Page 36 of Losing The Vampire King

“I understand,” I nod, taking her hand into mine and squeezing it gently. “I’m here for you, mom.”

She smiles gratefully. “He would have been so proud of you, you know. Just like I am. Ever since you came into our lives, he couldn’t stop talking about you. You became his entire life.”

Her words warmed my heart. I listened intently.

“Even during that trip, he kept looking in the rear-view mirror, to see what you were doing with me in the backseat,” she says, reminiscing melancholically. “He would sing to you, he would make funny faces just so you would giggle. To him, your smile was the most wonderful thing in the world. Then, we stopped there to rest. At first, we didn’t see anything suspicious. We sat on those benches, planning on having a quick bite to eat and then continue. Again, I wonder, if we didn’t stay so long… Ah, I guess there is no point in thinking about the what ifs. I am here to tell you what happened, not what could have happened. They came from the woods. Slithered out, so to speak. We thought it was their spot, so we offered to move. But it became clear that they knew who we were. That is, what you and I were. They knew that a baby nymph carried great strength within itself.”

“But… they never used my strength,” I remember.

“Yes, because you forgot who you were,” she reminds me. “That was actually a blessing in disguise. I’m sure you hated not remembering, but if you knew who you were, if you were aware of your own power, they would have exploited it immediately. This way, they had to wait until you grew up and became aware of it on your own.”

“Aha,” I nod. “Those things didn’t make sense back then.”

“They knew I would never use my powers to help them,” she continues her story. “And I wouldn’t give you up. Not without a fight. Then, that fight happened. They…” she cleared her throat as she spoke. “They killed your father first, in front of us.”

I gasp, pressing my hand to my lips. I don’t want to say this aloud, but I’m grateful that there are certain things in my past that I don’t remember, such as this one.

“Then, they tried to kill me,” she whispers. “Luckily, they didn’t realize that they threw my almost lifeless body underneath an oak tree, with open roots. I guess their own stupidity cost them that time.”

“Why?” I wonder.

She smiles. “Oak trees have a regenerating capability, especially for us nymphs, who know how to utilize it. I had a little strength left in me, which I used to soak up the oak tree’s energy with my hands. It was difficult, but I somehow mustered the strength for it. Another wandering nymph found me, and I immediately told her what happened. I wanted to come after you, but she told me that it would be a suicide mission. Even if you were alive, they wouldn’t give you back just like that. I had to agree with her. But I want you to know that I never stopped hoping. I never stopped thinking about you, wanting to go back, but on my own, I stood very little chances of finding you and bringing you back.”

“I know,” I assure her tenderly. “I don’t blame you for anything. There was a reason I needed to stay there as long as I did, because otherwise, Eddie wouldn’t have found me. I had to be there.”

“You’re right,” she nods. “There is a reason for everything, even if we don’t understand that reason or don’t like it.”

“I have started to believe that as well,” I confirm. I get close to her and embrace her. “Thank you for telling me that story, mom. I know it wasn’t easy.”

“I just wish there was a way for you to remember him, to see him and his smile, because yours is the same,” she gushes, tears streaming down her face. “In fact, I see him in Orien’s smile sometimes.”

“I am very happy to hear that,” I tell her. “And I hope that my dad’s smile might live through your other grandchild as well.” With these words, I press my hands to my belly.

Her eyes widen with shock. She looks at my stomach, then back up at me.

“You mean to tell me…” she starts, but she is too excited to finish her sentence.

Instead, I nod, smiling. “Yes. I’m pregnant.”

“That is such wonderful news!” she exclaims loudly. “Does Eddie know?”

“Not yet,” I shake my head. “I’ve been meaning to tell him these days, but there seems to be constantly something preoccupying him. Now it’s this business with these skin walkers who have popped up.”

“Don’t worry,” she assures me. “He will sort that out. He always does. As for you, you focus on your good news and tell him as soon as he comes home. He will be ecstatic.”

“I know he will,” I gush. “I can’t wait to tell him.” I look down at my belly, which is still as flat as ever. It will probably be a little while longer, before it shows. That is my favorite period of pregnancy, when I get to caress my belly and think about the baby that I am yet to meet. “Do you think it will be a girl this time?” I wonder.

“Do you want a girl?” my mom wonders.

“It doesn’t matter,” I smile. “But I know Eddie would like one. He always said he’d like a boy and a girl.”

“Then, you send all your hopes and prayers to the heavens,” my mom advises me. “And you will get exactly what you need.”

“I think right now, I have everything I could ever hope for to be truly happy,” I admit, feeling emotions completely take over me. I let the tears flow. It doesn’t matter. I don’t have to pretend to be strong any longer. I had to do it before, before I met Eddie and before I was surrounded with so much love and protection. I can finally be myself, without any holding back, and it feels wonderful.

My mom embraces me once again, but this time, I feel like there was someone else in that embrace. Perhaps I could feel the energy of my father, joining in. With his story finally being told, maybe he can rest at peace now, knowing that he died for those he loved. That is all any of us could ever hope for.

As for Eddie, I know he will make our town a safe place again. He is our king after all. My king.

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