Chapter Thirty Six
Natala woke slowly, wondering if she was still dreaming at the comfort of the bed she was in. She snuggled in further, not wanting to wake and lose the wonderful dream. Her dreams were so vivid sometimes that she had trouble waking up to the cold, harsh reality.
Someone moved next to her and she wondered with a trickle of fear what trash she had picked up the night before in exchange for a place to sleep. Sometimes waking up too late was a very, very bad thing. An early wakeup meant an early escape.
Then she remembered the night’s events, and her eyes popped opened. She sat straight up in the bed, looking around in a panic.
The girl cousins were gone, but the small boy with dark hair, blue eyes and the neutral aura was sitting next to her, watching her.
“Hello,” she said softly.
He smiled and crawled up against her, hugging her tightly. Gingerly she hugged him back, unused to an affectionate touch. Something wasn’t quite right with the boy, but Natala didn’t get a sense of menace or darkness. If anything, his soul was rather startlingly pure.
“What’s your name?” she asked softly. “Forgive me, please, for not remembering.”
“It’s Sean,” came a voice from the doorway.
Natala turned to see her cousin, Aralyn. The blonde’s shoulder length hair hadn’t been brushed yet and she still wore the t-shirt and sweatpants she had slept in.
“He’s my youngest brother, and he doesn’t talk much.”
Natala frowned. “Is he okay?”
Aralyn sat on the bed with them. “He has autism. He rarely speaks, though he can. He’s good at drawing and math though. He’s very shy, and sweet.” Aralyn reached over and ruffled his hair.
“That explains the aura,” Natala murmured.
“The what?” Aralyn asked. “Did you say aura?” She perked up. “Do you see them?”
Natala nodded. “His is very neutral, occasionally there’s a color ripple, but it’s generally gray.”
“Is that bad?” Aralyn asked.
“Not necessarily. Like I said, it’s very neutral. I noticed it last night but I wasn’t sure what it meant. It’s really not bad though,” she assured him, and he smiled up at her. “It means you’re very special.”
Sean seemed to like that.
Aralyn smiled. “That’s good. I came up to find him, and to see if you’re awake. Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes, the second round anyway. The twins and our Uncle Mart pretty much devour the first batch, which is why Uncle Mart does a lot of the cooking. Daisy did most of last night’s feast and once the Pig Crew is fed, they get sent outside so the rest of us mortals can eat. Hope you’re ready for pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, grits and juice. Or if there’s anything you want, just ask. I’m sure we’ve got it and Moms and Daisy will knock each other over to prepare it for you.”
Natala didn’t mention she rarely ate breakfast. She never knew where’d she be waking up and breakfast wasn’t something she asked for. Home cooked food. Her mouth had been watering since Aralyn started listing food. The cousins had kept giving her treats late last night, pies, cakes, cookies, brownies. She had felt slightly ill at one point but never got sick. She could tell by the worried glances her new family was concerned by her thing appearance. Natala had always been thin, and in the last month, had lost weight she couldn’t afford to. But she never knew where the next meal was coming from.
Natala smiled. “I’m ready. I just wasn’t sure if I was dreaming when I first woke up.”
Sean crawled out of her lap and off the bed, and the two girls did the same. Natala was almost as tall as Aralyn, but even in the baggy sweats, it was clear she was painfully thin. Aralyn gave her a sweeping glance. No wonder the older generation downstairs was fussing over what to feed her new cousin.
“How old is Sean?” Natala asked.
“Eleven. He’s small for his age, but we never mention it in front of him. He’s kind of the anomaly in the otherwise all-blonde branch of the family. We have a number of brunettes though, so don’t worry. You won’t stick out like Little Regan, with his bright red hair.”
Natala smiled shyly, tucking a strand of raven hair behind her ear.
Impulsively, Aralyn hugged her new cousin. “Welcome to the Belden-Duke madness, Nat.”
***
Natala quickly learned that hugging was essentially mandatory in the family. She had never had so many people touch her at once. When she came downstairs there were no awkward stares, but a crazy amount of hugging and she was escorted to a chair at the table by her blonde grandmother, who insisted Natala call her Moms, like the rest of the family did. Her ‘grandparents’ Wheeler were there as well, and Matthew had a satisfied glint in his eye. The aunts and uncles were easier to remember, and she was presented with an elaborate, hand drawn family tree by the twins.
She didn’t think she could eat the plate of food set in front of her by Mart, but under Brian’s watchful eye, she did. He insisted she eat slowly so as to not make herself sick, while one twin reached for a piece of bacon from the platter in the middle of the table.
“I won the contest this morning,” he bragged.
“Contest?” Natala asked.
“Yep. Thirteen pieces of bacon nonstop. Leif only managed eleven.”
The adults in the room were all frowning.
“And where was Mart?” Brian asked.
“Keeping count,” Logan grinned.
His uncle suddenly was very busy at the sink.
Natala got the impression this was normal if the mothers weren’t around.
Keeping track of the younger cousins was difficult but she felt an instant bond to the two oldest, Aralyn and Tiffany. She liked Lyris too, and had to admire the girl. Natala wondered what the rest of her story was. Rayma was an artist, she discovered, and Natala was pleased to know there might be someone to understand her love of painting, other than Sean. They were a beautiful family, she thought. Good genes, nice personalities: personalities running the gamut.
After breakfast was the onslaught of presents. When Natala followed the cousins to the living room, she was sure there were more presents than the night before. And when they were handed out, she couldn’t stop the tears as boxes piled up around her. She watched Matthew Wheeler’s aura intensify with pride, and suspected he was behind this. Daisy also looked quite pleased with herself. She hesitantly opened her gifts to find mostly clothes. Very nice clothes, she thought. Nicer clothes than she had ever worn, or let alone own and a variety: Jeans, sweaters, panties, bras, several pair of shoes. Gift baskets of scented lotions and shampoos.
“But how—”
“Grandpa Matt can get anything, any time of day,” the small, dark haired girl of about eleven piped up. A scan of her aura identified her as a lonely soul, who felt cut off from the rest of her family. The youngest of the children, her siblings, stuck next to her, intimidated by the older, rowdy cousins. Natala made a point to get to know her. In a family this big, she didn’t think the youngest girl should feel so left out.
“It helps that Mom owns a fashion company,” said another cousin, a stunning dark haired girl with green eyes. “I’m Dana, your cousin by way of Duke genes. My parents are Dan and Daisy, and this is Jesse, my brother. Tim is our other brother, but he’s snowed in down in Maryland right now.”
Natala was too overwhelmed to speak.
“We’ll take you shopping tomorrow, don’t worry,” Tiffany said cheerfully. “This is just to get you started.”
Jim and Dan watched Brian, who sat close to his daughter, though not saying much. They both knew the doctor was still processing, but his devotion was already set. Both men were praying this girl turned out to be his daughter, because Brian would be broken hearted if she wasn’t.
***
Eventually all the presents were unwrapped, trash collected, dishes loaded into the washer, and then the lounging began. There were parades were on tv, as well as football games that were a noisy affair from the other room, with all the men present. Aralyn herded up the girls to her room, including Natala, where they painted toenails, listened to music and gossiped without the boys to annoy them.
Natala sat fascinated, listening to them. She was still amazed all these people were related to her. They had such distinct personalities. Dana was saucy and fun, Tiffany was the quiet one, Aralyn the leader, Rayma the artist, Mabon, sweet, spunky and not real sure who she was just yet. Little Valerra Frayne, the smallest girl who had spoken up earlier, tagged along shyly when Natala held out her hand to her.
Valerra sat in front of Tiffany as Tiffany combed her long hair and experimented with pinning it up. Rayma had her makeup out and was expertly “making up” Valerra’s face. It occurred to Natala that Valerra wasn’t the stunner all of her cousins were, but a much plainer girl. That probably didn’t help with the girl’s loneliness, she figured. She was surrounded by tall, beautiful girl cousins who were very confident in who they were. Val’s father was a good looking man, but the girl’s mother wasn’t present. Natala sensed this was normal. Natala reaffirmed her decision to get to know her young cousin.
Mabon asked if she could braid Natala’s hair and Natala agreed. The younger cousin sat behind her, braiding the long locks.
Natala learned a lot of dish on her male cousins. Tim had a rocky past but would be attending the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis starting next month. His girlfriend Lyris would be staying here to work for Daisy. They would call later and Skype with the family. He’d be back in a few days, once the city dug out from a monster snowstorm. Miles wasn’t quite the prankster that Leif and Logan were, but had his share of the plots. Riley was into science, and suspected to be gay by his twin and cousins, though Dana pointed out they had thought the same of Brian until last night. Jesse was into history and writing and had a very nice cheerleader girlfriend. Byron, Jim’s oldest boy was into soccer, and Regan, the youngest, liked video games. They were Valerra’s brothers, and much younger than the rest of the clan. Jim had evidently started his family a little later in life, Natala thought.
Trixie came up to the room at one point with snacks and drinks, giving a meaningful look to her daughter, who promptly began trying to get Natala to sample the different cheeses, and which fruit or cracker to pair them with. Natala thought with amusement they really were trying to fatten her up. She had noticed most of the women in the family were curvy and solid. Honey, Tiffany, Madeleine Wheeler and herself were the most slender, but Natala knew she was too thin. In better times there was more food, but they spent too much time on the run, being evicted or just told to leave town. Square meals weren’t common, let alone good meals.
At one point, Natala was lured into the kitchen with the older generations, who delighted in commenting on how pretty she was, what lovely hair, and clear skin she had. It didn’t escape Natala that they were slipping samples of food in front of her, asking about allergies, here try this, oh you’ll love this, and asking what sort of things she liked to read, watch, her favorite colors.
Daisy was the designer, Natala realized; her label was on most of the clothes she had received that morning. The woman looked her over with a critical eye, assuring Natala she was mentally selecting styles and colors that would suit the girl’s frame and coloring. Daisy had correctly guessed Natala’s sizes, and along with Matthew Wheeler, had secured plenty of clothing overnight, gift wrapped and ready.
Moms just kept studying her. Natala knew she was seeing Brian in her granddaughter’s face, trying to picture the unknown mother. Moms’ aura, usually warm and pale yellow was dark with sadness at the lost years.
Madeleine Wheeler was commenting on her hair when Natala confessed to wanting a cut, and Tiffany had already called about a salon appointment. Madeleine nodded in satisfaction, trusting her granddaughter to make sure Natala was taken care of. The women agreed which jewelry tones would look best on the pale skinned girl with such delicate features and electric eyes. Natala couldn’t believe they were really discussing such things. Most of her conversations with her other cousins had revolved around sex and how to get the most money from the john with the least amount of work. She felt like she had stepped into a whole new world that she just wasn’t sure she could make it in.
It was like being in a movie, she thought to herself later. She was the star of a rags to riches story, and by riches, she meant a family and a home.
Eventually, the day wound down, and everyone departed for their houses, with more hugs to Natala and promises to call soon. By that point she was on overload, and could just nod and smile.
Finally, it was just Bo, Trixie, their kids, Brian, Natala and Moms and Peter. Moms and Peter insisted on accompanying Brian and Natala home. The next day Natala would go the office with Brian for a complete physical and blood work, the day after that she was scheduled to go shopping with Tiffany and Aralyn, who had planned originally to depart to continue their road trip. Natala had protested she had no money but it was waved off, and she was told to consider it a lifetime of missing birthday presents, and holidays and school shopping.
Natala didn’t tell them she had never been to school and couldn’t really read.
***
Natala tensed during the exam. She had never had a pap smear before and it wasn’t exactly comfortable. Brian had already drawn several tubes of blood and sent them off, and called in a friend who was a female gynecologist to examine Natala while he left the room. Dan had come by and taken a tube of blood with him for an expedited DNA test. Matthew Wheeler offered to drop whatever cash was necessary to get the results ASAP.
She was tested for bone density, nutrient levels, sexually transmitted diseases, and sent through a full CT scan and MRI, both of which were scary for her. She didn’t like being trapped in the tube.
Her reflexes were good, but when it came to the eye test, she balked.
“Just read me the letters that are clearest,” Brian said.
“They’re all clear,” she answered.
Brian smiled. “This is just routine, Natala, tell me what letters you see.”
“All of them,” she hedged.
Brian turned and looked at her closely. He had already examined her eyes and they looked ok; she’d get a more thorough test later this week, with an eye doctor. Suddenly he realized why she didn’t want to read the letters.
“Can you read?” he asked.
Natala swallowed and turned pale. “Barely,” she whispered. “I recognize some letters. But no, I really can’t read. I can sort of write my name.”
Brian swallowed when he saw the tears welling in her eyes, the bright blue eyes that were so like Taliatha’s.
“Don’t worry,” he reached over and took her hand. “Jim and Mart are excellent teachers. We’ll get you caught up in no time.”
“You’ve done so much for me already,” she whispered, before bursting into tears.
Brian hugged her, trying to soothe her. His heart ached as he thought about what she had been through. The haunted eyes told a story more painful than she would admit to, and the thought of his child spending her entire life living so miserably just broke his heart. He was pretty sure he knew what her previous life had entailed, based on Jim and Dan’s teen years.
They had dinner at an Irish pub that Brian favored; he often ordered in lunch when he was working. It was odd to introduce her as his daughter, but he did it with pride. He noted several of the men eying her with interest, and he quickly whisked her to a booth where they could eat in private.
“Everyone eats so much,” she said, as the fresh bread was placed in front in front of her, followed by a bowl full of a thick stew. “It’s a little unusual for me.”
Brian chuckled. “You need to eat; you’re way too thin for your frame.” Then he smiled sheepishly. “We eat big in this family. Holidays are a big deal. It’s the only time of year I don’t lecture them all on overindulging. Even the twins, and they’re usually cramming everything in sight into their mouths. Daisy tends to cook heavier foods, because she’s from the south, but I make them all get their cholesterol checked regularly.”
She smiled shyly at him. “Did you check mine?”
“Yep. I’m running everything on you. I don’t know much about your previous lifestyle, but I hope at some point you’ll be comfortable enough to confide in me,” he said gently. “There’s no pressure, and there’s no rush.”
Natala nodded and sipped her water. “It’s not a pretty story,” she said quietly.
“I know,” he answered. “And that’s why there’s no pressure. I suspect it would be difficult to talk about.”
And he wanted her to talk to a professional therapist. Her world had been turned upside down in a very short time and he remembered how Dan and Jim had struggled. He wanted her to have someone neutral to talk to. She was going to need to someone nonrelated who could help her. Brian ate his fish and chips for a few minutes, before he couldn’t hold back any longer.
“Would you tell me sometime about your mom?” he asked gently. “Whenever you feel up to it. I never knew what happened to her and not a day goes by I don’t think about her, or miss her.”
Natala paused. She didn’t want to tell him the whole truth. But she’d tell him something. “Of course,” she answered. There hadn’t been time to mourn. The troupe moved in to dispose of her body and rifle through their possessions. But Talaitha had already snuck them all out of hiding, and only Natala knew where they were. The little money and jewelry had gotten her partway across the country, before she had to leave her bag behind.
Brian wasn’t ready to hear the truth, she knew that much. The life of despair, poverty, and panhandling was a foreign concept to his family. Her family, she corrected herself. They were hers now, too.
Meet the cast in full & see the family tree!
Author’s Notes
- A huge yee-haa to the fabulous and lovely Ronda, for editing this and her suggestions which made it much better!
- Natala is going to stick around for a bit as she acclimates to her family. She has a pretty dark story to tell, that needs telling.
- Word Count, 3,194
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