“You would be right. Believe it or not, I have never been happy with the idea of you marrying that woman.”
“That woman? Are you talking about Nancy?”
Mabel nodded her head. Her soft brown hair was cut short and brushed at the collar of her shirt. She had a sweet look on her face, one that told him everything would work out just fine, somehow without words ever being said. It was the way it had always been, and somehow Nathan knew that her magical powers were still present.
“Why would you say it like that?”
“Because I never did like her. She was never the right one for you and it was clear. You two were not a match made in heaven.”
Now he was feeling like he had lost his mind. Was she being serious right now? Nathan really wasn’t sure, but he had a sinking feeling that she was.
“You are the one that told me that I had to marry her! Actually, you told me again and again and again. Don't you remember?”
She smiled and shook her head. “Why don't you go get a drink? I didn't realize that you were so excitable. A lot must have changed since I’ve seen you last. You’re going to have to tell me all about it.”
“Excitable! You know I am set to marry her! Now you're telling me that you didn't even want me to marry her? This makes no sense! You should give me clear answers Mom.”
“If you would sit down and calm down, make a drink, do something, we will talk about it. You know I can't talk to you like this, when you're all excitable.”
“Excitable, stop using that damn word!”
Nathan couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was going to launch into all the reasons why his mother had completely lost her mind, but Laurel touched his hand softly, telling him that he just needed to calm down.
“Right. You're right. I'm going to go get something to drink and come back. Then you're going to tell me what the hell is going on and why you are grinning like an idiot.”
Laurel shot him a dirty look, but he didn't care. Obviously, Laurel didn't understand the situation. It wasn't like he understood it, either. But there had to be something that he was missing. Why did she automatically assume that he was getting rid of Nancy, and then why was she okay with it? It really didn't make any sense.
Nathan didn’t like it, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that he was just going to have to shut his mouth and listen for awhile. That was hard for someone who liked to control almost everything.
He brought in a drink, not only for himself, but for Laurel and his mother as well. It seemed like Laurel needed it just as badly as he did. For one reason or another, his mother knew who she was. He didn't know how to respond to that or what to think. It could be a good thing or a bad thing.
When he finally sat down and composed himself, he asked his mother to explain herself.
“Are you not even going to tell me what is going on with you? I haven’t seen you in so long. You have nothing to tell me about your life?”
“I run the Academy, everything else you know. I go to work, I come home, that’s it in my life. None of that is important right now. What we’re talking about is what is important. You can see that.”
“So, you're not going to tell me what she's doing here with you?”
“Well, I was going to ask you about her family and see if you had heard of them. And yes, then I was going to tell you that I was breaking my promise to Nancy. If I had to walk away, then I would.”
His mother pressed her lips together, showing her displeasure.
“Of course. That is the way of it, though.”
She smiled and then met his gaze.
“Our families, ours and hers, have been connected for a very long time. She is the one you are truly supposed to marry, my son. She is your true mate, and I am so glad that you found each other. I don’t think you will ever know how much.”
Again, he had no idea what he was supposed to think of it. She was saying it so nonchalantly, like she hadn't been pushing him toward another woman this whole time. Did she not remember any of it? He didn't even know what to think.
“How can you say that?! You have told me for years and years that I was supposed to marry Nancy. How can you change your mind? You said it was fate and I believed you. You betrayed me.”
“It wasn't my choice. It was more of a curse. Let's just say, that I made some bad people mad at me. No. It wasn't even bad people, just a man that couldn't take rejection well. I tried to do it as gently as possible, but it didn't work out well. He turned my refusal into my curse. And like most magic, it ended up becoming your curse instead.”
He didn't know what she was talking about and his head was hurting from the confusion. She was talking in circles.
“You know that I don't understand anything you're saying, right?”
