Breakfast with Mom

Elizabeth sipped at her coffee, looking across at Katie, displeased.

"So ... after dad left, you never heard anything? Really?" Katie asked, her voice dripping with skepticism.

"It was a failed relationship, Katie. I'm not sure how many times you want to dredge up rotten old memories and cause me pain."

"I'm not trying to cause you pain, Mom, I'm really not. But I'm half him. And I don't even know who he is, beyond a lawyer who vanished off the radar years ago."

"I know you're interested, Katie. God knows how many times we've had this conversation," Elizabeth said, putting her hand on Katie's. "But it's a dead issue to me. And you won't be better off learning any more about him. He cheated. End of story."

Katie glowered at her mother. It wasn't the end of the story in her book. Not by a long shot.