Kate couldnât decide what confused her more. Her motherâs dramatized worrying for no reason fell completely flat since Kathleen (a) knew where Kate was and (b) gave permission to be there. Who else would walk through their front door? Wait, did she just call her Kate?
âI wouldâve picked you up from the train station had I known what train you were arriving on. Vivian gave you cab money, did she? Iâm a little surprised you bothered coming home, I got the impression you might go straight to RBU from Feverfew.â
Kateâs angry stare was fixed to the tile floor, she didnât see how Kathyâs lips curled a little for the timid beginnings of a smile. Maybe if she did, the teen wouldâve heard more sincerity in her motherâs voice.
âYou donât want me around either, huh? Figures. Sorry, Aunt Kathy.â
âIâm moving to RBU tomorrow, thereâs nothing you can do. Ground me, I donât care.â
âIs that what you think? That you can just take, take, take and come and go as you please? Hm? What makes you think you can talk to me this way, Catherine? I am your mother and I deserve respect.â
âWhat about you respecting me, huh? Youâve been lying to me for years! Why didnât you tell me Vivian is myâ" She couldnât say it, not yet. Kathyâs scowl stopped Kate in her hurtful tracks.
âForget it,â the teen spat, marching past the mother. She might as well have walked right through Kathy.
âOne trip to Feverfew and you think you know everything, do you?â
âI do know everything. I know more than you do.â
âI highly doubt that.â
From the top of the stairs Kate declared, âI met my grandmother. I met Caroline Murphy.â
Kathy crossed her arms, unimpressed. âYes, when your father called he told me all about your little meeting. And?â
âOh yeah? Did you know Rose isnât even our real last name? Itâs Rowe. Grandpa Will changed his name before they moved here.â
âRowe? Are you sure?â
Kathy had come across William Rowe in the town records once or twice, she simply assumed it was a miswrite of Rose. She wasnât entirely wrong apparently, just a little backwards.
Kate didnât wait for her to catch up: âItâs true. Grandma Lilaâs girlfriend Caroline Murphy told me the whole story.â
âHer friend, you mean her friend. Thereâs no need to say it like that.â
âYeah, Vivian warned me you were bigoted. Caroline was in love with Grandma Lila. They shared a room together in university.â
âOh Catherine, most student housing was separated by sex back then. Love? Thatâs absurd. Everyone knows Caroline and Lila were justâneighbours before the Murphyâs divorce and Carol left town. I thought she took all of her shame with her, but it seems sheâs spreading it to you now. Allow me to set the record straight: from the day they met, your grandparents Will and Lila were always devoted to each other. How dare you talk ill of your own family like this! In their home!â
Suddenly Kathy was decided. âThatâs it. Youâre not leaving, youâre not going to university. I wonât allow it.â
Kate scoffed, âYou canât do that, Iâm an adult.â
âAnd you will work like an adult soon enough, trust me. But you are not leaving this house; you clearly havenât learned the right lessons here yet. I shouldâve known you werenât ready for Feverfew.â
Kate was decided now too: âYouâre crazy. Youâre actually crazy! This whole damn family is so insane! Iâm getting my stuff and going to Joâs.â
Kate ran up the stairs then, hearing Kathy shriek helplessly after her: âWhâ? Kate?! You canât walk away from me!â
âJust did,â she muttered.
Kate scanned her bedroom for what few belongings in her motherâs old room that were fully her own, stuff her mother didnât touch. There wasnât much.
She was eying the dollhouse when Kathy shouted, âCatherine! Catherine!?â
Kate refused to answer. Instead, she yearned to pick up the stupid, miniature happy home and smash it. Destroy the dollhouse, destroy the Rose house, or both; either way, there was no coming back to this place after tonight. Wasnât that what she wanted now anyway?
She decided to leave the room in tact.
Kate stormed down the stairs, past Kathy, determinedly headed for the front door. âI donât know why I came back. Donât worry, Iâll never make that mistake again, ever. Iâm not your idiot anymore.â
âCatherine! Stop this behaviour immediately!â
âYou canât keep me here. What part of that donât you understand? I will leave right now with nothing but the clothes on my back and everyone will blame you for being a bad mother.â
Bullâs eye. Kathleen Rose was crushed. An eerie silence lingered just long enough for both women to feel badly about what they had said tonight, but it was too late to take any of it back now.
âIâI wasnât prepared for this,â the mother confessed quietly, âbut I was prepared once; I married a good man from a good family. I was prepared to give you only the best with every opportunity at your fingertips. But then you never came. Infertility destroyed my marriage.â
Kathyâs unusual display of vulnerability touched Kate in a way that momentarily stunned the teen, compelling her to stop and turn around. Her giant mother looked so small to the fledgling young adult now. But the sympathy didnât last long before Kate tripped over something else:
âYou were married?! When? Why didnât you tell me?â
âIt was before you were born.â And I donât want to talk about it, it hurts!
âArgh! Itâs always some new lie with you. If you were married, why arenât there pictures? Why hide it? Why hide the fact that you arenât my real mom? You shouldâve been the aunt, and Aunt Vivian shouldâve been myââ
âVivian didnât want you, I did! Youâve seen how she lives now. Do you really want that mess to be your mother? I gave you stability! I gave you a home, family! Sheâarrgh. This was all her stupid plan in the first place.â
âH-her plan? You mean the grad trip present, right?â Kathy sniffed instead of answering, so Kate sensed her silence was confessing something else. âOh. So then, how much could you have really wanted me if this was all just her idea?â
âThatâs not what I meant. My mother had just died. A door was closing. I donât expect you to understand.â
âIâm leaving,â Kate told her.
âWhat about your things?â
âItâs all yours up there. All of it. Keep it. I donât need anything from you anymore, Aunt Kathy.â
The nighttime quiet felt especially so once Kate was outside the Rose house, away from the shouting and tears and confusing attempts at love. She half expected Kathy to kick down the door and chase the adrenaline-enraged teen down the street in an embarrassing display only fitting for their screwed up family. But when Kathy didnât give chase, was it guilt that held Kate there on the porch, or something else? She couldnât be sure.
One thing she did know, however: Kate Rose was on her own now.