Life's Blood (The Cordelia Chronicles) (4 page)

Bridge Drive In was the busiest ice cream joint in town. The little shack was built at the edge of a walking bridge to the city park, and it served the best soft-serve in town. There was always a line a mile long, but it was worth every minute of the wait. I had talked Chaseyn’s ear off the entire time we were in line. Of course, I had to speak in code most of the time so people around me wouldn’t clue in to what I was really saying.

“And then, the vampires learned they could make a cure for their condition from the blood of their ancestors. Only the blood had to be mixed with a concoction of herbs that could only be acquired in the rural regions of Romania,” I said, waving my arms about enthusiastically.

“Hey, that sounds like a cool movie,” the guy behind us said to me. “What’s the name? I’m gonna see if I can get it on my iPhone.”

“Um, I’m not sure,” I said, opening my eyes wide in surprise. I had tried to make it sound like I was describing a movie plot, only this movie had yet to be made. Apparently I had done a good job. “I think it was something like
A Tale of Two Vampires
.”

While we waited for our order, I explained to Chaseyn the finer points of the research I had done to date and how I was on the verge of discovering the exact concoction.

“All I have left to do is figure out the exact ingredients,” I said. “Isn’t that amazing?”

“Yeah, Cordelia, that sounds great,” Chaseyn agreed.

“Do you mean it?” I asked hopefully.

“I really do,” Chaseyn said, handing me my ice cream cone and taking a huge bite of his sundae…or maybe it was a shake. I never had been sure exactly what the Goog Special was. Whatever it was, it was heavenly. The only problem was it had to be eaten with a spoon, so Chaseyn and I couldn’t hold hands as we walked across the bridge. And we always walked across the bridge and around the perimeter of the park while we ate.

“I’m so glad you think so,” I said. “My grandma has been doing some research too, and I know she’s talked to Mina about it.”

“She has? How come I haven’t heard anything about it from her?”

“I asked them not to say anything to you until I had a chance to speak with you first,” I said. “We’ve all been doing our research, and we’re closing in on the final few ingredients every day.”

“I’m still not sure how I feel about being human, but I’ll consider anything if it means I can be with you,” Chaseyn said.

I felt a pang of guilt that I hadn’t given his suggestion more consideration, but becoming a vampire was out of the question. I couldn’t fathom drinking blood to survive, but I still felt bad that it meant Chaseyn had to sacrifice his immortality to be with me.

“You should talk to Mina about it,” I urged. “She has an interesting perspective that I think you’ll truly appreciate. And she‘s been working on tracking down Alexei‘s maker since we‘ll need his blood.”

“I will talk to her,” he nodded.

“Good. Now let’s stop talking about all this and get down to business,” I said.

“I can’t believe you have more important things to talk about.”

“Of course I do,” I replied. “Do you think we should go with memory foam, or would it be better to get one of those sleep number thingamabobs?”

“Mattresses? You go from contemplating my state of mortality to mattresses?”

“That’s right. You got a problem with that?”

“Not at all,” he said, dragging me back toward the car. “In fact, I can’t think of a topic I’d like to discuss more.”

The last thing I wanted to do was go home and confront my mother, but I knew I had to do it sooner or later. Chaseyn insisted on coming with me. It was Sunday, and he always came for dinner, but more than that, he didn’t think I should have to face my mom on my own for a decision we had made together. He had bought the house and the ring, and
he
would state our case.

“Hey Mrs. Baxter,” Chaseyn said as he walked through the back door, planting a hard peck on my mom’s cheek and stealing a carrot from the pot she was stirring on the stove. “How’s my second-favorite mom in the entire universe--both known and unknown?”

“Oh no you don’t, Chaseyn Lear. Don’t you dare think you’re going to waltz in here all charming and adorable and think you’re going to make me forget you’re trying to steal my only child out from under my nose,” my mother chided. I winced at the last part of her statement. I would only be her
only child
for another few months.

“Whatever would give you that impression?” Chaseyn asked, feigning innocence.

“I wasn’t born yesterday, young man,” she replied, and though she tried to keep a straight face, I knew better. “I’m still mad, and I think it’s a terrible idea, but I also know that you’re both adults now, and it’s time for you to make your own mistakes.”

“See, Cordelia. I told you she’d come around,” Chaseyn winked, giving my mom a one-armed hug as he made his way to the dining table with a stack of plates. He went about placing one at each seat before coming back for the cutlery and water glasses.

“I’d hardly say I’ve come around, but Lia is a smart girl, and I trust her to do what’s right for her,” my mom added. “And, I’m sorry for breaking
my
news to you the way I did. That wasn’t fair. It was just the two of us for so long, and now everything is changing so much…so fast.”

Her voice cracked, and a tear trickled down her cheek. I went to her then and wrapped my arms around her. I was glad she had Kevin and that they were starting a family together. I hadn’t ever considered the possibility before, but they were still young, and it seemed right. Especially now that I was leaving to start my own family, too.

“So we’re good?” I asked.

“We will be,” she replied. “So, what’d you guys do today?”

“We went furniture shopping,” Chaseyn replied happily as he pinched and pressed the curves of a napkin until it formed the shape of a swan.

“I said we’d be okay. I didn’t say I was ready to hear the details just yet,” my mom replied.

***

My mom and I spent the next week exploring how far we could push each other over our two new favorite topics--the cabin and my new baby brother or sister. While we both had to walk on eggshells for the first few days, by the end of the week, we were both free to talk about either topic at will. My engagement, however, was still a sore spot, which was fine by me. I had no intention of setting a date for at least four years, until I was done getting my degree.

With only a few more days until my mom was officially an empty-nester--at least until the baby came along--I was glad we had settled what had, at first, seemed like irreconcilable differences. I didn’t want to leave home on a sour note.

“Are you sure you can’t stay a few more days?” My mom asked on Friday night--our last night together under the same roof. “It’s just that you still have the entire weekend before you start school. You could leave Sunday afternoon.”

“I want to get settled so I can start my school year feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world,” I said.

“I know,” she said, her voice cracking ever so slightly. “It’s just…I can’t believe how fast you’ve grown up, sweetheart.”

“Don’t go getting all mushy on me,” I laughed. “You promised you wouldn’t do this.”

“I can’t help it,” she replied. “You’re my baby girl, and you’re all grown up. I thought it would be hard enough to watch you head off to college, but now you’re moving in with your fiance…it’s just so much to absorb all at once.”

I closed the gap between us on the couch and snuggled up against her side. She pulled the blanket high around the both of us, and we stayed like that the rest of the night, enjoying each other’s warmth and company as we stayed up all night watching Bond movies, laughing, and eating popcorn. Kevin kept out of our hair all night, and Chaseyn knew better than to interrupt these final moments with my mom. He would have all of my nights for the rest of our lives. He could spare this one.

***

We fell asleep sometime after four. The last thing I remember was Daniel Craig kissing some brunette bombshell in an evening dress. I woke to the tempting aroma of fresh-brewed coffee and straight-from-the-oven cinnamon buns--the kind my mom used to bake for me and my dad on Saturday mornings when I was a kid. I realized then she had managed to weasel her way out from under me at some point earlier in the morning. I looked at the clock--it was only half past eight. She couldn’t have had more than a few hours sleep, and that just wasn’t going to cut it with me. She needed to rest now that she had a bun in the oven.

“Smells great,” I said as I walked into the kitchen and grabbed the spatula from her hand. “Now get out of here.’

“I want to make your last morning here special,” she said, shielding the bowl of pancake batter from my grasp. “Let me make you breakfast.”

“Looks like you’ve already got a good start on it,” I said reaching for the bowl and eying the cinnamon buns. “Let me take it from here.”

“Good morning, ladies,” Kevin yawned as he entered the kitchen, stretching his arms behind his back.

“Perfect timing, pops,” I said, elbowing him in the ribs. “You can help me cook breakfast for mom.”

“I’d love to,” he said and set to work at scrambling the eggs and frying the bacon.

My mind never wavered from thoughts of Chaseyn, but I knew I wouldn’t see or hear from him for at least another three hours. He wouldn’t dare horn in on this special time with my family. And it was special, but not in the way I had expected it to be. With Kevin here, it felt less like the home I had grown up in and more like I was intruding on someone else’s family.

It wasn’t so far from the truth. Soon, there would be a baby in the mix, and I would be the fourth wheel from my mom’s former life. I knew she would never think of me that way, and Kevin was great--I loved him not only because he was a good man but because he loved my mother so intensely.

“Did you seriously just make my pancake into a smiley face?” I asked my mom as I took my usual seat beside her at the dining table.

“You always loved it when I did that,” she said.

When I was six, I thought to myself.

“I still do love it, mom,” I said sincerely.

I knew she was trying to recapture my youth. She wanted to hold on to the memories of her little girl, not the woman that was walking out her door later that day. It was sweet.

“How come my pancakes don’t have bacon lips and strawberry eyes?” Kevin asked, taking his seat across from my mom. “What am I, chopped liver?”

“Mmmm…chopped liver. That sounds so good,” my mom said, a far-off dreamy look in her eyes. “Honey, could you bring some home for dinner tonight?”

Good thing Kevin’s a butcher, I thought to myself, then I turned to face Kevin.

“Looks like the cravings have started--I’m getting out just in time,” I laughed. “Good luck with that.”

We all laughed and talked like it was just another Saturday morning, but I knew the fact that this was the last morning we would all spend together in this house was looming over all of our heads. It was bittersweet for me. On the one hand, I wasn’t sure I was ready to stop being my mother’s little girl. On the other hand, I was more than ready to take the next steps in my adult life.

After we’d devoured every morsel, Kevin and I let my mom rest while we cleared the table and tidied the mess we’d made while cooking. She shouted orders at us from across the room, and we did our best to tackle every task with a smile on our faces--except for when Kevin snapped my leg with a wet dishcloth.

“Ouch,” I laughed, rubbing the tender spot with the palm of my hand. “You suck.”

“Hey, I’m not the one who’s leaving,” he taunted. I knew he’d meant it to be funny, but it killed the moment and brought us all back to reality. As if to twist the proverbial knife a little deeper, the clock struck twelve, and the back door creaked open. Chaseyn was
always
punctual.

“I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” he asked innocently. For all his powers of  intuition you’d think he’d have been able to deduce that, from my mother’s perspective, he wasn’t just interrupting the final moments of our time together, he was interrupting my path in life.

“Don’t be silly, Chaseyn. Come in, sweetheart,” my mom said, crossing the room to give him a warm, welcoming hug. “You’re always welcome so long as you treat my little girl right.”

“That’s a promise I can easily keep,” he smiled, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and squeezing me close to his side. “Are you ready? We’ve got a bit of a drive ahead.”

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” I replied.

Deep down, I wasn’t sure I was ready, but one way or another, I was leaving my mother’s house today--with or without Chaseyn. At one time, I had considered going to college out of state. At least now I was only going to be a little over a few hours away. And, despite what Chaseyn had just said about the drive ahead, I knew he could make the trip four times faster than any conventional driver. We’d be there in just over an hour.

“I’m not sure I’m ready,” my mom said, pulling me away from Chaseyn and into a big bear hug.