WOLF MOON

The scent of grilled cheese usually brought comfort, but today it was laced with the acrid tang of impending change. My mother, bless her heart, was trying to act normal, flipping sandwiches with an air of forced casualness. But my question, repeated for the tenth time, hung heavy in the air.

"What do you mean we're leaving?" I pressed, my voice echoing the disbelief in my mind.

She sighed, a familiar, put-upon sound, and brushed a wisp of blonde hair from her face. "Kassi, the move is only temporary. Besides, you get to spend it with your grandfather."

I stared, incredulous. "Mom, Pappous died when I was three."

Her eyes, usually so direct, skittered away from mine as she turned to the sink. "Not your father's father, Kassi. My father."

My jaw went slack. "Your father's still alive? We have another grandfather? Why didn't I know this?"

She continued to avoid my gaze, the water running a little too loudly. "It's complicated, Kass."

"But…" I started to protest, already sensing the wall of silence she was erecting.

Then came the full name, the one that meant 'the conversation is over.' "Enough, Kassiopeia Dimitriou." Her eyes, finally meeting mine, held a steely resolve. "I am very sorry that I never told you about your grandfather, but it was a decision your father and I made before you were born. I think this will be a great opportunity to learn about my heritage, not just your father's."

Just then, her voice boomed, startling me. "Ares! Lunch is ready!"

My nine-year-old brother, a miniature version of our dad, thundered down the stairs, oblivious to the bombshell that had just been dropped.