She took a breath as deep as the ocean is wide. This was quite possibly the most difficult obstacle Claire had yet faced.
How do you tell your own mother, whom you believed was in a coma, that you crashed on a mysterious island, had a baby, had that baby stolen, and then continued to live on that landform for a grilling three years. How do you stand across from someone and not seem positively crazy for describing that scenario, not to mention looking like a scruffy wildebeest as well.
She didn't know. Out of the blue a chuckle escaped from her mouth and she brought her hand up to her lips to muffle the sound. This was honestly an objectively funny experience. But dead serious when it is you in this position, she thought.
She knocked on the door. This was frightening, but she yearned to be in the comfortable presence of her mom.
After what felt like a decade, the rickety hotel door swung open and there stood a slightly tall, well shaven man, with a smile that showed teeth. "Umm…I…is, uh, Mrs. Littleton here?" Claire was dumbfounded by this man, and she inwardly winced at all her stuttering.
"Yes, she's right in there, I was just dropping of a package" he dimpled, pointing towards the inside of the tiny motel. She felt like something odd was going on, but shook it off as she let the strange man pass by her right side. In she went.
"Hello?" she tried. No answer. Then, the familiar sound of a toilet's flush came and out and with it her mom.
She stared with disbelief, and went to sit on the saggy hotel bed. "Claire" she breathed, as if the word was almost a forbidden term. Claire could feel the tears she knew would come, rising in her throat.
"Oh my…Claire…its really you, isn't it! I thought you were dead," her mother exclaimed with an air of sadness towards the end of the expression.
Claire felt a bit more at ease. It was her mother's animated voice in her ears after all these years. Finally they were both in the same room, ready to talk to one another.
"It's me," she ventured meekly, "I'm back."
And without hesitation she threw her arms around her mom's neck letting a tear travel down her cheek. They stayed like this, mother and daughter reunited, for a long time. Either time one would loosen the grip of the hug, the other would latch on tighter, and Claire felt like she was in heaven. At least for this one moment.
"Okay," Kate breathed, "Do you understand?"
She had just finished explaining to Aaron for the second time that she was now to be called "Aunt Kate", and he still wasn't getting it, proven by the overly exaggerated look of curiosity spread across his young face.
This was so painful for her. She was no longer 'Mama' or 'Mommy'. Why was she wallowing so much? She was truly disgusted with herself. She had to step back. But how do you get a three year old to understand that his real mom is back and you have been a fraud mother figure. Apparently it is incomprehensible for toddlers like Aaron. She let out a slightly exasperated sigh.
"Well, Aaron sweetie, your going to meet a very nice lady who is going to be your mommy. I want you to be nice to her," she stopped to swallow a lump that formed out of nowhere, "give her a big hug because I know how happy she is to see you," she finished.
"Okay, I'll give a biiiiggggg hug, like this." he responded, thrusting himself onto Kate while wrapping his arms and legs around her torso like a monkey. Kate couldn't help but let the salt water behind her eyes seep out.
"Mommy, why you crying?" She angrily wiped the tears away. "Mommy's fine. It's just complicated." "Okay," he responded. To make matters more difficult for Kate, he looked her right in the eyes then spontaneously gave her a kiss on the cheek, pulling away with laughter.
Just the look in his gleaming blue eyes when he smiled was enough to give her the strength she needed. It's really amazing what kids can do for you, she noted.
"Okay honey, you ready to head over?" he nodded his head up and down. She took his hand and ventured out of the paint-chipped door and took the abbreviated route down the sidewalk, only three doors over.
She looked down at Aaron one last time and opened the door. No looking back now.
"Hi, looks like somebody wants to say hello!" she mused. With that Aaron appeared in the doorway and Claire and Mrs. Littleton looked over. Claire gasped and brought her hand to her mouth as her jaw actually dropped.
Aaron tentatively walked over to his mother. She couldn't help but smile. Look how much he had grown up! He was absolutely beautiful. Aaron had finally ended his journey over to Claire, and before a word could escape her mouth, he jumped on her just as he did with Kate.
"Hello, baby," was all she could manage as she immersed herself in her son's embrace. The stars were aligned and this felt right. Just like it had with her mom. It didn't matter that she had been absent until now, but one thing did bother her. And that thing was standing in the doorway, a sappy look upon her face. How could her son not love her the most.
Despite this she tried to focus solely on this moment, and pretend none of the island shit had ever taken place.
Kate was happy to see this picturesque scene, but something else was nagging at her brain. Or maybe it was her heart. "I'm going to head back to my room, you guys have fun," she stated quickly and hurried out of the room, leaving Aaron with his blood family, in the arms of his mother. And not to mention his grandmother. She could trust Mrs. Littleton, right?