Chapter 21
"I'm over it, mom," Mateo announced.
"Over what, Mattie?" I wondered.
"The lack of control. Living with Uncle Carlos helped. Thank you for letting me stay with him," Mateo stated.
"You didn't live with him for that long," I joked. He lived with Carlos for ten days a month when my hormones were overactive.
Carlos lived in our home until Mateo celebrated his eighth birthday. He started going through puberty. Mateo's hormonal changed combined with sensing mine was too difficult for him to manage. Whenever Carlos got deployed, Mateo stayed with Lester.
Time really flew by. Mateo turned fifteen a few days ago. He finished his civilian education. Diesel was taking him on missions to round out his unmentionable training. My wonderful son is an empath, healer and verbal disarmer.
Ranger said he could telepathically disarm an enemy. His skills are unmatched by any unmentionable. I knew how important he was to the community.
Many times Mateo got sent to heal Ranger after a mission. One time he was a little too close to dying, so Ranger finally gave up his military career. Mateo had to take a three-month sabbatical to recharge from healing his uncle.
As a mother, it's challenging to see your child suffer in this manner, even if he's saving someone you love. It would be very selfish of me to ask him to quit. He found his place in life, and I need to let him live with his choices. I'm proud he's helping his father keep the world safe.
My Merry Men started retiring around five years ago. It was time for the younger soldiers and ex-military men to take over the company. Ranger, Lester, Tank and Bobby were still company owners, but they got the younger men to pull the weight. I was training my replacement as well.
"How are you feeling?" I asked Mateo when he entered the kitchen.
"Much better. Did you make the soup Adeline recommended?" Mateo asked as I stirred the pot on the stove.
"Cooking it right now. When do you report to headquarters?" I wondered.
"In a few weeks. They want to make sure my recovery is on track," Mateo answered. I was glad they were monitoring his progress. Mateo still had another month before he would be sent on another mission to help the good guys. It was a strenuous job, but his skills were required.
Diesel and I kept an eye on our son. We fed him the power foods recommended by Adeline. I was concerned about the strain on his body. The empathic component mixed with the healing capabilities quickly drains his energy as he's helping his charge.
"As he gets older, his abilities grow stronger. He needs to practice to improve his skills. I know this is difficult to watch. It's hard for me too," Diesel admitted.
"I can tell it's a strain on you. Mattie's still a child, Lars," I stated.
"In the world of unmentionables, he's already a man," Diesel reminded me. I knew he was correct. We made sure Mateo understood the risks before taking on the job.
Mateo made a full recovery and was more resilient than before. He returned to work where he would save more lives and rid the world of evil. I couldn't be more proud of my son.
My dad, Frank Plum, died peacefully in his sleep a few years later. Dad was diagnosed with a heart condition caused by the fatty foods Helen fed him. He was supposed to get bypass surgery to circumvent the blocked arteries. Mateo was upset he couldn't help his grandfather. He was permitted to help the healing process after the surgery but not remove the blockage.
I remember asking Mateo why it was a rule. He said, "I can heal the scars after the procedure, but if I healed the blockage, it would shorten my life by several years." Mateo could heal injuries people sustained without shortening his life. To cure a civilian of a pre-existing health condition requires life energy.
Diesel explained, "Curing these ailments does more than shortens the healer's life by years. It also decreases the effectiveness of their healing abilities. Our son is special even among the unmentionables."
"I understand. Mateo is also an empath. If he healed my dad, it would've caused him physical pain too," I remembered. There was no way I would want him to suffer more than necessary.
As the older unmentionables died, the younger ones gained more strength and more unmentionable children were born. Some of my Rangeman friends married women born from unmentionable parents. Their children joined the ranks of unmentionables.
After turning thirty, Mateo met an amazing young woman and married Maggie a month after he proposed. They have two children together. Their oldest child, my beautiful granddaughter, Lara Stephanie, was born without any unmentionable abilities. My handsome grandson, Carlos Arnkell, inherited Diesel's skills. Mateo wanted to name him Lars but decided to honour his uncles instead.
Unfortunately, we lost Carlos and Lester in a plane crash two months before my grandson was born. Diesel and Mateo found the man responsible and neutralized him. He was the son of one of their enemies from a Ranger mission and unmentionable. Neither Carlos nor Lester found a woman to marry. Both men said I was the only woman who could change their minds.
I stayed home with my grandchildren while Maggie worked at Rangeman. They were happy children and reminded me of Mateo when he was younger. It was easy to get Carlos to stay in his crib. His sister always anticipated when he was waking up. Lara would be in his room before he finished opening his eyes.
She was an excellent big sister. Lara was protective of her brother and often treated him as her baby. I was pleased when Lara displayed my spidey sense ability. She may not be unmentionable, but Lara had her own built-in safety net.
Lara and I worked to hone her ability. She was a quick study. Lara knew which boys at school to avoid. It also helped her decide which boys to trust. My friend, Hal, married a beautiful woman named Hannah. Their grandson, Calvin, was Lara's best friend. I wouldn't be surprised if they get married when they get older.
Not including Carlos and Lester, the only Merry Men not to get married were Hector and Manny. Hector never wanted to settle down with anyone, and I think Manny was holding out for me. He still calls me wifey, and I still call him hubby. Diesel didn't mind our nicknames since we've used them for so long.
My husband and son continued working together for another ten years. Diesel was getting too old to be in the field. He retired but had to remain active in case one of the younger unmentionables required assistance.
Mateo was responsible for training his son how to use his powers to keep the civilians safe. Maggie had problems accepting his choice of career. I reassured her and said Mateo would ensure Carlos stayed safe. When he turns twenty, there will be fewer missions they complete together. She leaned on me whenever Carlos got deployed.
A couple of years later, I lost my wonderful husband. He got asked to neutralize one of his old enemies. When Diesel absorbed the man's powers, it caused Diesel to have a heart attack. I was devastated to lose my husband of forty-seven years. He was my best friend, partner, and the love of my life. He was eighty-two years young.
Manny was a wonderful friend. He held me as I grieved my husband. We grew closer over the years. I never stopped loving Diesel. I found a new man to love. Manny and I married after I turned eighty-five. I knew Diesel would want me to live my remaining days with a partner. It wouldn't diminish what Diesel and I shared.
We modified our wills, leaving everything to my great-grandchildren. Manny and I decided to take a cruise to celebrate my ninetieth birthday. One night, we fell asleep when Diesel came to get us. "Sunshine, it's time," Diesel said. "Manny, you need to come too."
A week after I turned ninety, Diesel and I got reunited. All of my Rangeman family was waiting for me. We watched from the heavens to guide our children and the following generations through life. I quickly learned we were the new committee responsible to guide the unmentionables throughout their lives, and I could not get over it.
A/N: Thank you for reading my story. I appreciate all your kind words in the reviews.