Episode 773: Sweet Child

"I feel terribly for Katherine," she said, "everything that could go wrong did. She must feel so embarrassed."

"There are worse things in the world than a party failing to go to plan," her son said. "There are people who have lost their kids, or who have had their kids ripped away."

Sarette’s insides somersaulted, wondering if it had finally happened, had her son found out about his sister? "W-why would you mention that?"

As nervous as she was, Sarette felt a little hopeful, too. Paul seemed to be speaking in an understanding, empathetic fashion. Maybe they could have a reasonable conversation about Avalon. Maybe he could get to know Ava; they could be a family of sorts, under the radar, of course.

"Oh, um," Paul replied. "I just saw something about parenting in a documentary, that’s all. I never thought before about how hard it must be to not raise your own kid, to give them up or lose them."

"It’s incredibly difficult to wonder where they are and how they’re doing, to wonder if you could have done things differently," Sarette confessed.

"Mom," Paul took his eyes off the road just long enough to say, "that sounds like you’re speaking from personal experience."

Sarette thought that he knew, that he was giving her the opening to explain, and she hoped to do so in a way he’d understand, in a way that would convince him to keep her secret, and perhaps persuade him to help her bridge the gap between her and Avalon. It all depended on a better explanation than she’d managed with Ava, she couldn’t come off as a spoiled rich girl who’s reputation had mattered more to her than her child had.

"It sounds like I have personal experience," she paused to steady her breath, "because I do have personal experience, Paul. It’s how I felt with your sister, it’s how I still feel."

Episode 774: Wheels