Melanie's continuation...

Chapter 21 Love and Loss  

                                                     

A few days later James called Melanie and asked her again on a date. He felt they seemed to be taking a step back in their relationship and he needed to court her all over again. She smiled when he asked and he could almost hear it. She said, “What did you have in mind?” He retorted with “The Aquarium; you can lose yourself or find yourself in there. You just watch and let the water wash over you.”  Melanie agreed. The next day Melanie left Lucious with a friend. She had spoken to Lucious about his powers and about using them among the mortals. Her girlfriend was told that Lucious was a bit special, but not how. He was young but he understood the dangers of doing so, so he agreed to behave at the friend’s and when Melanie dropped him off, he whispered to his mom “You be good too, no witch!” Melanie giggled and agreed too. Today they would be normal people going about their day without any witchcraft. 

Since Melanie had to drop Lucious off she just agreed to meet James at the aquarium. He saw her approaching and looked nervous. Since she told him her secret of being a witch he seemed to be on edge. She let him kiss her check as they were now close and she took whispered: “I promise not to turn you into a frog.” And with that the ice was broke, they embraced, he took her hand and they entered the aquarium. He had already paid for their tickets when he was waiting. They entered the darken areas inside and siddled up to the large sea turtles. James said he took Melanie there because they were his favorite. He was sitting on a bench and watching them glide around while Melanie stood at the large window in amazement of their size, but also their grace. She turned to find James and he was now talking to one of the workers. She walked up to him and he again took her hands in his. He introduced Melanie to Stephanie. She took care of this area of the aquarium. She told Melanie about how lucky she was to have such a good guy and Melanie knew how Stephanie knew James. She could see the puzzlement on Melanie’s face and said: “He comes here all the time and just watches.” Melanie and James started walking to the dolphin show next. Melanie stared at James and he told her that after nights doing gigs he likes to come in the mornings and just unwind in here because that was the quiet hour here.  She stopped walking and planted a sweet kiss on his cheek. She knew he was a kind soul, but the more she learned about him the more she fell in love. He seemed to be ok with her being a witch, he seemed to be ok with Lucious being his best friend’s baby, and he seemed to be ok with her just being herself. Perhaps this would lead to something after all. She thought it was a bad idea, to begin with to date him, but now she knew, of course, he was a good soul because he was her deceased fiancés best friend.

James and Melanie took hours to walk through the fish, turtles, dolphins and eating lunch at the café. They walked, talked, and smooched their way through the aquarium. They sat at the café and ate cupcakes. James told Melanie he always starts with the sweets first. He said you never know what’s coming next so, I always eat the desserts first. She nodded and he asked if she thought him off. She just smiled a smile that filled her whole face and said: “I do the exact same thing.” The more she got to know about him the more she was becoming attached. They had not really dated in months due to her Ireland trip, but now there was barely a day between dates and they were becoming a couple in love. 

James and Melanie left the aquarium and went for a walk in the neighboring park. They have found a large bench swing and sat and began to swing. Melanie could tell James was apprehensive about something. She thought “Here it comes, the I cannot date a witch, I cannot deal with your life, your kid, and your way of going about living your life.” James took her hands into his, turned to look her in the eyes and said: “Melanie, I am falling in love with you.” Melanie’s breath caught in her throat and she sputtered a gasp. He looked at her hurt and she regained breathing and said: “Me too!” They kissed again and talked about their relationship. Melanie was now the one being apprehensive. She needed to tell James about Lucious being a witch. She was fidgeting with her hands now back in her own lap. She felt hot, weak, and faint. Her heart was racing and he could tell something was up and she opened her mouth to speak and her phone rang. It was her friend who had Lucious. Something had happened and Melanie needed to come fast. 

Melanie made her apologies to James and tried to sprint off, but he knew something was wrong and followed behind saying he could drive her. She could use the lift as she walked from her friend's place to meet him, but she had a feeling Lucious had frozen time, dismantled a lamp and/or something was floating in the air, and Melanie was not ready to have James see that. He insisted she let him give her a lift, she said ok to just drop her off, but she knew he would stay and that he was about to find out about her son. 

Upon arriving at her friend’s apartment all looked ok. Into her son's bedroom, her friend guided her and James. When they got there every toy in the little boy’s room was floating upside down frozen in the air. Lucious was laughing and so was his friend, but their mom was fiercely upset and said she asked Lucious to put it all back and then Lucious started throwing the toys against the wall and upsetting other neighbors. Neighbors came knocking on her door saying they knew she was abusing those boys and that they were going to call Child Protective Services on her. She knew the cops were also probably on their way. Melanie apologized and said she would handle it. James just stared at the toys in the air in amazement and looked at Lucious. Lucious winked at him. James bolted out of the apartment so fast he almost knocked over the policeman. Melanie heard them on the hallway landing and told Lucious to unfreeze it all NOW and to put the room back in order. He grumbled and begrudgingly did so. She went to the door to greet the police, so her friend did not have to. As Melanie walked to the door she put two cups of half drank coffee on the table, produced homemade cookies on the counter that were still warm, made the apparent smell of baking, and asked her girlfriend to sit that she would handle it. 

Her friend was baffled by all things that happened that day but sat at the table. Melanie greeted the police officer and touched his hand. She said, “Come in and have a cookie won’t you?” They smelled so good he agreed. She asked if he was ok and if there was anything she could do for him and she handed him a cookie. He ate it and forgot why he had even come to the apartment. She said in a hushed ton, take care of Child Protective Services, she showed him the boys playing boisterously in the bedroom and that they were fine and untouched, he said “Yes Ma’am.” He took a cookie to go, tipped his hat to her on the way out, and left. Melanie’s friend just looked at her scared. She said have a cookie. A moment later her friend said how nice a day it was and she was happy Lucious could come play with her son for a While. Everything was back to the way it was before Lucious acted up. Her girlfriend and the cop would remember only what she told them. On the way out of the apartment, she ran into her friend’s neighbor who called CPS and she gave her a cookie as well and made sure she ate it before Melanie left her. 

Lucious and Melanie arrived home shortly after and though Melanie was upset about what happened at the friends, about James bolting out the door, about magical powers getting out of hand, she just sat and hugged her boy. She told him they needed to talk. She asked him how he did what he did to all those toys. She had only witnessed him freeze time. He said he could do many new things now. They sat deep into the evening hours chatting about things he could remember he could do. After all, he was still only a young boy, but she could tell he was going to be a powerful witch. She needed to perhaps start his learning way younger then she started her own in her teenage years. For now, she gave him a bath, they talked again about the dangers of doing magic, the costs, and how it leads the darkness to them. Lucious nodded in the tub with his head covered in bubbles. He played in the water like a normal little one and then she dried him off, put on his pajamas and read him a story about a brave little lion. She loved this time of the night when she snuggled him, she could hold him longer, kiss him more, and enjoy just the two of them locked into their own home. She tucked him into bed when he fell asleep in the middle of the story like normal. They never made it to the end. She kissed his forehead and slipped out his door and just then the doorbell rang as if on cue. She knew who it was and sighed. She was not up to this conversation right now, but he was at the door, so she had to be. 

Melanie opened the door and let James in without a word. He looked hurt. She offered him something to drink, but he just looked at her as a stranger would. They both stood with their hands in their jean front pockets and rocked back and forth on the balls of their feet. He smelled like the rain. He stood leaving a puddle under him. Melanie wanted to clean it up, but she concentrated on James. He finally spoke, “Why did you not tell me?” It was not judgment coming from his voice, it was hurt, and it was the pain that came from her not trusting him with another secret. This wasn’t some I pickpocketed one-time secret, this was her son is a witch secret. It took him so long to adjust to being with her, him feeling safe with her after she told him she was a witch, that she did not want him to judge her son.  She started to say something and heard Lucious scream “JAMES!” and run into James' arms. Melanie thought her son was sound asleep. James hugged and kissed Lucious and said: “Hey Buddy, better get back to sleep.” He placed Lucious on the ground and Lucious said his good nights again and went to bed.  Melanie and James still stand looking at each other. James looked like a lost kitten. He was hurt. She asked if he wanted to sit and talk and he said he was not staying. He just wanted to know why she excluded him from this part of her life. She told him she needed to protect her son from the evils of the world and it was a fulltime job. She did not think it wise to inform him of her son’s powers. He said ok, turned to walk out the door, and said: “I truly do love you.” And shut the door behind him. Melanie stood frozen and now made her own puddle where she stood, but hers was of tears. She felt she lost James for good.

Melanie thought about James all night. About her deceased fiancé and if he would have accepted their son or not, and about if she would be single the rest of her life. She needed to be available for Lucious 24/7 and she knew a man would keep her from this. For now, at least it was going to just be the two of them. Melanie made sure the door was locked up, turned off all the lights, heard the birdcage snoring in the corner, and she knew that yes they were witches, but that they were still a powerful line of witches and evil of some sort would be coming for them. Melanie placed a spell of protection again on her, her son, and their home. She burned some incense of purification and went to lie down. She checked on her son one more time and got changed and climbed into her own bed. She could feel her bones ache from the magic she performed that day. She had hoped something evil was not watching for the magic that day. Gerd was gone, but there was always more evilness lurking to kill witches. Melanie took some deep breaths and tried to relax her body. She tried to turn off her brain and her cell phone went off. It was a text from James. It said “I’m Sorry” and then Melanie blocked his number. 

and the story continues... Oh Melanie, love, loss, death, birth. So many polar opposites.

I hope you enjoy the next chapter of Melanie's life

your story teller/poet 

xo

Debbie