“A guy could really get used to this.”
“What, being in pain?” I ask in disbelief. He laughs and then winces at the pain.
“No silly, you, tending to my every need,” and he looks at me so lovingly that I don’t stop to think before I throw myself at him; he howls in pain. I immediately release him.
“Oh Cal, I’m so sorry, I’ll have to remember to be more gentle with you. I wonder if you’ve broken a rib or something,” I say sheepishly as I move to put some distance between us.
He grabs my hand, “No, stay, just try not to crush me to death, OK?”
Just then Lily appears with a tray filled with scrambled eggs and toast, orange juice and coffee. “Lily, you’re going to make some guy very happy one day,” he tells her and she beams at him. I love how he’s so good with my brother and sister, it’s very endearing.
I hear a knock at the door and my happy bubble instantly bursts. We all look at each other hesitantly as I rise to go answer it. I’m astounded when I see Commander Remus standing there, I can’t believe he has the nerve to show up on my doorstep after what he’s done. I’m pleased to see a few bruises on his face and I hope he’s hurting as much as Cal is. “What do you want?” I ask venomously.
“I want to speak to my son,” he says and it’s more of a demand than a request.
“If you think I’m going to let you go near him again, after what you’ve done, you’re sorely mistaken. I hope you feel ashamed of yourself,” I say. He regards me neutrally. “You’re his father! You’re supposed to protect him, not hurt him!” I shout out, my anger barely contained. I see a quick flicker of remorse show on his face, maybe he isn’t as unfeeling as he’s pretending to be.
We face off for a few moments, then he says, “Tell him I’m here. If he doesn’t want to speak to me, I’ll leave.”
“Fine,” I say as I slam the door shut in his face. Let him see what it feels like, I think, recalling our last conversation when he did the very same thing to me.
It’s clear that Cal and Lily both heard the exchange at the door. “Thanks for standing up for me, you don’t know how much that means.” He pauses before continuing, “But I need to speak to him, is it OK if he comes in?” he asks.
“Are you sure this is a good idea? What if he tries to hit you again?” I say out of genuine fear for his safety.
“He won’t, not in front of the two of you.” So I get up, open the front door and allow Commander Remus to step into the living area.
“I will speak to my son in private,” he says without even looking at me. At least he has the decency to look ashamed when he see’s the state of Cal and his obvious injuries.
“Not going to happen,” I sneer.
“Father, whatever you have to say can be said in front of Ariana and Lily or not at all,” Cal says firmly. He seems to think about this but chooses, wisely, not to protest. He tells Cal that he’s sorry for losing his temper and promises that it won’t happen again, he asks him to come home to his family, telling him that no good can come from further association with me. I’m fuming that he has the nerve to state that in front of me and my sister, in my house! I don’t know what I’ve done to make him hate me so much.
“I don’t have a family Dad,” Cal shouts out. “Our family died the day Mom died. You’ve never shown me any love. You would have killed me last night if Jaden hadn’t pulled you away, that’s how much you think of me. I never stopped trying to please you, but nothing mattered!” He pauses momentarily before saying, “Ariana is my future and I don’t much care whether you like it or not, it’s not like I need your vote anyway. I’m not coming home. I’ll ask Mel to bring my things here; then you’re free of me, I’m sure you’ll be relieved.” His voice breaks at the last part and I can tell how much he is hurting. I sense the subtle movement of the air before I see the Medicet approach.
“Cal needs his rest, please leave,” I tell Commander Remus and it takes every ounce of effort not to kick his sorry ass out of my house.
He says nothing initially as he walks towards the door, but then he turns and says, “You’re wrong son, on all accounts, but you’ve made your choice. I won’t be there to protect you anymore. You two have no idea what you’re getting yourselves into.”
“What does he mean?” I ask Cal after he’s gone. He just shakes his head, he doesn’t even have the emotional reserves required to speak. I wait till the Medicet has dispensed the shot before I sit down beside him and caress his face and his hair. “You get some sleep now,” I whisper as his eyelids flutter shut.
Eve calls over with Evan a short while later. It’s a bit awkward. Thankfully Cal is still asleep, that would surely have only added to the tension. Eve is clearly besotted with Evan and he doesn’t seem unhappy about her PDA’s. They’re shocked at Cal’s condition, I’m not surprised to hear that none of this has been televised – it wouldn’t exactly have made for pleasant family viewing. When I ask, she says that she hasn’t seen Ben for days either. She confirms that we’re allowed to visit Mom tomorrow and I feel a mix of elation and fear, I wonder what state we’ll find her in. After they leave I message Melandra with Cal’s request and she replies confirming she’ll be over soon.
I propose my idea for a memory book of Dad to Lily and Deacon, they love the suggestion. I immediately order a scrapbook through the commiboard store and we spend the afternoon pulling out some pictures to include. I know I still have to sort out his things, but I can’t quite summon the strength to do it. I can tell that Lily doesn’t want to either; I don’t think there’s much harm delaying it for another few days.
Cal wakes up a few minutes before Melandra arrives, he’s still feeling sore and a bit groggy from the medication. Lily forces him to eat a sandwich, he argues that he’s not feeling hungry but she’s very persuasive and the patient finally concedes. “You’re going to be a brilliant doctor Lil,” I say proudly.
Melandra is distraught at the sight of Cal and he winces as she hugs him. “Jeez, what’s up with you females, you’re all trying to hug me to death,” he says with good humor.
Lily and I take Cal’s bags upstairs to the spare room and Deacon goes into his room to play his game-station, I want to give them a few moments to talk privately. I know it’s terrible to feel so happy given Cal’s condition, but I’m elated that he’s moving in with us. How quickly my fortunes have reversed. I realize that I never checked this with Lily and ask her if she’s OK at this latest turn of events. “I’m happy he’s going to live with us, no offence Ari but it just feels ... safer, with him here. You know what I mean?” she says and I do. I feel more secure too although I know that’s bound to be a temporary sensation. The sense of dread I feel is only getting stronger with each passing day and I wish the authorities would show their hand, sooner rather than later.
Melandra stays for dinner and she heaps praise on Lily for her obvious cooking flair. I tell her it’s lucky we have Lily as otherwise Cal would be living on a diet of beans on toast. I see her to the door and give her a spare key, telling her to call by whenever she wants. She hugs me and whispers, “Look after my brother” before heading off up the road.
Deacon goes to sleep at his usual time and I force Lily to go to bed early tonight, both because she needs a good night’s sleep and I want some alone time with Cal. I haven’t had a chance yet to tell him about the message from Zane. He has been fairly quiet all day and I’m not sure if he feels like talking but I want him to know that I’m here for him anyway. “Did you really think like that, growing up—you know, what you said about after your mom died?” I ask him.
“Pretty much. To be fair to my dad, he didn’t do anything differently after she died, but that was the whole point. He was either working or out playing golf, Mom was the one who raised us, the one we confided in. I don’t think he knew what to do after she died, but he didn’t even attempt to change, maybe he thought that Jaden would step up but he was only ever capable of looking after himself. So that left Mel and me to fend for ou
rselves. I tried so hard to please him, to do what I thought he wanted; when that didn’t work I started acting out, trying to get his attention, but that only made him mad as hell. So I stopped trying. I didn’t realize how much hurt I was still carrying inside, until all this happened.” This speech has taken so much out of him, I can tell that he’s on the verge of tears but he’s restraining himself.
“It’s OK to cry you know?” I say softly as the tears fall silently down his face. I hold him tenderly and his arms snake around my back. I wonder again at the senselessness of it all and as nasty as Commander Remus is, I still can’t believe that he would neglect his own flesh and blood in such a destructive way.
“We’re both fatherless now,” he says quietly. I can only nod my head at the truth. “I’ll never give up on my child, no matter what. I’m going to be the best father to our children, I promise you that,” he whispers with total conviction, and I have no concerns. I choose not to relay Zane’s message, he has enough to be dealing with as it is; it can wait until tomorrow. I lie carefully beside him for a few minutes until he falls asleep and then I make my way upstairs to bed.
Zane doesn’t send me any messages tonight, but I see plenty of him in my dreams.
Zane and the blonde haired girl are crawling along a hard, steel floor, maneuvering carefully through a maze of storage boxes. She starts pulling items out of a box as Zane looks on in horror.
The terrible nightmares of my father’s death make an unwelcome return to my slumber and I wake up screaming. I can hear Cal calling me from downstairs so I get up out of bed to tell him I’m OK. “More dreams of Zane?” Cal whispers in my ear and I’m disconcerted that he thinks Zane is the cause of my distress.
“Yes, but it was the nightmares about my father that woke me up,” I whisper back. I reassure him that I’m fine and I can go back to sleep on my own. He wants to move upstairs to the guest room so that he’s nearer to me. I reluctantly help him, knowing that he will get there of his own accord if he has to. He doesn’t seem to be in as much pain though, so whatever medication the Medicet is giving him seems to be working.
The next morning at breakfast Zolt Rada makes the announcement that the suitor assignments have been decided. The voting for the ‘Amor Regale’ is now open and the residents of Aqua have two days to choose their representative couple. I never heard back from Fenuka in relation to how the voting would apply to me, but it doesn’t matter now anyway; Cal and I are officially matched. Ordinarily we should be delirious with happiness but it’s all a bit anti-climatic, and tainted with the knowledge that this is in keeping with the authorities master plan for us. Nonetheless, we have the viewing public to think of so we rejoice appropriately; I think my jaw might break if I smile any wider. Eve calls me and she’s so excited that it takes her at least five minutes before she’s calm enough to confirm that she’s been matched with Evan. Outwardly, it looks like we might both get our happy-ever-after.
We only have classes this morning as this afternoon is given over to preparation for tonight’s Suitors Ball. I insist that Cal stays home; despite the fact that he’s feeling much better it’s clear that he’s still in some pain. His doctor issues an official sanction for the day and that ends the argument. I kiss him goodbye on my way out.
I collect Deacon from school mid-morning and we walk to the NMF building where we greet Lily in reception. We take a seat outside Dr. Zousa’s office and wait patiently for her to call us in. We’re all hugely disappointed when she tells us that Mom’s had a difficult night and we can’t meet with her after all. She says that she is making progress, but it’s usually a slow process and this is quite normal; nevertheless it’s hard not to feel crushing sadness. Deacon starts crying and I take it in turns trying to cheer both him and Lily up when all I feel like doing is giving into the tears as well.
After dropping Deacon back to school, I decide to call into Cal for lunch before making my way to the convention center. I tell myself that it’s more to do with checking in on him rather than my own selfish need to feel comforted; however, I suspect it’s more the latter. I hope Fenuka won’t be too cross if I’m a little late. I IM him on my way and I’m pleasantly surprised when I see he has lunch made by the time I arrive. “Is there no end to your talents Mr. Remus?” I say mockingly.
“Apparently not,” he winks, “and you haven’t seen all of them yet,” he says as he looks at me very suggestively. I nearly choke on my soup. I hear the sound of the commiboard behind me and it’s evident he has been viewing the portal.
“Turn that off,” I say as I catch sight of myself on the screen. “I don’t know how you can stand to watch it,” I say honestly.
“I was bored and curious to see how the voting was going.”
“And?” I ask, curious now myself.
“We’re the current favorites.”
“Wow, that’s awesome,” I say with minimal enthusiasm.
“Keep working on those acting skills,” he whispers in my ear as I throw him a filthy look. I remind him that he has to pick me up at six to escort me to the Ball and it takes several attempts before I get to leave, 'one last kiss' works countless times. Mission accomplished though—I feel like I’m walking on air and my earlier sadness has somewhat dissipated.
Fenuka berates me for being so late, but she is far too placid to ever get truly mad at me. I’m genuinely excited that I finally get to see my dress, but she won’t let me look until I’m completely ready. I drift off to sleep while she starts the transformation. When my hair and make-up is finally done she forces me to close my eyes, before bringing me over to stand in front of the mirror. I have to blink several times before I can take it all in, I look mesmerizing; I wonder if Cal will even recognize me.
My hair is piled up in soft curls, pinned at the back of my head with a few loose strands framing my face. The dress truly takes my breath away. It’s a strapless, gold fitted bodice on top, with shimmering hand-beaded sequins sewn into the material. My bottom half is encased in a long flowing skirt with a slit extending from my left hip all the way down to my ankle. It’s the most gorgeous dress I’ve ever worn and it glides over my body, hugging my curves in all the right places. I’m a little concerned that my cleavage is a bit exposed, but Fenuka reassures me that it’s the perfect hint of allure. The slit stops appropriately before revealing too much of my skin. I feel like a princess and hope that tonight we can put aside our worries for one night and just enjoy being together.
I hug Fenuka in glee as she looks on like a proud mother. “Thank you Fenuka, this is truly amazing.” Cal calls out from the main room and I run excitedly down the corridor to greet him, he stares open-mouthed as I enter the room. I do a twirl as I ask him if he likes it.
“You look utterly ravishing,” he says as he pulls me to him for a kiss, Fenuka is having none of it.
“Hands off! I spent hours on my masterpiece so no smudging her lipstick, at least not until you get inside the venue,” she says strictly. I laugh as she makes him promise out loud. He is wearing a black fitted tuxedo with a satin layer on the jacket lapels and buttons and a satin stripe running along the outside of each trouser leg. The cut and bruise are virtually undetectable on his face and unless you were aware of his injuries you wouldn’t notice. He looks ... totally hot and I experience an instantaneous surge of longing as it engulfs every part of my body. Either he notices or he feels the same, as we both lock eyes and stare hungrily at each other. Fenuka coughs in embarrassment and I suddenly remember my surroundings and reluctantly tear my gaze away from him. I am profuse in my gratitude towards Fenuka as we leave.
“How do you feel?” I ask him as we walk outside, arm in arm, wondering how much pain he’s still in.
“Amazing,” he says, and I’m giddy with happiness.
“Are you in any pain?” I ask more directly this time.
“Only my heart,” he teases. I decide to let it go, we deserve at least this one night to be oblivious and in love.
A huge marquee has been
set up in the grounds of the convention center for the Ball. Several round tables are dotted in a semi-circular fashion around the room, in the center is a circular dance floor and there is a band playing live music from an elevated stage at the back. The overhead chandeliers are on low and there are lit candelabras on each table giving a soft glow around the room. Bunches of red roses and white lilies adorn the center of each table and the tables are immaculately dressed in tones of white, cream and gold. The whole feeling is one of old-fashioned grandeur and romance.
Cal spots some of his friends seated at one of the tables to the left of the stage and we make our way towards them. He pulls a chair out for me and then takes the chair to my right, pushing his in as close to mine as possible. My dress won’t pull over completely at my leg and between that and the low neckline of my bodice, I’m showing quite a bit of skin—he cannot take his eyes off me. I feel very self conscious and I can’t help but blush as his I notice his eyes sweeping over my body. “I think you may need to lock your bedroom door tonight; otherwise I’m at risk of breaking the ‘no intimacy’ rule,” he whispers enticingly in my ear. He stares intently at me and I think I may come undone right there and then. I smile to myself, it feels quite intoxicating, this effect that we seem to have on each other.
He casually drapes his arm around the back of my chair and motions for a waiter to bring us some drinks. I’m a little shocked to see that champagne is being proffered, but willingly accept the glass that’s handed to me. I’ve never tasted it before as my parents are strict when it comes to alcohol consumption; well there’s no one around to restrict me anymore, I think poignantly. I take a sip of the gold colored liquid and it tastes sweet and dry.
The night is truly memorable and I forget all our troubles as we eat, drink and dance. As I look around the room, I see many other happy couples and it gives me pause for thought. I’ve been thoroughly opposed to ‘The Calling’ from the very first moment, appalled at the clinical way in which the authorities are planning on building the next generation and repulsed at the erosion of free will. But anyone looking at the Ball tonight would be forgiven for marvelling at the ingenuity of our government and the presumed validity of their thinking. The sense of despair I feel, at how easily we’ve all gone along with their plans, threatens to overwhelm me. “Let’s get out of here,” I implore and he doesn’t object.
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