Beka remembers her mother. First piece in first person too, well some of it... so it's probably not very good.
Dad had always called her firecracker- because of her burning red hair and passionate nature. The same red hair and nature I inherited. Lucky me.
I remember when I was five I would sneak onto her room and try on all of her exotic, beautiful clothes- clothes that were never suitable for living on a run-down ship like the Maru. When I grew up, I wanted to be just like mummy.
She would sit, brushing my long, red hair patiently for hours on end, whilst telling me stories about her life growing up. Born into an extremely rich family, she had not wanted for anything.
Then one day, a handsome roguish man came along and tried to con her father out of millions. My mother fell head over heels for this man, Ignatius Valentine and he offered her a universe imperfect, more 'on-the-edge' and more real than she had ever seen before.
So, Thalia left her comforts and travelled around with a con-man, she was in love- what did it matter if she no longer knew when the next meal would be or whether her love would be alive the next day?
A year later, Raphael Valentine was born and mother realised she needed more security in her life. More support than a man who had proved himself less than her dream of a knight in shining armour. He started drinking, gambling what little money they had. He even forgot his son's birthday. My mother knew that she could not do this for longer, the life she had previously commanded was calling her back. Life on a bucket of bolts just was not her.
She started making 'trips' back to her home, to see her family, to see old flames or to feel part of the 'good-life' again. She spoke to my father, trying to reason with him.
"Come back, with me. Iggy- if you come with myself and Rafe- life will be better for you. No more fringe of space, dodgy deals." Thalia pleaded with her love, her blue eyes wide and full of unshed tears.
"Look firecracker, I will do things my way and if you don't like it- you can get the hell off of my ship." Ignatius growled back, a bottle in hand- the look on his face nothing less than menacing.
"Your ship? I gave up the world for you and you can't even call this ship ours? I live here too you ass!" Thalia always did have a way with words...
He wouldn't listen, he was stubborn and the flash was beginning to seep into his brain. Thalia went back one last time, taking Rafe with her. Then, she found that she was pregnant again, a little daughter- perhaps that would sort things out between her and Ignatius?
So, she returned and tried to play good little housewife, watching father return from less than legal work and praying that at least her daughter would be something better than what daddy was.
I idolised my mother and the stories she would tell, like some fairy-tale, I always believed that her and dad were meant to be. However, my mother became more withdrawn, the arguments got fiercer and dad got further into- what I now know was flash.
Mother couldn't take it anymore; again and again she threatened to leave. Dad would just sit there staring with his grey eyes, and daring her to do what he knew she couldn't. To a little girl, even just the threat of her leaving was enough to make me try to be the perfect daughter.
"She won't leave if I'm good," was my belief at six years old.
I remember clearly the night before she left, two days after my seventh birthday. We were sat in my mother's room; I was fiddling with all her diamonds, emeralds and blue shiny stones while wondering if she would let me wear them. My mother was sat, combing my hair as patiently as always and telling me how my hair was getting just like hers. To a girl who wanted to be exactly like mummy that was a compliment.
The mood however, was different- when she came to say good night there was finality to it. Her usually beautifully made up face was red and blotchy, her eyes were bright blue rimmed with red and the smile on her face looked nothing less than fake. She'd picked up on some of dad's con-man skills obviously.
The next morning she was gone. She had left me. Left our family, I may understand her reasons for leaving but that does not change the fact she did leave.
Her selfish nature took precedence over her love for her children and that is something I can never forgive.