A Mother Returned Pt. 03

"Get him, Teddy!" Penelope shouted.

Theodore looked over at his parents. His face was still filled with fury, but it thawed just a smidgeon when he saw his mother cheering for him.

"Enough." Reginald used his opponent's distraction to step forward and lunge. Much to his surprise, he came up with air.

Trap baited, Theodore spun out of the way, planted his feet as if in the batter's box and gripped the pommel of his sword with two hands. He swung with his hips, driving the flat of his sword into Reginald's ribs. Reginald let out a satisfying yelp and flew sideways with the impact. Reginald's sword left his hand as he sprawled on the lawn, holding his ribs. "Solid... double... off the wall." Theodore bowed to his prone opponent.

"Cheap... trick." Reginald looked at his side. He would be bruised, but the skin was unbroken. "No... blood." He moved toward his blade but howled and arched his back in pain when Theodore stomped on his foot.

"Yes... blood." Theodore stepped over the fallen man and drove the point of his blade into his shoulder. It went right through and embedded in the grass, pinning Reginald like a bug. He leaned close. "You are never to step foot in my house again."

"Quite so." Felix stepped toward his son, ignoring the writhing and howling Reginald below them. "I am appalled at your family's behavior, Mr. Gelling." He was pleased to see Penelope embrace their son and even more pleased to see him let her. "You are no longer welcome at my home." Now that Theodore had defended their honor, the Gellings were no longer useful.

"You're all ghastly people." Gertie held her son's good arm while the young man's father inspected how best to remove the sword pinning his now whimpering son to the ground.

"Will someone please dethatch this boy from my lawn?" Felix scowled down at that Gellings. He waved Winifred over. "Give them a hand, Freddie. They'll want to visit the local autodoc." Felix turned his back on them, shepherding his wife and son back into the house. Reginald's screams filled the night behind them when Winifred pulled the sword free.

~~

"I must admit, I was concerned that you'd never forgive your mother." Felix rubbed his son's shoulders. He turned him around and held his arms, looking him in the eye. There was a splatter of Reginald's blood running up Theodore's cheek to his forehead. Felix beamed with pride. "My worries were misplaced. You showed me tonight that you still love her. I'm trusting you to take care of her while I'm on my trip, Teddy."

"Yeah, Dad." Theodore nodded. All was not forgiven with his mother, but he wasn't going to quibble with his father. And seeing Mom cheering me tonight... it wasn't nothing.

"Good lad." Felix clapped him on the shoulder and pulled him into a bear hug. The Nisha men were pudgy, but they were strong. He could feel the power in his son's body. And he'd witnessed it that night. Another point of pride. "I'm going to say goodbye to your mother now. Watch out for her while I'm gone. She'll need your support." He released Theodore and stepped toward the door of his son's room.

"Can I message you, Dad?" Theodore hated to see him go. At nineteen, he was more than old enough to move out of his parents' house, but he'd taken a gap year to be with his father. They had come to depend on one another after his mother had disappeared.

"There will be a delay with messages." Felix stopped in the doorway. "I'll be off-world at some distance, and I might not see your notes right when they arrive. But I'll respond as soon as I can." He observed his son's furrowed brow. No rage there now. Just a young man scared to part with his father. "You'll be fine. Be strong for your mother." He nodded and left.

~~

When Penelope found Theodore freshly out of the shower an hour later, he could tell she'd been crying. Her green eyes were red and glassy. Her expression seemed at war with itself, a smile fighting worry and despair. He was sitting at the kitchen counter in his bathrobe, a tall glass of milk on the counter in front of him. He couldn't offer her a smile, so he nodded instead. "You're really going to miss him, aren't you?"

"Yes." She nodded and checked that her raven hair was still perfectly pinned in place. She moved closer to him and stood with her gloved hands clasped before her. "But let's not focus on that. I'll have plenty of time for melancholy later." A good mother is brave. "Let's focus on how you defended my honor tonight." Her smile won the battle for control of her face, spreading to her eyes. "It was glorious. Simply glorious."

Neither Nisha said anything. A pregnant silence stretched out between them. After a moment, Theodore took several gulps of milk and put his glass back on the counter.

"I want you to know how proud I am of you. My heart bursts with love seeing the man you've become." She was about to apologize for leaving again, but caught herself and changed tack. "The way you held your sword low and swung... without technique... that was a trap for young Mr. Gelling?"

The smile finally arrived on Theodore's face. "Freddie taught me that. It probably wouldn't work against someone really skilled. But Reginald is just stupid enough for a trick like that." He was full-on grinning now, his eyes still fixed on his mother's. Of course, she had always been beautiful. Everyone remarked on her comeliness as far back as Theodore could remember. But she looked prettier now to him than she ever had. He realized she was beaming with pure maternal affection. He let himself bask in it... at least for the moment. It didn't mean he'd forgiven her.

"I was thinking." Penelope moved closer to her son, standing next to his stool. Tentatively, and slowly so that he might have time to tell her off, she leaned forward and rested her cheek on his shoulder. She nearly purred. It felt so wonderful to be close to her son without him pushing her away. "I was thinking that now that your father is gone, it would be up to me whether you get to use the sensorium. And I see no harm in it. I can tell you and Victoria have something special, and it must be very lonely to be without her and all your friends. I know about loneliness." A good mother kindles her son's happiness. She does what she can to make dreams come true.

"Wow. Thanks... Mom." He put his hand on her gloved hand. He hadn't remembered sharing such a connected moment with her since he was very little. Her warm cheek on his shoulder felt wonderful. "I'll pay for Victoria's rental out of my allowance."

"Of course you will. We wouldn't want you to be spoiled." Penelope giggled. She lifted her head and looked into his eyes. They were the same exact shade of green as hers. She remembered that her mother had called the color fern. Their faces were inches apart. He was so perfect, and he loved her. She leaned in and pressed her lips to his, her gloved hand moving up his thigh in search of his Nisha steel.

Theodore jerked back, spilling his milk on the counter. "What the fuck, Mom?" He could see her eyes move from dreamy to horrified realization. They went round, and she slapped a hand to her mouth.

"I'm sorry! You just felt so much like your father." Penelope staggered backward like she'd been slapped. "This has been a hard night. I'm not myself. This is transference." She backed up to the doorway. "Oh, I wish your father was here to give me advice." She turned and fled.

Theodore shook his head and went about cleaning up his spilled milk. It was strange, but he supposed a kiss was hardly the worst she'd done to him. He shrugged it off, got himself a new glass of milk, and sat back down. Cora barked in her sleep from her bed in the corner while Theodore happily replayed the duel in his mind.