Western Waves (Compass 3)

Are you my mother, Rosalina?

After the show, we headed out for dinner. She ate a salad, and I had a ribeye steak. She went on and on about the acting in the show, judging the performers as if she could do better. I doubt she could. Then again, she could’ve been acting right now in front of me, pretending not to be my mother.

Are you my mother, Rosalina?

“So, what do you think?” she asked me, making me realize I’d been zoning out and overthinking everything without listening to the actual words coming out of her mouth.

“Hmm?”

“About Denise and Catherine. Who do you think is your mother?”

My stomach knotted up. “I’m not interested in speaking on the others.”

“Of course. Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I just mean, you deserve to know something like that. I couldn’t imagine how hard things were for you in your life.”

“Rather not talk about that either,” I grumbled.

She frowned, and I almost believed it. Then I reminded myself that she was an actress. The whole world was probably her stage.

“Are you interested in dessert?” the server asked.

“Oh, no. I don’t do sugar,” Rosalina said, waving him off. She turned to me. “That was the hardest part about living with Kevin and Stella. Stella was obsessed with sugar. It’s no surprise that she’s so big to this date.”

Piss off, Rosalina.

“I swear, every night, she was eating a bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream. Shoving it into her mouth because it was her favorite. With a million rainbow sprinkles. I swear, she had enough for a whole company, and it shows on her body.”

“There’s nothing wrong with her body,” I coldly snapped.

She laughed and leaned in toward me. “Please, Damian, you don’t have to play nice. It’s no secret she’s massive. I bet she’s one scoop of ice cream away from diabetes.”

Please don’t be my mother, Rosalina.

I stood and left the table without giving her another word. Even if it turned out that woman was my mother, she’d never get a cent from Stella or me.

15

Stella

Eight Years Old

* * *

Grams lived in the guesthouse and helped Kevin out a lot, cooking and cleaning the house, making sure I went to school on time. She even helped me with my hair. “Bless Kevin’s heart, but he doesn’t have a clue what to do with a Black woman’s hair. I can’t have you out here looking like a fool. Your mother would kill me if I did that,” Grams would say as she brushed my coarse hair, tossing it in two puffs. Grams’ hair was like mine, but she had a lot more gray parts on her head.

She was right about my hair. Kevin had broken about five combs trying to do my hair, and I normally ended up crying when he’d tug on it too much, so Grams was the one who took on fixing me up for school. She had a gentle hand.

Kevin seemed sad lately. Sometimes, I’d walk past his office and hear him crying. I’d knock on his door and see if he needed anything, but he’d always pretend he was okay.

Grams said he pretended because he didn’t want his sadness to make me sad.

She said he brought different women from his past into the house and took them on dates, too because he was sad and trying not to be anymore.

“Why do I have to get my hair done today?” I grumbled to Grams on a Sunday morning.

Normally she only messed with my hair five days a week, and Sunday was not one of them.

“I already told you. We are meeting his new girlfriend, and you have to look decent.”

“Have you met her?”

“Yes.”

“Do you like her?”

Grams frowned and paused, which meant no, but she didn’t like most of Kevin’s girlfriends. She said he was too good for them.

“I think she might make him happy, so that’s all that matters, seeing how he’s lonely,” she answered.

“Why would he be lonely? He has us!”

Grams laughed. “Yes, he does, but sometimes a person needs a partner. Plus, your mama was his best friend since they were younger than you. They were so close that their souls were probably entangled. After she passed away, I truly believe that part of Kevin’s heart died and went to the ocean with your mama.”

I bit my nails and looked down at the floor. “Why doesn’t he just talk to Mama in the ocean?”

“Well, sweetheart…one has to believe in the magic of the ocean to be able to communicate with it. I think Kevin’s been struggling to believe ever since he lost your mother to the water. But he’ll come around. Maybe having someone around will make him believe a little bit more.”

“Do you think she’ll like me?”

Grams turned me toward her and kissed my forehead. “You’re impossible not to like, Stella.” She finished putting my hair into puffs and patted me on the shoulders. “Now, go on. Go put on that yellow sundress I lay out for you on your bed. Rosalina will be here any second, and I want you to be ready to greet her.”