Unusual Mate

Some Fancy Stuff

Athena’s POV  

    I had arrived at my family’s home in the early morning. The mountain air was crisp and full of the scent of dead leaves. I loved this smell more than any other smell in the world.

    I had gathered Alek into my arms and carried him into the home. Abandoning my car full of things until the daylight. I placed Alek’s sleeping body into the queen-sized bed we would share and covered him. He looked so cute snuggled into the blankets and pile of pillows.  

    I walked into the adjoining bathroom to take a soaking bath. It was a small bathtub, but it would work. After all, this bath I had used for eighteen years of my life. I went to grab clothes from the dresser in the room only to jump halfway out of my own skin.

    “I’m so sorry,” I heard my mother snicker. “I heard you come in. I wanted to see how you were.”

    “Before or after giving me a heart attack?” I asked with a laugh.

    “Very funny.” She stopped talking and looked from me to the bathroom and then back. “Bath?”

    “Yes. I feel stiff from driving so far.” I visibly rubbed my neck and shoulder.

    She looked confused at what I said.

    I finished grabbing my clothes and turned to the bathroom. This is when I realized why she looked that way. How did I not turn the light on? Better question, how the hell was I able to see so clearly in the dark?

    I walked in and brushed the thought off. Maybe there was a full moon letting light in the room and I hadn’t really noticed. I switched the light on and the water off. Then stripped out of my clothes and stepped into the steaming water.

    Settling down and leaning back onto the wall. I was a bit tall, so I couldn’t stretch out and fully emerge into the water, but it felt so amazing.

    My mother had come in and sat by the tub. I was used to this. She used to do this a lot when I was growing up and we would talk about all kinds of things.

    “How was the trip?” she began the conversation again.

    “Good. Easy traffic and Alek slept the whole time after dinner.”

    “Did you have to stop? Were there any issues?” I knew this was what she really wanted to talk about. It was the subject we spoke the most about the past few weeks on the phone.

    “I did have to stop, but only for gas and to stretch. I didn’t have any dizzy spells or pains.”

    For months, I had suddenly begun to have pain in my head that lasted for no more than three minutes at a time. This was accompanied by random dizzy spells as well. Doctors had assumed seizures at first, but test results were inconclusive.

    “Well, that’s good news. Maybe being home will help.” She had a look on her face that spoke of many hidden concerns, but I didn’t press the issue.

    We spoke for about an hour until my water became cold and I decided to get out and dressed. I put on some fuzzy long pants and a tank top. Then walked into the room and found my way to my old closet. There, all my old clothes still hung. I grabbed the biggest fluffy cardigan and slipped it on.

    “I am going to make some tea; would you like some too Athena?” my mom asked.

    I loved her tea, but I was really in the mood to sleep more than anything.

    “No, maybe later. I am going to try to sleep a little bit.”

    “Are you sure? I think it would really help with the dizzy spells you have.” She was pressing the issue and I frankly just wanted to sleep.

    “No thanks. Maybe in the morning.”

    She smiled and then kissed my cheek before leaving the room. I closed the door and crawled into the bed next to Aleksandr. Careful not to wake him, I soon fell asleep warm and relaxed.

*****

    I woke up to the sound of someone saying my name. The voice of a young woman, but when I looked around the room, no one was there. Even my son was out of bed.

    I shot up out of the bed and out of the room. Where had he gone? I soon found the answer when I reached downstairs. There he was standing on a stool next to my dad making pancakes.

    “Hey kiddo, we didn’t want to wake you,” my dad said cheerfully.

     Though he was my stepfather, he was the only father figure I had ever known and that was good enough for me to call him dad.

    “No, it's okay dad. I just had a weird dream, I think. Then came to find out where this little monster went,” I said tickling giggles out of Alek.

    “Weird you say,” he asked with a questioning look. “Want to grab a cup of coffee and talk about it?”

    “Not much to talk about, just thought I heard something. However,” I said reaching for a cup, “I won’t pass up good coffee.”

    “That’s my girl.” He placed Alek into a chair to eat his pancakes and turned to me, “I know you don’t like them, but there are plenty to feed an army. I am going to start unloading your car.”

    Then he walked out of the front door.

    I was starving, but as I looked at the pancakes, I couldn’t hold back the involuntary gag that came up. Disgusting. I had no idea how my son could eat those things.

    I sat down with my coffee next to Alek, who now had syrup all over his shirt and face.

    “Mommy, I made breakfast for you,” he said happily.

    “I see that little man. I will have to dive into that stack when I am a little more awake,” I said with a wink.

    “Okay,” he mumbled through a mouth full of sticky sweetness. I sat with him while he ate. This was usually our routine daily. He ate and I drank coffee.

    As I sat there, my dad carried things from my car to my room upstairs. I would have offered to help, but my dad is very insistent on doing things himself.

    On one of his trips from my car to inside, he stopped and handed me my phone.

    I opened the screen up to find messages from my best friend, Veronica.

    We had been friends since high school and soon we were inseparable until I moved. That didn’t change much though. She would visit me and call me all the time.

    I opened the messages to read. It was a bunch of things about how she was super excited that I was back home and that she was ready to see me again. There was some nonsense about a party I read over and that she would be by the house to take me shopping around four in the afternoon.

    “What?” I said a little too loud as my dad walked into the house with the last bit of my things.

    “What’s wrong mommy?” Alek asked from beside me.

    “Oh, it's just Auntie Vee. She is coming by this afternoon,” I replied.

    “Oh, that is great Athena. We miss seeing her around,” my dad said. I looked at him with a glare. “What?” he asked.

    “She is coming to take me shopping for some party.”

    “What’s wrong with that?” my dad was so innocent sometimes, that or he played coy very well.

   I rolled my eyes at him, then glanced at Alek and back to him as if to signal why I had an issue. He however didn’t catch the drift.

    I then said, “I am a mom. I cannot go prancing off to some stupid party. I love her, but I’m not doing that, and I am not taking Alek out.”

    “Don’t worry about it, your mom and I have it. We can spend some time with little man,” my dad said.

    I knew he had no problem with it, but I hadn’t left Aleksandr with anyone other than the care center in years.

    As if on cue, my mother walked into the kitchen smiling. “Yes, we’ve got this handled. Go have fun and relax.”

    “Fine, but I will want updates and everything while I am shopping and then later while at the party, Deal?” I asked.

    Together they responded, “Deal.”

    My mother looked at my mug with a furrow to her brow. I looked down as if confused. I always drank coffee, what was the big deal?

    “Tea would be better than coffee for you. Let me make you some,” she answered my thoughts.

    “I think I will enjoy my coffee. It is my routine,” I replied with a small smile. She only scowled at me. “I will have some tea later.”

    “She doesn’t need any tea, Dawn. Let the girl live,” my dad took my side in the argument.

    "She does need the tea," my mother replied as if to make her point.

    "Not today she does not. She still has time," my dad answered. This conversation was getting weird.

    “Fine,” she was defeated in this battle.

    I heard the doorbell ring and looked at the time. Twelve thirty-one. Who could be here? I turned to see Veronica and her husband walk into the house. They are early.

    I didn’t care, I shot out of my seat and ran over to my best friend placing her in a tight hug. I had missed her so much.

    Veronica was a bit shorter than me, only coming up to the height of my nose. She was two years older than me, but she was youthful and beautiful. She had long, auburn hair that came down her waist in a mess of curls that she could never tame.

    I was jealous of those curls, I had straight hair with a slight wave here and there in it. She had brown eyes and flawless skin.

    “Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?” I leaned back asking Veronica.

    She pulled away from me looked confused, “What do you mean?”

    “You never do parties. So, what did you do with my friend?” I asked laughing.

    “Oh hush,” she said giving me a joking shove. “It’s the party after the ceremony.”

    “What ceremony?” I asked. What was this all about?

    Veronica shot a look from me to my dad and then to Darien. She looked like she just said something she wasn’t supposed to, but how was my dad involved?

    It was Darien who spoke up, “It is a community ceremony for us. A big corporation thing, but you have been invited to the after-party.”

    “Interesting,” I said in disbelief. “Okay, so some fancy stuff I guess?”

    “Yep. So, we must go get you a dress,” Veronica piped up cheerfully.“I can just wear something I have here,” I said while pointing upstairs.

    “Sorry, I have seen your clothes, and none of that will due for tonight,” she said grabbing my cheeks like a child.

    I looked to my mom for some emergency help, but she just looked pissed and tried to avoid my eye contact.

    What the hell is going on with everyone? I thought to myself. “Okay, let me go change and I suppose we can head out to shop Vee."

    I turned and darted up the stairs. I changed into some pants, put a bra on, slipped the tank top and cardigan back on, and put on my converse.

    When I got back downstairs my mom and Darien were nowhere in sight. I stopped next to Alex in the kitchen, who was now smashing play dough into the table happily.

    “Hey bud, I am going out for a while, and then I will be back. Will you be okay and be a good boy for me?” I asked, knowing he would be.

    He stopped playing and looked at me, “Yes mommy. I will listen. I love you.”

    I smiled and hugged him, “I love you too baby.” Then I kissed his forehead and walked out the door with Veronica.

    Darien was in the car ready for us to get in to go shopping. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.