Broken Mate, Fixed By Fate

08 - Hawthorns and healing magic

A cave of crystals home to healing fairies!?

Even if the last part is bullsh*t, who would not want to see a cave of crystals!?

I almost nod excitedly but I realize he is observing me with sharp eyes, probably reading the sudden interest from my face, so I school my expression back into a blank one. Somehow this seems only to amuse him even more because he grins like a cat who spotted a mouse, making me wonder if I made a mistake being defensive.

“Nod for a yes, shake your head for no,” he whispers in a conspiratorial tone.

I sigh with annoyance before nodding. Of course it’s a yes. Who would say no to a crystal cave!?

I turn to my plate, suddenly finding my appetite again as I am pulled out of my abyss. I eat slowly, giving my stomach enough time to adjust, and in the meantime I try to imagine what the crystal cave would look like. Will it be wall to wall crystals? Or random gems here and there? Are they even real crystals or is it just a play on words?

Maybe I shouldn’t expect much so I won’t be disappointed. It’s most likely just called Crystal Cave because the shapes of the rocks resemble that of crystal formations.

Yes, that’s probably it. No reason to obsess over it, really.

Halfway through the meal, Elija’s phone rings and he frowns at the number that showed.

“Sorry, Mum, I gotta take this.”

He stands up and steps to the kitchen garden. Curious despite myself, I strain my ears trying to listen to the conversation. Thankfully, even Maria seems just as intrigued and she keeps quiet as well, probably trying to eavesdrop too.

But all we can hear from Elija’s side is silence, with him occasionally grunting his agreement to the person on the other side before saying that yes, he will be there that evening.

When he returns to the table, he looks at me apologetically. “I’m sorry, Miss Maeve, I’m afraid we’ll have to postpone our little trip to the crystal cave. Something important came up and a friend really needs me right now. Do you mind if we do it another day? I promise to make it up to you.” He shoves as much food as he can to his mouth, finishing the whole lot like a ravenous wolf and then kisses his mother’s cheeks and Maria beams at him in approval for finishing his portion before leaving the table.

Tsk. Show off.

He downs his glass of water in a few gulps. “Don’t wait for me, okay? I’m not sure if I can come back in time for dinner tonight but I’ll call you, Mum,” he tells her, flashing me a smile before running out the door.

“Drive carefully!” Maria yells and I can hear his muffled ‘Always!’ from the stairs.

Maria then turns to me with a smile. “Don’t worry, dear, he always keeps his promises. He will take you to the Crystal Cave. I’m afraid I can’t take you there myself, it’s a long hike and my knees are not how they were before and neither is my memory. But if you have nothing planned for today, would you like to come with me to pick strawberries at the farm? You can eat as much as you like while picking them, and there will still be enough to make strawberry cake for Elijah when he comes back. It’s his favorite.”

Elijah did not come home that night, at least while I was still up, but the next morning, I opened my eyes and saw a little vase on my bedside table, with a small branch full of hawthorn flowers.

I sit up, noticing a small note under the vase.

Had to return to the city for something important, but I will be back tomorrow by lunchtime. If the weather permits we can go to the Crystal Cave in the afternoon. If not, we’ll just try another day. Oh, and save some of the strawberry cake for me. Mum said it’s your favorite too.

P.S.

In Celtic lore, hawthorns were thought to heal a broken heart. Let me know if it works.

E.

I feel a small thrill of pleasure at his thoughtfulness.

He really is a nice guy. I can’t help but feel envious of whoever his fated mate will be. Some girls have all the luck in the world.

While this is not the first flowers I received, these are the first unsolicited ones ever given to me by someone other than my sister. With Jack, if I wanted to get some flowers, I always needed to remind him of the occasions the day before. Otherwise he’d forget and if I put on a long face, he’d blame me for not reminding him.

“Babe, if you want something, just say so. I’m not a mind reader and I have more important things to worry about, like working hard for us. You shouldn’t fixate on insignificant things like receiving flowers or gifts—those are for young pups wanting to score. We’re better than that, we’re fated mates. I’m yours and you’re mine, forever. No one is losing the other just because we don’t do flowers or gifts. Why don’t we do the grown up thing and just focus on more important things like saving up money and preparing for our future together, okay?”

Back then, it made sense.

Back then, I thought, well, I’m lucky my mate is mature and really serious about us.

Blindsided by the certainty of the fated bond, I was too naïve to think he probably didn’t think I was worth the effort. Because when you want to make someone feel loved and appreciated, to make them smile and feel happy, it doesn’t matter if you were eighteen or eighty. You just do something nice, period. Because it makes you happy too, to see them smile.

I reach out and gingerly touch the delicate little white flowers on the branch.

Thank you, Elijah…

I really hope the hawthorn flowers can really heal a broken heart.

The whole day passes, slow and uneventful. I find that I actually like it. The past months have gone by in a blur as I hurry to finish the fairy tale gown in secret at night, while working hard during the day as well.

This is a nice change of pace and with a few more days of this dreamlike state, I might actually believe I can start healing.

Of course, it’s not meant to last.

That night as I am getting ready for bed, my phone starts ringing.

A phone call. And it’s from Jack.

I stare at the screen as if I was staring at a venomous snake.

Why is he still calling me? What else is there to talk about? Did he change his mind about his chosen mate? No, that can’t be it. Lila said they’re expecting a pup, and that whatever he has to offer now is inappropriate and unacceptable. Only the indecent proposal of becoming his mistress comes to mind.

The curses in my head are so foul, Maria might send me back to Lila with a pack of soap to wash my mouth, if she hears them.

My hand reaches out towards the phone, sorely tempted as I am to hear what he’s going to say so I can tell him to go to hell and f*ck himself on the way there.

However, the phone stops ringing before I can answer it. I don’t know if I should feel relieved as I am horrible at confrontations, or be pissed at the missed opportunity.

He can’t even be bothered to wait longer.

Then comes another message from him. Shorter, the tone curt and impatient, more demanding.

“Call me ASAP.”