Into the Ether - Complete

Spring, When New Things Grow: Part 11

"I have a daughter?" Abe's voice sounded awed.

"According to Janine yes, you do. Her name is Rosemarie, but everyone calls her Rose, and she'll be eighteen in two weeks time."

I could almost hear him doing the math.

"Yes, that would be about right," he murmured. "So, why are you calling me?"

This was the part of the conversation I was dreading, and I knew I had to pick my words carefully.

"Rose is in trouble, Mr. Mazur," I started.

"Abe, please," he interjected. "What sort of trouble?"

"Expecting a baby sort of trouble," I explained. "You have to understand Rose is the most headstrong, fearless, troublesome, sarcastic student I think I've ever come across..." I could hear Abe chuckle a little, "but she is also one of the most loyal, brave and selfless people I've ever met. She's in training to be a Guardian, and she's honestly the last student I would have expected to find themselves in this situation. While she appears to muck around a lot, in reality, she's very driven, and since her earliest years she's devoted herself to becoming the Guardian of her best friend, Lissa Dragomir."

I paused to let him take all this in.

"Is she the Novice who took the Princess on the run?" he asked. "Had everyone looking for them for two years?"

"Yes, that was her," I admitted, not sure whether Abe knowing about that boded well or otherwise, but it had been the talk of the Moroi world at the time so it's not like I could deny it. "There was a threat to Lissa's safety, so Rose did what she had to do to keep her safe. She's always been very devoted to Lissa – in many ways the Dragomirs were the only family she's ever known as she's had basically no relationship with her own mother. As a result of the baby, Lissa has turned her back on Rose, and Janine has severed even the little contact they had. Rose is very alone and has no support."

"And the father?" he asked, menace in his voice. "Why is he not stepping up to help her out? Does he need some persuading?"

Abe's tone gave me reason to hope that he might be willing to help Rose if only a little.

"No, it's not like that. He was a wonderful young man, and the two of them were very much in love. There were some serious impediments to them being together, so they kept their relationship secret. In any case, he had to leave the Academy before Rose knew she was pregnant and he's now missing presumed turned."

Abe let out a long hiss acknowledging the cruel blow.

"The whole situation has been traumatic for her. There's a lot more to it than I'll go into now, but suffice to say Rose is dealing with the loss of the man she loves, the best friend she considers her only family has deserted her, and her mother has turned her back on her as well. She's determined to keep her baby, so as it stands she's going to graduate in two and a half months time and will find herself homeless with no money, no support network and heading into the last stage of her pregnancy. She can't work as a Guardian with a new baby, yet her training has left her ill-prepared to support herself and her child in any other way."

"So what do you want from me?" he asked, the question loaded.

"Honestly? Any help you can give. I know you're a well-connected man, Abe. She doesn't need a handout, but a word in the right direction to help her find some legitimate employment and somewhere safe to stay in the vicinity of Court would be a huge help."

"If she needs help, why hasn't she called me herself?"

"She has no idea who her father is. Janine signed Rose over to the Academy when she was four and has only seen her a handful of times since. Describing their relationship as distant would be exaggerating the connection," I said, trying to keep recrimination out of my voice and failing. "Rose was brought up here at the Academy essentially as an orphan."