Athena

60. Rootless and Branchless

The three of us are seated in my great aunt's living room.

I feel twitchy. Jittery. My skin is practically humming with discomfort. I glance around the room, taking in my surroundings. Potted plants and succulents are everywhere. Knickknacks and books decorate the crooks and crannies. A glass vase full of peacock feathers. A porcelain figurine of a kitten wearing cherry-red rain boots. Rugs and paintings hang on the walls.

My great aunt's style appears to be very bohemian and eclectic. It feels homey. I decide that I kind of dig it. But my nerves are still a mess.

Cruz is beside me on the couch. Nascha sits across from us in an armchair. An old-school analog clock ticks away in the background. The quiet, rhythmic tock-tock-tocks make the silence feels even more awkward.

Nascha's dark eyes have been on me this whole time. The weight of her gaze makes me all the more uneasy. A sixth sense rises like a warning tide. I know the conversation we're about to have will alter the course of my entire life. Hopefully, it'll be for the better. But I have my doubts. The universe has never been very kind to me, after all.

"Is there anything you wanted to ask me," she starts, "before I say what I need to say?"

Hell, yeah.

Many questions race through my mind, but I don't know if I'm ready to share them with her. The idea of having family beyond my mom and Persie feels so foreign to me.

Can I trust Nascha?

A lump forms in my throat. "You can go first. My questions can wait."

"Are you sure?"

"Mm-hmm."

Nascha smiles a sad smile. "I'm sorry it took me this long to find you, Athena."

She sounds genuinely remorseful. It makes my heart thrum with a light, fluttery emotion that I can't quite name. Beside me, Cruz reaches over to hold my hand. I give him a grateful squeeze.

Together, we wait for her to continue with bated breath.

"You must feel blindsided by this whole situation."

I admit, "A bit, yeah."

She releases a nervous-sounding laugh. "I'm in shock as well. I can't believe you're sitting in front of me right now."

"It's pretty crazy," I grunt in agreement.

Nascha coughs. "So..."

I clear my throat as well. "So..."

"I guess I should start from the very beginning."

I nod encouragingly. "Please do."

Meanwhile, Cruz is listening and watching us with a riveted expression on his face.

Nascha takes in a deep breath before continuing, "Not long after we were born, your grandmother and I were adopted out of our tribe."

I echo, "Tribe?"

She nods. "Yes."

My eyes widen as this key word catches my attention. "As in, we're Indigenous or something?"

Nascha nods again with a sad smile. "Your grandmother and I were born Navajo, but, unfortunately, I don't speak the language, and I'm still trying to learn as much as I can about our culture and our people."

Damn.

Nascha's childhood reminds me of my mom, Persie, and me.

Rootless.

Branchless.

Forever searching for a sense of belonging.

She proceeds to inform me, "Doli and I went to different families in different states. I'm sad to say that I lost touch with my sister over the years, but I never forgot about her. Five years ago, I saved up enough money to hire a professional to help me find Doli, only to learn that she had passed away at childbirth and left behind a daughter who went into the foster care system. From there, I tried to track down your mother, but..."

Nascha's voice falls silent as pain darkens her features.

Quietly, I finish the sentence for her, "But then you found out that my mom had died as well?"

My great aunt casts me a sympathetic look. "I'm so sorry for your loss. You have no idea how sorry I am."

"Thank you," I whisper faintly, feeling all out of sorts. I don't know what else to say except, "I... miss her a lot."

She says with kind eyes, "I wish I had the chance to meet her."

"Me, too," I mumble back. "And I'm sorry you weren't able to reunite with your sister."

Nascha gives a shrug. "Life tends to have shit timing every now and then."

"Tell me about it," I sigh.

"I guess," she murmurs, "the only upside to these tragedies is that they led me to you, Athena."

Nascha offers me a meaningful look. One that makes me feel like I actually matter to her. The walls around my heart begin to crack ever so slightly. Against my better judgment, it makes me want to trust my great aunt.

"When my PI finally located you last week, I couldn't believe it. I called your father as soon as I got his number."

I grimace when she mentions my dad. That asshole. "Yeah, he told me about your phone call."

Nascha stares at me intently. "Anyway, I wanted to reach out because I have a proposal for you, Athena. You don't have to answer me right away. Take your time to think it over. I just want you to hear me out for now."

I eye her warily. "Okay, sure..."

"I understand you have a younger sister in New Jersey? She showed up on your mom's file."

Wow.

Nascha's PI really did his homework. I feel exposed. But I'm also kind of impressed by the fact that Nascha left no stone unturned when it came to her investigation.

"Yeah, I have a sister," I confirm a bit hesitantly, "her name is Persie."

Nascha gives a slight pause. "I... wanted to offer to adopt both you and Persie so we can all get to know each other and be reunited—as a family."

Shock courses through me. "What?"

I knew that Nascha wanted me to come live with her, but I had no idea that she'd be willing to open her doors to Persie as well.

"I know this is all very sudden. But I truly want what's best for both of you. I work in the HR department at NAU, the pay is pretty decent, and, as an university employee, my dependents would qualify for a tuition discount. I could help you and Persie go to college, if that's something you want to pursue."

My jaw drops. Another flare of disbelief seizes me. It quickly shifts into an entirely different emotion.

Hope.

A future, a real future, for Persie and me would be a total game changer. I feel like I can't say "no" even though Nascha is practically a stranger to us. Not to mention, it's not like I have much of a choice at the moment. My dad doesn't seem to want me, and Ron kicked me out.

But I'm scared to make a rash decision.

"Is it okay if I talk to my sister about this first?" I ask in a cautious manner. Then, I steal a glance at Cruz. "I wanna talk to my boyfriend about it, too."

He gives me a tight smile that worries me a little.

"Of course," Nascha responds with a swift nod, "like I said earlier, please take your time."

"Thank you, Nascha," I whisper, "for understanding. I... was really nervous about meeting you today, but, now, I'm so happy that we had a chance to talk."

Warmly, Nascha responds, "The feeling is mutual, Athena."

Honestly, this whole day feels like a dream come true. I should be cheering and celebrating at this unexpected victory for Persie and me. But I can't bring myself to feel happy about it because—

I cast another anxious look in Cruz's direction.

Where will he go if I move in with Nascha?