TUS NUA - ch 32

TUS NUA – ch 32

New Beginnings – Mia and Midnight

(*)(*)(*)

Finola sat in the rocking chair Neil brought for her from her own home. “You know, Neil, Finn made that chair for me when I was pregnant with Nora. I’ve always loved it. Thank you for bringing it here.”

“Finola, mo stor, when was the last time you heard from your daughter?” he asked.

Sadness crept into her eyes. “Fifteen years, eight months, and six days, not that I’m counting mind you.” She looked at her friend and smiled but the smile didn’t reach her eyes.

“Mo Stor, you’re a witch. You’re Fey. Have you contacted her?”

“When she left, she all but slammed the door off its hinges screaming that she wanted nothing to do with me or my “witchy family”. I tried to contact her a few times, mo chara (my friend), but she’s blocked me.”

She turned to her long-time friend. “You know, Neil, the ironic part is that she knows she’s a witch, a powerful one at that but she denies it. I couldn’t figure out if it frightens her, intimidates her, or has hurt her in some way that she’s not mentioned. I keep hoping that one day, she’ll come back.” Finola sighed. “Even if it’s for a short visit.”

“Have you asked Alistar to locate her?”

“No, if she wants to be left alone, I’ll give her space and keep hoping she’ll come back.”

Neil was about to remind her that it’s been over fifteen years, but two cars came up the drive, one with Mia’s parents and the other carrying Mia’s uncle and his wife. Finola stood. “Time’s getting close. Mia will be here probably in the next thirty minutes. We’d better go inside.”

Putting on her best smile, she looked around at the young women still in her care. Rory had showered off all the mud she’d almost bathed in as she tended to the garden. Her sister, CC sat at the small table in the meeting area and drew anything and everything she saw. Finola was preparing her for a showing of her artwork hoping to sell a few pieces to encourage the girl to keep drawing. Beverly, their new housekeeper and former “found” girl, had everything cleaned and organized.

Finola noticed that her nephew Ian and his wife brought his new employee, Liz. Liz had also been among those young women they rescued. His son Mickey and his wife, also Mia’s best friend arrived in their car. Sybil was in the kitchen with Dara and Tauri putting the finishing touches on the lamb stew they prepared for dinner.

Finola thought to herself, “So many young women came here not too long ago and so many left us. Ali, Merry, and Noel are the last ones now. It’s only a matter of time until Ali leaves. I consider this house a huge success.”

As she finished those thoughts, a portal opened and from it walked Ana and Luna. “So where is our girl, Finola?” Luna demanded to know.

It wasn’t quite what Luna said but the way she said it, that made Finola smile. That was just like Luna. Abrupt and hurried. Finola thought, “Some things never change.”

Ali approached Finola and said almost shyly, “Aintin. I know you realize that I won’t be here much longer. I’m thinking that in a month or two, I might be ready to find my sister and see if she’ll take me in. Would you help me with that?”

Finola hugged the young woman. “Oh, mo stor! Of course I’ll help you. That’s what we do here in Tus Nua. Whenever you’re ready, we will, and not hopefully will, but definitely will find your sister. Then we’ll bring her here first. Once she’s over her shock of having her sister back with her, we’ll escort both of you back to Maine.”

“Oh, Aintin, that would be awesome. I can hardly wait.” As she turned to walk back to the table where her books lay sprawled, a portal opened and through it came Mia, Midnight and Francis, a young man whom Mia met ten years earlier.

Mia could hardly contain herself as she now, grabbed Finola’s hands and jumped up and down. Then she released Finola’s right hand, waving her own left hand in the air. Excitedly, Mia screamed, “Look. Everyone look!! Francis gave me a ring. He actually knelt on one knee and proposed!! I’m engaged!! OMG!! I can hardly believe it. I can’t even explain how happy I am!! Look, Aintin!! Isn’t it beautiful?”

Then she stopped cold and looked at her great aunt. “Oh, Aintin! THIS is why you blocked my powers, isn’t it? You knew I’d pick up on this and you wanted me to be surprised. Oh Aintin!! I love you so much! Thank you for not giving me the chance to ruin my own surprise.”

Everyone gathered around Mia and Francis and supplied them with hugs and kisses and all the good wishes they could think of.

Mia’s father, being a dad, couldn’t help but ask, “Mia, I’m curious, though. At one time, you said you planned on attending a college for horticulture. Have you changed your mind?”

Mia hugged her father and said “Nope, not at all and there’s a university right in Dublin that offers online classes with two days a month for inside / outside instructions. I’ve written to the Headmaster and he’s agreed to meet me at our house and look at the garden I’ve created and then we’ll go from there. He said I could probably get a few credits for what I’ve already done.”

Brian hugged Mia a bit too tight and proudly said, “That’s my girl!” to which she laughed and replied, “Dad, you’re starting to suffocate me.”

Then suddenly, something caught Mia’s attention, and she turned quickly.

As she walked cautiously towards the sofa in the gathering room, she knelt and asked, “And whom might these precious little girls be?”

Evie was sitting with them and said, “Mia, come sit and I’ll tell you what we know so far.”

Midnight jumped up and landed on the sofa between the two girls and began nudging herself back and forth until the girls, unconsciously began stroking the feline’s back.