It's All Relative(161)
Brightening even more at the thought of the two young relatives cheering each other up, Millie turned to Jessica. “Take Kai with you, dear.”
Thinking Jessica Marie would jump on the chance to spend time with the cousin that she’d seemed to want all to herself just weeks earlier, Millie was very surprised to see her frown. “Um…well…” She suddenly looked uncomfortable and if possible, even sadder. “It’s a girl thing, Grams.” Shrugging, she looked at the ground.
Millie sighed softly. “I know, Jessica, but Kai has never seen snow up close, and I know he’s always wanted to learn how to ski.” Millie smiled, shaking her head. “When he was younger, he used to pretend he was slalom racing in the backyard.”
A ghost of a smile drifted across Jessica’s face, then she frowned again. “I don’t know…April will be there. You know they don’t see each other anymore?” Jessica started worrying her lip.
Millie nodded, remembering her earlier thoughts on that matter. Shrugging, she shook her head again. “Kai tells me that the relationship ended amicably. Surely she wouldn’t mind his presence for just a couple days?” When Jessica looked about to object again, Millie added, “Please? For me? Please take him. He’s been having such a hard time lately. He could really use the pick-me-up.”
Jessica’s eyes watered again. “He has?”
Millie frowned at her granddaughter. She seemed almost…hopeful that Kai was distraught. Slightly shaking her head, Millie figured she must be misinterpreting Jessica’s reaction. Why would she want her cousin to be down? Thinking of his tired eyes lately, Millie sighed. “Yes, he’s so…melancholy, this is just what he needs right now.” She nodded, her mind made up, if not her granddaughter’s.
Jessica started pulling potatoes out of the hot oven, her hair falling down to hide her face again. “Fine, I’ll ask him, Grandma.” Setting the spuds on a plate in front of Millie, Jessica began to carefully peel back the tinfoil encasing them. Studying her work, she shrugged. “He’ll probably say no. He’s…busy with stuff.”
Watching Jessica studiously unwrap the potatoes, Millie smiled. There was no way she’d let Kai not go on this trip. He needed a break from that job, and he deserved to have a little fun. And maybe, just maybe, he would reconsider things with Jessica’s roommate if they were holed up together in a cozy ski lodge all weekend. Yes, Millie knew from experience that the combination of softly falling snow outside and the glow of a warm fire on the inside, could lead to all sorts of…connections.
Smiling brightly at the romantic imagery, she made a condescending noise. Jessica looked up at hearing it. “Nonsense, I won’t let him say no.” Smiling crookedly at her suddenly pale granddaughter, Millie gave her as sage advice as the old woman could. “Life is short. You need to seize the opportunities as they arise.” She raised an eyebrow at Jessica Marie, just so she’d be aware that Millie was speaking of her own life, as well as Kai’s.
Jessica finally sighed and nodded, and Millie felt victorious as she carefully sat down on a stool near the counter and instructed her granddaughter on all the other life lessons she’d learned. The slight ache in her hip as she shifted in her chair reminded her that she wasn’t as healed as she would like to believe. It also reminded her that life was indeed short, and before she left this world, she was bound and determined to see her family happy.
It was the least she could do, after all the happiness they had given to her over the years.
(Cut scene #6. This is at the end of chapter 20, when Mason tells Kai the truth.)
Mason was staring at the papers on his desk, but not seeing a word on any page. He had tons of journals open, each bursting with fascinating, meticulously detailed facts and statistics on his favorite winged subject. Some of the things he’d discovered could be vital in determining the reason behind the strange die-off happening among hives worldwide. Somewhere in his mounds of research, could be the key to preserving the tiny, seemingly unimportant creature. But all of life was connected, and the decline of this one small species could perhaps spell out the demise for all life. That was how important his work was. But at the moment, as he stared through the massive amount of data piled in front of him…none of it mattered.
None of it mattered, because of his son. A son that, less than a year ago, he hadn’t known was his. A son who he could not deny parentage too…not after seeing those carbon-copy eyes. And as he’d grown close to Kai over the past few weeks, working long days with him as he played the role of eager assistant, ready and willing to do any task Mason required of him, Mason had begun to develop a certain…fondness for the boy.
After being burdened by Nate and Leilani with the task of informing Kai that he was his biological father, Mason hadn’t been able to show much in the way of warmth to him, but he had definitely grown to look forward to the time they shared. At first, he had merely appreciated Kai’s eagerness to learn and respect for the work. Kai shared many of the same life views that Mason did. And while he still hadn’t felt comfortable enough to engage in long conversations with the young man, he’d overheard him talking to his colleagues and he was quite impressed.
If Kai were a normal employee, he would try to convince him to join him in his important research. He would convince him to be his partner, and perhaps publish their findings together; he respected Kai’s intelligence and insight that much.