The Summer of Bells: The Essences Saga - Book #2

Summer: Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

“Wow,” Mae said from the kitchen door. I peeked at her.

“Yeah, can you believe that?”

“It’s you I can’t believe,” she said. “I’ve never seen you act that way. It’s sooo…juvenile.”

I glared at her, but she was right. I considered going after Silas and apologizing, but I didn’t. If I had real parents, I would have said, “Hey, Mom. I’m in love with this wonderful man. I really want you to meet him.”

But not Silas. Regardless of what his mother was like, he could have called her up and told her. Before today, he always talked so lovingly about his mother. But his behavior today suggested that there was more to that mother-son relationship than he really let on. And now, I was eager to meet the woman and look into her soul.

*****

Silas met his mother at the only seafood restaurant in town. She was a petite woman with silvery hair that chopped off at her chin. She smiled pleasantly when she saw him and he kissed her cheek.

“So, Silas, tell me about this woman you’re seeing.”

He was in the process of sitting in his chair when she said that. His rear plopped the rest of the way down. “How did you know about that?”

“Oh, honey, that was the first thing I heard when I got into town. Mr. Blake’s new girlfriend…rumors about how he got fired for fraternizing with co-workers…blah, blah, blah.”

“I wasn’t fired,” he mumbled, staring at his mother. The change from the last time he saw her was so abrupt that he wondered if she was sick. She was smiling, and laughing, and so giddy that he became truly concerned about her.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Wrong? Why would anything be wrong?” She waved over their waiter and ordered drinks. “I’m just happy that you’ve finally started dating again. So when do I get to meet her? You should have invited her along tonight.”

“Mom,” he said, taking her menu away from her so that she met his eyes. “What’s going on? The last time I saw you, you were so wound up that it took me three days to relax. Are you sick?”

Magdalene Blake belted out a tinkling laugh. “Oh, Silas. No, no. I’m not sick. In fact, I have some wonderful news that I wanted to share with you.”

“I’m listening,” he said.

“I’m getting married,” she cried out, throwing her hands wide.

“What?”

“I’m getting married,” his mother repeated in a calmer voice. She shoved her ring finger in his face, and he was met with a diamond the size of a moon crater.

“His name is Henry,” she went on, breathless with joy. “He’s an author. We met at one of those book conventions. He writes religious thrillers. I was supposed to meet one of my clients there, who is writing a memoir on raising her autistic twins, and he just came up to me and said, ‘Excuse me? Are you Magdalene Blake, the editor?’ I stared into his puppy dog eyes, and I was lost. The rest is history!”

Silas listened with bewilderment. His mother, a widow of seven years, was to get married. To a writer. Named Henry. And he had ‘puppy dog eyes.’

“Mom? Are you sure you’re not sick?”

“Oh, Silas!”

Their waiter appeared by his elbow and his mother took back her menu. The rest of dinner was spent with him not eating as he listened to her chatting all about Henry.