BXBX NOVEL Chapter 443 - Homecoming, Part 4
What should I say? What should I do?
Among many other things speeding through my mind, that\'s what I thought of seeing her again.
I slowly approached her, but inversely, she was quick to reach me.
Before I knew it or was even prepared for it, without either of us even exchanging a single word to each other, I suddenly found myself smothered in her embrace. Her frail, slender arms gripping tighter than they really ought to.
"I know it hasn\'t been long since we last saw each other, and I know Dad already must have told you too," She quietly said, her voice drowning in emotions. "But I missed you, I missed you so, so much."
It was hard to keep my reserves after hearing that. Hearing her happy, so overwhelmed with joy seeing me... I know, I know what she\'s done. I know what she was. Not a second goes by without me reminding myself of it. But all the same…
She\'s my mother.
"I know, Mom," Slowly, I hugged her back. "I missed you too."
Slightly teary-eyed, she broke us apart, stepping back and for a long while, she just stared up at me, her smile widening with every passing second.
And at the same time, I studied her too. Her complexion looked better, her skin wasn\'t as pale and sickly as when I last saw her.
I noticed she was more animated, more lively with her actions. There were weeks in a row where I\'d see her barely move around the house, so seeing her up and active were occasions rare and sparse.
And everyday was always a guess. Come morning, I\'d walk past her bedroom door, and either I\'d hear her in a coughing fit, or if I\'m lucky, just the sound of plain ol\' silence.
But sickly or not, she never failed to smile.
Just like she was no.
"I swear, you seem to only grow taller and taller every time I see you," She said, before lightly flailing my arms in her hands, "Still a bit skinny, though, sadly."
"I\'m eating fine," I said, pulling them away.
"Really? And who\'s been feeding you, I wonder?" With a blink, Mom shifted her gaze, and once more, her expression lit up. "Ah, right… the Elf-Knight," She mused. "Mmm, Ash, if I\'m not mistaken, right? Why, it\'s really lovely to see you again."
Ash bowed in response, perhaps a bit too eagerly, if her squirming ears were any tell.
"The honor is all mine," She said, raising her head. "I must sincerely thank you for welcoming me into your home. Rest assured, I will do my utmost to refrain from indulging in your hospitality for too long."
Mom beamed back. "Plenty of hospitality to go around, don\'t you worry."
For some reason, unlike Dad, or Sammy, or literally everyone else even, Mom was the only one to greet Ash with wide-open arms upon first introductions. When she came to visit us that one time during the Blight fiasco, she treated Ash like an equal, addressing her like she would everyone else.
I didn\'t really take notice of it before, but that\'s really something, wasn\'t it? No harsh prejudice, no racial tension, just genuine kindness. I wonder... why was that?
"Treating my darling son well, I hope?" She asked. "Tending to his every need?"
"Indeed," Ash nodded. "There is not a single request that goes unfulfilled. I only hope that my efforts prove satisfactory enough."
More than satisfactory if I had anything to say about it, which I do.
"Happy to hear that," She said, and just when I thought the questions and answers were done, Mom cocked her head at her, staring quizzically, "And you? Has he been tending to your every need too?"
What kind of question was that? Out of the blue, random. Was she just trying to catch Ash off-guard or something? Well, it worked on me... and judging by Ash\'s reaction, it worked on her too.
Ash took a moment to search her gaze, before slowly answering, "Yes, he has. More than I could have ever desired or hoped for."
Mom scooted closer. "Are you sure?"
"Yes…" Ash muttered, taking a timid step back.
"Every need?"
"I-Indeed…"
"Mmm, I guess we\'ll see about that, won\'t we?" She said, her smile mysterious, her quick wink even more so. "What inconvenient timing you must think this is, hm? I\'m sure you are."
What the hell was she talking about? I haven\'t a clue, and judging by Ash\'s reaction…
"I… I\'m afraid I do not understand the question."
"Aww, as modest as you are beautiful, aren\'t you?" Mom gave a chuckle. "But keep in mind, my dear Ash, my senses are much keener than yours."
At that, Ash\'s expression froze, mortified. Again, not the faintest idea why. But, right here, now… wasn\'t the right time to ask.
"Oh, I just realized we only have a single spare mattress, though," Mom said, eyes slightly widening in realization. "First thing tomorrow, I suppose we\'ll have to get another one for - "
"Mom, listen," I interrupted, not wanting to waste another second, because, for all I knew, every second was precious. "Not to ruin the moment, but… you know what I\'m here for."
The smile on her face remained, but if anything, it seemed as if it had actually frozen in place.
"Mmm, right…" Her lips barely moved. "Someone\'s in a rush, isn\'t he?"
It almost seemed as if she was deliberately doing her best to ignore it… ignore him for as long as she could. How long was she planning to keep it up, I didn\'t know. But now, not for long. Not anymore.
I looked to my right, and then after a moment\'s quick consideration, she finally did too.
"This is… him," I simply said, not knowing how else to go about it. "The guy I came to you about."
Harry stared back at the both of us. Smiling still, but quiet, unusually quiet. After an ungodly amount of opportunities to yapper, it was peculiar he chose now to finally hold his tongue. No wondering as to why that was either.
"Of course, the parasite," Mom said lightly, cocking her head at the sight of him. "How could I have forgotten?"
Suddenly, to my surprise, Harry did speak out, "I hate you," pausing briefly to blink. "I remembered I hate you."
"Well, of course, you do," Mom said nonchalantly. "In fact, most people do… or they used to, that is."
"More than most," He replied, his smile stiffening. "More than they used to."
"Mmm-hmm," She nodded at him, then keeping to her cheery demeanor, spun back towards me. "Well, I already gave my answer to you before, didn\'t I? It hasn\'t changed, and it probably won\'t ever."
Her words barely registered in my head, before she whirled around again, walking back towards the house, leaving me at a loss of a reaction, and a response.
"Yes, but I thought - "
"You could change my mind?" Further, farther, Mom went. "I\'m sorry to disappoint you, then."
"I\'m not just gonna let this go because you said no, y\'know?"
"I know," She gave a brief glance back. "And neither am I."
"Hey, no, c\'mon, wait!" I quickly grab Harry by the wrist, hastily striding after her. "You can\'t just walk away! Seriously? Mom! Hey, Mom! You didn\'t even give me a chance too - !"
Blackness. Instant darkness. What was…? My eyes, they\'re shut? Sore, my elbows hurt, my head\'s throbbing.
Why do they hurt?
I opened my eyes. I heard, I was hearing… a distant echo rushing close, a voice - Ash\'s voice.
"Master!" It was blurred, they were like smudges, but her eyes were there, and they were staring at me like shimmers of green light. I saw her lips move, she spoke again. "Master, are you alright?!"
I blinked, breathed, a split-second, and just like that, all was clear again. Sight, sound, and sense.
"W-what just…?" I sputtered out. "What did…?"
I scoured around, and I saw dirt, I saw grass, the swaying trees, the darkening sky, and then I saw Ash looming directly from above me.
On the ground… how did I end up on the ground? On my back? That darkness, that pain… I got back up, and as I did, I saw Harry to the side, sprawled in the dirt as well - knocked out cold. That only happened when I tried to get close.
Seeing that, I blinked once, and I got my answer at once.
Magic.