before the person could knock again. a Moment of silence held as I stood there with the door in my hand. This persons face was unreadable. they had several emotions displaying on their face. She was tall, brunette, with beautiful light brown eyes. freckles glittered across her face passing her round slightly upturned nose. realization hit me hard and quick. I didn’t have any time to react at all as she pulled me into a hard hug. Sobs escaped from her lips and my shirt was getting wet from her tears.

This woman looked almost entirely like my mother. Words escaped Between her sobs. “My beautiful daughter.” I was confused, utterly confused and feeling suddenly sick. “I’ve finally found you.” I stepped away from her while shaking my head. The resemblance was striking. “who are you?” I said finally able to say something.

This made the woman look even sadder, she looked like my mother and I hated to see my mother sad. I felt instant regret that I had hurt her feelings but fear was creeping up on my back. fear and panic. I had no clue what was happening. “I-I‘m your mother.” She looked like she was struggling to explain.

“Me and your father have been searching for you for years.” I heard soft footsteps coming from the kitchen behind me. “Sweetie who is a-” her voice stopped mid sentence and the sound of glass shattering erupted from the hall behind me. This was the simple morning that changed my life entirely. I felt like the cup that crashed against the wooden floor. The only word that escaped from my mouth next was, “Father?”

The woman was alone though. it was just her at my door. I felt a hand on my back pull me back. The woman grew more upset as my mother tried to shield me from her. I finally turned to face her and I didn’t recognize the look on her face. She placed her hands on my shoulders firmly and began apologizing repeatedly. “I swear I was going to tell you.” She said lastly.

”Tell me what?” I asked, pain spread through my chest and my stomach flipped. “I’m her mother!” The woman began to shout. “She’s mine, you stole her from me!” My mother stood up holding her arms up to the woman. “I’m sorry, I didn’t plan to raise her as mine...but when she called me mom for the first time I didn’t have the heart to correct her.” The woman calmed a bit but still looked upset. I stood there frozen.

I couldn’t move my body as the two identical women talked. Both were sobbing now and I didn’t know what to do. My entire life was a lie. suddenly I felt weak at the knees and everything went dark. I didn’t feel a thing as I fell to the floor. I had fainted from all the stress.