Page 98 of The Heir
“You got jealous?” My mother’s tone was incredulous.
“A little. He was dancing with a whole harem of beautiful women and I didn’t like it.”
“See, that’s my point exactly. I confronted you about it, and you wouldn’t admit to feeling jealous. You see it as an ugly emotion or something, but I needed you to tell me that you wanted me for yourself. I needed you to admit that you had feelings for me.”
“I get jealous all the time when we go to the Northlands.”
“Finn, this isn’t about you.” My mother had a tiny smile on her lips as she asked me, “What did I teach you about emotions?”
“That they serve as the language of our inner wisdom.”
“Did you meditate on where the jealousy was coming from?”
“I didn’t have time to meditate, nor did I need to.” My head sunk and I fiddled with my hands. “I understood perfectly fine that I was in love with Thor. Seeing him with those women brought out a side of me that I didn’t like. I felt possessive and vulnerable. It was a bad situation.”
“No, it was beautiful and amazing. I loved every second of seeing the fire in your eyes and feeling your desire for me.”
My mother sighed. “You are very different people.”
“So are you and Dad,” I pointed out.
Tilting her head, she warned, “It won’t be easy. Dad and I have had some rocky times as well.”
Thor took my hand. “If I wanted easy, I would have picked one of the women on my father’s list. They understand my culture and appreciate the glamour that comes with my lifestyle. Linea and I are choosing each other despite our differences.”
I smiled, “True. And because of how we make each other feel.”
Tapping her knee with her right index finger, my mother asked, “What about your work, Linea?”
“I’ll continue my work from the Northlands, of course.”
“Northlanders will find you weird. Most of them don’t believe in energy work.”
“Then it’s a good thing that so many Motlanders moved there. They’ll be a good influence. I know better than to convince anyone who isn’t interested. I can still work with you through virtual reality.”
My mother’s next question came fast. “How will you raise children?”
“All right, that’s it, I’m calling a stop to this interrogation,” my dad said and came over. “You and I didn’t have all the answers either. We figured it out along the way and so will they.”
My mother took the hand my father offered her and rose from the floor in a fluid movement. “Always the protector of your daughter, aren’t you?”
“Yes. You don’t have to dig deep to find holes in the fabric of a new relationship. It takes time and work to weave their lives tightly together. We’ve had more than thirty years and we still get into arguments.”
“Sure, when you’re being troublesome.”
He laughed. “Right, because you’re a saint.” My dad pulled my mother’s back against his chest and wrapped his arms around her. In the meantime, Thor and I got up from the floor and smiled.
“Tell Mom how Thor climbed the outside of the mill to get to your room,” my dad encouraged me.
“Nooo.” My mom’s hand flew to her mouth and her eyes widened. “You didn’t!”
“It’s true,” I confirmed.
My dad sounded proud of Thor. “If that isn’t a romantic gesture, I don’t know what is.”
“Why would you do that, Thor? If Pearl learns of this, she’ll… she’ll…”
“Shit a sheep,” Thor suggested with a grin. “Nah, my mom is used to me climbing, but usually I have safety equipment. This time it was a bit risky.”
