Chapter Text
Ash walked into her home, kicked her shoes off and fell onto the sofa seeking one blissful moment. The only thing worse than that interview, was if she got the job and had to work with that toad. In this economy, she could hardly be picky about a job, especially with her student loan debt and two teenagers to raise. Speaking of… her angel of a daughter found her with her eyes closed, trying to will herself to spontaneously shower and, get dressed and tucked in bed; praying she woke up and that nightmare of an interview was just that, a nightmare. 'Was it traumatising to get her daughter to start a bubble bath and maybe sponge her back?'
“Come on Amma; I got your chai… have a drink and take a shower, you smell like a douchebag.”
“Thanks love, you always know just how to cheer me up,” she quipped taking her favourite mug from her daughter, Kate.
“Seriously, how strong was his cologne or was there one of those misters that sprayed it all over the office so clients know he too was a nepo-baby like them.”
“Honestly, I thought he was trying to kill me with it… but I need the nepo-baby to give me a job… I haven’t been out of work this long.”
“It’ll happen; you are an amazing lawyer.”
“And you are my most favourite daughter.”
“I’m your only daughter… well that you know of…”
“Funny,” she replied, smacking Kate in the face with a pillow.
Ashwini ‘Ash’ Lilian Dhruva was the single mother to Kathani ‘Kate’ Grace Dhruva. She had Kate in her final year of college after she had a one-night stand with a guy who never called her back; Ash never even knew his name. She was raising Kate on her own and then with her best friend, Sarah Basset; up until Sarah passed away eight years ago, leaving Ash with her only son and child, Simon Henry Basset. She was now raising both fifteen-year-olds on her savings and the money Simon got from his father’s work compensation. She had lost her job at the Berkely Court House as a public defender six months ago due to budget cuts and had still not landed another legal job. After a lot of calculations, she knew her savings would barely get her through two years without something coming in, she had plans to take a waitress job if she did not get this one.
She had been working for herself and Kate since the moment she learnt that she was pregnant, and her family cut her off. She did not like to wait until things were bad or unsupportable- 'plan ahead, stay ahead'. It was what she ensured Kate learnt from her; that, and no sex without a name and return address.
She hated that it was the start she gave her daughter, but she was lucky to meet Sarah. They hit it off in their constitutional law class, especially after finding that they had children the same age. Sarah was older, and her husband, Henry was a police sergeant who died in the line of duty two years before Sarah decided to go to law school. They graduated together, but Sarah never got the chance to practice as a lawyer, finding out she had terminal cervical cancer. She was still on the Berkley Police Department’s health insurance as Henry’s surviving spouse, so the medical debt was not insurmountable. She had paid for most of her law school with scholarships from Concerns of Police Survivors. Still, she left behind a heartbroken seven-year-old six months after being diagnosed, with no other family able to care for him; so, she and Kate became Simon’s family.
They lived in the Basset's old house; it was the childhood home of Henry, Simon’s father. Simon inherited it as well as what was in Henry’s pension, his life insurance and other benefits, which were being held in trust for Simon until his 30th birthday, an agreement, Sarah had drawn up before Henry died in the line of fire. Simon was also eligible for the financial assistance, scholarships and grants Concerns of Police Survivors provides should he go to college. Which, when the time came, he would as long as Ash had a say.
She took a sip of her chai, and forced herself up, “Where’s Simon?”
“Out…”
“Out? Or out out?”
“What the difference?”
“Out is, normal teenage hijinks I will find endearing; out out is preparing to have him join his parents sooner than later.”
“Dark, very La Llorona of you...”
“Cute… where is he, Kate?”
“I don’t know I swear…”
“Can you call him and let him know I worry… and why are you home anyway? Shouldn’t you be out enjoying your first summer as a high schooler, giving me hives thinking about you with… what’s that senior that’s cute?”
“A. The only seniors you should find cute come with a discount on tapioca. B. Basil Grimston has the looks but lacks everything else so that crush died in the first week. Why can’t your jokes? C. You are here worried about the welfare of one child out while complaining the other is home!”
“I’m multitasking… seriously baby, are you having a good summer.”
“It just started two weeks ago!”
“Yes, and you either have your head in a book or on Find My Friends, you are in the library… I love you and that’s why I want you to be a teen and have fun.”
“Ms Gilmore!”
“A. I had you in college, not high school and B. I went to a great college with great grades AND had fun in high school. I know you worry, but Amma’s got it… I promise.” Ash said holding her daughter’s hand, hoping she was reassuring her.
“I’ll text Simon…”
“Such avoidant behaviour… I wonder where you get that from.”
“Probably the man dodging child support summons… did we make it to B’s yet? Am I Kate Bagchi?”
“Haha… that twisted sense of humour is all me, you are welcome… eww, I really smell like a douchebag." she stopped herself as she got a good whiff of the nasty cologne she was choking on for nearly an hour. "Please call Simon and let me know where he got up to… and maybe tonight we can go out, dinner or something… been a while since we did something fun…”
“I’m hanging with Kitty… she suggested a movie tonight.”
“Oh! So, you do have summer plans. Good, I was worried I was raising a fifty-year-old”
“I can’t even say that you are talking about your fashion… you look good Amma...”
Ash did a little twirl and shoulder shimmy, “Thanks love… into the shower to wash off Chad.”
Kate knew exactly where Simon was, it was where he always was. Still, she called, if only that this one time, she was wrong.
“Hey.”
“What?” he said with a huff
“Amma’s home.”
“I need to know this why?”
“She wanted to know where you were.”
“Tell her I’m out.”
“I did… considering last time you were out, you came home with a bloody nose and no explanation, I think it’s fair she asks what 'out' means.”
“I’m fine… just stay out of my business.”
“What the fuck is wrong with you? Ever since you started following Leon like some lackey, you are out at odd hours, acting like a prick, skipping school, and now you are in a fight club.”
“First rule Kate.”
“Fuck you! I’m serious Simon!”
“And I say stay out my business.”
“You know Amma lost her job, and she is trying to find something else… instead of being I don’t know, helpful… you’re being a massive prick!”
“I don’t know what you are hoping to get from this little speech of yours, but I’m out…”
“Fuck you, Simon! I’m trying, Amma’s trying… what are you doing?”
“What is expected of me…” and he hung up.
She rolled her eyes and went to her room. Luckily, her uniform for the night was still good and fit well into her bag without the risk of ruffling it. She wasn’t lying about being with Kitty, just… they were not going to the movies. Kate didn’t want to not help. She legally couldn’t get a waitress job that would pay well, but Kitty heard of a catering company that would pay under the table no questions asked and you got to keep the tips. Tonight, was a mixer at the University of California, Berkeley; a bunch of alumni were coming down for some fundraiser, and it was her parent’s alma mater, that was the only thing she knew about her dad.
She wasn’t going there with the hopes of finding him, what could she do, carry her mother’s photo and ask every desi guy in the room if they knew her? Ever since Amma lost her job, she knew things were not bad, but they could be. It was better to plan and prepare so you could stay ahead and above any crisis. It was not a lot of money, but a lot more than she got babysitting or tutoring. She wanted to be able to help when the time came, so when Kitty told her of what her older sister used to do before she turned sixteen, Kate jumped at the chance. Regardless, even if her Amma didn’t take it, she would have a lot more to do something fun as she was always encouraging her to do.
Amma was the reason no matter how old she was, Kate stuck with water colouring. She was going to be a lawyer like her Amma, but her Amma made sure she stuck to art for no other reason than it gave her joy. Most parents worried about what their kids needed for their college application from the moment they were conceived, but her Amma always said life was about balance. Going for what you want and being great at it was always encouraged, but sometimes, you had to do something because it was what you wanted- something that gave you joy. She never really understood why her Amma didn’t turn into some helicopter mum who just wanted her daughter to succeed and avoid the mistakes she made. Maybe it was because that would be calling her a mistake, and no matter how she told the story of her conception and birth, Kate was not a mistake, she was a surprise. So, this surprise was going to keep giving, wherever and however she could.
She got to the place half an hour early and changed into the black pants, white shirt and black vests typically expected. She had her hair in a top bun and Kitty helped with her makeup so she could look a little older, just in case. It had been going well, some men slipping their numbers with their tips, some women too. Obviously, being an adult did not guarantee appropriate behaviour, even if she wasn’t a minor, there was nothing right about most of what she saw that night. She still looked around, hard not to, for anyone who may have her nose. She had her mother’s eyes, but there was so much of her face that she could see came from a man who may not even know she existed. He never bothered calling her mother, maybe he was the kind of guy that could fake a connection and disappear, did she want that for herself?
The answer came before she could really give herself one when an elderly couple stopped her to ask her name. It would simply have been polite, albeit weird if she didn’t see a photo of the woman when she was about Kate’s age and Kate was staring at herself.
“My name is Miles Sharma, this is my wife Chandi… is there a possibility you may know our son?…"