“I’ve always been here,” she pats his chest softly, and I don’t know if she means the cabin or Jasper’s heart. “I always will.”
“It’s so good to see you.”
Jasper pulls her into his chest once more and she leans into the hug as fiercely.
“Would you like to introduce me to someone?” Mitsuha asks, leaning back and glancing in my direction, a teasing smile on her peach-tinted lips.
Jasper opens his eyes. “Yes.” He leads his mother to me, keeping one of her hands firmly in his, and reaching for me with the other. “Mother, this is Max, my mate.”
“I—I’m honored,” I say, wholly unable to locate the right words.
“Max,” she says, smiling, and it feels like all the stars in the cosmos are shining at me. “I’m so happy to meet you.” She reaches for me, and I give her my free hand, so that she, Jasper, and I are standing in a strange sort of circle. Mitsuha’s energy flows like a celestial river from her to me. Jasper’s cheeks are wet, with more tears streaming down them.
“It’s so nice to meet you too,” I say. “Jasper is—he loves you so much. He’s told me so many amazing things about you.”
“And I’ve watched over you both,” she says. “I want to thank you.”
“Me? For what?”
“For loving my son and fighting for him.” She glances slyly at Jasper. “I know that took great perseverance.”
Jasper laughs, looking down bashfully before we catch eyes. He looks so happy and so overwhelmed all at once.
“Mom, I ...” Jasper says, but stops to swallow, his throat bobbing. “We’re in trouble. I don’t know what to do.”
“Come,” Mitsuha says, turning for the table. “I’ve made tea. We have some time.”
TEA WITH THE LUNA
Jasper’s mother sits across from him and me, a half-eaten slice of apple pie on an antique-looking plate in front of her, daisies dancing in a circle around the circumference of the dish. We’ve been talking for hours, but somehow her cup of tea is still steaming. Jasper has just finished telling her about his time at the Sanc.
“You would have loved to see what they’ve built,” he says, his hand resting in hers on the tabletop. “You would be proud.”
“I am,” she says, nodding. “Of them, and you.”
Both of their eyes are gleaming, glazed with tears, but their expressions are happy, content, their cheeks rosy from the fire and our meal.
“You should have seen how Jasper was with the kids at the school he helped build,” I chime in, thinking Mitsuha would have loved to see Jasper reading to the kids, doing silly voices for all the characters. “His performance as the wicked witch was Oscar-worthy.”
Her infectious smile shines back at me from across the table. “I bet it was.” She turns back to Jasp. “I’m glad you got to experience that. The rogues are very special to me. I felt their struggles and couldn’t help but want to do something for them. But I was always amazed at their resilience, their spark for life no matter what.”
“Yes,” Jasper agrees. “I’m afraid I’ve been too harsh on them. But being with them, working alongside them, I got to see a whole new side to them, to see who they really are.”
“I’m glad.”
“I think ...” Jasper is staring at the table, scared to say what’s on his mind. “I blamed them,” he says, looking up to meet his mother’s eyes. “For what happened to you.”
“I know.” She nods solemnly. “And I’ve spent a lot of time since then wondering if I was wrong to bring you with me that day. If I shouldn’t have kept you more separate from my work with the rogues. I knew it was dangerous. But seeing how you’ve grown and learned, and the man you’ve become, I think it was important that that part of my life was part of yours. I’m glad you’ve gotten to see a little more of what I was working toward.”
Mitsuha’s neck is turning pink, her eyes focused on their hands resting on the tabletop. A few errant tears fall, making dark spots on the wood.
“But I’m also sorry that I left you. I never wanted you to have to go through everything you’ve experienced. All that pain.”
The muscles in Jasper’s neck bulge as he swallows.
“I wish I could have been there for you.” She looks up, her eyes bloodshot. “I wish I could have taken away some of the pain you’ve carried, I wish I could have lifted some of the weight of your fate from your shoulders.”
Jasper is a mess. Hell, so am I. All three of us are big, wet, piles of emotion.
