"Hi Mae, welcome back," Lee's father said moving some tubes around that were attached to my skin.
"Ménages," I said to him.
"Pardon?" he said leaning in to hear better.
"Glenn... Ménages," I said my throat sticking together with thirst.
"Glenn said that?" he asked.
"Mmm," I replied my eyes too sore to keep open.
"You saw Glenn?" he asked.
"Mmm."
"Stay awake Mae," he said lifting me forward to sitting. Just sitting forward made me breathless.
"Mae, you are going through a transition, it was necessary to save your life. This is Franco," Uncle said but I didn't look at who he was referring too as I was too busy trying not to fall to the side and out of bed. "Franco is what you might call a historian. He has been instrumental in bringing you back from the brink so to speak."
"Hello Mae, it is pleasure to meet you," the voice replied. He sounded Italian or was it Spanish... urgh my head was so hard to keep up.
I tried to clear my throat to speak back but it was impossible.
"Here we go," Uncle said passing me some water.
I waited for the sip it lecture but he didn't so I downed it in two seconds flat.
"Cook made you some eggs and bacon," he said putting a tray in front of me once my pillows were sorted out. Scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and tomatoes. My stomach nearly fainted with excitement. My hands were weak, heavy and attached to arms that felt like cooked spaghetti.
"Here let me help," he said passing me some toast, which I rammed down my throat. I had turned into a boa constrictor and swallowed the food nearly whole. My hands soon got to grips with snagging a slice of bacon and forks full of egg. I was in heaven. Guzzling orange juice, tea and could have ate another plate full but Uncle said I had enough for now.
My stomach fell into a happy coma as I lay there unable to move and just enjoying the feeling of my food baby nicely nestled in there. Oh how I had missed food. My thirst was no longer burning my throat and I knew I should get up and get washed but instead I lay there staring at nothing and was relieved when someone put the TV on for me and I could watch people washing their dirty linen in public on talk shows or decorating a room in an hour for £100. Afternoon TV was as hideous as ever... I had missed it.
"Where is Lee?" I asked Uncle when he returned to check on me.
"As much as he would love to be here with you, he has responsibilities elsewhere so has had to entrust you to me," Uncle replied.
"Lion stuff," I asked.
"I suppose you could call it that, in that most basic sense of the word," he said grinning.
"Where are the children?"
"They are with Lee's grandparents on a visit."
"I didn't think they were alive?" I said.
"Yes and whilst Lee is busy and you are recovering they have gone out of harms way for a few days to be fussed over."
"April doesn't want the children being passed around. As soon as I am well again I will take them."
"Take them where?" he asked frowning.
"Home, I'll find a..."
"You are married to Lee Grayson, you have a home with him so the children already have a home," he replied staring at me.
I stopped and tried to think clearly. Lee's house, our home... Yeah I suppose.
"Don't worry about any of that now. Just let yourself heal and..."
"Can Lee ring me?" I asked.
"Lion's don't use phones," Uncle replied. "I think it is time for a nap."
"How is she?" Franco asked entering the room.
"She wants a lion to give her a call," Uncle laughed.
"Scatter brain," Franco laughed.
"Did you have a BBQ?" I asked Uncle.
"No," he replied.
"I want a BBQ."
"We will arrange one but you have to rest now."
"Will Lee catch me a fish from the lake again?"
"What lake?" he asked intrigued.
"At the back of the forest, with the boat on. April was angry about the babies and I stroked Glenn lion."
"Shhh, rest now."
"Lee is going to make me a burger," I said remembering how great it tasted.
"I am sure he will," Uncle said stroking my hair out of my eyes.
"April said Lee's mum spelled me because we fell in love at the hospital and he cheated with me on... erm... what is her name?"
"Shhh, I will check it out for you. Now go to sleep," he whispered.
"Michelle is on heat."
"Haha she is always on heat," he replied. "Wait how do you know Michelle? Do you remember her from the wedding?"
"No from the BBQ. She is called Hell," I yawned.
"I'd like you to sleep now please," Uncle insisted.
I closed my eyes and tried to fall asleep.
"I don't think Mae has ever met Michelle, let alone knows her nickname and that she could be on heat," Uncle whispered.
"It is working," Franco said proudly.
"I need Lee to call me," I mumbled my eyelids dropping.
"He is not in this realm. What do you need him for?" Uncle asked.
"I cuddled Glenn's lion," I said.
"That sounds nice," Uncle replied.
"And a kiss."
"Lovely, I will tell him for you but I don't know why you are insisting on talking Mae, you are asleep," Uncle laughed.
"Wake me up when Lee calls," I mumbled unable to open my eyes and resigning myself to sleep.
----
"How is Lee?" Uncle asked making me open my eyes.
"Exhausted," his mother replied. "They all are. I've brought her ring back. It will act as a locator should she get lost in future."
I felt my wedding ring placed on my finger.
"What did you want to speak to me about?" she asked.
"Mae said something when she woke earlier and I promised to talk to you about it. She claims April told her that you had spelled her because she fell in love with Lee at the hospital when they first met. Is that true?"
I heard a slight gasp.
"Yes, they had an affair and Lee was promised so I spelled her into forgetting..."
"You can't spell someone to forget love without dire consequences," Uncle snapped.
"She was sleeping with my son!"
"He is a grown man."
"He was engaged to another. I had just lost one son and did not relish the thought of losing another to lust."
"That wasn't lust and you know it!"
"She was human, he didn't know her five minutes and they were besotted with each other. It was obvious and a danger."
"It was love! You can't interfere with love!"
"It was just a veil spell to..."
"There is no such thing as 'just a spell' and any fool can tell they have a connection."
"Yes and that fool was Stephanie. She insisted on the spell and Suri's immediate rejection along with Mae."
"And you just bowed down to her!"
"No, not at all. I had to break my sons heart, rip it from his chest and his child from his arms. It was no easy task to lose a grandchild for her fathers mistake and Mae was caught in the middle."
"I want the spell lifted."
"I've tried, she is using it as a shield and won't relent."
"There is your consequence. Do you realise what she is?"
"I have a good idea."
"Don't you think she would cope better with Lee's other half if she was allowed to love him."
"She is allowed to love him. They are married..."
"She is not allowing herself to love him. She is just going through the motions so people don't disapprove of her. She is self sacrificing and an easy target. All this interference, rejection and new world madness has her rendered her an emotional and physical wreck."
"I know that and I have tried to help her but she doesn't trust me."
"Do you blame her?"
"Obviously not."
"The only one who can release the shield is her and Lee is suffering as a consequence. Does he know about their past?"
"No, his father was going to tell him but it has never seemed the right time."
"There is never going to be a right time. Tell him or I will."
"He is sleeping. I will ask his father to speak to him."
"Lee should be sleeping here beside his wife."
"He is on the lawn, in lion form. He has to stay open for messages and as she objects to him being a lion I doubt she wants him in her bed."
"This is a fucking mess. I want full disclosure on everything that has gone on between them is that clear!"
"Yes," she whispered.
"If anyone even thinks of spelling her in future I will kill them. Is that clear?"
"Yes."
"I have been too soft with you all. Get it fixed."
"We are trying."
"Try harder before someone tries for her life again."
"It would be easier if she could accept the lion."
"And whose fault is that? Yes it is human fear but you have spell her into rejecting your own son. Did you know she also claimed to have cuddled Glenn's lion whilst in transition?"
"She did?" she sounded astonished before starting to cry.
"I know you miss him. We all do," Uncle said.
"He was my baby and now I have to watch his children grow up without him as their father. He was so excited and planning so many things."
"He serves a different purpose now."
"But Lee needs him here and Mae needs her sister. Why can't we just turn back the clocks and set it all right."
"Because if life allowed us to do that we would never move forward."
"I just wanted my kids to be safe, happy and in love. Is that too much to ask?"
"Sometimes it is but time is a great healer. It may not be a cure but it dulls the pain a little."
"It is so easy for us to forget your pain. How are you going to cope next week at the gala?"
"I will do my best as always," he replied sighing heavily.
"When do you expect Mae to be ready?"
"For her reveal?"
"Yes."
"That depends but I am hoping she will attend the gala even for an hour."
"That would be ideal. I will leave you to your assessments and tell Lee you wish to speak to him when he is free and rested."
"If you could. Also tell him Mae would like a BBQ and wants him to make her a burger," he said amusement in his voice.
"Lee and a BBQ, she really doesn't know him. He would burn it and set fire to half the garden."
I fell back into a deep sleep as they carried on chatting.