DESCENDED

SOME TRUTH

The drive to my grandma's takes about an hour and a half with the way Sebastian drives. She lives in a big white house with a freshly cut and well-landscaped lawn. With a Mercedes SUV in the driveway, and a tuxedo cat sitting on the front porch asleep.

Sucking in a deep breath, I exhale slowly to let it out. I'm afraid. Because if meeting her in person goes anything like our phone conversation, then this probably won't go very well. Still, I ring the doorbell and wait for her to answer.

Only, the woman who answers the door doesn't look much like a grandmother at all. She's young and pretty and can't be much older than forty.

"Hi, we're looking for Magdalene," I greet her.

"Oh, my mom... come in," she smiles.

The inside of the home is just as nice as the outside. The floor is spotless, and the furniture is a combination of vintage and antique. I keep looking at the woman who's probably my aunt, wondering if she sees my father in me.

"Are you solicitors?" The woman asks.

Though she probably should've asked us that before letting us in.

"No, but I believe she's my grandmother," I tell her. "My father's name was Charles Savant."

The woman stops dead in her tracks and eyes me suspiciously. Then she looks over at Sebastian.

"Charles Savant was my husband. I would know if he had any children," she replies. "I'm Rebecca Savant."

Now I'm confused.

If Rebecca is my father's widow, then what was he doing with my mom? And how did I come about? Figuring the picture of my parents together would clear things up, I pulled it out of my pocket and show it to her. But I regret it as soon as I see the pain in her eyes.

"Your mother was one of our house maids," Rebecca informs me.

"Oh." I blanche. And suddenly, being here no longer seems like a good idea. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come here. I just wanted to know more about my father and who he was. I didn't mean to upset anyone."

"No. It's okay. I could never have children, and Charles really wanted one. So, I'm not surprised he found a way to get what he wanted," Rebecca flashes me a war smile. "That was the kind of person he was, you know. Once he had something he wanted, he'd find a way to get it. One way or another. You look like him... but mostly like your mom. What's your name?"

"Angelique Savant."

"Hm, well at least he gave you his name like a proper gentleman."

"I called Magdalene, but she hung up on me. I didn't know anything about you," I tell her.

"Well, for starters, people call me Becky. And Magdalene should've told you what happened to your father so you wouldn't have driven all the way down here for nothing. He was killed in a car crash years ago," she tells me. "Since then, I've remarried."

"Who are our guests?" An older woman asks. Smiling as she comes to greet us.

"Did you know Charles and Annabelle had a daughter together?" Becky asks her.

The old woman looks over at Sebastian and then me. Narrowing her eyes and sizing me up.

"What do you want? Money? I thought I told you to leave me alone."

"I just want to know my father's side of the family. I don't want any money from you." I clarify. "It's nice to meet you."

"Hm. Looks like you're carrying your wallet around with you," she rakes her eyes over Sebastian.