“She had cancer …” Lottie stated, her trembling voice conveying the depth of her emotions at the loss of her mother, “breast cancer … and she died when I was seven …”

“I’m sorry …” muttered Bette, truly feeling the words she spoke, but for Lottie, not for her, she felt as though she’d lost Maxine herself many years before,

“She was sick for a while … and then she got a bit better … but then she went into hospital and then she died …” Lottie stated, with little emotion,

It didn’t fail to hit Bette that she spoke about their mothers death a bit like a small child … once again she felt that same stab of pain that a mother … not a child feels … and thought of Angie, and her family … and the pain that she would feel if that was ever hurt …

“I’m so sorry …” said Bette again, “that must have been very hard for you … to see that …” she added,

Lottie shrugged, it had been hard … but it also felt like another lifetime ago … sometimes …

“She’s buried in Virginia …” Lottie said, without knowing why … she waited for a response, but after a while realised that there wasn’t going to be one, Bette seemed to be thinking about something,

“Next question …?” Lottie asked with a weary smile,

Bette smiled, placing down her coffee cup which still held a few mouthfuls of cold coffee … she sighed, thinking about where she wanted to go next,

“Tell me how you found out about me …?” Bette asked, “did you always know … did she tell you?”

“No …” mumbled Lottie, sadly, “she never told me …” she paused, looking deeply into Bette’s eyes, “and neither did he …” she added

Bette nodded, realising instantly that there was a rift between Lottie and her father, one which she suspected had begun the very moment Lottie found out about her, it made her not relish the idea of ever meeting Jeff Mitchell,

Bette raised an eyebrow at Lottie, indicating a shared disproval, she waited for Lottie to explain further …

Lottie fidgeted with her hands, crossing and uncrossing her fingers nervously, knowing that the path of how she found out about Bette lead down a route which involved lawyers, stipulations and money and a lot of complicated stuff she didn’t feel quite prepared to talk about,

“I’ve known a little over a year …” Lottie explained, “I found out on my eighteenth birthday …”

Bette’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion,

“From your father?” Bette asked, wondering why a man would wait over ten years to tell his daughter a thing like that …

Lottie shook her head slowly, “not my dad …” she paused, exhaling slowly, no longer meeting Bette’s gaze, “I got a letter … in a birthday card … from moms lawyer …” she continued,

Bette nodded, “The lawyer in Virginia …?”

“Yeah … him … the card was originally from mom … explaining things,” Lottie continued, her voice close to a whisper,

Bette leant in towards her, her own breath quietening as she struggled to hear Lottie’s words,

“Then I went out to see him … his name’s Roger,” said Lottie … “and he gave me a bunch of mom’s stuff …” she added, her eyes wandering over the folder which lay in front of Bette on the table,

“You went to Virginia …?” Bette asked, “alone?”

Lottie nodded, “Dad banned me from speaking to him when he found out, and took away my cell phone so I skipped school and booked a flight on my Amex”

Bette let out a roaring laugh, it certainly wasn’t funny, but in a way it was her best possible response,

Lottie giggled, surprised by Bette’s laughter,

“You’re very determined,” Bette said through her laughter, a small hint of pride in her voice, she admired Lottie’s guts, if the kid was going to be related to her then it helped that she already liked her, it helped that she already thought Lottie was full of many of the qualities she herself admired,

Lottie smiled, aware it was meant as a compliment so she agreeably took it that way, she paused, feeling perhaps they had reached full circle on the ‘light’ and ‘easy’ conversation,

“Bette …” Lottie mumbled, “Mom’s lawyer wants to talk to you …”

to be continued …