Page 129 of Enchanted

We sat for a few minutes in companionable silence. I took the time to drink her in. She looked exactly as I remembered her. The soft lines around her mouth from smiling so often. Her red curls, so similar to my own, threaded with silver.

“I’ve missed you so much.”

“Not as much as I’ve missed you.” She put down her needlepoint again and reached over to take my hand. “I’d ask you to tell me everything, but I’ve been keeping a close eye on you.”

“You have?”

“Of course. You might be grown now, Ethan, but you’ll always be my baby. Just because we can’t be together doesn’t mean I’m not there.”

I winced, thinking of the cottage with Rami. “How ‘there’ are we talking?”

She tsked, swatting at my arm. “Don’t worry, I always depart during anything mildly…spicy. I just like to pop in on you from time to time.”

A lump formed in my throat. “I love that you do that.”

“I hated that I couldn’t be there for you properly when you were sick,” she said, her voice trembling. “But I was there, Ethan. Every day. You were never alone.”

The grief I’d never fully allowed myself to feel washed over me. Or maybe it was everything that had happened. The diagnosis. The move. The treatment. The break-up. I let myself feel it all, crumbling with my mother at my side.

She took me into her arms like I was still a small boy, rocking me and whispering gently, “You were so brave, Ethan. I’m so proud of you.”

When I was down to just small sniffles, I straightened and took the tissue she offered. “Thank you.”

“I’m glad you’re not with Dave now,” she said as I blew my nose noisily. “Although I could merrily throttle him for cheating on you, especially when you were sick. Actually, there’s a lot I’d like to give him a piece of my mind over.”

I gave her a wry smile. “You never did like him.”

“He wasn’t good enough for you. He didn’t make you happy.”

“That’s truer than I’m ready to admit.”

She nudged me in the ribs. “But Rami, he makes you happy, yes?”

I blushed, ducking my chin to my chest. “Yeah, Mum, he does.”

“Then that’s all I need to know. You’ve picked a good ’un there, Ethan. Make sure you hold on to him tight.”

“I will.”

She stroked a curl from my forehead, smiling sadly. “I’m so glad you’re going to live forever, Ethan. And happily, at that. Even if it means we won’t ever be reunited.”

Fresh tears filled my eyes. “We won’t?”

“No,” she said, still stroking my hair. “Today is a gift, Ethan, but you won’t be allowed to visit again. You’re bound to Rami now, which means you’ve got thousands of years ahead of you. Perhaps even more.”

“But—”

“No buts,” she said firmly. “This is for the best, Ethan. All I’ve ever wanted is for you to live a long, happy, healthy life. Now you’re going to have that and more. It’s not like I won’t see you, either. I’ll be dropping by often.”

“It’s not the same,” I whispered, clutching at her hands. “I won’t see you.”

“But you’ll know I’m there. I’ll always be with you, Ethan. Silently cheering you on and loving you. That’ll never go away, even if we’re separated by a bridge you can’t cross.”

I couldn’t find any more words, but that was okay. Mum found them for me.

“Be happy, Ethan. Happy and thankful that we got this extra time.”

“Are you happy?” I blurted out. “Here? Is it…okay?”