The Daughter of Time (Ace of Queens #6)

Ch.28 Little things

Chapter 28

Maya sat on her bed surrounded by books and papers. Her mother had given her all three Fey spell books and Adam had found some in the library about their society. She emerged herself in learning all she could about the ancient power that had made itself home in her soul.

With a pencil, Maya traced the lines in the books that stood out to her. She stuck multicolor sticky notes and scribbled down questions or information she found twice. After her meeting Caspian, Maya had spent the whole day in the lab with her mother. They tried a few of the spells from the fey book and so far Maya was proving to be a natural. But when she flipped to the page of the samsara spell, Maya's hand shook and her throat dried.

"We can skip that one," Gemma said slowly. She watched Maya over her shoulder and patted her daughter's arm.

"Mom," Maya sighed and closed the book after sticking a pencil inside. "When you first met dad, he was a jerk. Wasn't he?"

"Understatement of the century," Gemma rolled her eyes. "You dad was a complete ass."

"How did you......how did you get past that?" Maya turned in her seat. "How did you forgive him?"

Gemma took in a deep breath. She reached out and tucked a few of Maya's strands behind her ear. The small smile on her lips let Maya know her mother knew exactly why she was asking.

"It took time," Gemma said slowly. "I wasn't ready to forgive him. He had hurt me by lying to me."

"What did you do?" Maya looked into her mother's identical blue eyes.

"I looked at the little things."

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't just need a grand apology from Exton," Gemma sat down on the stool beside Maya. "I needed to know he really cared. And the best way to see if someone truly cares about you is to notice if they remember the little things about you without you having to remind them."

"Did dad remember?"

Gemma nodded, "Yes, of course."

"What did he do?"

"You know how dad hates cucumbers?" Gemma scrunched up her nose. "Well, I don't like tomatoes. And I never had to tell him that. Whenever we go out to eat and I get anything with tomatoes, he will automatically eat it off my plate."

Maya smiled. She had never paid attention but now that her mother mentioned it, Exton really did always eat her tomatoes.

"One time I told him how Bella and I used to read the Harry Potter series and that Christmas he got me a limited edition set signed by the author."

"What else does he remember?" Maya leaned her head on her hand on the table.

"He remembers every outfit I ever wore," Gemma laughed.

"What?" Maya asked, baffled. "No way."

"What this," Gemma winked as she opened her mind-link to Exton and Maya.

Hey, honey. I was thinking of wearing that green dress at the dinner next week. With the matching emerald jewelry set.

Maya and Gemma waited patiently for a second.

Which green dress? Exton asked after a pause. The cap sleeve, long sleeve, or no sleeve.

No sleeve, Gemma answered.

You wore that to the Argo dinner in February, Exton said. And then to the church visit in April. But that was with a matching coat.