town once in a while with some guys I assumed were cousins. I only saw them once. They may have lived on the reservation, but I’m not sure. I don’t remember any relatives of Kaya’s mother.”
“Mansi Mockta was an only child.”
“That could be the reason then.”
Lacy glanced at the photo of the funny-faced boy eating ice cream. “And where is your brother?” Would he have been closer to this half-sister or to his half-sister Kaya? Perhaps he knew details of Kaya’s life the jealous Carol hadn’t bothered to remember.
“You don’t know?”
She jerked at the tone in Carol’s voice. “Know what?”
“I thought you might have discovered what happened when you researched your parents.” The frown furrowed deeper across her brow.
“Discovered what?” Her nerves tingled at the hate in the older woman’s eyes.
“He died along with Kaya and her Austrian lover in the plane crash.”
Her breath caught. “I...I’m so sorry.”
“He was flying the plane.”
The air whooshed from Lacy’s lungs as the implications of another dead end smacked her hope down. Everywhere she turned, she hit a wall. Yes, her main purpose in coming had been to find out about the mysterious sketches for her daughter, but as the day droned on, learning more about her blood parents spiked her enthusiasm. She’d expected to learn something from the only relatives known, Carol and her half-brother. Now, all she had left were slanted stories from a life of bitterness of one old woman.
“They were all a bunch of fools to take off in that little, rickety plane with a novice like Johnny. He hadn’t had his license long. He wasn’t much more than a kid. All he had to do was fly to Phoenix and turn around and come back. They ruled it pilot error. Just another notch in my memories.”
Lacy had been the only survivor. And now every link to her mother, her first mother, no longer existed. Dead ends. Literally. “I’m so sorry.” The regret tore at her for selfish reasons.
“Before your time.”
“Can you tell me anything about Kaya?” The sketches forgotten, she had an overwhelming desire to put more than a face to her mother.
“Hmm...well, you look like her. Got her smile, that’s for sure, and her coloring. Her hair, too.”
She’d learned that much from the photographs. “Where were they headed that day?”
“Johnny told me they were going to Austria to get married. He had to drop them at Sky Harbor Airport down in Phoenix, and they’d get on the plane there for Austria. The marriage was kind of a last minute thing. Kaya was always impulsive.” She stared into her coffee cup. “Johnny said Hartmut wanted to go home for a visit, alone. At the last minute, plans changed. It was some big surprise for your father’s family. Johnny said Hartmut had broken ties with his family when he took off for the States a few years earlier, and he was going to take Kaya and the baby, er you, back to Austria.” Steely eyes regarded her. “Make up with them, I guess.”
If they had lived, she might have been raised in Austria? How different life would’ve played out.
Lacy tipped the picture closer, looked at the little boy licking his cone, ice cream dribbling down his chin. Her attention shifted to Janice in the photo.
“And where is your mother now?”
“She’s in a home, Alzheimer’s. Doesn’t know any of us.”
“That’s too bad.” My God, this woman had nothing good to say about her life.
“She’s not unhappy.” Carol cleared her throat and tossed a smile across the room. “You said on the phone, you had some drawings of Kaya’s.”
“Hmm, yes. Although, I’m not sure Kaya is the artist. Did she want to be an artist as a child?”
“She drew all the time. You have the drawings...with you?”
She bent to pick up the bag and glanced in the mirror over Carol’s head just as the alarm sounded on her car. The reflection of a man by the driver side door froze. Carol’s eyes widened as they jumped to
“Mansi Mockta was an only child.”
“That could be the reason then.”
Lacy glanced at the photo of the funny-faced boy eating ice cream. “And where is your brother?” Would he have been closer to this half-sister or to his half-sister Kaya? Perhaps he knew details of Kaya’s life the jealous Carol hadn’t bothered to remember.
“You don’t know?”
She jerked at the tone in Carol’s voice. “Know what?”
“I thought you might have discovered what happened when you researched your parents.” The frown furrowed deeper across her brow.
“Discovered what?” Her nerves tingled at the hate in the older woman’s eyes.
“He died along with Kaya and her Austrian lover in the plane crash.”
Her breath caught. “I...I’m so sorry.”
“He was flying the plane.”
The air whooshed from Lacy’s lungs as the implications of another dead end smacked her hope down. Everywhere she turned, she hit a wall. Yes, her main purpose in coming had been to find out about the mysterious sketches for her daughter, but as the day droned on, learning more about her blood parents spiked her enthusiasm. She’d expected to learn something from the only relatives known, Carol and her half-brother. Now, all she had left were slanted stories from a life of bitterness of one old woman.
“They were all a bunch of fools to take off in that little, rickety plane with a novice like Johnny. He hadn’t had his license long. He wasn’t much more than a kid. All he had to do was fly to Phoenix and turn around and come back. They ruled it pilot error. Just another notch in my memories.”
Lacy had been the only survivor. And now every link to her mother, her first mother, no longer existed. Dead ends. Literally. “I’m so sorry.” The regret tore at her for selfish reasons.
“Before your time.”
“Can you tell me anything about Kaya?” The sketches forgotten, she had an overwhelming desire to put more than a face to her mother.
“Hmm...well, you look like her. Got her smile, that’s for sure, and her coloring. Her hair, too.”
She’d learned that much from the photographs. “Where were they headed that day?”
“Johnny told me they were going to Austria to get married. He had to drop them at Sky Harbor Airport down in Phoenix, and they’d get on the plane there for Austria. The marriage was kind of a last minute thing. Kaya was always impulsive.” She stared into her coffee cup. “Johnny said Hartmut wanted to go home for a visit, alone. At the last minute, plans changed. It was some big surprise for your father’s family. Johnny said Hartmut had broken ties with his family when he took off for the States a few years earlier, and he was going to take Kaya and the baby, er you, back to Austria.” Steely eyes regarded her. “Make up with them, I guess.”
If they had lived, she might have been raised in Austria? How different life would’ve played out.
Lacy tipped the picture closer, looked at the little boy licking his cone, ice cream dribbling down his chin. Her attention shifted to Janice in the photo.
“And where is your mother now?”
“She’s in a home, Alzheimer’s. Doesn’t know any of us.”
“That’s too bad.” My God, this woman had nothing good to say about her life.
“She’s not unhappy.” Carol cleared her throat and tossed a smile across the room. “You said on the phone, you had some drawings of Kaya’s.”
“Hmm, yes. Although, I’m not sure Kaya is the artist. Did she want to be an artist as a child?”
“She drew all the time. You have the drawings...with you?”
She bent to pick up the bag and glanced in the mirror over Carol’s head just as the alarm sounded on her car. The reflection of a man by the driver side door froze. Carol’s eyes widened as they jumped to
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