The Mermaid's Mirror - L. K. Madigan [56]
"Hi!" he said, throwing his arms around her.
Lena bent over his white-blond head, planting a kiss there. "Hi, bud." She mussed his hair and released him.
"Want to play with me?"
"Sure." Lena settled down on the floor next to him and picked up a controller. She glanced at her parents. They were both watching her, as if expecting some dramatic scene.
For some reason this irritated her, and she turned her attention to creating a female warrior.
"Purple hair?" Cole laughed.
"Yes. My player has purple hair, and her superpower is—" Lena scrolled through the options and clicked one. "Swimming."
Allie approached and laid a hand on Lena's hair. "Are you okay?" she asked softly.
Lena fought back the urge to answer, I've just discovered that my mother, whom I thought was dead, is alive, and a mermaid. Sure I'm okay. But she saw the worry in Allie's face, and said simply, "Yeah."
For dinner, Lena's dad made pancakes and eggs. Cole was overjoyed.
"Breakfast for dinner!" he crowed. "Can I have hot chocolate?"
"Sure," said Allie. Her fingers strayed to her earring, twisting it as she gazed into space.
Lena knew that Allie really must not be herself, after giving in to such a request without a second thought.
They ate their breakfast for dinner, and Cole regaled them with tales of past battles on his game. After dinner, Allie and Cole went upstairs, leaving Lena and her father alone in the kitchen. Lena began to load dishes into the dishwasher.
"Leen?"
She looked over at him.
"I'm ready to talk now."
Lena kept loading the dishwasher. What if I don't feel like talking now? she thought. What if I want to pretend none of this is happening ... just for a little while? What if I just want to chat with my friends or watch TV or something?
But that life was over.
She still had friends and school and movies and chat, but she could not pretend she was a normal teen. A strange grief filled her over the loss of her old life.
"Okay," she said.
"Did you read the letter?" asked her dad.
She shook her head.
He studied her for a moment, then said, "I think it's time."
Lena didn't answer at first, then she said, "Can I ... read it in front of you?" She found that she didn't want to be alone with her mother's words.
"Of course. I'll wait here."
Lena retrieved the letter from her room and came back downstairs. She and her dad sat down at the kitchen table again, and Lena opened the envelope.
CHAPTER 30
My darling Selena,
You are four weeks old today, and already I cannot imagine life without you.
I thought I knew what love meant before you came ... now I know that mother-love is more powerful than any other kind. The idea of being separated from you is unthinkable.
But I take up this pen today, knowing that if you are reading this, it means that we have been parted. The unthinkable has happened.
The only force that could take me away from you is as ancient as mother-love: magic. On this day in the future when you read these words, know that I would never leave you. I may have been taken from you by magic ... but please know, my precious maid, I would never go willingly.
Your loving mother
"Would never leave me? She's swimming around in the ocean and I'm sitting here in the house with you and Allie and Cole. She left me." Lena was surprised to feel a lump in her throat again.
"No," insisted her dad. "I told you ... the moment that cloak was on her body, she had no choice." He raised his voice, old loyalty flaring to life. "In fact, Lena, I'd bet my life that your mother made sure you were safe first, then walked down the street with a broken heart, not even knowing why she was crying. So let's show her some mercy, all right?"
Lena swallowed. "Okay. I'm sorry." She hesitated, then asked, "Dad? Where was the cloak?"
He stood up. Lena thought he was going to refuse to answer, but instead he headed for the sliding-glass door. "Come with me," he said, taking a flashlight from the desk drawer.
She followed him outside to the garden. It was dark. As in a fairy tale, the moon swelled above them, full and