The Sparrow and The Fox [Book 1]

14

"Look at me when we are speaking to each other, Kenshin, or I suppose you can't." She told him lovingly and cruelly all at once.

Kenshin resisted the urge to flinch and instead smiled at her kindly. He knew she saw his father whenever she looked at him; he also knew that it was the only reason she treated him with love and kindness until she realized Kenshin wasn't anything like Akira. At times, his mother would forget who Kenshin was and call him by his father's name until she remembered it was Kenshin that was when she would beat the boy and curse him for being alive while her husband wasn't.

"How long has it been since we last spoke?" She asked him, knowing the answer to her question but wanted to see her son's reaction.

"Since before New Year's I believe." Kenshin told her, playing along in her game.

"It's been that long?" She asked in feign surprise before speaking again, "Why didn't you visit me on New Year's or Valentines, my dear? I had to tell one of my maids for you to come and visit, and even then, you took your time to come by." She said her voice suddenly turned cold and deadly.

Kenshin remained calm, used to the way she switched from kind to cruel, "I had a lot of things to get done for New Year's that I didn't get a chance to visit you and as for Valentine's day I was feeling ill, so I went over to Hatori's for a check-up and he advised me to stay away from others for the time being. I didn't want you to catch whatever I had." Kenshin told her in fake sincerity hoping she would believe his story.

She gently cupped Kenshin's face with her hands, "What a thoughtful boy you are, and to think you will never find love or be loved." She told him wickedly with a hint of a smile in her voice. Kenshin sat silently, knowing that speaking would only lead to something worse than just words. He felt his mother rub his cheek with her thumb lovingly. "Do you really think that anyone would love you with your strange looks and don't even get me started on your disability. But lucky for you, I will be here to love you for the rest of your life." She told him, whispering the last part into his ear before moving her hands away and leaning back.

Kenshin had heard things like that from his mother ever since he could remember, and sometimes he couldn't help but wonder if she was right. He knew there were people he loved but did anyone even love or care about him back. "You're right, mother. I will never find someone that loves me like you do." He responded quietly with his head down, finally believing her words for once.

As he sat there in silence his dark thoughts continued to fill his mind until he felt a stinging pain explode on his left cheek as his head swung to the left with force, causing his eyes to tear up involuntarily.

"What did I tell you?" His mother asked him coldly before slapping him again, "I told you to face me while we talked, didn't I?" She growled lowly as she backhanded him across his right cheek, causing the ring she wore to slice across his face as he felt warm blood seep out from the new wound and slight pain.

All Kenshin could do was sit silently as blood dripped from his face, not even trying to wipe it away, knowing if he did, it would only make his mother angrier. So instead, he waited for his mother's next words or action, and that was when he heard a gasp of horror.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry, my love! I didn't mean to hurt you!" She exclaimed as she got up, frantically running to one of her drawers and pulling it open as she rummaged around looking for something before running back to the young man. "Here I'll fix it right up." She told him in a motherly manner as she rubbed the blood away a little too harshly, causing him to flinch slightly at the stinging sensation before she continued treating his wound. "There, all better. it's as if nothing happened." She said, satisfied before bringing Kenshin into a motherly hug and kissing him on his head and telling him how much she loved him and that she would never harm him again.