Cursed By The Sun

Chapter 2

"Sunniva, what have I ever done to deserve you?" My mom groans, taking another bite.

"You purchased a tube of sperm." I giggle and reach for a cookie myself. Mom rolls her eyes but I see her stifling a laugh.

"Now now Sunniva, it was more than just one random test tube of sperm. It was a carefully calculated decision based on a measurement of genetics, IQ, physical ability, health, p-"

"And these were the ingredients chosen to create the perfect little girl!" Mom says theatrically interrupting Momma, making me laugh.

Momma looks between us, confused but catches on eventually and is pulled in by Mom as she plants a kiss on her cheek and raises a cookie to her mouth.

"I think your daughter should pursue baking on the side of her teaching career."

"I'm aware this is a joke but I do not think it would be a failed effort." Momma smiles at me with a half eaten cookie in her hand, "These are very good, Sunniva."

"Thank you Momma." I move around the corner to place a kiss on both their faces, "I've gotta go meet up with Lucy to check out this apartment in town. Feel free to finish all of those cookies." I say on my way upstairs.

My room looks exactly the same way and I feel like a kid again moving around in it. Even my old school books are all stacked up the same way and by the nonexistent layer of dust they've collected I can tell Momma either asks Pierre to clean it or she does it herself.

My momma has Level 1 autism so it's high functioning and goes undetected by most people. She's also a scientist so in a way her ASD helps her already managed life get more managed. My mom is great at balance too so when she needs to she irons the creases of Momma's coats until their practically nothing but she also suggests a change of nail color or a trip to Cancun when she sees a monotonous tone set into their lives.

I reach for my phone and notice it's 3:05pm and the guy leasing the apartment to Lucy and I said to meet us there at 4pm. It'll take me at least 20 minutes to get there so without thinking I'm taking two steps at a time on my way down.

"Sunny honey, be careful." my mom calls from the kitchen.

"I advice you to take a coat along with you Sunniva. The temperature is going down outside and the weather report says there's a 50 percent chance of rain today." Momma says, making her way into the front room and opening the coat closet to pull out my yellow raincoat.

"Here you go." She hands it to me and stands still to watch me put it on.

"Much like your favorite childhood cartoon about that bear." She smirks and I know it's cause she is proud of her funny observation.

"Goodbye Momma." I pull her into a hug.

"Goodbye Sunniva be cautious on the roads if it does begin to rain."

I kiss her on the cheek and promise to be safe before heading out the door.

Downtown traffic is more backed up than I remember but I make it to the diner Lucy suggested we eat at before going up to the apartment blocks right next door.

I close my car door and try to tame my hair in the reflection of the window. Like I always do, I press my finger to my beauty mark and see Neoma's face looking back at me, sort of. We have slightly different noses and she has fine freckles that you'd have to get close enough to see.

Had.

I correct myself. It's a bizarre experience having the person you came into this world with not be in it anymore but in some ways I feel like us being separated for 10 years before that prepared me in some way. Maybe that's the reason I'm taking it so well. The therapist my moms suggested I see said that in a session once when I mentioned the guilt I felt for not being more broken up about Neoma's passing.