by day. Maybe a kid or two would be involved… “I don’t know. But I have no will to get out of bed or do anything. I just want to lay here and wither. If that is what it means to be bonded, then yeah, probably?”
Her chest rose as she took a deep breath then slowly let it out. She didn’t say anything further, but her presence soothed him.
“I should have waited,” he lamented, staring at the fat snowflakes floating outside his window. “I knew he was overwhelmed by everything, but I got ahead of myself. I screwed up.”
“Maybe he still needs time,” Mom said gently. “It took me a while to accept your father was different.”
Rudy regarded her. “You guys always talk about how you met and stuff, but you never mentioned anything about making the transition. I always got the impression that one day you were human and the next Elementir.”
“It is a strange thing that so many people seek immortality, but when the possibility is presented to them, they come to fear it. It took me three years to decide a life with your father was what I wanted.”
Smiling, Rudy teased, “You sound like Grandfather now.”
“I learn from the best.” She winked then patted his shoulder through the blanket. “You will survive, baby. I know it doesn’t feel like it, but one day you might meet a shifter and he will turn out to be the one.”
Rudy made a sound of acknowledgement, but he didn’t know how he’d ever get over Graham. She pressed a kiss to his forehead then left, the sound of the door closing rattling his bones. He tried to look on the bright side, but he felt like he were locked in the deep throes of a frigid winter, his insides frozen stiff. The tears came slowly, and they slid down his temple to soak the sheet. He had come to realize he had returned to Alaska because of Graham. Having mastered his nature, he hoped he could finally make his move… he’d molded his life around the possibility of Graham. He lay in bed for a good hour, watching the snowflakes drift lazily down toward the ground. Slowly, the sky started to darken and he found the strength to sit up. He leaned over and rested his weight against his knees—he felt like a rogue snowflake, adrift in a too big world, completely alone. He rubbed at the ache in his chest.
A knock at the door pulled him back to reality and he granted permission to enter. Grandfather stepped in, his face kind. He was holding a small basket covered with a cloth and Rudy scented fresh baked bread and sweet jam. He’d not eaten all day, nor yesterday and though he was physically hungry, he couldn’t summon the will to do the work to fill his belly.
“How do you do it?” Rudy asked. “Be away from Grandmother for so long? I can hardly go two days without Graham and I’m ready to break in half.”
The man sat down next to him, his hair loose around his face. He set the basket on the bedside table then patted his chest. “I miss her every day, but we are still with each other. The bond connects more than body and heart, but spirit. We are never alone. Still, I cannot wait for summer when we see each other again.”
A faint smile forced its way onto Rudy’s lips. When Grandmother was in town, Grandfather became a giddy, adolescent boy, constantly doting over her. He had quickly learned that it was best to ask Grandfather for things during this time, because he was likely to give in. Because Grandmother had been born into another herd, she spent half of the year with her family and the rest with Grandfather. Rudy desperately wanted that kind of happiness.
“Grandfather… can I visit Grandmother? Maybe stay there until its time for her to come back here?” he asked, his throat suddenly feeling parched. “I don’t know. Maybe getting away from all this might help clear my head.”
The man nodded. “I was going to suggest this.”
Slumping his shoulders, Rudy glanced at the window. He longed to be as close to Graham as possible, but it would only make
Her chest rose as she took a deep breath then slowly let it out. She didn’t say anything further, but her presence soothed him.
“I should have waited,” he lamented, staring at the fat snowflakes floating outside his window. “I knew he was overwhelmed by everything, but I got ahead of myself. I screwed up.”
“Maybe he still needs time,” Mom said gently. “It took me a while to accept your father was different.”
Rudy regarded her. “You guys always talk about how you met and stuff, but you never mentioned anything about making the transition. I always got the impression that one day you were human and the next Elementir.”
“It is a strange thing that so many people seek immortality, but when the possibility is presented to them, they come to fear it. It took me three years to decide a life with your father was what I wanted.”
Smiling, Rudy teased, “You sound like Grandfather now.”
“I learn from the best.” She winked then patted his shoulder through the blanket. “You will survive, baby. I know it doesn’t feel like it, but one day you might meet a shifter and he will turn out to be the one.”
Rudy made a sound of acknowledgement, but he didn’t know how he’d ever get over Graham. She pressed a kiss to his forehead then left, the sound of the door closing rattling his bones. He tried to look on the bright side, but he felt like he were locked in the deep throes of a frigid winter, his insides frozen stiff. The tears came slowly, and they slid down his temple to soak the sheet. He had come to realize he had returned to Alaska because of Graham. Having mastered his nature, he hoped he could finally make his move… he’d molded his life around the possibility of Graham. He lay in bed for a good hour, watching the snowflakes drift lazily down toward the ground. Slowly, the sky started to darken and he found the strength to sit up. He leaned over and rested his weight against his knees—he felt like a rogue snowflake, adrift in a too big world, completely alone. He rubbed at the ache in his chest.
A knock at the door pulled him back to reality and he granted permission to enter. Grandfather stepped in, his face kind. He was holding a small basket covered with a cloth and Rudy scented fresh baked bread and sweet jam. He’d not eaten all day, nor yesterday and though he was physically hungry, he couldn’t summon the will to do the work to fill his belly.
“How do you do it?” Rudy asked. “Be away from Grandmother for so long? I can hardly go two days without Graham and I’m ready to break in half.”
The man sat down next to him, his hair loose around his face. He set the basket on the bedside table then patted his chest. “I miss her every day, but we are still with each other. The bond connects more than body and heart, but spirit. We are never alone. Still, I cannot wait for summer when we see each other again.”
A faint smile forced its way onto Rudy’s lips. When Grandmother was in town, Grandfather became a giddy, adolescent boy, constantly doting over her. He had quickly learned that it was best to ask Grandfather for things during this time, because he was likely to give in. Because Grandmother had been born into another herd, she spent half of the year with her family and the rest with Grandfather. Rudy desperately wanted that kind of happiness.
“Grandfather… can I visit Grandmother? Maybe stay there until its time for her to come back here?” he asked, his throat suddenly feeling parched. “I don’t know. Maybe getting away from all this might help clear my head.”
The man nodded. “I was going to suggest this.”
Slumping his shoulders, Rudy glanced at the window. He longed to be as close to Graham as possible, but it would only make
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