CHAPTER XLVI
As expected, he'd barely managed to shut his eyes that night, waking up every one or two hours thanks to his dear mother and the news she'd shared. The sole thing he'd considered himself lucky for was the fact that she was prudent enough to wait after dinner, for no food would have gone down otherwise.
"Hope you aren't busy tomorrow night, son" she'd begun to say while he enjoyed the last sip of his wine.
"Why?" he enquired, not blind to the mix of pleasure and enthusiasm on the woman's face. Nothing remotely close to the depressive state he'd seen over the last weeks.
"We'll be having a guest" he could tell she was trying to suppress a smile at his sincere curiosity "A very special guest".
"Huh?" that actually surprised him quite a lot. Who this might be when the few relatives they had, had already returned to their towns and cities shortly after his father's funeral "Do I even know this person?"
"Oh no, I won't spill the beans yet" she replied as she started picking things up from the table "Unless you want to guess".
She was trying not to laugh this time but the quick nervous glances in his direction were enough to gather, this visit had something to do with him, and last time that happened, well, it'd been a night he often tried not to think about.
"Ugh, please tell me this isn't one of your friends trying to set me up with their daughter. You promised to give up on finding me a wife, remember?" he whined as he pressed his forehead against the table, already worn out. That until he got an idea that got him jumping back up "In any case, you should have told me days ago 'cause I made plans with the guys".
"Oh, it's a shame you won't be here then, honey" his lady mother said, truly disappointed as she placed the dirty plates and cutlery on the tray, but then he saw her shrug "I'll try my best to talk her into coming back soon then".
Squinting his eyes at her, Garrett suspected something was off, because she'd never let him go away if there was any chance to introduce him to some girl she considered a potential match, let alone be chill about wasting such opportunity to simply hang out with his colleagues; a bunch of brutes that were nothing like Sina's MP, according to her.
Well, she isn't that mistaken anyway… he thought. Many were shallow assholes, just like Miles, yet he needed to get along with everyone if he didn't want to be miserable at work as well.
"Sure, sure. Next time" standing up, he walked towards her and took the tray off her hands "How many people are coming?" he inquired, with measured interest "I can still give you a hand before I go".
"Just one" for some reason, that answer made him uneasy but to his good fortune, the woman kept on talking without the need for him to push the matter as she headed to the kitchen and he followed "Hard to convince but I'd like to congratulate myself for succeeding, if I may be so bold" she giggled, mostly for herself but then looked at him "You know how she is. Always telling there's no need for so much trouble".
No way! The wide-eyed soldier exclaimed for himself, baffled by the pieces of information, for they all led to one person who'd repeatedly turn his mother down; she had no idea the lady wasn't going to accept a no for an answer.
"Are you referring to…?" he managed to say, leaving the object onto the counter, trying not to think too much or he'd get sweaty.
"That's right, honey. I'm talking about our dear Elia" the woman confirmed, nodding just once, with a radiant smile "I went by the store she works at, to get some of that bread she told me about last week, and…"
"Wait… what?!" he facepalmed, then sluggishly ran his hand down his face in frustration "Why mom? What were you thinking?"
"As far as I know, showing some gratitude is no crime, boy!" putting her hands on her hips, she dedicated him a much-offended look "Giving her a nice present or take her shopping was my first option, but we both know she wouldn't have accepted; the girl is as stubborn as her mother".
"I hope you weren't too insistent" he said, "Especially not at her workplace".
He could perfectly imagine the vehemence with which she surely cornered Elia to accept, even more so now that they'd resumed their friendship. No that he'd told her about their breakup, but his mother was no fool; it'd been written all over his face since the day she delivered Elia's letter to him. Miraculously, she'd not tried to pry into it.
But things changed, so she wasn't going to let her go that easily. Problem was that he knew the healer too well not to understand she felt somewhat guilty, not for being unable love him back but for somehow giving his mom the wrong idea, even when she didn't mean to.
"Who are you calling insistent, young man?!" his mother squeaked, and simply slapped the back of his head.
"Ouch!"
"She's been looking after me for over a month. The least I can do is having her over for dinner. It's the one thing she wouldn't forever say no to".
Misunderstanding Elia's concern for her health, the woman would take the whatever opportunity she had to get the lay of the land between them, hoping she'd become part of her family one day. An idea he loved but that didn't mean it was even plausible.
"Bet you didn't give her much choice, anyway" he mumbled, still rubbing his head with one hand. No second slap came since she heard none of that.
"Well, honey, since it's no longer a surprise, could you please do me a favor and go pick her up around 8PM?" his mom said, with an extra loving face he couldn't refuse "You may go to your gathering afterwards".
To be honest, he had no real intention on going to the bar anyway, not after waking up with a hangover two days in a row, like last time. Besides, his presence here was required if he wanted to make sure his mother didn't mess up.
Yeah, sure… his inner voice snorted sarcastically; deep down knowing his stupid brain wasn't going to think of anything else but the healer's presence in this house.
"Ugh, can't believe you always get your way…" he said to the woman cleaning the table, sighing defeated.
Almost done with the scrubbing of the plates, something started to bother the young officer, who'd just recalled the healer worked at the store from Monday to Friday.
"You sure it's tomorrow? Elia's supposed to have Saturdays off".
"That's right but she said she'd be covering for her boss and her partner" the woman explained, pouting at the sloppy way he cleaned things, or as she'd call, his lack of meticulousness "Elia said the lad wasn't even of age when I asked 'bout him but you better be careful there, sweetie. He worships her, I tell ya".
"Mom!"
"I know, I know" she said dismissively, deciding to take over "No, no. That's not how you do it".
That had been their conversation before the lady kicked him out of her kitchen, once realizing he wasn't paying any attention.
Now, waiting outside the shop, hands in his pockets and back leaning against the wall, all he could think of was the fact that he was finally beginning to accept things as they were. For months, he'd torture himself analyzing every single second since they bump into each other, searching for the moment he lost her, which he could bet, was during the celebration of Historia Reiss' coronation. She'd completely taken his breath away that night, as soon he sighted her walking with her friend, not only for how stunning she looked in that green dress, no; it was the way her eyes sparkled, radiating emotions she could barely contain while discreetly looking around. Back then he'd thought she was merely observing the revelry everyone was into, but the truth was another, one his mind had chosen not to dwell upon it but the slight and undeniable blush on her cheeks when they finally found Mrs. Green, had been because of that man; no matter how much it hurt, Elia's heart was his. But how, he'd wondered over and over. It wasn't 'till her letter he finally comprehended she must have been allowed to see far more than most, and seemed happy with it.
Let it go, man… he told himself, exhaling with resignation as he looked to his left, towards main street, distracting himself with the increasing passersby.
Unable to suppress a huge yawn, he figured he needed one good sleep, the kind you barely get out of the bed to pee and drink water for two days or three. That's how pooped he felt. Work had been a lot lately, with the fortification of the Wall and the setup of tramps outside, in case of an attack, and yet the one to blame for his current state was his mother. If she wasn't having him running errands, it was mopping, waxing, or dusting, and though these weren't a big deal, the fact that he hated domestic work, it was a thousand times worse when the house didn't need it.
"Wow. I thought I was tired, but I sure look full of beans next to you" he heard an unmistakable voice to his right, making him whirl around "Are you okay? Shall I get you some candy from the store? Sugar helps".
Elia... everything inside him greeted her with joy when he saw her standing next to him. And though she wore no dress but her usual carefree style with those brown pants and a white t-shirt under a black sweater was just as nice, in a different way. Even her leather crossbody bag brought precious memories back, because he actually remembered the day it'd been given to her by her father, and the thing was in great condition, which of course was no surprise considering its owner.
"Unless you want mom to lecture me all night for having sweets before dinner, I'd say yes" he replied, straightening up and giving an ironic half smile. Only then he noticed she carried a brown paper bag in one hand and her dark brown jacket in the other "You need help?"
"I'm fine, Garrett. Thanks" she half smiled in return "I'm sorry to hear that she keeps reprimanding you. Guess you better wait 'til dinner then" the healer patted his shoulder, feeling a great deal of sympathy for him "Don't worry. I'm sure it'll pass".
She was alluding to the fact that his mother had been treating him like a child lately. According to Elia, it'd been some sort of temporary defense mechanism of the mind; in his mom's case, due to fear and her grieving state, which basically consisted in her, unconsciously going back to a point in her life when she felt safer and stress was nonexistent. That sounded bad to him, but she'd said he shouldn't worry since it wasn't like she wasn't unaware of the recent events, that she was now a widow. It'd just take tons of patience from his part for a couple months, until she got more used to the changes.
"Can't wait 'cause she's driving me nuts already" he huffed, then jerked his head in the direction he'd been staring at before, so they could get going.
"Believe me. The day you no longer have her by your side, this may be one of the things you miss the most about her" Elia commented wistfully as they walked side by side.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to sound like an ungrateful brat" he said, scratching the back of his neck.
"I know that. But I only mention it because it's true. When we no longer have them around, we also treasure the things that used to annoy us" she dedicated him an understanding smile.
"Yeah. I haven't given much thought but you're right. It used to bug me whenever he gave mom his opinion on the newspaper aloud, so she could hear him in the kitchen or the bathroom, always laughing at his own silly jokes" he shared, missing already the old man "No wonder why mom's been a mess; the house feels wrong without him".
"Indeed. Coming to terms with the notion that he'll no longer be around to grow old together… it must be really tough" Elia muttered as both waited to cross another avenue "No matter the circumstances, the loss of someone who's important is never easy. And it takes time to recover".
"I know. That's why I rather bite my tongue" the young officer declared and extended his hand to her now that a man transporting a big cart full of potatoes stopped to let them pass "But thanks to you, she's been so much better".
"I've been merely working on her anxiety levels, Garrett. It's your mother who's doing all the work" the healer had been somewhat hesitant to accept his chivalry but finally did, making sure to let go once they reached the sidewalk "She's a strong, admirable woman. She'll recover sooner than expected" she added optimistically.
"Pfff, I daresay your acceptance to dinner almost cured her completely" he affirmed, between amused and abashed "You should have seen her this morning!"
"I can imagine… she was so pleased when I said I'd come" Elia chuckled but he hadn't been blind to how she examined him out of the corner of her eye after that "Is that the reason you're so tired?"
He merely looked the other way, not wanting to either confirm or lie to her.
"Yeah, I can tell Mrs. Holt had you giving her a hand with the cleaning" since she guessed right, he turned to her but caught her raising her eyes to the sky, with a nostalgic smile "I remember how bad you and Ilva hated doing chores, especially having to clean the mess you left behind with your games".
"And I remember the thousand times we took advantage of your love for it. Thanks to you, we seldom did a thing anyway" that earned him one peaceful and happy smile as she evoked those memories "Sometimes it's hard to believe so much has happened since then".
"Same here. But time flies no matter what. And gives no break to nobody" she muttered, and the gesture went from placid to a melancholic one, but the affection in her eyes remained "All we can do is make the most of every day with those we care about".
He realized the healer wasn't only alluding the past but also their present, and in her case, the one she had with the soldier, something he didn't mean to discuss; talking to her as if the other man didn't exist was easier.
"Should I consider myself as one of those?" the question escaped his lips, making him uncomfortable so he quickly tried to fix the misstep "Well, mom and me, I mean" he added hastily.
"Of course you are" Elia assured, apparently not having noticed his sudden nervousness since she'd been immersed in her own musings "No one knows when it's going be the next time we get to gather like this".
"What do you mean by that?" he enquired, turning in her direction with confusion written all over his face "You plan on moving again?"
"No. Truth is, I wanted to take advantage of tonight's dinner to tell you about a decision I made. One I know you won't like" the young man watched her briefly lowering her head, though not in regret but sincere distress.
"You still say nothing but by the look on your face, it must be bad" he offered after a whole minute in silence but since she wasn't looking up, he reached out and gently held her chin, encouraging her to look up "Does it have to do with the special request for medical staff's enlistment?"
"How did you know?" the healer's eyes widened in surprise but at least she wasn't looking away anymore.
"It's no secret among the divisions" he shared with a shrug, having imagined that such scenario was very likely when it came to Elia; he knew so since the plan was explained to them at headquarters.
"I see…" she mumbled, staring at him somewhat wary, as if waiting for a reprimand from his part "I didn't think you already knew, or you'd have asked me to desist, like Gris did".
"Even though I dislike the idea, I have my reasons not to do that" he started saying, scratching the back of his neck again, a little despondent "First, it's a good plan" if that'd astonished her, she'd really known how to conceal it, allowing him to continue "And most importantly, I couldn't just show up at your door, demanding whatever. You and I weren't in the best of terms back then, remember?"
"True" she agreed, dedicating him an apologetic smile before setting her eyes back on the road "I'm glad you understand. For some reason, your reaction and Gris' had been what I've feared the most".
So that's the deal… he thought, finally getting why she'd seldom mention Mrs. Green name over the past weeks. A very rare behavior given how close they'd gotten.
"Just tell me one thing," he interjected and stopped walking. He'd been about to grab her wrist but chose to get the sleeve instead. Elia turned and looked at him with curiosity "Did he ask you to do it?"
The young woman smirked before scoffing at his question.
"That's not an answer" he pointed out, crossing his arms with a miffed expression.
"Long story short: we nearly broke up because of it" she confessed, trying to hide her discomfort; it must have been as strange as it was to him to talk about famous Captain Levi in this way. But since he hadn't reacted like he used to in the past, Elia relaxed and apparently decided to trust him "He was furious at me. And even that falls short".
"Was? What changed?" that meant they were still together.
He'd have enjoyed hearing otherwise but soon realized that was the jealousy in him. Nonetheless, what bothered him really was the change of mind; the lucky bastard probably gave up when he got not even being super pissed at Elia was enough to stop her.
And you'd have done things differently, right? His inner voice offered with disdain.
"He finally understood it's my life, and my call to make. No one has a right over that but me" the healer said, beckoning him to keep moving.
"I wish he'd succeeded" he sighed as he did, earning an exasperated look from her "Don't get me wrong. I don't intend to change your mind or anything, but I'd rather you'd be safe".
"I get it, Garrett. I do. But considering what they found in that basement, that I'm sure you heard of, don't you think is pointless?"
"Guess I'm still getting my head around it" he admitted, nodding in understanding but then shook his head, as in recalling he wasn't supposed to give up like the other man did "Either way, you gotta admit it'd be safer here than in the front lines. Besides, for all I know, you two won't have the luxury of working side by side, thus, he won't be around to protect you".
His friend stopped cold and looked at him in dismay, followed by irritation, until it finally reached disbelief the instant she crossed her arms.
"Excuse me?!" she exclaimed, undeniably insulted.
"Hey, ease down. I'm not trying to offend you here. Just stating the facts" he clarified, with his hands in the air in surrender.
"Well, Mr. Facts, let me tell you I'd never accept that 'cause I can take care of myself just fine".
"Elia, you don't even know how to use the ODM gear yet" he remarked while she rolled her eyes "Sure, you'll be trained, but that ain't the same as becoming a cadet years before".
"Mmm, sorry for bursting your bubble but when I said I could take care of myself, I really meant it" the healer emphasized, condescendingly.
"How's that?"
"Ilva trained me for years on basic combat. He, on another hand, has been teaching me as many things as possible over the past months. And the use of the gear was one of those" she shared, glad to see certain relief in his face as he digested the information.
"Can't say that guarantees much but is better than nothing" he admitted, appreciating that the soldier hadn't been into purely getting lovey-dovey with Elia.
In view of that man's background, he could bet he'd gotten her gear for herself, which was illegal and he should report it, but since the woman wasn't going give a bad use to it, he wouldn't worry.
"Rest easy, Garrett. I will be extra careful and avoid unnecessary risks. I promise" keeping a steady eye contact, she took her hand to her heart "I just want to help".
The gesture was clearly a vow. She must have said the same to the soldier, thus the man quit trying to talk her out of it, but he wasn't going to ask. One thing was for certain though, and both men knew it: she'd easily break such promise if someone's life depended on it.
"Fine. I'll keep it on mind" he simply answered, deciding to change the direction of the conversation or it'd all turn into an argument "Now tell me, how's work?"
And so, for the remaining twenty minutes to get to his house, Garrett listened attentively the whole story behind the restructuring of the store, as well as her new schedule and plans concerning the hospital, where she'd continue to work until the week before starting the basic military training, which would happen soon.
"Mr. Lee had a feeling the new bakery section would be a success, but the results were far better than the expected since the number of customers tripled, which I'm very glad about …" the healer covered her mouth to hide a long yawn "… Sorry. It's good but things had been a little hectic lately".
"Is he giving you two a hand? He should at least intend on hiring more people, Elia".
"Well, he's been helping us every now and then, but he said a new kid should join us as of next Friday" the young woman explained, then smiled merrily "Fortunately, I won't have to show up until Wednesday so my days supervising all by myself are officially over".
"Huh? Weren't you working with his son?"
"Normally, yes. But Mr. Lee took him to the capital to teach him how to do business" the instant she noticed the horror in his expression she simply chuckled "Don't worry. They arrived a couple minutes before I left".
"Jeez… the lad hasn't even gotten his facial hair and he's already learning the family business? Must be hard" he said, getting an expression of disbelief from her part "I mean, he isn't that old, right? Not to mention he doesn't look so sure of himself".
She suddenly stopped, and he thought he'd messed up. Only then he noticed they'd arrived at their destination when he saw himself standing in front of his house.
Yeah, man. Time's up! His brain teased, alluding his time alone with Elia was over.
"Tom has changed a lot since then, Garrett" Elia declared, with evident pride as she observed him taking the keys out of his pocket to open the door "Wait!" he heard but what actually froze him was the brief touch of her hand in his arm before he could reach the lock.
"What's wrong?" he asked, concerned by the alarmed expression when he turned.
"Maybe I should go home and change" the healer muttered, more to herself but he still got that clear. She stared back at him then "Please tell me the truth… is this too casual?"
He wasn't sure if it was her question or the way she was pointing at her clothes that, according to social standards, wasn't meant for females.
"You look alright, Elia" he assured, and laughed at her pretending outraged demeanor before finally putting the key in "Come on, or mom will think I kidnapped you".
In truth, he'd have loved to express how pretty she was no matter what she wore but the words stuck in his throat. Setting them free would only make things awkward.
"Or worse…" she added, imitating his serious tone "… That I'm a latecomer".
They looked at each other for a few seconds and burst out laughing as they entered, catching his mother's attention, who leaned over the stairwell with a big grin as she came down dangerously fast.
Phew! The young officer exclaimed to note she wasn't wearing high heels, also relieved to see her in an old brown dress under a beige cardigan and not overly formal.
Not that she had much choice, he said to himself, considering she'd lost weight.
"You look lovely, Mrs. Holt" as expected, Elia's good manners forbid her from mentioning anything about her body "My apologies. I know it's not much, but I got you some walnuts since you couldn't find any the other day" she was holding out the paper bag.
"Oh, you didn't have to" his mother accepted her gift but then she held out her arms to greet his friend "I'm so glad you're here, dear!" the hostess exclaimed.
Something really good must have happened recently, for she was in the greatest of moods, although deep down he suspected it had to do with the scene she'd just witnessed between them.
"Please, please, come in. How have you been?" his lady mother asked, nonchalantly grabbing Elia's chin, to turn her face from one side to the other, evaluating her "You look tired, sweetie".
"I'm fine, Mrs. Holt. I just had a very busy day" she answered with a friendly smile at his mother's excessive maternal attitude "It's so good to see you're much better".
"All thanks to you, child," his mom claimed, but then look past Elia and pursed her lips at him "Where are your manners, boy?"
"What did I do now?" raising his voice was pointless so he went for a deadpan tone instead.
"It's more like what you HAVEN'T done yet" the older woman snorted, tilting her head towards their guest, and starting to piss him off.
"I was about to when you decided to jump on her" he mumbled, taking Elia's belongings off her hands to hang them on the coat stand, by the stairs, whilst his mother guided her to the living room.
"My dear girl, please make yourself at home. We'll be with you as soon as we can" that meant she'd check the last dinner preparations while he was in charge of setting the table.
Elia nodded obediently in response but when his mother leaned over to arrange the cushions on the sofa so that they looked tidy, which was completely unnecessary in his opinion, he saw the healer mouthing an apology for the troubles she was causing him, to what he simply smiled playfully and shook his head to guarantee all was fine.
"Alright, dear. You may sit now" his mom said, with a triumphant expression, as though she'd been fighting a wild animal for her.
"Thanks Mrs. Holt. Umm… I'd like to freshen up before dinner, if you don't mind".
"Oh dear, by all means, please do" she said vehemently, taking a step behind to let the young woman pass. Thankfully, Elia knew where the bathroom was, or his mother might have offered to carry her all the way there.
As he followed the lady to the kitchen, he couldn't help going through every detail about their last conversation, wishing the soldier had not agreed to her idea so she stayed safe. Sometimes Elia's determination to follow Ilva's steps really scared him.
"So you've decided to stay, huh?" he suddenly heard.
He turned that way, finding his mom right beside the wood stove, stirring something though her eyes were staring to his hands. He looked down and saw them holding the cutlery, three sets of them to be more precise.
"Umm, yeah. Two of the guys caught a cold so we called it off" he shrugged, playing things down so she wouldn't make a big deal out of it.
The woman simply nodded but his poor effort clearly failed to convince her, or so stated the grin on her face.
Not in the mood for silly questions or insinuations, he rapidly grabbed the tablecloth, napkins, glasses, saltshaker, and headed towards the dining room.
The task didn't take him long, so he went back to check on their guest, only to find the young woman standing with her hands behind her back and admiring his father's book collection that covered most of the eastern wall, probably imagining the times her own dad did the same when he visited them. He actually suspected some of them belonged to Mr. Stoltz but Elia would never say.
Immersed as she was in the titles, the healer failed to notice his presence, observing her in silence as he stood by the door, loving her as much as ever. Yeah, he still did. The fact that she rejected him didn't mean those feelings would go away just like that, not even after accepting nothing would change between them. Still, he was glad that she considered him a friend, her brother even, therefore, he could only hope those feelings would fade within time.
It's better that way, he consoled himself as he went to stand beside her.
"Those were a gift from your dad" he told, pointing at the four big volumes of A Nobleman's Tale, where each was entitled with a cardinal point. They looked old but that was purely due to how the pages of each were well-thumbed "One of dad's favorites if you ask me. The man read them at least twice a year!"
The plot was about a man who sets in a journey to fight for his family's will, only to end up with a much different legacy, about the essential virtues that every person should possess to be truly rich.
"My grandfather used to read it to dad when he was a boy, and then did the same with me" she recounted with nostalgia, smiling slightly "By the time I was six and his eyesight was gone, he asked of me to do the same for him, and so did dad, only he fortunately wasn't blind".
"Humbleness is what you'll find north. To the east what honesty means. Respect will guide you to the west. And on the way south, the wisdom to never forget your own worth" he listed, repeating what his father had once said when he asked about them.
"You read them too?" the healer asked but he shook his head in response.
"Nope. Dad did. Those were the words he used to try convincing me to read them, which I did, but never finished them".
"I see. The story is a bit grim, but I guess it's the realism in it what makes it so beautiful. That and the man's realization that real treasures are not money-related".
That made him feel guilty. It reminded him how valuable her parents' friendship had been to his. However, they ended up distancing themselves after renting this very house to move to the capital, inside Wall Sina, just because he'd been transferred there for being one of the best in his year. A request he'd made to run away from his problems and his feelings, that both had supported when they couldn't come up with a better option not to hurt Ilva's feelings.
"This may come late and it's not you I should say it to, but I'm really sorry" the lowered his head when her face showed nothing but utter confusion "For being the reason my parents drifted apart from your family".
"Oh, Garrett…" Elia said and sighed, having comprehended what he meant "We've discussed this already, haven't we?"
"Yes, but…" he was going to insist but stopped when he sensed her small hand on his shoulder as she shook her head.
"I'm sure my family didn't hold any grudges, against them or you" she said confidently, and squeezed his shoulder reassuringly "Don't forget it wasn't something you imposed on them or anything. What they did was what any loving parent would: be supportive".
"Well… that's not entirely true" he admitted, still down and hunched, afraid of her reaction but he wanted to be completely honest to her "Although I never demanded anything, I did ask them not to attend your family's funeral".
"Wait a minute…" in a second, the touch of her hand vanished as he watched her taking a step back, visibly surprised "You did what?"
"I regretted it later. Believe me" he hastened to assure "In my defense, when Ilva died and given my behavior, we weren't in the best of terms. So, I told them I wasn't sure if all of us going was a good idea. Not because I believed you'd have turned us away. No. What I was afraid of was to disappoint them even more had I seen that man there" as soon as he noticed she'd been about to disagree, he meekly smiled and she closed her mouth "Elia, I was stupid enough to make a scene that morning I found him in your house, with far more pressing matters going on. So yeah, I could have messed up because I was green with envy, and I didn't want for them to see that petty side of me".
"I get that, but I don't think you'd have misbehaved, whether he was there or not. We both were in so much pain that there was no room for jealousy, Garrett".
"I know that now. But I'm a guy, and every now and then that means I'm an arse" though he'd meant for that to sound comical, it was clear it'd peeved her, or she wouldn't have crossed her arms and glared at him "Elia, back then, the mere thought of HIM made me furious. You gotta understand that, in my head, he had no right to be there" once again she'd been about to argue but he immediately raised his hand in the air, asking her to let him finish "Umm, didn't you hear I said back then?" he got no reply "Anyways. Now I see how stupid I was, but you must understand everything I ever heard about him wasn't good, so…"
"Yes, I remember all that" Elia granted, and went to sit on the elegant cabriole sofa, still arms folded "Guess I understand, but you shouldn't have kept them from paying their respects"" she said after a while.
"Don't worry. They eventually did" that surprised her a little, enough to make let her own tension go "I took them to their grave the morning after" he shared, glad to see the healer's expression softened.
"Then you have nothing to feel sorry for" she assured with a benevolent smile "Still, thanks for telling me".
Right then, when he'd been about to nod, both nearly jumped at the sound of his mother's voice.
"Kids! Dinner's ready!" the call came from the dining room, making both turn in that direction.
"I'm starting to believe, no matter what I do, she sees me like a 10-year-old" he grumbled in an undertone, making her chuckle "It's not fun, Elia!"
"Then I'd be 14" Elia muttered jokingly as she got up to follow him "You better be a good lad and remember to pull my chair out for me".
"Whoa, that's a terrific idea, actually!" he briefly turned and grinned at her, noting that had also been a joke, or so said the alarm that crossed her face.
"No, no, please don't. I was just kidding" she whispered, grabbing his arm to stop him.
"It's fine, Elia. It'll earn me points with mom so allow me to do it for real" he barely turned and winked at her before resuming his way, trying to keep his heart at bay after seeing how lovely her mortified face looked.
It was no wonder that, as soon as they set foot inside the dining room, both knew they'd enjoy a feast of the finest. So much so that he heard a muffled scream from behind when she set eyes on the many dishes on the table, such as: honey garlic pork chops, baked chicken wings, cheesy mini potato gratin stacks, bacon-wrapped water chestnuts, and plenty more salads to go with.
His eyes darted towards the door connecting to the kitchen now that his mother had just come through it, humming something he couldn't recognize yet her good spirit was so contagious that he smiled nonetheless, relieved that she was acting more like her usual self; he'd feared not ever seeing that after his father's passing. In fact, it was her weakening, lack of appetite, and the notion of her holding back from crying in front of him, what drove him to swallow his pride and go see the young woman standing beside him. The same that currently turned crimson red when he gallantly offered her a seat; gesture that didn't go unnoticed according to someone's merrily giggle.
"Mother" he did the same for her, by the head of the table, earning him more than just points but a proud, loving smile.
"This isn't just about the food but how cozy and heartwarming the situation is. It reminds me of happier times" the healer commented to his mom, with gratitude "It's like being home again. Thank you very much Mrs. Holt, for everything" Elia's eyes filled with tears all of a sudden, making him a little nervous when she turned to him "You too, Garrett" she added, wiping away the tears before they slid down her cheeks.
"Dear child…" his mom managed to say, placing her hand over hers and choking with emotion. It took her a whole minute to continue "Our home is yours as well, as much as you want. We're so glad you joined us tonight, but above all, for everything you have helped us with".
Under other circumstances, those words would have made him incredibly uncomfortable because Elia was no fool. She must have realized already his mother was very much into having her as daughter-in-law; comments like I've never been the envious type, but I'll be super jealous of whoever gets to call you her daughter during her visits over the past three weeks, were enough to gather it. This time however, it wasn't so bad thanks to that last sentence.
"You're too kind, Mrs. Holt" his friend replied with a soft smile and eyes still glistening.
"Yes, mom. You're the best" he interjected, really meaning that but also wanting to chill things around or the older woman would go on and on "Whew! To think I'd have missed all these delicacies…" he added enthusiastically, rubbing his hands together as he observed all the food "Honestly, I doubt you two could have handled even half of this on your own".
"I believe so too" Elia laughed, observing the plates slightly overwhelmed but visibly keen to try a bit of everything.
She fears offending mom... he thought, smirking to himself when he recalled her good manners.
"Nonsense" his mother said, though the haughty smile on her face showed how pleased she was "Elia, dear, feel free to try whatever you want" she held a plate full of mini potato stacks right in front of her face.
"Thanks Mrs. Holt" the healer took one and placed it inside her own plate "Rest assure that I will. I had to skip lunch today so I'm quite hungry".
"Oh my!" his mother exclaimed, horrified "You serious? Skipping meals is not good, you know?"
"Errr, mom… Elia knows that better than us" he intervened once more, jerking his head in her direction. Not only for being overdramatic but because she seemed to have forgotten how many meals she'd skipped recently.
"It's fine, Mrs. Holt. I never do but we didn't have much time today. That's all" the healer began to explain as she continued to fill her plate "Besides, eating in a hurry is like not having eaten at all. Either that or getting sick to one's stomach".
"To be honest, I differ with you one that and your sister would have second me" the words escaped his mouth in a derisive tone that, for a second, made him feel incredibly guilty but the nostalgic half smile she dedicated him managed to ease the discomfort "You remember our competitions, don't you?" he added, trying to make his point.
"How could I possibly forget?" the young woman tittered, visibly enjoying every bite.
"Seems the one who doesn't remember well it's you, son" his mother scorned whilst trying to dice her chops.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Those little games of yours had catastrophic results, Garrett" Elia chuckled whereas his mother shook her head slowly.
Scratching his head, he did his best to recall the last time that happened, about eleven years ago. When he finally did, the young officer couldn't but crinkled his eyes and nose, for it definitely wasn't the moment to bring up how sick they'd gotten after gobbling down that much food; all for the sake of proving whose stomach was bigger.
"Exactly" the healer said, as though reading his mind.
After that the three of them took a couple minutes to eat quietly, except for the times both his friend and him praised his lady mother for her culinary skills which, in view of the grin, she loved despite politely telling them it was nothing.
Out of the blue, the older woman muttered something that none of them got to understand and then buried her face in her hands.
"Mom?"
"What's wrong, Mrs. Holt?" his friend asked, intending to get up but his mother moved faster, placing her hand over Elia's, that had been on the table.
"My dear… I'd like to apologize" she said, and for some weird reason she was embarrassed.
"Mrs. Holt?" the healer was as lost as him "What are you talking about? You have nothing to be sorry for".
"I'm afraid we do" she admitted, then turned in his direction and her demeanor changed from distress to discontentment "Garrett Joseph Holt… didn't I ask you to set the table?"
"What?!" the sound of his voice emitted such indignation that he saw his lady mother falter for a second.
"That was your job, boy" the older woman said somewhat hesitantly at first, then sighed exasperatedly and pressed her lips together, showing annoyance.
"And I did!" he blurted out, still puzzled. He then glanced at his friend, fearing his mom might have been losing her mind "Aren't we dinning already?"
"The wine and the glasses… where are they then?" twisting his mouth, he stared at her in disbelief because she wasn't joking.
"Are you for real?" he said through clenched teeth "Don't you see the glasses of water?"
He was starting to get mad but when he saw past the older woman, to Elia holding her finger up to her lips, he practically had to bite his tongue to stop himself from adding anything else.
"Umm, I'm sorry Mrs. Holt. That's on me" she intervened, getting her hostess' attention "Garrett asked me if I'd have a glass of wine, and I said no. And I'm sure he probably didn't want to be rude to still have some in front of me".
Wow. That was the lousiest lie he ever heard and yet couldn't help his pulse racing after seeing her trying to save his neck. Not that his mother intended on killing him, but he's seriously had enough of her scolding lately, even more when she'd do that in Elia's presence, and over such stupidity. The healer surely foresaw he'd been about to snap, so she stopped him from unintentionally hurting his mother's feelings and so, ruining what little she'd progressed.
"Oh my!" her expression radically changed after hearing that "I had no idea you dislike wine".
"It's not that I dislike it. You see, most people have a certain tolerance for alcoholic drinks, and then comes me, with zero" Elia tittered, most likely recalling last time; a night he also remembered.
Lost in thought, he pretty much jumped when his mom burst out laughing at the sheepish smile on their guest's face, whose ears had also reddened.
"Son of mine, please excuse my mistake. I jumped to the wrong conclusions" the older woman offered as she turned to him and patted his left shoulder lovingly "Would you mind going to fetch the wineglasses and choose a bottle for us?"
A tired sigh escaped the young officer's lips once he decided to better let the incident go. And though the smile was dedicated to his mother, for appearances, it'd been meant for his friend, who'd wink as she smiled back.
"That's alright, mother" he assured, placing his own palm over her hand before getting up "Be right back".
He walked towards the cupboard under the stairs, where his parents' small wine rack was hidden, with the idea of getting something that wasn't too strong. All the while, doing his best not to listen to the murmuring that came from the dining room, but failing miserably thanks to his lady mother, who was listing his many qualities to let the healer know how good of a catch he was.
Somebody kill me please… he wished.
"Even though he's a lot of work all week, Garrett refuses to leave me alone on the weekends" the older woman shared, sounding both proud and grateful.
The young man couldn't help but snort, somewhat disgruntled. As good as it was to hear his mom had noticed he was doing his best and cared about her, no man in his right mind would want to have such unnecessary propaganda. Luckily, Elia would take all as an expression of pure motherly fanaticism and love, even more so in view the loss they'd suffered, but it still made him uncomfortable.
Be quicker then! He commanded himself, picking the lady's favorite and heading to the kitchen for the two wineglasses and the corkscrew.
In a matter of seconds, he was finally joining them in the dining room.
"What did I miss?" he pretended not to have a single clue in their topic of discussion while leaving all the items on the table, except the tool with a metal piece spiral-shaped that'd help him pull the stopper from the bottle.
"What did just tell you, dear?" the hostess commented happily, clapping twice in delight "The perfect choice! One juicy, fruit-forward red wine that goes excellent with the pork chops".
Garrett rolled his eyes for the zillionth time this evening. Had he imagined this would be the reaction, he might have simply closed his eyes and grabbed a random bottle. Seriously, this sort of behavior in Elia's presence made him feel like a little boy at school, whose parents went on and on about his many virtues to his teacher and classmates, ridiculing him.
And she's not even tipsy yet… the voice in his head commented in a satirical tone.
"My dear, why don't you try this out?" she addressed the healer, who seemed tempted but still unsure.
Elia looked to him, as if looking for a piece of advice. After all, he'd been the first and last to see her drunk.
"It's alright, Elia. Look. To ensure nothing happens, neither of us is going to have more than a glass. Right, mom?" he turned to the older woman, slightly lowering his head without breaking eye contact, so she got the hint.
"Of course, of course" the lady assured, and smiled encouragingly at her guest, who nodded once in agreement, in a really good mood "Wonderful!"
In the blink of an eye, he headed to the kitchen, got the third vessel and returned, placing it in line with the other two before pulling the cork out gently. They needed it to preserve the remaining liquor later, so making sure the thing wouldn't break in the process was a tricky but necessary deed. Once he did, he poured three quarters of the medium red liquid in each glass and put the cork back inside the bottle mouth, took it to away and left it onto the kitchen's white cabinet; it was the tallest piece of furnishing in there, so his mom would have it hard reaching it in case she decided to forget the agreement. And in a jiff, he was back with them.
"Here you go, dear" his mother said as she handed one of the glasses to Elia "We're going to make a toast in your honor, for everything you've done for me… for us, in our darkest hour".
"Why don't we dedicate this to our loved ones, instead? The people we've lost, I mean" the healer suggested, as usual, uneasy with that much praise "I know my help means a lot to you, but I know you'd do the same for me, Mrs. Holt. You and your son, of course" Elia glanced at him, and for some reason that made him blush.
"In that case, here's to your parents, to Ilva, and to you, dad" trying to hide it, he hurried to raise his glass without waiting for his mother's opinion, but judging by the silly wink his friend didn't see, she was fine with it.
Imitating him, the two women repeated the words reverently and so the three of them took the drinking vessels to their lips at the same time.
To be fair, he could tell now that his mother hadn't been exaggerating when she said this particular red-fruit flavor suited the pork chops so wonderfully; it had the perfect balance in both acidity and sweetness that he'd gladly have some more.
You made a promise! the voice at the back of his mind yelled, reminding him of Elia.
Curious to see if she'd liked it, he put the object down and glanced in her direction, but his cheerful expression was soon replaced by concern when he noted something wrong. She was normally pale, but never to the point of adopting a green tonality that was alarmingly getting worse within each second.
Stomachache? He pondered at first, which was no big deal but for some reason she seemed confused, until something apparently hit her.
All of a sudden, his mother and Elia exchanged a strange look and four seconds later, he saw her covering her mouth with one hand as she stomped out of there, straight to the bathroom. But in the scarce time they'd looked at each other, he could have sworn he'd witnessed some sort of mutual understanding between them. The only difference he noticed laid in the emotions their faces gave away; his mother on one hand was all surprise and worry, whereas his friend had seemed so overwhelmed, as in truly scared, panicked even, certainly not something he'd seen before.
"Should I take her home or better the hospital?" he looked to the door in disquiet after hearing Elia retching what she recently ingested.
Just when he'd turned to his mother for a response, he frowned, unable to bring himself to speak at the sadness found in the lady's demeanor.
"Son, do me a favor, please" she said, and he just nodded "Could you put these away?" he saw her gesture towards the wine glasses as she got on her feet "… and boil some water too. I'll take care of the food".
The tone of her voice seemed so detached, which he'd definitely hoped not ever hearing again, for it resembled the hopelessness of those first days without his father.
She sure thinks there was something wrong with her food… his brain offered, and it made sense. It could also explain why she behaved like this.
"Don't you worry, mom. It's not food poisoning. I'm sure Elia's stomach wasn't ready after starving most of the day" the young officer declared and imitated her but saw no improvement in the women's mood "The wine was just the cherry on the cake. That's why she avoids it".
"I don't think the problem had anything to do with the food, son" she stopped and sighed dejectedly. At his bemusement she lowered her gaze, reluctant to say more.
"What does that mean?"
"Garrett…" his mother began to say, unfortunately using that stupid patronizing tone some parents used with their kids. Before she could, both went dead silent when their guest was clearly having another fit of heaving, worse than the previous.
"I'll go check on her. See what's going on" he blurted out, mad on the older woman "She won't mind explaining what I'm too idiotic to understand, according to you".
He regretted that as soon as he said it but whenever the lady did that, it infuriated him, even more so under a delicate situation; if Elia was sick, best was to take her to the hospital. Nevertheless, the instant he made a move to leave the room, he felt his mother's hand on his shoulder. When he faced her, to his utter horror, she'd been about to cry.
"Trust me, son. Best we can do is give her some space but worry not; she's not sick or anything like it" there was a sad smile on her face now that she'd managed to beckon him to take a seat "We must wait".
"What the hell is going on, mom?" he pressed for an answer, and somehow the desperation she might have seen in his own eyes finally led her to talk.
"There's something important I need to ask you first" dead serious, she looked him right in the eye, as though searching for a response herself "You and Elia... Tell me, are you just friends or there's something else you haven't told me about?"
Huh?
To him, it was a ludicrous question. To his mother, however, made all the sense in the world. Sure, the woman was really bad reading people, especially when it came to his love life but asking her why such question was a waste of time. He needed for her to be less cryptic, so he replied with the same straightforwardness.
"We're friends, mother. Nothing more".
"So… you've never..." oddly enough, her ears reddened at whatever she'd been about to say but refrained from it, showing discomfort.
"What?"
"You know… Sometimes friends venture to other territories, which could lead to unexpected situations that… that only a couple would do" she said, taking her seat in front of him and without letting go of his hands, understanding he still wasn't getting it despite the voice inside his head was pushing him to let it all go, begging him to stop "What I'm referring to is whether you two have had intimacy" his eyes widened and all of a sudden, all he wanted was to hide because he could feel his face burning "It's fine, son. These things happen".
Normally he was sharper but whenever Elia was involved, his brain was a total mess, so he wasn't getting why the question. Still, and regardless how embarrassing it was, his dispirited expression and the slow shaking of his head, for some unknown reason, got him abruptly in the woman's tight embrace.
"Garrett, you're going to have to forgive me but please, just do as I asked. Then go to your room and wait 'till I call you, for I must talk to her before".
"No" he snapped, breaking free and tired of the damn mystery.
Ready to leave, he headed out in utter silence but as soon as he'd been about to walk through the door, his mother's voice stopped him.
"You'll regret it, son. It's not a good time" she warned, not mad but sounding so tired "Elia's processing all this just now. Give her time".
"Mom..." he said, with his back to her "You know what she means to me, and I'm worried sick right now. All I want is to help her but instead you're asking me the opposite, acting strange, and it could be serious, you know?"
"Garrett... I believe Elia is with child " though her voice was low, it somehow managed to echo everywhere.
He froze and desperately searched for the nearest wall to find some support, fearing he'd keep falling, in spite of the floor his eyes could see but his feet felt not. Screaming his head off was all he wanted yet nothing happened. It was as if everything inside him had immediately shut down or he'd lose it.
Please, he turned to his mother, silently begging her to take that back, to come up with something else, declare that she was just ill, but the compassion he found in her gaze confirmed this terrible truth: Elia was pregnant. She carried Levi Ackerman's son inside her.