Chance Encounterby Oksanatranslated by Olga |
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In a week Mason was discharged. Mary asked to go home earlier, and they drove home together. Mason saw Mary was strangely tense. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “No, nothing. We just have to drop in at another place for a minute.” “What place?” “Wait and see,” Mary evaded a direct response, avoiding Mason’s eye. It made Mason uneasy, but he decided to be patient and not press Mary. One time was more than enough. Mary stopped the car by a cottage and asked Mason to wait. He looked at her attentively, and she hid her eyes again, unable to meet his stare. She hurried out of the car. Mason was out of himself with worry. He could see Mary was hiding something from him, something terribly important. In a couple of minutes Mary walked out of the house, but she was not alone. She was holding a little boy’s hand. Mason’s breath caught in his throat, and his heart missed a beat. Feverishly, he tried to estimate the child’s age. “Oh God, can this be real?” Mason licked his lips, never taking his eyes off the approaching duo. Mary opened the car door, and the boy hurried in to the back seat. Then he quickly put his head in between the front seats and gave Mason a long look. The cold struck through Mason: it was nothing but a deja vu as he was staring at his own face… a face that was his own many years ago, he had seen it in the mirror. “Hi dad,” the boy said in a business manner. “What took you so long, why haven’t you come earlier?” Mason couldn’t master his voice. He looked at Mary. There were tears in her eyes, but these were tears of happiness. “I am sorry,” said Mason finally. “I just did not know where to find you.” “He didn’t know, Matthew,” Mary confirmed. “Mom, no crying!” Matt frowned. “These are tears of joy, son,” Mary smiled tenderly. She saw tears in Mason’s eyes and added, “Dad’s too.” They dined together. Mason never took his eyes off his son, and Matt responded in the kind. Then the boy left the table and got to play. “He’s just so much like…” Mason said. Mary laughed, “Just your copy! I was so much afraid Mark would notice…” Mason shuddered at the thought that Mary and his son had been at Mark’s hands so long. Mary noticed it and put her hand on Mason’s. “Don’t. It’s all in the past now.” “Yes, fortunately. Why didn’t you tell me?” “I don’t know,” Mary shrugged her shoulders. “I wanted you to see him first. When I just had him I realized at once he was yours. It was so obvious!” “I’m at a loss for words,” Mason admitted. Mary laughed, “Matt too. Usually he’s quite a talker!” Mason laughed, reached out and drew Mary to his lap. “God, Mary… Can it be that this is not a dream?” The answer came immediately in the form of a suction cupped arrow that flew into Mason’s forehead. “Matthew!” Mary cried. “You could have hurt the eyes! I told you to never shoot at people!” A guilty little face appeared in the doorway. “Sorry.” He said it like ‘sowie,” and smiled the charming smile of his father. Mason laughed, took the arrow off his forehead and held his arms open for his boy. Matt approached him readily and climbed in his lap. Mason hugged his son to him and pressed his cheek to his head. Matt shrank a bit, breaking free. “Let’s play now.” Mary shook her head. “Not now, Matthew. Tomorrow. It’s time to go to bed now.” The boy’s eyebrow lifted in anger. “No! I don’t want!” Mason was looking at his little copy, and love permeated every little cell of his being. He found it hard to restrain and not hug the boy to him again. “What if daddy reads to you?” Mary suggested. “Will he?” Matt looked at Mason. “Of course I will,” Mason nodded. Matt climbed down and pulled Mason’s hand. “Go.” “To the bathroom first,” Mary warned. “Ok, we’ll do it,” Mason said and gave his son a wink. Matt nodded with delight. In an hour Mason shut the nursery door noiselessly. Mary was cuddled up on the sofa in the sitting room, reading. “He’s asleep,” said Mason sitting beside her. Mary smiled. “He likes you.” “I think so… I hope so. I love him.” “What about Samantha?” Mason bit his lip in thought. “I love her too, and I’ll always love her. But it’s you and Matt I want to live with.” “You might call Julia,” Mary suggested. Mason sighed. “You think it necessary?” Mary nodded. Reluctantly Mason picked up the phone and dialed the number. “Can I talk to Julia, please… And who’s this?” said Mason grimly, and the next moment his eyes grew big with surprise. “I’m sorry.” He hung up the receiver. “What’s up?” asked Mary impatiently. “You won’t believe it,” said Mason slowly. “You know who it was? Her husband! And I bet it’s Father Michael’s voice!” “What?!” Mary said bewildered. “But… how?” Mason looked at her, and his lips formed a happy smile. “It doesn’t matter. I’m happy for them – and for us, too!” Mary smiled in confusion. “Me too… But do promise me that you will get in touch with your family!” “Anything you want,” said Mason in a hoarse voice. “Tomorrow. I need to resurrect to marry you… and this is what you need, too! But we still have time.” He drew Mary close to him. “I love you! Mary… I can’t wait any more. Come to me!” “I love you too!” said Mary with deep emotion, flushing. Mason planted a tender kiss on Mary’s forehead, and then on her eyes, nose, lips. Gasping for breath, Mary drew back. “What if Matthew wakes up? We’d better go to the bedroom.” Mason nodded in response. His eyes were two flames. Mary smiled, stood up, took his hand and pulled him. Mason hugged her, and on entering the bedroom shut the door tightly. The End |