Kasia's question

After finishing my exercises, I took a short break before going to the kitchen to prepare dinner; I wanted to make something special to celebrate Kasia's first day as a highschooler. I had everything I needed to make Kasia's favourite pierogi, so I got to work, meticulously baking them and making sure they would be perfect.

I heard Kasia's door open while I was busy with the dough. "Mom, Marek is leaving."

"I'm in the kitchen." I said.

The two of them joined me in the kitchen, Kasia immediately noticing what I was doing. "You're making pierogi?"

"Strawberries, your favourites~" I answered, grinning. "I thought we should celebrate your first day in high-school."

She smiled. "Thank you, Mom."

"Have a good evening, Marek, say hi to your parents for me."

"I will, ma'am. Have a good evening." Marek bowed.

He then left, with Kasia accompanying him outside. She returned shortly after, observing me as I was baking the pierogi.

"Do you need any help?" She asked.

"No thanks, I'm almost done, sweetie."

She stayed silent for a moment before speaking again. "About what I told you this morning... Do you think we can talk now?"

"Hmm, sure. You had something to ask, right?"

"It's something I've been wanting to know for a while..." She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before opening them again. "Could you tell me what... really happened eight years ago...?"

I froze, almost dropping the plate I had in hands. "What?"

Kasia looked away. "At first, I believed Ms. Kaminska to be a witch, that she somehow cast a spell on you to make you nicer. But I stopped believing this pretty quickly, when I saw how... different you suddenly became. It was like you... you were another person who possessed my mom..."

I turned to face her, still stunned by this turn of event. I never expected Kasia to think about this so much, and to be so close to the truth.

"What... What are you talking about?"

"I couldn't get it out of my mind, I needed to know what happened. It's why I became so interested in occultism and mythologies, I knew someone couldn't have had a change of heart so sudden." She came closer, hugging me. "Even if you're a ghost, an alien, or something else, I love you. You are my mother to me, but please, I want to know the truth..."

I was at a loss for words. What was I supposed to say here? Should I lie, tell her that she imagined all of that? No, I couldn't... I couldn't hurt her, no matter what...

Her embrace tightened, and she whispered in my ear. "Mom, I love you... I won't hate you, I won't fear you... I promise."

What she said just erased the last remnants of hesitation I had left.

I sighed. "Fine, I can't lie to you. Let me start the cooking and I'll explain everything."

She let me free and I put the pierogi in the oven before walking to the living room with her. We sat on the couch, the atmosphere feeling so heavy. Even after her reassuring words, a part of me was still anxious.

"So, are you... are you really possessing her?" She hesitantly questioned.

"Kinda, yeah... It's a complicated story... but I'll start from the beginning. Do you know what a skinwalker is, Kasia?"

"A... skinwalker...?" She asked, seemingly confused by the English word.

"Skinwalkers are creatures who... borrow and wear the skins of humans." I explained, freeing the spines in my right hand and surprising Kasia. "With these, we turn humans into skinsuits, absorbing their souls and allowing us to fully become them, using their memories to impersonate them. We can also restore a human if we leave their skin."

She leaned closer, observing the bony spines. She was fascinated by them.

"It's... incredible..." She seemed lost in thought for a moment, before her eyes suddenly sparked. "Were you Ms. Kaminska that day?!"

She's really insightful...

I nodded and smiled slightly. "Indeed. I just... couldn't leave you in this situation, you were just an innocent kid... I wanted to save you. So I asked to meet Małgorzata to learn more about the situation... and then became her when I saw how irredeemable she was..." I explained, observing my hands.

"I see... That explains the change... Do you... have a name?" Kasia asked curiously.

I blushed, feeling a bit of shame at the idea of revealing my old identity. "I used to be human, so yes. My name was... Edward..."

"Edward?" She repeated in a surprised tone. "You were... a man?"

"I haven't been one in nine years, but yeah..."

Kasia listened attentively as I told her about my past as a human. About my awful parents, my dear sister I loved, about Dahlia and me becoming a skinwalker, and about how I had to leave everything behind and wandered across Europe to clear my mind and ease the pain of abandoning Claire. Tears started to slide down my cheeks as I narrated my story.

Once I was done, she hugged me again. "It doesn't matter if you were a man before, or if you aren't human... You are my mother now, and I'm proud to be your daughter. I love you, Mom."

I truly raised a wonderful daughter. I thought, pride overcoming me as my crying intensified.

I returned the hug, caressing her hair. "Thank you, sweetie. I love you too."

She giggled softly. "I'm relieved I wasn't crazy... My mother is even more amazing than I believed."

"I'm not that amazing."

"Mom, how many children can say they have a mythical being as their mothers?"

I chuckled. "It's certainly not common. You're taking all this really well."

She smiled warmly at me. "You've taught me to be empathetic and open-minded, right? You being a skinwalker doesn't change the fact that you've taken care of me and gave me love for the last eight years. I wouldn't be the person I am today without you."

The oven's timer rang, making me jolt from the couch. "Do you mind setting the table while I finish with the cooking?"

Kasia nodded and followed me back to the kitchen. Before taking the pierogi from the oven, I looked back at her.

"Do keep it a secret, though, even to Marek. No one should learn about my true nature." I warned her.

"Of course, I'm not stupid, Mom. I know it could be dangerous."

"Thanks. By the way, the one who turned me into a skinwalker is supposed to visit next month. You'll be able to meet her if you'd like."

"Dahlia, right?" She asked.

"Yeah. She's a nice person, don't worry. Even in this situation, she's been a close friend I could speak to." I chuckled. "It's... strange to tell someone else about the true me, but I understand why she wanted to turn me, now. It does indeed feel nice."

"You can be yourself with me, Mom." She said, holding my hand. "I want to learn more about the true you."

I smiled at her. "I'll tell you anything you want to know. I won't lie to you anymore. But for now, let's eat. All this crying made me hungry."