It was late when KT made it home after game night. Too late for her to place a phone call to her mother. It wasn’t possible, right? There had to be a logical explanation for this. She just needed her mom to reassure her. She needed her to wipe away the doubt she was feeling. She woke up early the next morning. She needed to call her mom before her meeting with Seven. She didn’t know how she was going to get through this meeting without knowing.
She grabbed her phone from her nightstand and remained wrapped in the bed covers. She dialed the number and lay back down. “Hey Ma…”
“Hey there baby girl. My goodness it’s early! Is everything alright?” KT heard pans rattling in the background. She was probably up fixing breakfast.
“I’m fine, Ma. I just needed to hear your voice.” She needed to know what was really going on. “You know I’ve been thinking…This whole birthmark thing is pretty weird.”
“What do you mean, hon?”
“You know, how only one child every generation gets it. Wonder why it works that way.”
“Well you know, yall both have it.” There was silence on the phone. “Oh, darn. My biscuits are burning. I’ll have to call you back later dear.” Her ear met with a dial tone.
“Both of who, Ma!” She screamed out loud. “Son of a bitch. Or maybe I’m the daughter of a bitch. What did you do?!” While she had the phone in her hand, she called Seven. She was surprised to find her completely alert.
“You’re up.”
“How clever you are.” God, I hate her, KT thought.
“Since you’re up, can we move the meeting up an hour?” She couldn’t wait to pick Seven’s brain. She needed more information.
“That would be perfect.” KT didn’t realize Seven was having a similar experience. She heard her grandma’s voice in her head always telling her how that birthmark came from “that white woman.” She had always believed her mother was dead. What other reason would a woman let a man take her newborn baby? KT’s mother was a live. Alive and well. What was going on?
She arrived first at the diner they had chosen to meet. She sat with her notes about the new projects she had in place for KT. She looked at her watch and waited. She wanted to get this over with. Her mind had been racing all night. She wasn’t sure if she had slept any at all.
She let out a deep sigh when KT sat across from her. KT looked like she felt. She was wrinkled and her hair was disheveled. Was she concerned too?
Seven started flipping through her folder explaining the details of these new projects. KT drew out a few sample designs and wrote a quote.
“I know this is rather informal. I’ll get something more detailed to you in a few days, but the pricing will still be the same.”
“Sounds good.” Seven put away her papers and looked at KT. “Sooo…”
“Yeah…Umm…I just wanna know… What do you know about your mother?”
“Not much. She had green eyes. And this stupid birthmark.” Seven sighed deeply. “She wasn’t a local girl. Nobody really knew too much about her. My pops worked for her family in Charleston. He tended their property. You know, like a yard man. They were well off. That’s how he got caught up with my mother. At the house, you know.” It felt weird to Seven to be discussing this with anybody. Much less to a pale freckled face white girl. Hmmm, I have freckles, she thought. She frowned at KT.
“My grandparents lived in Charleston. They did really well for themselves back in the day…” KT was remembering lots of arguments her parent’s had as a child. She even remembered her mother leaving for almost a year. How old was I then? KT strained her memory, but couldn’t place the year.
“What’s your mom look like?”
“She’s tall. Very, very pale. Freckles. Bright green eyes. And super thin. She could’ve very easily modeled.” She cocked her head to side and looked at Seven. “Come to think of it. She’s like the white version of you. What the fuck!” KT thought for a second. “You wouldn’t happen to know the name of the family your father worked for would ya?”
Seven shook her head. “Maybe my Grandma knows. I’m going down to visit her in a couple of days. I’ll pick her brain then.” She stood up to leave. “I’ll be in touch.” Seven left the diner without looking back.
KT sat a booth for another minute or two before she rushed to her car. Fuck that. I need to know now, she thought.
