Misfire
Part Four
"When can I open my eyes?" Mindy laughed, Mork gently taking her hands and leading her.
"Almost there, Mind," Mork said. He stopped walking. "Okay, now."
Mindy opened her eyes and found herself stunned by what she saw. They were in the backyard of the Victorian house. Years ago the landlord had transformed it into a garden and courtyard, and what had already been beautiful became even more spectacular under the transformation Mork gave it. In the center of the courtyard stood an ornate stone fountain that came alive with bubbling clear water once Mork pointed his finger at it. Dusk was approaching, so he also used his finger to illuminate a dazzling set of colorful Chinese lanterns dangling overhead, casting the courtyard in a soft, romantic glow. Fireworks exploded, also by the thrust of his finger, reading "Welcome home, Mindy!" as they lit up the night sky. Mindy gasped.
"Oh my God Mork, this is amazing!" She said. "How…how did…?"
"I carved the fountain myself, using this," Mork said, pointing his finger and grinning. "It's a gift, for you."
Mindy embraced him, too overcome for words. Mork closed his eyes and smiled, warmly returning her embrace. It felt good to hold her again, to feel her close to him, alive and breathing. He missed touching her, being near her. He had isolated himself from her far too long. She pressed her lips against his and they kissed.
"Thank you," she said after releasing him, her eyes moist with tears. "It's absolutely beautiful. I—I don't know what to say. You didn't have to do all this."
"But I did." He took her hand and they sat down on one of the benches in the courtyard. "You see, after what happened to you, I spent so long being afraid. My powers had never hurt anyone before. I began to worry that all they could do was destroy. I had to prove to myself that they were still useful, could also create something."
Mindy looked at the ground. "I know how guilty you've felt," she said, "and I'm sorry you had to go through that. But you do understand now that it was an accident, right? It wasn't your fault. I'm fine now. You have to trust me. I'll be okay. You didn't cause any permanent damage."
"I know that, Mind, but I still feel terrible that you had to suffer because of me. I guess that old Earth adage is true—with great power comes great responsibility. You were right, too. I have to be careful about where I use them, and when." He sighed and clenched his jaws. "Sometimes I wish I didn't have them at all." He looked at Mindy. "I wish I could be a normal human, like you. Then maybe I wouldn't feel so strange, so different."
"No, don't say that," Mindy said, looking at him. She stroked his hand with hers. "Yes, I was cautioning you about using them, but that doesn't mean you should give them up. What happened was a freak accident, an isolated incident. What you have is a part of you. It's what makes you special. You can't deny a part of yourself. You have to embrace it."
They were silent for a moment, listening to the water gurgle in the fountain. It was the perfect summer evening, a gentle cool breeze stirring on occasion.
"When that tree nearly fell on me, you did the right thing," Mindy continued. "You acted on your instincts to protect me. I wouldn't expect you to do anything else. You weren't trying to hurt me, not even then. Your powers have always been useful. You didn't have to carve a fountain out of a piece of stone to prove that, or to impress me. I'm already impressed. You saved my life, and that's the best gift you could ever give me."
"I wish I had known that before," Mork said. "It took me hours to make that thing, and it wasn't easy. I stubbed my finger on it several times. See?" He showed her the raw callus on the tip of his finger.
"Aw," Mindy said in sympathy, kissing it gently.
"If you don't want it, I can always zap it," he teased, grinning. He pointed his finger at the fountain, pretending to prepare to strike it.
"No Mork, don't do that," Mindy said, grabbing his arm to stop him. "It's a lovely addition to the courtyard, and I will always cherish it." She kissed him on the cheek.
"I'm just glad you're alive to share it with me," Mork said.
"Me too."
"Can I see your scar?"
"Now why would you want to do that? Haven't you tortured yourself enough over what happened? How many times do I have to tell you? I'm fine, really. You don't need to worry about me."
"I know, I'm just curious. I did come here to learn, after all."
"Well, all right."
Mindy looked around, making sure they had privacy. When she didn't see anyone, she carefully lifted her shirt just enough to reveal the fresh pink scars on her abdomen but maintain her modesty. Mork probed them gently with his fingers.
"I did this," he said sadly. "I wish I could heal them."
"I am healed," Mindy said, pulling her shirt back down to cover them. "They don't even hurt, I promise."
"But they'll always be there, reminding you of what happened."
Mindy lifted Mork's chin with her fingers to get him to look at her. "They'll remind me that you saved my life," she said, "and that's all."
She kissed him again, and they went back inside, their arms wrapped around each other.
The End