Page 23 of Bending Under Pressure

“At Elsie’s after practice.”

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nbsp; “Are you going by yourself?”

“Yeah, it would be weird if my parents or Cam went. When’s your next match?” I ask to change the subject.

Thankfully, Haley goes on to tell me about their upcoming match and how they’ve been doing in practice. She’s a nice distraction from my thoughts.

The rest of the day speeds by, and soon I find myself freshly showered, tired, and starving while I sit in the diner, waiting for Natalie. I want to order something, but I’m too nervous to eat. My phone buzzes in my pocket and my lips automatically lift a little when I see a text from Haley.

Haley: Hope things go well

Me: Me too. Waiting for her to show up right now.

Haley: Well, I’m sure she’ll show. Text me later if you want

I push it back into my pocket as a woman comes up to my table.

“Keelan?”

I nod and stand. This is my mother. She’s shorter than I am, so I guess my height comes from my father. It’s so odd to see this virtual stranger and to see bits and pieces of myself in her face. Clearing my throat, I dumbly motion to the table and we sit.

“Thank you for meeting with me. You look—” She stops, looking me over. “You look great, exactly how I imagined you would.”

Unsure how to reply, I mumble, “Thanks.” This is beyond awkward and I wish I were at home with my family.

“How have you been?”

I frown at the question. “Since I was adopted? Since I turned ten? Since I last saw you? Or how I’ve been today?”

“All of it,” she answers.

“Good.” One word to inadequately wrap up my life. “My parents are wonderful and they’ve given me a good life.”

Sweet Mrs. Elsie stops by our table for our order. My stomach grumbles, but I can’t imagine having a meal right now. Natalie orders a sandwich while I ask for a drink refill.

“I’m glad.” Natalie seems sincere. “Do you remember anything?”

I shake my head. “Not really.” My memories are vague, but mostly good. However, I don’t want to tell her that for some reason.

“You look a lot like your father.”

While I know they were in jail, my parents never disclosed why. I’m thinking it’s for the best because they are part of my past and I’m not sure I want any part of her in my future. “Why did you want to see me?” I blurt out.

“I wanted to see how you turned out. I’ve cleaned up my act completely; I have a stable job and a place to live. I have for the past year. I’ve thought about you all the time,” she adds.

The ring of the bell on the door briefly drags my attention to it as someone enters the restaurant. It’s Haley. She gives me a small reassuring yet nervous smile, and I wonder why she’s here. I focus on Natalie and the last thing she said, trying not to notice Haley taking a seat at the counter. I feel a little more at ease with her here though. Mrs. Elsie drops off Natalie’s sandwich.

“Well, I turned out fine. What do you want from me, Natalie?”

She seems taken aback, but I’m not sure if it’s from my question or at calling her by her first name. She’s disturbing the normalcy of my life, and I don’t like it. I don’t know if I want her here and honestly, I just want to go see my mom.

“I...I...what do you mean?”

“I have a nice life here with my parents and my brother.” I suddenly stop as a thought hits me. “Do I have siblings?”

She nods. “I had a daughter three years after you were born. When I was sent to jail, my sister, who was my only family, couldn’t care for you both. We decided it would be best to put you in the system. We hated to separate you two because you were so protective over her, even at your age. When we were told someone wanted to adopt you, your father and I both gave up our rights because we figured it was best for you. Your aunt has been taking care of your sister until about six months ago.”

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