Hello again! I'm really sorry that it had taken this long since I updated last time, but I was sick and work was tacking it's toll on me. So I beg your forgiveness that I wasn't really fond of updating. But this is another chapter - so please enjoy!
CHAPTER 7 – WHAT? Marriage?
A few days before graduation, I had a visitor I wasn't expecting at all: my mother, the one and only famous Guardian Janine Hathaway. I had been on my way from lunch break to my next class when she had suddenly stepped out of the Guardian building on campus and came over to me.
"Hi!", I said, standing in front of her awkwardly.
"Hello Rose!" she answered, looking up to me a little bit. Sometimes it was good when you were taller than you mother, so you at least once have a feeling of towering over her, even if she was named to be one of the best Guardians. Surely I wasn't her daughter for nothing.
"Um, I've got class now. If you don't mind …" , I tried my way to get out of this uncomfortable situation. Speaking to my mother was always either awkward or throwing insults at each other. I can't remember when we have had our last civil conversation, probably around the age of one because I haven't been able to talk back then.
"Well, I don't want to get late. I just wanted to talk to you this evening. It is kind of important, so I wanted to know if we could get something to eat at one of the small cabins." She said, looking everywhere except towards me.
"Yeah, sure. No problem. Around eight?" I said.
"Okay, that's fine." She said, giving me a small smile and disappearing into the big grounds of the Academy. Well, that was weird to say at least. But then the bell ripped me out of my dazed state and I sprinted towards the classroom. Shit, I would be late again!
Luckily the teacher was also a few minutes late and so I quietly sat down in the back of the room, guardening Mia, a few seconds before the teacher entered the room. The rest of the classes went by in a fluid motion, since it was only for attendance, but not to get grades anymore. The end of my school time was coming up fast and next week already I would be graduating. Honestly I was seeing forward to this since the Academy held too many memories for me of a happier time and a much happier Rose.
After the end of classes, Mia and I met up to come together with another bunch of students and Novices to hang out until dinner time. Before they went to the cafeteria, I asked another fellow Novice to guard Mia for me for a few hours and left the group to go to the cabin to meet up with my mother. I was curious what she wanted to talk to me about.
Right on time I arrived at the cabin and seeing light emerging from the open windows, I figured that my mother was already inside. Without further ado I opened the doors and entered. And surely my mother was already seated in front of a heavily laden table in the corner of the small cabin. The smell of food reached my nose and my stomach started to grumble unladylike.
My mother looked up to me and beckoned me to the table.
"Hi!" she said, when I sat down across from her. The food on the table let my mouth start watering. There was so much food and most of it was my favorite! I questioned myself briefly from where she knew that, but I didn't want a tension to build up between us again, so I swallowed this one question.
"So, how was your day?" she asked. I could hear that my mother was nervous and wanted to start with an easy conversation. I gladly responded.
"It was okay. Not really much happening anyway anymore." I shrugged, starting to collect food on my plate.
"I heard that you were not guardening Lissa. Why is that?"
"We've got into a huge fight a few weeks ago and she told me to stay away from her. She is on the look-out for a new Guardian." I answered casually, not wanting her to show how this situation got to me. But when I looked up, I saw the concern in her eyes and strength she had to muster, not to push deeper. I was very thankful for that. Sometimes she could come close to the picture I had of a real mother. But unfortunately it was not very often. I mean what kind of mother would forget the birthday of their own daughter? Well, mine could!
"So how did you do on your field trip?" she asked further. Somehow I got the impression of sitting in an interrogation of some sort, but it was her way of catching up, I guess.
"Good, actually. I won all my fights and even Alberta – Guardian Petrov – praised me in front of the others. But I don't know my grade yet." Slowly I was stuffing the really good tasting food inside until my mother gave me a stern look and I started to eat more slowly.
"That is good. I know that you will have good grades!" my mother said, absolutely certain. WOW! This was new! My mother even thinking that highly of me? I was looking bat her stunned.
"Erm, thanks, I guess …" I stuttered, blushing slightly. This must have been the first compliment my mother ever graced me with in my life.
"So, why did you want to talk to me?" Now it was my mother fidgeting around and not looking very comfortable with the sudden chance in conversation. "Nobody had died, I hope?" I asked trying to lightening the mood. Why was I suddenly trying to make it easier for my mother to talk to me?
"Well, I'm now going to tell you something and I'm asking you to listen like the adult you are! I'm also aware of the fact that this might shock you a little bit but please listen first!" she practically begged me.
"Okay, shoot!" I said, getting my mother off her concept for a second. But soon she had put back on her mask.
"I've never told you about your father though you've often asked me to do so. I'm sorry I have never found the strength to tell you about him and I can understand why you had been so mad at me."
Oh oh! Did I want to know where this was going?
"Your father had been a very influential Moroi, not always having a clean record, I must admit. But I still fell in love with him, I just couldn't help it."
Tell me something new! I know exactly what you're talking about.
"Well to make a long story short, I had slept with the Moroi that I had sworn to protect and you had been the result." For the first time she looked me in the eye, a small smile on her face.
I looked at her shocked.
"Wow!" I said, not really knowing what else to say. "Well, I … I … I am shocked, mom!"
"I know it's not easy and I should have told you all of that earlier, but I didn't." she said quietly.
For the first time in my life I had the feeling of having a really adult conversation with my mother! And this actually scared me.
"So, what did you do?" I asked to make it a little bit easier for her. I guess she felt as uncomfortable as I did.
"I told him that I was pregnant and that I would stop being his guardian. He tried to stop me but I was afraid what would happen and so I left him to return to the States. When you were born I had to make the hardest decision ever in my life: to keep you and stop being a Guardian or to give you into the Academy to follow my career."
"Yeah, skip that. We know the decision you made." I said, not even trying to keep the sarcasm away.
"Rose! I want you to understand why I did that! I know now that it probably had been the wrong decision but back then I didn't have many options. My mother disowned me for having a baby so soon and I have never had any contact to them since then. I was only 18, having nowhere to go and a small baby I could hardly take care of!" she explained, silently begging me to understand her situation.
"Why didn't you tell me this earlier? It could have avoided some arguments between us, you know?" I answered.
"I know and I'm sorry for that!" she said sadly, "But at that time it seemed to be the only option I had."
We stayed silent after that for a few minutes. My mother being stuck in the past and me wondering what else would come. This probably wasn't the real reason why she had wanted to talk to me in private.
"Well," she started again, fidgeting now more than before, "let's get to the reason why I had wished for this talk. I've met you father again a few months ago and … well … ehm … "
I guess my mother was at loss for words and this made me smile. Raising one eyebrow, I said:
"And you hooked up again?"
My mother stared at me for the choice of words, but then she smiled and said: "Yes."
"So, when will I meet him?" I asked her, totally excited to meet my father for the first time in my life! Especially if it is a person that could make my mother smile and blushing.
"Soon. He'll come for your graduation. But there's something else I need to tell you!"
"Do I get a brother? Please!" I said, laughing at her blushing even more.
"No, but we will marry!" Now it was my turn to look shocked. "WHAT? Marriage?" Oh boy, there were only so many times to get shocked by your own mother!
I really hope you liked this chapter - I'm still certain that Rose and her mother can get along!
Please give me a review on what you think! Thank you!
Lilian85