Balancer's Soul (17 page)

Connor began remembering what had
happened earlier tonight on the first meeting with Jillian, Sarah’s
biological mother of unknown age. She seemed nice and eccentric yet
protective over Sarah and their family secret. Knowing that it was
Jillian who did her thing in his head was no far stretch for him.
It felt like she was using an entire chisel set inside of his head,
it was very painful. Even now his head continued to throb dully
from the experience. Connor also thought quite a bit about
Jillian’s
rules
, there was
something about them...

A noise broke his train of thought.
Looking down upon his chest, Connor noticed Sarah was fast asleep
and snoring.
“I’ve almost forgotten how
cute she is when she does that.”

Knowing tomorrow would be a long day,
he needed some sleep.
“Sarah, no matter
what happens tomorrow, know that I’m in love with you.”

Connor awoke at the crack of dawn, like
always. Without moving his body he looked down to see Sarah laying
in the exact same position, only now her left arm had found its way
to lay across his abdominal muscles. She embraced him as if she
never wanted to let go. What was obvious to him was that she never
had to. Connor never wanted her to go willingly either.

He continued to watch Sarah sleep in the same
position for the next few hours.

Suddenly all of the hairs on the back
of his neck began standing straight up, just moments before a
frigid, wet mist blasted in his face. Sarah stirred too.
“That must have been Jillian calling us.”
Getting her bearings, Sarah looked up at Connor and smiled so
beautifully, as if still in a delightful dream. “Good morning,
Princess. How did you sleep?”

“Better than the night that I fell asleep on
your shoulder, during the rain storm.” Her eyes then widened. “Shh…
Mother will get mad if we talk.” She didn’t move as she still
looked at him, with an arm and a leg laying across him.

“It’s ok now.” Answering her
questioning face he explained “Jillian said that we couldn’t talk
during the
night
. It is now
morning. The evening hours are gone and past.” Moving his hand, he
placed it on her lower back and leaned down to kiss her
forehead.

Now beaming, Sarah said with glee “I can work
with that loophole.”

“Well?” Connor was curious about her.

“Well what?” She was looking confused.

“How did you sleep?” he was smiling
softly.

She tightened her legs around his again and
squeezed her chest closer on his ribs by pulling her arm that
remained stretched across his middle. She placed her head back over
his chest to comfortably say “Like this.” She looked up again, with
those dreamy green eyes. “Never in my life have I ever slept so
well and your heart and smell are so relaxing.”

“My smell?” Her face went red.
“She didn’t mean to say that out loud I’d
bet.”

Sarah looked down and buried her face in his
chest. “Yes… I like your smell, ok.” She said in a short and
embarrassed manner.

“I love your smell as well. You smell like
apples and strawberries.” She looked up and smiled happily. She
liked having another thing in common, they both liked the scent the
other gave off.

She sat up suddenly and listened. “Are Jenny
and Kara back yet?”

“No. Do not worry, Princess. They will not be
here until the late afternoon and it is not even nine.” Feeling the
hair’s on his neck rise again, Connor smiled just before a whirl of
wind whipped in his room, he asked “What was that?” Even though he
already knew who the culprit is.

Sarah was smiling as she said “Mother is
getting impatient, again. She’s using her abilities to disturb the
air itself.”

“Should we get going then?”

“It’s time, we had better go before she comes
over to drags us to my house.” She wheeled over and exited the bed
gracefully. He too did the same and stopped when he got a good look
at her.

“Um… Wait just a moment, Sarah.” She turned
around to give him a questioning expression. “Would you like to
freshen up before we leave?”

“What do you mean?” Connor walked her over to
the mirror in his room to show her what he was looking at. She
gasped because her hair stood out in a mess, even her clothes were
completely wrinkled. “My hair looks like we have been doing the
wild thing.” She said quietly and smiled with him.

“That’s why I asked before we go over to your
house. I don’t think that your father will be too thrilled to see
you looking like this.” He gestured from behind the mirror she was
still staring at. She turned and smacked his arm playfully.

“Ok here is the deal. We don’t have much time
before Mother comes over here to get us herself. You shave and
change clothes while I take a quick shower.” Both of their faces
went red at that thought. “Ok?” And then she headed for the shower
after steadying herself. Hearing the shower turn on he heard her
say “Connor, come in and do your thing.”

Opening the bathroom door, he noticed that
her clothes were piled on the floor and upon closer inspection
Connor noticed that she wore a black lacy bra and matching panties.
He turned his head, looking at the opaque shower curtain that stood
between himself and a stark naked Sarah.

Pulling himself out of very exciting
thoughts, Connor turned on the sink faucet, filled up the basin and
began shaving.

Now finished with the task, Connor heard the
shower’s water cut off. He grabbed Sarah a towel and draped it over
the top of the shower for her to catch. “Thank you.” He slipped out
of the bathroom silently and walked across the hall to enter Kara’s
room.

Almost everything in the room stood a
different variety of pink. Pink walls, cover, drapes, cabinets,
even her ceiling fan was bright pink. Connor walked over to the
dresser and opened the top drawer to find a shirt for Sarah to
borrow. Who could have guessed it…every shirt had some kind of pink
in it. He grabbed the least advertizing top and grabbed a pair of
white shorts. And that was all as he left the room.

Connor knocked on the bathroom door. “Sarah,
here are a change of clothes, but I don’t have any undergarments
for you to wear. I’d never hear the end of it and I’m not
suicidal.” She cracked the door and held her hand out, using the
door as a shield to cover her nakedness.

“I think I can manage. Thank you, Connor.”
She took the articles of clothing as Connor went to his room to
change into fresh clothes himself. Soon he attired a black long
sleeved shirt and blue jeans and put on his boots.

He walked into the living room and sat down
to wait on the leather sofa.

Soon, Connor heard her open the bathroom door
quietly and noticed her trying something. He let her think she got
the drop on him by staying still and remaining oblivious. Suddenly
her soft, bath warmed arms slowly and gently encircle his neck from
behind and Sarah’s newly brushed and long wet hair fell over his
shoulders as she leaned over him. “I hope that everything will turn
out for the best.”

“It will. I will protect you forever.”
For the very first time Sarah kissed the side of his neck, once and
gently. His heart began stuttering like an old and rusted engine
and it felt great.
“She kissed
me
this time.”

“Thank you, Connor. I truly mean it.” He
stood up and grabbed a plastic grocery bag so she could put her
clothes from last night in it. They walked out the door together.
Soon they entwined their fingers together as they walked across the
street. Her hands seemed so small and delicate next to his, but
they seemed to be a perfect fit for each other.

The old log house had a fresh coat of crimson
red paint which made it look a little eerie. At the very least the
wild grass had been mowed to show someone finally bought and lived
on the property. Walking onto the entry way of their home Connor’s
pulse quickened. He knocked on the newly painted front white door
three times and waited.

He heard Jillian say in a chipper voice come
from somewhere in the back of the house. “I’m coming, hold on you
two!” Jillian opened the door quickly wearing a ruby red halter top
and a very short beige skirt. She was a strikingly beautiful woman,
but to him she seemed boring in the wake of Sarah’s natural beauty.
She looked at Sarah and soon smirked, knowing that she had changed
clothes and taken a shower before coming over. In a quiet voice she
looked at Connor and said “You passed my test.”

“What test did I pass?” He asked, feeling a
little bewildered.

“I know you two kept your promise last night,
but Connor you are a constant surprise, even to me.” Jillian’s
golden eyes glimmered as did her perfectly white teeth. She
reminded him of Kara on a sugar high.

“Do tell.” He wondered what could surprise
this ancient woman.

“In our laws you are given two tests. One
from the mother and one from the father.” Her voice became a
conversational level now.

“And what test did I pass?” Connor placed his
free hand in his pocket and smiled pleasantly.

“To see if you could be that close to my
daughter and remember my rules without letting your sex-drive take
total control of your senses. Also you found the catch in my rules
that I placed specifically for you. When it became morning, you
figured my rules became void and started talking.” Jillian took a
much needed breath to say “My test was geared toward seeing if you
could follow the rules, but also to think around them too. So you
passed with flying colors.” Jillian offered to her hand in
congratulations.

Shaking Jillian’s hand, Connor turned to look
at Sarah after remembering something. “You said on Monday that you
had a major test coming up, I didn’t realize that I was a part of
it too.” He smiled at her.

“I didn’t know that you would be tested like
this either.” Sarah turned to the smirking Jillian. “Why didn’t I
know about this?”

“Because if you knew, you would tell Connor
and he might be prepared for my arrival. I can’t have you spoiling
all my fun now can I?” Jillian looked at up at him, but Sarah
didn’t understand what was going on like he did. There was more to
Jillian’s words than she was letting on.

“Sarah, think. Your mother’s lying to
us again.” Sarah looked up at him, frowning while Jillian’s jaw
practically dropped to the floor. Connor turned to look at Sarah as
they still held hands. “Her test wasn’t to see if I would listen to
her
Laws
, it was a test to see
if I could respect her wishes, like any other normal mother would.
There is no law regarding a parent’s right for us to be together.
Only to see if I could respect their wishes. Furthermore she is
also saying for me to always keep my guard up and think before I
act. A good mind needs to be sharp.”

Off to the side, Jillian said in a laugh “I
need to keep up my guard with you around. You are too good at
figuring out if someone’s lying.” Sarah was proud and speechless at
the same time. “Ok you two get inside.” Jillian shook her head as
if she had lost for the first time and couldn’t believe it.

Shutting the door behind them, Jillian
immediately started talking. “After our reuniting, I told Jack
about his surprise and he became a little upset, worried and quite
sad. It was a little funny from my end though. A good romp made him
relax at least.”

“What surprise?” Connor asked in honest
confusion.

“That our little Sarah has found
you
, of course.” Sounding obvious
wasn’t Jillian’s strongest ability, but she rolled her eyes like a
pro.

“Well what’s the problem?” he asked, being a
little confused about all this.

Sarah squeezed his hand and said “Connor, he
is not worried about his daughter finding someone, but about how
our family secret might potentially get out into the open. It puts
us in great danger.”

“Well then there won’t be any problems.” And
Sarah playfully elbowed him below his ribs, knowing what he meant,
but Jillian didn’t.

“Tell me why then.” Jillian was curious as
she held her hands together.

“Because a person’s secret’s is theirs, and
theirs alone. If they wish to tell that secret to someone, it
should not go any further than the person it was told to, unless
permission is granted by the person it originated from.” Jillian
looked to Sarah for clarification.

“That’s how Connor is, Mother. He will never
reveal our secret unless we give him permission first.” Pleased,
Jillian escorted them into the living room.

The walls held new yellow wallpaper and the
windows were as freshly washed as the fans. Hung on the walls and
shelves were a few antique paintings and bowls. A box in the corner
showed they were still unpacking. In the living room sat two love
seat sofas, facing each other, and a wide coffee table sat
carefully situated between them. The floor was made of hardwood and
Connor didn’t spot any carpet, just like his home.

The tall and silver haired man sat on the
sofa that faced the window.

He stood up slowly and walked over to greet
them. He is as tall as Connor is, but muscular wise, Connor far
outweighed him. He was wiry where as Connor was more than filled
out. “Hello, I’m Jack. You must be Connor, I assume.” He reached
his hand out.

Letting go of Sarah’s hand Connor took
his. “Yes I am and also the
Mule
as you once so graciously call me.”

Appalled, he looked at Sarah “Do you tell him
everything?”

Squeezing his hand hard enough to get his
attention off Sarah and back to himself, Connor calmly said “No
sir. She would never say anything bad about anyone, let alone her
family. You just need to be sure if you’re talking about someone,
make sure they don’t have excellent hearing.”