Chapter 526
The next evening, Katelina's mom pounced the minute they were through the door. "Kately! What have you done to your hair?"
The words tripped out before Katelina could think, "Um-A perm."
"It looks nice." Her mother released her from a bone crushing hug. "How are you? Is everything okay?" She meaningfully jerked her head to Jorick's skulking figure.
Preoccupied with hiding her fangs, it took Katelina a moment to grasp the implications. "Everything's fine."
Her mother stepped back, a wary eye on Jorick. "I thought that was why you were so-clingy. Never mind. Brad said you were here last night? How did your reunion with Sarah go?"
"Um-fine."
"Did you think she was different? She's quieter, I think. Doesn't talk unless she's spoken to, and mumbles a lot, like she's hiding something."
Yeah. Her fangs.
"Anyway, Happy late birthday. I have a present for you." Her mother moved to the cabinet and dug through it. "Somewhere."
"Mom, you didn't have to." Despite the words, a childish rush hit Katelina and she suddenly missed presents and cards and cake; the acknowledgement that she was special and important and everyone loved her.
"Did I give you your Christmas presents?"
Katelina had forgotten all about them, but she quickly pulled up the memory. "Yes. The ceramic cat and the bread machine. I came to visit."
"Did you?" she asked absently. "Oh, that's right. You were living in the van. I thought it was before Christmas. Never mind. Did I show you what Brad got me?"
"No." Katelina pictured the sexy lingerie in the laundry room.
Her mother held up her wrist and Katelina eyed the gadget. "That's a very modern watch."
"It isn't a watch. It's one of those fit-thingies." She tapped the screen. "It keeps track of my heart rate, how much I sleep, how much I exercise, and it even has a GPS chip so we can see everywhere I've been."
Katelina balked. "You tell Brad if he wants to keep tabs on how much you sleep and where you go, then he knows where the door is."
"No, Kately! I wanted it. To keep track of my health. That's why I got a membership at the Y."
"Are you joking? Shopping is the closest you come to exercise." Not that she was any better. Their relatively thin, but soft, bodies came from good genetics, not eating right or sweating.
"Yes, but it's time I took it seriously. I'm not getting any younger, and neither are you. Have you had your cholesterol tested?"
The scene was bizarre and Katelina stepped back. "Mom-no. I'm fine."
Her mother frowned. "With that attitude you aren't going to like your birthday present." She produced a pink wrapped package and handed it over.
Katelina ripped the paper to uncover a recycled box labeled "Chap Stick." Inside was one of the fit watches in a violent shade of pink.
"There's an instruction booklet," her mother explained. "But it isn't very helpful. You have to go online for most of it."
"Tell me it at least keeps the time."
"Yes." Her mother took the package and demonstrated the features while Katelina silently seethed. What in the hell had Brad done? Had he told her she needed to lose weight? He'd already redone her wardrobe and half the house, and now this? When she got her hands on him-
She looked to Jorick, but his shrug irritated her more. He was supposed to be on her side, willing to rip Brad limb from limb.
"I think you and your mother need to have a talk."
Though the thought was in her head, Jorick's subtle nod said it came from him. She glared harder and he cleared his throat. "Excuse me. I have a call I need to take." Before Katelina could shout that he didn't have a cell phone, he was out the door.
Her mother followed him with her eyes. "He is good looking, but he seems-dominating? I don't know, Kately. Maybe it's because I haven't spent much time with him. I admit that whole running away thing colored my perception. And his not existing anywhere. If he's into computers, why isn't he on social media? And why couldn't you stay here and date him?"
It was a tired conversation. "Because his job isn't here, and I don't expect him to quit and settle in Nowhere, Ohio. As for dominating, he isn't nearly as controlling as Brad. Look at the kitchen for crying out loud. That's not you. This fit crap. A membership at the Y. I mean, really? You'll throw out your knickknacks next and start tanning."
"Tanning is bad for your skin. It makes you look old."
"Mother!"
"Don't mother me. That's the problem, Katelina. You see me as 'mom', as an unchangeable entity who is the same as when you were three, but I'm not. I'm a person who just happens to be a mother. I love you more than you know, but being your mother doesn't define me. I'm a thousand other things, and when you have children you will be too. You'll grow, and change, and God willing mature. You'll get new interests, new hobbies, try different hairstyles. You won't always be the same as you were at twenty-six, and you can't expect me to be, either. If we aren't growing we turn stagnant."
Katelina frowned. "You aren't doing this for Brad, or to try to impress him?"
"Of course I hope he's impressed, like you hoped your new hairstyle impressed Jorick. But you didn't do it for him, you did it for you, because you wanted something different. Or I hope you did. I hope he isn't telling you"
"Geeze, Mom! Why would you think I'd let someone dominate me like that?"
"Why do you think I would?"
Touch¨¦.
"Oh! I meant to tell you, I got your package." She moved back to the cupboard and withdrew a beat up box. "The dolls are adorable." She pulled out a closed set of Matroyiska dolls. "I'll have to find somewhere for them. We're going to cut down the clutter, but it's not every day we get something Russian." She stashed them again. "I got your photos too, though I don't know where I put them."
"It's all right." Truthfully Katelina didn't remember what she'd taken pictures of, past a couple of jungle snapshots.
"The hotel was lovely. Did you really stay there?"
Katelina wasn't sure which hotel, but it wasn't worth finding out. "How else would I take pictures of it? Speaking of Brad, where is he?"
"He's at his house, picking up a load." She sat in her chair. "So, Europe."
Jorick returned. For all the help he was, Katelina might as well have brought an attractive rock with her. As she talked to her mother, she had a hard time concealing her fangs. She struggled with excuses to hide her mouth or look away when she spoke. A glass of water helped because she could hold it up as though getting ready to take a drink, and, thanks to earlier experiments, she knew she could drink it.
It was two hours later when Brad returned. Jorick got volunteered to help bring in his stuff. Katelina's unhappiness grew with the pile of boxes. Though she held her tongue, she was ready to burst when Jorick made their excuses and steered her to the door.
Her mother gave her a hug. "You're coming back for Easter dinner?"
Katelina panicked. "We'll let you know."
"You'd better decide. It's the day after tomorrow."
The date left Katelina speechless. Before she knew it, she was nodding her head.
"Good. I'll see you Sunday at one. Tell Sarah to come too. If you decide you want to stay here instead of the motel, let me know. Love you, sweetie." Then the door shut.
Katelina stood on the porch and blinked. What had she agreed to?
"No," Jorick said firmly. "It's impossible."
"I know." Katelina stopped from smacking herself in the forehead. What was she going to do?
