Just a Story of One Little Girl

“Well, that was…interesting,” Austin remarked as we walked down the street. I nodded in agreement. “He even looked kinda like Smee from Peter Pan. Or was I the only one who noticed that?”

I giggled at the tall boy. “No I thought so too. Oh here we are: Hartford Public Library!” I bounded up the steps of the huge building, the boys following me. Immediately I sat down and typed her name in Google.

A Facebook match popped up and I clicked on it. I could only see her profile picture and name, but it was a start. She must have gotten married, because her name was Katelyn Donavan Petriolski.

“Wow, Mack. You look exactly like her.” I beamed at Jason’s words and went back to Google. I quickly typed in “Katelyn Petriolski”. The first search brought me to her Linkedin account. Perfect. Open on the screen was all of my mother’s contact information. I grabbed my pencil and paper, and jotted down her phone number.

I continued to look at the page with curiosity. She lived in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. She looked young, late 20s maybe 30 years old. It made me wonder how old she was when she got pregnant. I didn’t look exactly like her, but there were definite similarities. I had her hair, and her eyes. Her smile was also like mine, but that’s where the similarities stopped.

I logged off the computer and followed my friends outside. We walked down the street and found a cheap hotel. Aiden paid for one suite for us all, and we walked up the stairs to a nice spacious 2 room suite. I was nervous about calling my mother. What would she say? Would she even want to see me? She probably wouldn’t want to leave Nevada, but what if I came to her?

Aiden snapped my out of my thoughts by handing me his cell. “It’s ringing.”

I held the phone to my ear, trying to quell my nervousness. After the fourth ring, a woman picked up. “Hello?” My tongue stuck in my throat and I couldn’t make any noise. “Hello? Who is this?”

“Hello. Is this Katelyn Petriolski?” I found my voice.

“Yes, may I ask who I’m speaking to?”

“My name is –“ I paused, contemplating which name to use. “Ellery Anastasia. Before you married, was your last name Donovan?”

“Yes, how did you know? Wait a minute. Ellery Anastasia…” I could hear recognition enter her voice as she slowly repeated my name.

I pushed on. “Well, my full name is Ellery Anastasia Iero. I think – I think you’re my mom.” There was a long silence on the end of the phone. I waited. “Katelyn?”

Suddenly the other side came to life. “I don’t know what you’re talking about” she answered coldly. “I don’t have a daughter. I never did. Especially not with that idiot Iero! I have a family now with two wonderful sons. I never want to hear from you again! Do you understand me?” I lost my voice again. I could feel tears stinging at my eyes. The cruel woman continued her rant. “Never try to contact me. If I ever hear from you again, I will call the police and get a restraining order!”

She sounded slightly hysterical, and I felt a mixture of emotions. “That won’t be necessary,” I said quietly. “You don’t have to worry about ever thinking of me again. I’m sorry I wanted to get to know my mother.” I put as much venom as I could into those last words and hung up the phone. I gave it back to Aiden and flopped hard onto the bed, pressing my hands over my eyes.

I couldn’t believe it. I hadn’t really gotten my hopes up; I knew she might not want to meet me and I was fine with that. I didn’t care so much the fact that she didn’t want to know me, as much as I cared about her reaction. It was just cruel! I hadn’t meant any harm by the phone call; I just wanted to learn who my mother was.

I felt a hand on my thigh and looked through my fingers; Aiden was looking at me sympathetically. I groaned. I just want to get out of that hell-hole, I thought to myself.

“I know sweetie. I’m sorry.” I glanced my brother quizzically, but it was Jason who answered my silent question.

“You’re thinking aloud again. She must have really upset you.” He looked at me with concern, and I merely nodded.

“Well,” Austin began. “There’s always Frank—“

“No.” I cut him off. “If my mother doesn’t want me because she has a ‘family and two wonderful boys’, then there is no way an unmarried rock star is going to have time for me.” I jumped off the bed and walked out of the suite, slamming the door. I needed to clear my mind and take a walk. Let’s see how lost I can get, I thought, smirking to myself.