Of all the ways I had imagined seeing my egg donor again, her approaching me first had never been considered.
I am breathing in the cold air of the cafe, my eyes cast down when a woman's voice draws my attention. Although it is not quite her voice that makes me aware of her presence but rather the sheer amount of guilt radiating off her.
I look up, raising my cups to my lips and almost choke as I see the face looking down at me.
High cheekbones, a beauty mark on the rise of the left, lipsticked lips pressed tight, furrowed aquamarine eyes and a tumble of wavy strawberry blonde hair tumbled around her shoulders; an older, done-up version of myself only with the wrong eye color.
I look at that, that difference, remembering how much I had hated it.
"Alexandra." And then, there is no doubt about her identity anymore for my mother had never once gotten my name right.
I look at her then,at a loss of what exactly to say. My mind reels.
Had she always been in the same town as me, even when I was placed in the orphanage, even when I was homeless?
Had she never left this city?
"Oh, Alex. It is you, isn't it?" Her face crumples and suddenly, she's crying and hugging me.
My hands stay around my hot drink as I breathe in the expensive perfume that we couldn't have afforded in what seemed like decades ago.
My eyes lock onto another table where a man and his daughter are focused on us.
I stare at the girl's face and am only half- surprised to see a shifted version of mine looking back.
It seems having a new family is all it takes to get your head screwed straight.
Like mother, like daughter.
Or perhaps not.
"I have so much to tell you. I.." Miranda,said mother says pulling back, her mascara now smudged at the edges of her eyes.
One would think that with all the money she now has, she'd buy the waterproof version.
If not for the fact that coming here was unplanned, I'd have thought she planned this out and put on the mascara for dramatic effect.
"How about you come home with me? We can talk more there." She offers.
Of course, I can tell she means nothing malicious by this but something about the thought of following her to her new home irritates me deeply.
" No." I say.
She looks stricken at the reply.
" If there's anything to say, let's say it here." I say then.
Her expression softens then. " Alright."
The conversation that takes place next however almost makes me wish I had left it at that.