by Elin Peer
“No.” He still had a hard expression on his face, but there was a slight softening. In every cell of my body, I sensed the longing in him. This boy needed to be hugged and loved just as much as the Motlander children, but he was too proud to admit it.
“Let me see your hands,” I said and reached out for him.
“Why?” he asked with a suspicious glance at my hands.
“You can tell a lot from someone’s hands,” I said. “Finn taught me that.”
Slowly Nero lifted his hands to mine.
I took them and stepped a little closer, pretending to look his hands over. “Finn said that if a man’s hands are wrapped around another man’s neck, it’s a sign that he’s a little angry.”
Nero’s lips pursed upward a tiny bit. “That’s a good one. Finn is funny.”
“I know, but I don’t always understand his humor. I’m learning, though.”
“It’s because our humor is different than yours,” Nero explained.
“I’ve noticed,” I said and nodded my head to signify how wise he was. “There are many differences between us, but you know what’s the same with every human being no matter where they live, how old they are, or what gender they are?”
“What?” he asked.
“The need for human connection. We all need to feel that we matter, and we all need human touch.”
Nero shrugged and looked down.
“Listen to me, Nero,” I said and moved closer still. “I’m not your biological mother, but if she was here I know what she would do.”
He kept looking down, and chewed on his lower lip.
Opening my arms, I slowly wrapped them around him. “Your mother would love you and hold you, and tell you that she thinks of you every day.”
At first Nero stiffened, but as I continued to speak he eased up a little.
“While your mother carried you in her belly, she sang to you and once you were born, she bathed you and nurtured you. You were her little boy and she cried and cried when she had to let you go.”
“You really think so?” Nero asked and I smiled when he leaned into me a little.
Wrapping my arms even closer, I whispered. “I know so, Nero, and I know she would be the proudest mom in the world if she saw what a beautiful, amazing son she has.”
He pulled back a little to look at me. “How can you say that when you heard me fight with Raven?”
“Raven isn’t your enemy. She’s just a girl who grew up with a mom who wasn’t around. Now that she’s found people who care about her, she’s fueling up on love, but can you blame her?”
He looked away. “Guess not.”
I stroked his chin without commenting on the moistness in his eyes.
“Do you think my mom was like Raven’s mom and didn’t show me enough love?” he asked.
“No, Nero, I think your mom showered you with an abundance of love, and that’s why you feel deprived without it.”
“I would like to believe that you’re right,” Nero said, his anger gone. “It’s a nice thought that my mom once loved me.”
“Of course she loved you. She still does and that will never change.”
Nero didn’t move out of my arms, he just stood there allowing me to gently stroke his back. “Now you’re pampering me too,” he said and almost smiled.
“Everybody needs to be hugged now and then. Nothing wrong with that.”
“Feels funny to be hugged by a woman, though,” he said.
I took his hands and looked into his eyes. “This is my promise to you, Nero. Whenever Finn and I visit the school, I’ll hug you long and hard.”
He smiled a little. “You don’t have to.”
“I know, but I want to so prepare to receive some fierce hugs.”
Nero was smiling. “You’re a strange lady.”
“I prefer quirky,” I said and smiled back at him. “Are you ready to face the world?”
He didn’t answer in words but pulled back and nodded.
“And are you clever enough to see that the reason Raven annoys you has little to do with her, and everything to do with you?”
He frowned. “I hear what you’re saying but it doesn’t change anything. She still gets on my nerves.”
“Only because it provokes you to see how easy it is for her to seek out hugs and comfort. No wonder it’s twisting your heart to see her get what feels out of reach for you.”
“I don’t want to be cuddled or pampered like her,” he protested.
“You might not need it as much as Raven does, but don’t try to convince yourself that you don’t need it at all. It would be a classic defense mechanism, but Nero…” I gave him a concerned smile. “You do need it. We all do!”
Again, I hugged him and whispered into his ear.
“When I’m gone, will you get a hug from someone if you need it?” I asked. “Would you ask Christina or Kya for a hug?”
He stiffened. “That’s a definite no! Archer wouldn’t like it if we boys started hugging his wife and Boulder…” Nero shook his head. “I’m not stupid. That guy would never let us boys touch his pregnant wife.”
“Then how about asking one of the men for a hug then?”
Nero leaned back and wrinkled his nose. “It’s clear that you don’t know our culture.”
“You’re right, I don’t. But at least will you stop resisting the massage and the love circles?”
“But it’s stupid.”
I tugged a strand of his long hair behind his ear. “When we came in to this kitchen you were furious, remember? It was the healing power of a hug and a bit of conversation that made you smile again. You Nmen might be better than us at many things, Nero, but one thing that Motlanders are good at is human connection, and you need to tap into that.”
“That’s easier said than done,” Nero remarked.
“You can start by treating others with kindness, even when they annoy you. And Raven will be the perfect trainer for you.”
A knock on the door made Nero take another step away from me.
“Come in,” I called and Finn opened the door.
“Is everything all right in here?” he asked giving me a concerned look.
“Yes, everything is fine,” I said and smiled at Nero. “Do you feel better now?”
He nodded.
“Think of Raven as a mental trainer. Her job is to provoke you, and you have to grow your muscle of tolerance. The only way to beat her is to not be provoked. Do you think you can do that?”
He nodded.
“If you lose your temper, she wins. If you keep calm and kind, you win.”
“Don’t worry, I’m a born winner,” Nero said with a confident smile and left the kitchen.
“What did you talk to him about?” Finn asked.
“About humor. He thinks you’re funny.”
“That’s a given,” Finn said and snaked his arm around me. “You talked about humor all this time?”
“More or less, and a little about him and Raven.”
Kya came toward us. “What happened?” she asked.
“Would you give me a minute?” I asked Finn and raised myself on my toes to kiss him. “Kya and I are just going to go for a stroll.”
Finn didn’t object because at that moment, Archer called for him and he was distracted.
“Did he tell you anything?” Kya asked when we were alone outside. “Nero is a hard nut to crack. I’ve tried but he’s hard on the Motlanders and he often gets in fights with Raven.”
I told Kya about everything that had happened in the kitchen, and she listened with her full attention.
“Now I feel awful,” she said and rubbed her nose, which was turning red from the cold. “I’ve never pushed myself on the boys because they seem to prefer that I don’t touch them.”
“That’s because they’re afraid of getting in trouble with the men. How could you think that boys didn’t have the same need for connection as girls?”
“Because they make fun of us for hugging and touching too much.�
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I stopped walking, angled my head, and just looked at her.
“Oh, you’re right, that should have been an indicator.” She sighed. “I’ll talk to Archer about it. Maybe we can figure something out.”
“Be smart about it; you’ll have to find a way to give them what they don’t think they need without hurting their pride.”
Kya looked thoughtful. “Maybe Shelly has a way. The girl is brilliant at coming up with simple solutions to complicated problems.”
“Good, but maybe you should mention to her that provoking the boys isn’t the way of a Motlander.”
Kya nodded. “Shelly isn’t like other Motlanders. It’s funny, because she’s extremely observant and sees things that others don’t, but when she interacts with other people she often lacks a filter. That’s why Marco loves to mess with her. She’s easy to antagonize compared to the rest of us.”
“I like Shelly,” I said. “Underneath all those sharp replies, she’s got a good heart. I’ve seen her with her sister and the other kids. Shelly is an old soul.”
Kya nodded. “Yeah, I’m going to miss her when she leaves.”
Walking back to the house, I ended our conversation with a request. “Do you by any chance have a wedding dress that I can borrow?”
“No.” Kya looked apologetic. “I’m afraid my wedding was very informal and spontaneous. There was no time to get a dress.”
“It’s okay, I was just wondering.”
“Wait a minute. The wedding will be at the Gray Mansion, right?” She swept her large curly hair back.
“Yes.”
“Then ask to borrow one of Laura’s dresses. Christina told me she has hundreds. She once saw Laura’s closet and it’s bursting with beautiful dresses. It was all she wore before she went to the Motherlands.”
“Really?”
“Yes, and I’m sure Laura won’t mind if you borrow one.”
“I don’t know, she’s much taller than me,” I pointed out.
“At least your waist is small like hers. My waist will grow fast from now on.”
I looked down to her flat belly, before I met Kya’s eyes with a questioning look. “You’re pregnant?”
“Yes.” Her eyes were shining with joy. “It’s so new and you can’t tell anyone, it’s a secret.”
I gave her a warm hug. “Congratulations dear. And don’t worry, I’m good at keeping secrets.”
“That’s what I thought, with you being a priestess and all.”
“How far along are you?” I asked with excitement.
“Not far, somewhere between six and eight weeks. That’s why we’re not telling the children yet.” She was smiling and rubbing her arms because of the cold. “I’m worried about the baby taking too much time and the students getting jealous, though, but Archer says our child will have a small army of babysitters and protectors.”
“He’s right. Think of what we just talked about. You have at least ten boys in there with an unfulfilled need for hugs and human connection. Your and Christina’s babies will offer a legitimate reason to be affectionate. Archer and Boulder have to show the way and be good role models.”
“Oh, I’m sure they will be. The baby is all Archer talks about when we’re alone, and he’ll be the best dad in the world.”
“Good – seeing Boulder and Archer as loving fathers will bring out the softer side in the boys too. We wouldn’t want them to end up like Magni.”
Kya angled her head. “What do you mean?”
“I’ve taught inner balance for years, and I’ve never seen anyone as unbalanced as him,” I said. “He scares me, Kya.”
Kya shook her head and smiled. “Magni isn’t as bad as he wants people to think. If you’d seen him with Mila you’d know that he’s just a big teddy bear.”
My eyebrows lifted. “There’s nothing soft and cuddly about Magni. The man is irrational and scary.”
“Nah, it’s just because you don’t know him. Magni is stubborn and temperamental, and he says what he thinks, but I like him.”
“You like him?” I couldn’t fathom that Kya and I were talking about the same man.
“I do.” She nodded, hooked her arm under mine, and began walking again. “Back to your wedding, I’m sure you can find a dress to wear in Laura’s closet.”
“I’ll try.” I sighed with a nervous flutter in my belly. “It’s not every day you get married or have to talk to the whole world.”
“What are you going to say?” Kya asked, leaning her shoulder against mine.
“What every wise person has been saying since the time of dawn,” I said. “Kindness isn’t a concept I came up with, I’m just here to promote it and remind everyone about what they already know.”
Kya gave me a smile. “I’ll cross my fingers that people around the world will listen to you.”
CHAPTER 37
The Last Chapter
Finn
Athena looked gorgeous in the dress we had found for her in Laura’s closet. Her long red hair stood in beautiful contrast to the blue dress with the slim waistline.
Zeus, the interviewer that had been brought in for this scoop of a story, was the best news anchor in the Northlands and known to keep things interesting with his hard questions during interviews. The man was in his early fifties and had a long impressive beard with small braids in it. In the past our paths had crossed when he had interviewed Khan or Magni to get comments for different stories. I had always thought of him as a professional, but this time, he annoyed me. It was the way he gazed at Athena and showered her with compliments.
“That’s so fascinating,” he said before we went on the air. “You can really read the old languages?”
“Some of them,” Athena said in her signature soft voice. “The neat thing is that when we priestesses meet at our yearly meeting, we can always tell from looking at each other’s forehead what languages we’ve mastered and what areas of expertise we have. The symbols of our tattoos carry messages of knowledge.”
“They are stunning,” Zeus said and marveled at them. “I have to say that so are you, Athena; I love the color of your hair and the brilliance of your green eyes. Finn is a very lucky man.”
“Yes, I am,” I said, not appreciating being mentioned in the third person when I was sitting right next to Athena.
When the camera people started counting down, I rolled my shoulders in an attempt to relax a little. The thought that this interview would be transmitted to everyone in the Northlands, and later to people in the Motherlands too, was unnerving. I could tell Athena was even more nervous than me, so I leaned my head back and asked, “Are you sure my nose is clean?”
It worked to ground her, and with a small smile she assured me, “You’re fine.”
“Great,” I said just as the countdown got to seven, “but you have something on your cheek.”
Her hands flew up to her face. “Where?”
“Five, four.” The countdown continued.
“Right there,” I lied and planted a loud kiss on her face.
“Three.” The last two numbers were counted with fingers only, but Athena was sucked into my smile and didn’t seem to notice. She was grinning back at me and it made my heart hammer faster.
“I’m here with Finn MacCumhail, known to be one of our finest doctors and our ruler’s personal physician,” Zeus started, “but the real star of the day is the young woman sitting next to him.” Zeus turned to Athena and gave her an exaggerated smile. “Athena Kelly, you are not just an ordinary Motlander, but one of the few and very admired priestesses that Motlanders cherish. Isn’t that true?”
“Yes, but everyone is special and cherished in the Motherlands,” Athena said with tact.
“How do you think that your people will react when they learn that one of their priestesses is the fourth Motlander to marry an Nman?”
Athena thought about it. “Some may be confused that I would make that choice, but I’m hoping that the majority will be pleased for me and Finn.”
“Maybe we should point out that when we say you’re the fourth Motlander to marry an Nman, that’s in only a few months,” Zeus added.
“Six months,” I corrected him, but he ignored me and kept talking to Athena.
“We would love to hear the story about how the two of you met.”
Athena reached for my hand and I smiled as I felt her squeeze it. “I met Finn when I was kidnapped and brought here to the Northlands. He was my protector and kept me safe for the five days I spent here.”
“Was that when you fell in love with him?” Zeus asked and leaned in.
“No, that happened later,” Athena said with a soft smile. “It wasn’t until Finn came to the Motherlands asking for my forgiveness, and we spent some more time together, that I fell in love. You see, I asked that Finn would give me five days, just like he took five of my days when I was here.”
Zeus crossed his legs and leaned back. “And he complied?”
“Hey, I’m right here!” I reminded Zeus, but the asshole ignored me again and focused on Athena.
“Yes, Finn complied and agreed to stay for five days and follow my instructions.”
“How interesting.” This time Zeus was looking at me. “What did you do for those five days?”
“Spiritual stuff like meditating and being grateful and those sort of Motlander things,” I gave Athena a teasing smile.
“I think the whole world wonders how two people from such different cultures can have anything in common,” Zeus said. “Athena, do you want to comment on that?”
“Yes,” she said, her expression growing serious. “From the time I was twelve, I’ve been taught about love and kindness. As a priestess it’s my mission in life to spread that message around the world. It’s easy to be kind to people who are kind and loving to you; anyone can do that.”
“Uh-huh,” Zeus agreed.
“It’s much harder to be kind to someone who is mean to you.”
Zeus raised an eyebrow and gave me a pointed stare, before he asked Athena. “Are you referring to someone who kidnaps you or keeps you a hostage?”
“It doesn’t have to be that bad, but yes, a situation like that puts you to the test.”
Zeus leaned back and blinked a few times. “I’m not sure I follow. If someone kidnapped me, I wouldn’t want to be nice to them. Why would I? They would be my enemy.”