Chapter Thirteen

NATHEN

 

Nathen quickly kissed Cameron goodbye before he left. Syn retreated to their room to use the shower, leaving him alone with Cameron’s mother.

He noticed Maria smiling at him as she busied herself with her coffee. Taking that as a cue she wanted engagement, Nathen brought his own coffee and settled onto the couch next to Maria. They drank coffee in awkward silence, Nathen inwardly groaning. He hated not knowing what to say to someone he hardly knew. He had read this was one “issue” with a lot of people with ASD—small talk is not automatic and there is no “default” way of presenting the personality. A conversation could be constructed if he knew the person but was almost impossible when the person was unknown. She was a life mage, and that meant she could heal people. Nathen sat upright with the realization… His mother was sick!

Blurting out his thoughts, Nathen said, “So Cameron told me you are a life mage who heals people? I was wondering if you could heal MS?”

Maria startled at the sudden break in silence.

She smiled softly. “That depends. MS kills cells and while some regeneration can occur, it’s not always possible to grow all cells back. Sometimes it’s a matter of easing pain and discomfort. Of slowing the process.” She turned to face him, and he realized she now sat on the far end of the couch, though he hadn’t paid attention to her moving.

“Oh, that’s good! Can you actually stop the disease? Her medication seems to be keeping the pain away, and the scarring isn’t bad, but she’s progressively getting worse. There are a lot of different therapies up and coming for MS, so maybe medical science will stop it soon, but if you could help somehow, that would be great. I’ll pay of course.”

Maria’s gentle features furrowed with compassion. “Who, dear? Who are you talking about?”

Nathen was confused and then realized he hadn’t mentioned it was his mother. “Oh! Sorry, I thought I mentioned it’s my mother. She was diagnosed a few years back.”

“Oh no!” Maria started to reach out to Nathen but quickly withdrew her hand. “I’m so sorry to hear about your mother. It can be such a tragic disease. Of course, I’ll help. She is in California, no?”

Nathen nodded. “Yes, in Marin. She has a live-in caretaker and good health care coverage, but at this point all the doctors can do is reduce the symptoms, not cure the disease. My brother is also there with her. His name is Jake.”

“I’ll help your mother, Nathen. And do everything I can, of course.” She sipped her coffee and was contemplative for a moment, then asked, “Will you tell me about my son?”

Nathen was touched, warmed by the request. “He’s gone through a lot in life. Losing you has shaped him. But where others would have adopted a victim mentality, he persevered and became a brilliant psychologist. I think the values you imparted: love, respect, etc., when he was young, have kept him on a good but complicated path in life. He’s had his share of heartache as well, but even through that he managed to find a purpose and work for the better good. We all have lessons to learn in life, I believe, hardships to go through. He has and come out stronger for it.”

Maria pulled a handful of tissues from the box on the table. She wiped her eyes as Nathen spoke, holding her arms close to her chest and nodding. “Thank you. He was always destined for great things. I knew this when he was growing in my womb.” Her faraway look spoke of memories laden with a mother’s love. Leaning forward, she asked, “Do you mind if I ask how long have you two…been together? How did you meet?”

Nathen lit up. “It’s only been a couple weeks, but I feel like, with the telepathic connection, I know him better than I know anyone else. I normally don’t see or am oblivious to a lot of the social aspects of human interaction. So, having both an empathic and telepathic link between us has helped me understand him, and people as a whole, better.”

Maria blinked in surprise. “Only a couple of weeks? I would have guessed much, much longer. You two do seem to share a very strong connection. I knew my son would be a powerful mage. I could feel him when I was pregnant.” Maria grew quiet, a look of concern clouding her eyes. “I can see you love my son very much. And, as a mother, I need to thank you for this and this gift of your heart that you have given Aaron. And I need to ask you to care for him. He has always been so sensitive, but also so haunted. As a teenager, when he was coming into his abilities, I saw how affected he was. He has a very, very difficult gift…” She paused from her rambling to reach forward and take Nathen’s hand. Stiffening for a moment as if she were about to let go, she then grasped it tighter, her gaze intense. “Nathen, please do not break my son’s heart. I… I fear what could happen to his mind.”

Though uncomfortable having his hand touched by someone he didn’t know well, he had learned to ignore the emotion, so he let her hand linger without moving it. “I have no intention to break anyone’s heart, his especially. We love each other and would kill for each other if it came to that, and unfortunately it already has. I can’t say what the future holds, though, only that we will endeavor to make the relationship, and our passion for each other, burn for many lifetimes.”

Maria’s eyes grew wide and her sharp intake of breath was both filled with shock and dismay as she withdrew from him, unconsciously edging away. “You…he…have killed?”

Nathen remained matter-of-fact, showing no emotion. “It was either this person, or they would have killed us. Cameron has a very strong survival instinct. Though I suggest talking to Cameron about this further. I suspect he wouldn’t approve of me revealing more to you, as it’s not really my place.”

Maria nodded slowly, a troubled look in her eyes. “Well, I guess we should order breakfast,” she said as she stood and moved to the opposite side of the room where a phone was, despite a phone being on the end table. She busied herself looking over the menu and then ordered several fruit bowls and pastry plates, remaining on the other side of the room and looking at her phone after she was done with the order.

Nathen suspected she was feeling uncomfortable, and mentioning what Cameron and he were involved in was probably not a good idea, though the truth would have come out sooner or later. He didn’t want to interfere with whatever was going on in her mind. Nathen assumed she was probably running some ideas, justifications, and other such themes with regard to Cameron, and perhaps judgments about Nathen based on what he now was. He wondered if she thought he was a bad influence on her son.

The two of them remained in silence, Nathen sitting on the couch, lost in his own thoughts, and Maria in the kitchen area, presumably studying her phone, until Julia came ambling in. Maria let out an audible sigh of relief and Julia eyed the distance between Nathen, alone on the couch, and Maria who was suddenly speaking very quickly. “So, I’ve ordered us up some breakfast, but Cynthia is in the shower. Here, let me reheat you some coffee. This is a very elegant suite. It’s nice they have a microwave.” She rushed over and plucked the remaining coffee from the table in front of Nathen, giving him a quick side glance before returning to the kitchenette. Through this, Julia remained quietly observant.

Before the microwave was done, Syn emerged, her hair still damp. “Goooood morning, everyone,” she sang out.

The women began talking about the plans for the day. Julia wanted to get going as soon as possible and Maria was in agreement but didn’t want to leave until Cameron returned. He didn’t want to upset Maria further, so did not add anything to the conversation, and instead, awkwardly waited for Cameron, immersing himself in his phone and shutting out their banter.