Define Normal

Chapter One

Colourful lights flooded the alleyway, bringing discarded boxes and garbage from the surrounded stores into stark relief. I cringed as the lights landed on her skin, showing how pale it was. How lifeless. Suddenly, two paramedics were peeling me off of her, surrounding her. I moved back to let them in and they immediately tried to revive her. I watched, my eyes wide as they worked but she didn’t blink. Finally, they stopped, and I heard one of them call the time of death as if from far away.

He turned to me, tucking his watch back under his sleeve. “Miss, I’m so sorry but there was nothing we could do,” he said quietly placing a hand on my shoulder.

I nodded silently, wanting to shout at him but the need to stay silent and not draw attention was too ingrained in me. I stayed where I was, kneeling on the grimy pavement next to her body as they went to get the stretcher that would take her away from me.

I clutched the key tightly in my palm, making the jagged edge dig into my skin, drawing blood. “I love you too, mom,” I whispered just before the paramedics reached us.

“This is impossible,” I heard a deep male voice say from the hallway. I looked up from the pad of paper I had been doodling stick figures on to see a man walk into the room. He was speaking to his lawyer animatedly, using his hands to gesture wildly, his agitation obvious. I surveyed him quickly my eyes taking in his light sweater covered by a tweed jacket. His brown corduroy pants were faded and well worn and his shoes were Nike runners. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail at the base of his neck and a few stray strands fell into his face. Impatiently, he brushed the hair aside as he prepared to further his argument with his lawyer. “I do not have an illegitimate child!” he shouted, his voice echoing through the sparse room.

He seemed to realize that he’d arrived at his destination and gave a puzzled look around the boardroom. The only furniture in there was a long table with about twelve swivel chairs two of which were occupied by myself and my lawyer who was staring at the man in disapproval. The man’s gaze first travelled over my lawyer who was a petite blonde woman name Sylvia. Her business suit and thick glasses did little to detract from her good looks. She had a small but curvy frame and as we’d walked into the building together, I’d seen more than a few appreciative male stares directed her way.

His gaze was not appreciative though, it was simply calculating as he catalogued her features before moving on to me. His eyes settled on mine and his mouth dropped open, exposing his straight white teeth.

“You…” he whispered, trailing off as he continued to stare at me wide eyed.

I sighed and gave a pointed glance to his lawyer who quickly grabbed the other man’s arm and guided him into a chair opposite me.

Sylvia cleared her throat, drawing the attention of the other lawyer who was a portly man in his early forties with a receding hairline. The look he gave her was definitely one of male appreciation and I could feel the hostility that was rolling off of Sylvia as he stared at her without speaking.

The other man was still staring at me, his eyes roving over my face wildly looking for something. Our gazes connected once more and he sucked in a breath. “Jesus,” he whispered.

I tried to give him a reassuring smile but I think all I managed to do was bare my straight white teeth to him. I knew why he was so shocked and it wasn’t because we both had nice teeth.

It was my eyes. Normally, people didn’t go into fits when they saw my eyes but they were an unusual mixture of green and brown with a brighter ring of gold around the pupil. They were unique. Or so I’d thought until they’d connected with the man’s across me.