“And Amy?”
“Soon, I’m sure,” I answer.
If Mom thinks otherwise, she nods, and murmurs, “Soon.”
Except, soon never comes.
As we make our way out of the door, Clem glances at me. “Are your siblings really coming to visit?”
“Nope.” My lips are tight. “But I can’t bear to tell Mom that.”
“Could you contact them? Do you have their phone numbers?”
“Yeah, but I’ve given up trying.”
“Why?”
“Because they never come.”
“How can they not visit? She’s their mom.”
“I know, it’s shitty of them. But they can’t bear to see her like this. They’re a lot younger than me, they were hit harder by Dad’s death, and then seeing Mom not coping was too much for them. They’d always believed she was unshakable.”
“But to just not come at all, that’s unkind.”
I sigh. “They came at first, but then they started to make excuses. I had to chase them up the whole time. I got so busy, it was just too much effort to keep putting pressure on them, so I gave up calling. Amy phones Mom every now and then to check in, but even that’s hit and miss.”
“Maybe you should try again.”
“Maybe.” I huff a big breath. “Sometimes it feels easier to just keep doing it all myself.”
“That’s not okay. You need support,” Clem says firmly. “Families, huh? Don’t they drive you nuts?” I glance at her and she smiles ruefully.
“Yeah, don’t I know it.” I decide to brighten the mood. “Mom was the most communicative she’s been in a long time. I think it was because of you.”
“More likely the delicious cake.”
“It wasn’t that. But I do have to say, that cake was fucking good. And the berries you bought were the best I’ve had all year.”
“They were yummy. I could literally have eaten a pound of them, straight.”
“Then you should.”
“We used them all up Otis, on the cake.”
“We can get more.” I have a sudden pleasant thought. “I could take you to the orchards and you eat berries to your heart’s content.”
“Oh goddess, I would love that,” Clem enthuses.
“Our orchards are a place where…” I hesitate, and only just stop myself from saying, “where lovers go and declare their mate bonds.” Instead, I finish lamely, “where you can get the freshest berries—obviously.”
Truth is, Mom’s reaction to Clem has made my sense we are mate-bonded even stronger. How did Mom sense my feelings for Clem immediately? Sometimes, she seems so absent, but then she says something like this and you realize she hasn’t missed a trick.
She came out of her shell today more than I’ve seen her do in the past three years. It was Clem’s presence by my side, I know it was. I’m sure Mom sensed our feelings for one another.
But I don’t say any of this, I just point out passing landmarks on the way home. A statue of a Phoenix holding up the book of our Constitution. The Town Hall and the small maze that represents freedom to roam the Labyrinth.
When we walk inside the house, I think about marching Clem into the bedroom and making love to her. Then I peer into my study at the paperwork and devices and huff a silent sigh. Our mission will need to commence very soon and I still have to do final checks to ensure everything is likely to connect when we get it above ground
