Hurricane

‘You have to ignore Kai’s behavior. He is always like that, so don’t think it’s personal. He just shields himself for everybody else’, Irina suddenly said from the shower next to mine. The showers were separated by wooden walls, and luckily, there where doors. But we still didn’t unlock the door that led to the showers.

‘I think I guessed that already. But why does he do that?’ I asked while I washed my hair.

‘Let me just say, that he doesn’t trust people quickly, because of certain things that happened in his past’, she said in a soft voice.

‘Yeah, I understand that’, I said. I waited for her reply but she didn’t say anything.

‘Aiden isn’t your brother, is he?’ she asked suddenly. I was bewildered. How could she know? Aiden whispered to me if there was someone standing near us. She never could hear Aiden call me mum, could she? I thought about lying to her, but why should I?
Irina seemed nice, and someone I could trust.

‘Yeah, he isn’t. He is my son’, I said quietly, almost whispering. I turned off the water, and walked out of the shower, with my towel wrapped around me. She also walked out of the shower. I was looking to the floor, too embarrassed to look at her. I saw her feet in front of me, and suddenly her wet arms were embracing me.

‘I don’t care Cas, that you’re a mother. I don’t get why some people are dismayed by the idea. I think you’re really lucky with such a cute son like Aiden. Don’t be embarrassed, you should be really proud’ I looked at her startled. She really was amazing. I smiled a tiny smile.

‘Thank you Ina, it means a lot to me, really’, I said to her. I embraced her and then let her
go. While we were talking we dried our self, and put on our PJ’s. We unlocked the door and walked back to the van, where Kai was waiting for us.

‘Finally, you are done. What took you so long?’ He asked annoyed, but I could hear the teasing in it.

‘Ha, because you hate water, doesn’t mean that we hate it, especially Cas doesn’t hate it. Here gift is water, so why would she hate it?’ Irina said back. Kai ignored her and walked with his stuff to the showers.

‘I think I should call Aiden, he was kind of upset when I left. My mum told him today that I was his mother’, I explained to her and she nodded. I walked to the little pond that was around the corner of the building were the showers were. I dialed the number and waited for somebody to answer.

‘With Anne’, I hear the voice of my mother on the other side.

‘Hi mum, it’s me. Can I get Aiden, I will talk to you later’, I said. I wanted to apologize to my mother, but at the moment I couldn’t find the right words for it. Maybe after I talked to Aiden.

‘Yeah of course. Here he is’, she said and after a cracking noise of wind, I heard the voice of Aiden.

‘Hay mum’, he said happily.

‘Hi Aiden honey, How are you?’

‘I’m fine mum. Grandma played soccer with me, and I won!’ he said in a proud voice.

‘Wow Aiden. That’s good. I’m proud of you. But can I speak to grandma?’ I asked. I found the words the apologize to her.

‘Here she is. Bye mum’, he said, and I could hear the disappointment in it. I gave him a kiss trough the telephone and I heard him giggle and a loud smacking kiss came back. After that he gave the phone to my mum.

‘Hi honey. I really am sorry’, she said immediately. Like she pushed a button, all tears that I held back for years came dripping out of my eyes.

‘I know mum, but couldn’t you discuss it with me first? At least I would have know, and I wouldn’t have to act strange when he called me mum’, I said with a broken voice.

‘I know sweetie, and I’m really sorry’

‘You’ve helped me so much mum. You promised to tell Aiden when he was old enough, and when I was ready’, I lost the control over myself.

Kai’s POV
I heard the whole conversation and I couldn’t believe my ears. Cascadia was Aiden’s mum? But she was sixteen and Aiden was two, that meant that she was fourteen when she got Aiden.

‘You’ve helped me so much mum. You promised to tell Aiden when he was old enough, and when I was ready’, I heard Cas' broken voice came drifting with the wind. She was upset.

Hesitatingly, I walked over to here and set down next to her. She was trembling like a leaf and the tears were pouring down her cheeks. I laid carefully my arm over her shoulders and grabbed the phone at of her hands.

‘I don’t think Cascadia can answer right know’, I said in a cold voice and hung up. I looked at Cas and gazed into her ocean blue eyes.

‘I heard the conversation’, I said softly to her, insecure of myself.

‘Oh no’, she said and hid her face in her hands.