The Heart's Content

Chapter 3

Before going to bed that evening, Beth looked over her homework like she normally did. It was a report on the wetlands and living near the bayou proved especially beneficial to her on this assignment. It was given to her the week before and she had spent her afternoons at the bayou, taking photos and writing down the behavior of the wildlife which resided there. Alastor was certain that she would get an A+ but she was still nervous about it.

"What do you think Mom? Should I have added more paragraphs?"

Alastor and Beth's mother had died when she was only two and she had no memory of her, it made her sad but she found a way to cope with it by speaking to her in heaven. Her Sunday school teacher said that people in heaven can always see and hear you so Beth would regularly converse with her late mother as if she was in the room. Some people found it odd, usually those who weren't really religious and Alastor wasn't too fond of it either but he didn't say anything.

"I hope I wrote my paper the way you would. You're the best writer in the world and I have proof of that."

Beth's "proof" was a storybook that Daisy had made for her when she first got pregnant. It was a collection of fairy tales by Hans Christian Anderson, written on beautifully illustrated pages and pop up images, held together but a hard cover that was lined with silver. She might have been too old for story books but she just couldn't help but become entranced by the spellbinding tales and it made her feel that anything was possible. However I think the main reason she kept it was because it was the only thing Beth had to remind her of her mother so she treasured it as one would a bible or a diary.

"I remember the day Mom made that for you." Alastor said upon entering the room to find her reading it like she had done many times before. "At first I was surprised that she could create something like that but then I remembered that she was the most talented woman I ever knew."

"Did she ever make you a storybook?" Beth asked.

"No." He answered. "I stopped reading storybooks long ago, and music was more my passion anyway."

"You said Mom had three passions, right? Singing, writing, and romance?"

"Yep. She used to tell me that when she was a little girl she dreamed of singing love songs and writing romance novels. Made me sick to think about but I smiled anyway."

"You never liked romance did you?"

"Beth I was a little boy when she told me that. What little boy likes romance?"

"Okay but you don't like it even as a grown man. You're totally against love so you don't have any important female in your life besides me."

It was true. Alastor had never had one serious relationship with a woman. Now it wasn't as though he was no catch. He was ruggedly handsome, witty, polite, charming, thoughtful, attentive, smart. Plenty of ladies had given him the eye and he had gone on a few dates out of boredom but he always failed to connect with any of them. There was no spark. No bond. Nothing. He just treated his dates as if they were strangers or co-workers.

"You don't like anything to do with dating or relationships or finding a significant other." She continued. "That's why you're twenty-five and still a virgin."

"Beth!" He blushed.

"What? No one heard me this time."

"Beth I don't want to talk about this again."

"Do you prefer men? If you do I don't care."

"No I do not prefer men. I don't have any preferences. My heart just doesn't work in that department, and you know there's nothing wrong with not having a significant other."