Days of Darkness

Chapter 24

17 - Sam

Rose joined us three days later. She was a day late while trying to find someone take care of her house while she was gone. It would be difficult to describe the happiness in Natalie when the car pulled up. Her whole face glowed, and I enjoyed the forceful kiss she gave me before running out to meet Rose.

"I think I'm done with driving," Rose said sternly as she climbed out of the driver's seat. She moved like someone older, lacking confidence in her physical abilities. Her words and eyes were as sharp as ever, but I could see her body was less so. Natalie ignored it and smothered her with a hug. Rose smiled at me over Natalie's shoulder. All her blustering about not wanting to be seen as weak had faded away. I knew she was exactly where she needed to be. Exactly where Natalie and I wanted her to be. Teegan gave a yelp in my arms, reaching out to Rose. Her private welcome.

"I'm glad you came, Rose," I said, smiling as I struggled to keep Teegan from jumping out of my arms. Rose separated from Natalie and enclosed my head in her hands.

"I'm glad I'm here," Rose said, then kissed my cheek. She then repeated the process with Teegan, who sent out a blast of pure joy. I saw Natalie bite back a laugh at the emotion. We shared a very pleasant look, knowing that the bond was growing stronger in both of us. It should have scared us. Instead, it seemed natural and was comforting.

"Oh!" Rose said, "she missed me." Her hands were still cradling Teegan's face. I saw Rose's face flush a moment later, and her hands dropped quickly to her sides. "And you two have gotten a lot closer," she said quietly. Her grin told me it was expected and not a bad thing in her mind.

"We have," Natalie admitted, taking Rose's hand, "very close."

"Good," Rose said nodding her head, "that means Teegan has a family. Every child needs a strong family." Memories of my drunken mother invaded. I cast them away and replaced them with Rose's confidence. There was no reason I needed to repeat the past. Natalie's strength would never allow it. I would never allow it.

I handed Teegan off to Natalie and gathered Rose's luggage. Rose was home, and by the way she was slowly walking, her last home. She never wanted Natalie, or me for that matter, to see her deteriorate. I smiled and promised myself I would remember her as I first saw her, vibrant and the smartest woman I had ever met. The disease will do what it will, but it would never infect my memories.

Rose was a skilled taskmaster. The course I signed up for, college algebra, was designed to be taken at your own pace. It was a lie. It was taken at Rose's pace. I have to admit, I started the course thinking I was a complete scholastic i***t. There was little I remembered from high school math, and I let the frustration grow. Rose refused to let me falter and even used guilt to drive me harder. She always smiled when she laid it on thicker than motor oil.

Natalie, bless her sexy heart, would whisper things in my ear to keep me motivated. Rose's guilt, Natalie's promises, and the need to be strong for Teegan all merged into the motivation I needed to gain the necessary confidence. I was three-quarters through the course when I realized that Rose wasn't on my case anymore. I found I missed it, so I slacked just to hear her softly remind me of my duties.

It was childish of me to desire the attention. My upbringing was so starved of it; I found I craved it from Rose. Somewhere along the line, she recognized my need. She replaced her now unneeded badgering with leaning over my shoulder and verbally acknowledging what I was doing. For the first time in my life, I was the teacher's pet. It didn't matter to me that I was her only student. For the first time in my life, I felt not stupid.

We were snowed in the day I received my first complete grade. A link to my report card came in my email. I stared at it for a good while before I clicked. I knew what it had to be, the results from the tests and homework only pointed to one grade. The final had felt so incredibly easy. Still, I was nervous and refused to let anyone know it had arrived.

I clicked. The report card for Samual Williams appeared on the screen. I had assumed Natalie's surname to hide my identity. Right next to College Algebra 1, was the most beautiful 'A' a person could ever see. The first 'A' I could remember receiving. My whole body felt lighter as the joy lifted me to the clouds. The feeling doubled, then tripled in succeeding waves.

"Whoa!," Natalie exclaimed and turned from the couch to look at me, "was that for me?" I had projected through Teegan. I looked inside myself as my smile grew. Somehow, I could sense how the feelings flowed. I could feel Teegan and her connection to Natalie. I closed my eyes and concentrated. I sent all the love I could gather.

"That was for me," Natalie stated as she stood, "don't you dare stop." I laughed at the loving look in her eyes. It wasn't exactly controlled. It was more like a blast that found it's target simply by exploding everywhere.

"What are you jabbering about?" Rose asked Natalie, lowering the paper she was reading.

"Sam is happy about something," Natalie said, moving toward me, "so happy I could feel it." Rose looked on dumbfounded. I pushed my chair back, rose, and encircled Natalie in my arms. Our lips found each other and feelings turned physical. I was suddenly worried Natalie would take me right there, in front of her mother.

Rose coughed in an interrupting manner. Natalie and I broke the embrace and turned toward her.

"I'm a straight A student," I said proudly, pointing at the laptop screen. It was only one class, but it was an 'A,' and I had no grade lower.

"Of course, you are," Rose said with supreme confidence, "I'm glad the school recognized what you earned." Her smile was as large as mine. It was hard to think of anything but her praise. I wanted to bask in it. Natalie was squeezing me, feeling my happiness and echoing it back to me. It was an infantile response for a grown man, but it felt too good to stop.

"Now explain to me how Natalie knew it before you told us," Rose continued. We hadn't mentioned Teegan projecting yet.

"We've begun to feel Teegan without touching her," Natalie stated, "this time I felt Sam through her."

"Big emotions," I said, pulling Natalie closer, "It just happened, and then I could feel the path, and I sent another."

"Another?" Rose queried. Natalie blushed. I was feeling too good be shy.

"I sent her my love," I said, "it just exploded outward like a pebble in a pond." Natalie leaned into me. She liked the waves I made.

"Sam has felt her pain as well," Natalie added, "when she bangs her head or falls trying to stand, it's as if he absorbs it." Rose's eyes narrowed as she thought on it.

"How is she going to learn?" Rose asked, "Pain is how we learn not to repeat the action that caused it."

"I'm not sure," I said, "it's like she knows it hurts me. She becomes cautious and refrains from causing me further harm."

"But she's asleep now," Ruth argued, "how could she send feelings...or send yours?"

"I don't think it's a conscious ability," I calculated, "it just exists. Maybe we fuel it or maybe it's instinct, like a heartbeat."

"And Sam just packaged up some love and sent it to you?" Rose asked. Natalie smiled and nodded. I laughed.

"It's an all or nothing thing," I clarified, "I sent her all my love."

"I don't want to be around when you two argue," Rose said. I lost my smile and looked at a concerned Natalie. We hadn't fought about anything yet. I wondered if I could hold back my anger once it was let loose. I remembered when I wanted to kill the guy who held Natalie by the neck. I could barely control myself then. Natalie looked as worried as I.

"We can't fight," we said in unison. I hugged Natalie close. The thought of letting loose with anger directed at her made my stomach turn.

"Was Dr. Gunderson concerned about this...projecting?" Rose asked.

"He seemed more concerned about the nosebleeds," Natalie admitted. I rolled my eyes at Natalie for breaking it to Rose that way.

Skipping only the parts where Natalie and I were n***d, we brought Rose fully up to date. Rose injected questions, and we answered. In the end, we had made her concerned as well.

"I'm worried our 21st-century minds aren't wired to bond with her," Rose said when she knew everything we did, "maybe that's why it manifests physically. Nosebleeds and exhaustion are warnings. I don't think you should go past that, or even repeat them."

"We were feeling the same way," Natalie responded, "emergencies only."

"Hopefully, you won't have any more of those," Rose said.

"Well, no one is going to trudge through this snow to get us today," I said, trying to lighten the mood, "and I just got the first of many 'A's. Drinks are on me." Rose gave me her laughing agreement. Natalie retrieved some cups as I broke out a bottle of wine. Selfishly, I celebrated my victory with a complete lack of modesty. Lovingly, Rose and Natalie let me.