‘Does Gerry have to work today as well?’ she asked just to start a conversation somehow. She knew that he’d missed last night’s party because of work.
‘Yeah, you know what it’s like at this time of year,’ Mrs. Collins replied. ‘But he’ll be here tomorrow. He wouldn’t miss the Christmas dinner for the world.’
‘I can see why,’ Amari said, tasting one of the cookies. ‘If all your cooking is as delicious as these, it’s well worth it.’
‘Thank you, dear, that’s very kind of you,’ Mrs. Collins smiled at her and Amari realized that there was something incredibly lovely about her face. Despite the signs of ageing, she looked youthful and energetic. Her eyes had a warm shine to them and when she smiled, all the wrinkles that appeared bore witness to the fact that she’d worn a smile on her face all her life. If I have to grow old, I hope I end up looking like her, Amari thought.
‘And is Lyndsay away?’ she asked again.
‘Oh, no, that one is still in bed,’ Mrs. Collins said, ‘I’d imagine she has a hangover from hell after last night.’
Susan returned to the kitchen. ‘Daniel will be here in about half an hour,’ she said, at which Amari’s heart jumped to her throat.
She was talking with Nick and Susan about Carpe Diem’s music when he arrived. She heard the main door shut and his quick steps across the hall. When he appeared in the kitchen door, his coat and hair sparkling with melting snowflakes, she felt her legs go numb. For a moment she was sure she wouldn’t be able to stand up.
‘Is it still snowing?’ Susan asked Daniel, ‘at this rate we’ll have enough snow to build a snowman, right, Chloe?’ The girl giggled with delight.
‘Yeah, it’s pretty steady,’ Daniel said, taking his coat off and glancing around the table. His gaze rested on Amari.
‘What a nice surprise to see you here,’ he gave her a look that made her heart sink to the pit of her stomach. ‘I see Mum’s been feeding you all her specials.’
‘Yes, and everything is absolutely delicious.’ She was dying to know where he’d been but it didn’t feel appropriate to ask.
‘Why don’t you give Amari a tour of the house, darling,’ Mrs. Collins said naturally. Amari felt like hugging her.
‘Sure, that’s a good idea,’ Daniel jumped at the opportunity, ‘c’mon, I’ll show you the living room first.’
He took her across the hall to the room which had the Christmas tree in the bay window. The rest of the family stayed tactfully behind.
‘Would you like a drink?’ he asked, inviting her to take a seat at the coffee table.
‘Sure, that’d be great,’ she answered automatically, although it was quite early for alcohol.
She watched him as he measured out spirits and juices into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. It seemed he had the full kit at his little home bar.
He handed her the cocktail. It had the same slight pink tinge and the faint flowery scent and taste. It was the best one she’d had yet.
‘I think it’s time you revealed your mojito secret to me,’ she said after taking a sip. ‘It’s not fair that I should not know how my favorite drink is made.’
‘Ok, if you really want to know,’ he said, giving her a look that made her tremble. ‘The pink leaves are rose petals.’
‘Rose petals? Really, that’s it? I can’t believe I haven’t recognized them earlier.’
‘The mint makes it harder,’ he explained.
‘And where do you get fresh rose petals from at this time of year?’
‘My Mum’s greenhouse.’
‘But I still don’t understand why it didn’t taste the same when Eiko made it,’ she said. ‘The rose petals were there, and the pink color, but I couldn’t smell or taste them. Are you using some special kind?’
‘The secret is not where the petals come from,’ he explained, ‘but how they are crushed. All good barmen know that rose petals must be crushed gently, with what we call a push and twist movement, and only with a wooden or plastic muddler. This technique opens the cells in the petals, releasing the scent and taste. Your machine probably cut through them with metal blades, which wouldn’t open the cells properly.’
‘Wow,’ she said, ‘so that’s your little secret. Magic touch.’
‘Yep, that’s pretty much it,’ he smiled, ‘but hush, don’t tell anyone.’
‘My lips are sealed.’
The air tensed as they both knew the small talk was over.
‘You were the last person I expected to see today,’ Daniel finally said in a quiet voice. ‘I thought you’d be at your appointment.’
‘Me, too,’ she said.
‘So what happened?’
‘I’m not exactly sure,’ she whispered, ‘It just suddenly dawned on me that it was not where I wanted to be.’
He smiled and shook his head, but said nothing. She couldn’t read anything out of his face.
‘I came here instead,’ she said, ‘I thought you’d be with your family all day.’
‘That was the plan,’ he said. ‘But then I realized there was someone else I wanted to be with today. And that I was prepared to do anything to be with that person.’
Their eyes locked. He took her hand and guided it to the nape of his neck. Under her fingers, she recognized a round plaster just above his top vertebra. Just like the one she would have in the same place right now if she had gone to her appointment.
‘I was on my way from the clinic to your place when Susan called,’ he managed to say before she threw herself into his arms.
‘And do you remember when Lyns was three and she tried to keep up with Dan and Gerry and she fell into a pit full of nestles?’ Susan said, pouring more gravy on her roast beef, ‘poor thing screamed all the way home.’
‘Ah, I do remember that,’ Lyndsay said, her mouth half full. ‘Wish I didn’t. I spent the whole afternoon in a bath full of tepid water that was meant to help but did bugger all.’
They all sat at the big kitchen table most of the day, listening to family stories and devouring the never-ending plates of meats, cheeses, vegetables and sweets that Mrs. Collins made sure kept finding their way to the table. Despite having a big dining room as well as the living room, no one was keen to move the party elsewhere. ‘I don’t even know why we have those other rooms,’ Mrs. Collins said to Amari, ‘nobody ever spends any time anywhere apart from the kitchen.’ There was pride in her voice.
‘The best parties are always in the kitchen,’ Daniel said, swallowing another cookie, ‘must be our nomadic instincts that tell us to stay close to the food supplies.’
‘Whatever you say, dear,’ Mrs. Collins said, ‘but we’re not having the Christmas dinner here. I expect the dining room to be set for tomorrow. And Amari, you are of course most welcome to stay over and join us tomorrow.’
‘Thank you,’ she said, touched. ‘Nothing would make me happier.’
‘Why is Christmas called Christmas?’ Chloe asked all of a sudden, glancing up at Lyndsay, on whose lap she was sitting.
‘I suppose it’s named after Jesus Christ,’ she replied, taken aback, ‘cause I guess tomorrow is his birthday.’
‘Who is he?’ Chloe wanted to know more, ‘and which party will he go to if everyone is having one?’
Lyndsay looked around the table of support. ‘Why don’t you ask granddad, sweetie.’
Chloe climbed onto Mr. Collins’ lap and gave him an expectant look.
‘Well, my dear,’ he started, ‘what we celebrate at Christmas isn’t really anybody’s birthday.’
‘It’s not?’
‘No.’
‘So what do we celebrate?’
‘Well,’ he said, ‘I want you to imagine how people lived many, many years ago when they didn’t know how to build houses and keep them warm. Where do you think they stayed?’
‘In the forest?’ Chloe guessed.
‘Smart girl,’ Mr. Collins said, ‘they stayed in forests and caves and they collected fruit and hunted animals to eat. Now im
agine they didn’t have light or fire. When the night came, they had to hide from predators and hope they wouldn’t be found out.’
Chloe nodded, confirming that she was imagining.
‘So how do you think they felt in the morning?’
‘Cold?’ Chloe guessed again.
‘Yes, sweetie, that too. But they also felt very happy, because it was getting light and warm again as the new day started. And where did the light and warmth come from?’
‘The sun!’
‘Of course. So because they didn’t know what the sun was, but they liked it, they started being grateful to it. They thought it was a powerful person, a God. People in different countries gave the sun different names. One of those names was Jesus Christ. Have you seen pictures of Jesus Christ with rays of sun around his head?’
‘No.’
‘Ok, I’ll show you sometime.’
‘But why is Christmas tomorrow?’
‘Well, you know that when you play outside in the summer it’s light until 10pm, right?’
‘Uh-huh.’
‘And how about now? Could you play outside until 10pm?’
‘No.’
‘Why is that?’
‘Because it’s dark and scary.’
‘Exactly. The days are longer in the summer and shorter in winter. People noticed that even when they lived in caves. They thought the sun was losing a battle against the darkness. But then they also noticed that days become shorter and shorter, but around Christmas they again start being longer and longer.’
‘So the sun wins?’
‘Yes, exactly. The days become longer, there is more light, so people are happier. They gather together to share that happiness with those they love. And because they’ve done it for so long, it became a tradition. Now do you understand why we celebrate Christmas and why it’s tomorrow?’
‘Yes, grandpa,’ Chloe said, ‘but I still get a bedtime story, right?’
‘Of course you do, darling,’ he said, kissing her on top of her head.
And to think most Immortals are convinced that the Mortals still believe in religious superstitions, Amari thought. I myself thought that for decades.
‘Speaking of bedtime,’ Nick said to Chloe, ‘I think it’s come, darling.’
‘Can auntie Amari read me a story?’ she asked.
‘You’ll need to ask her,’ Nick said, ruffling her hair, ‘don’t forget the magic word.’
‘Aunt Amari, will you read me a story, please?’ she asked in a sweet voice, tilting her head and bringing out her dimples with a smile.
‘Of course,’ Amari said.
Susan and Nick nodded their approval. ‘You’ll need to show me to your room, sweetheart,’ she said, picking the girl up. ‘And I guess we must brush our teeth first, right?’
Chloe stayed in a little room upstairs, next to her parents’ bedroom where her baby brother slept. They tiptoed to his crib so that Chloe could kiss him goodnight. He slept with his arms up by his face and little hands relaxed. Amaranthine looked at him for a few long moments, smiling to herself.
She read Chloe bedtime stories until the little girl drifted off to sleep. ‘Merry Christmas, sweetheart,’ she whispered as she kissed her on the forehead. Then she joined the adults downstairs.
‘They’re both out, sleeping like angels,’ she said to Susan who was helping her mother wash up. ‘Can I help with anything?’
‘No, dear, you’ve done enough already,’ Mrs. Collins said. ‘Just relax.’
Amaranthine gave a big yawn. ‘I think I’m ready for bed, actually,’ she said. ‘Thank you so much for a lovely day and for letting me stay in your home.’
‘You’re most welcome,’ Mrs. Collins said. ‘Sleep well.’
They said goodnight to everyone and headed upstairs. Daniel’s room was right above the living room and also had a bay window. She sank into one of the armchairs and looked outside. The street was quiet and filled with the moonlight that reflected on the carpet of snow.
Daniel came out of the bathroom and sat in the other armchair.
‘It’s so beautiful here,’ she said. ‘You were right about my simulations. They are not real life. Eiko could never have projected this. Or your family.’
She was silent for a while, toying with her pendant. Then she slowly reached behind her neck and took it off. She weighed it in her hand.
‘You miss them, don’t you,’ Daniel said quietly.
‘Yes, I still do,’ she said. ‘Despite all those years… and I can’t even remember them.’
‘Nothing at all?’
‘No,’ she said sadly, ‘I never could, even though I was three and a half when they died. People usually remember something from that age. But I don’t.’
‘I’m sorry.’
‘That’s ok,’ she smiled at him. ‘I realized you were right. I always convinced myself that I remained immortal to fulfill their wishes, but really I clutched to that link so as to feel I still had a family, even if it was just a memory… or not even a memory. An image. I lived for something that could never return. But now I have a family again.’
‘You make me so happy,’ Daniel said, leaning forward to take her hands into his and kiss them. ‘I have something for you.’
He went over to the bedside table and took a rectangular gift box from the top drawer.
‘Hey, it’s not midnight yet,’ she said, surprised. ‘I thought we weren’t allowed to open presents till Christmas Day.’
‘That’s right,’ he said, handing her the box. ‘But this isn’t a Christmas gift. And you most certainly are allowed to open it today. Happy birthday, baby.’
Amari felt her heart melt. ‘Thank you.’
She untied the ribbon and opened it. Inside, there was a pendant on a white gold chain. It was a yin and yang symbol, beautifully crafted from crystal and obsidian.
‘Just to remind you every day why the life of a Mortal is beautiful,’ he said. ‘This symbolizes the universal duality of our world. Day and night. Water and fire. Man and woman. Love and hatred. Life and death. Without death, life loses its meaning, its color, its value. If you think you’ll never die, you can never really live.’
‘I love you, Daniel,’ she whispered through tears of happiness.
‘I love you, too,’ he replied.
EPILOGUE
‘I think she’s still hungry,’ Amari said, taking the crying baby from Daniel and setting her to her breast. The crying stopped immediately.
‘She must be the hungriest baby in the universe,’ Daniel smiled and kissed his wife. ‘She’s going to grow strong and beautiful just like her mother.’
Amari shivered from happiness, looking down at her nursing daughter. ‘Could you check on Josh, please, honey. I thought I heard him call a minute ago.’
Daniel got up and disappeared down the hall where the kids’ bedrooms were. He was back within a couple of minutes. ‘He’s out, darling. Maybe he was having a dream or something.’
The doorbell rang.
‘Are we expecting anyone?’ Daniel asked.
‘Not that I’m aware of,’ Amari said, surprised.
Daniel left to answer the door. He came back accompanied by a man Amari certainly was not expecting. ‘Amari, Samuel is here to see you.’
Samuel? As in my foster father? What on Earth is he doing here?
‘Sam!’ she exclaimed, ‘what a nice surprise! Are you on your own?’
‘Yes, Dorothy stayed to look after the kids,’ he said. ‘I’m sorry to barge in on you like this, I just really needed to speak to you.’
‘Of course,’ she said, ‘take a seat, I’ll be with you shortly, I think Ellie is ready for her bed.’
‘Oh, isn’t she the cutest baby I’ve ever seen,’ Samuel said, playing with Ellie’s little hand.
‘Here, I’ll take her, let you two talk,’ Daniel offered, taking their daughter from Amari’s arms. ‘Say goodnight to mummy, darling.’
‘So, what brings you here?’ she asked when Da
niel took the baby away. ‘I hope everything is ok at Sunny Oaks?’
‘Yes, it’s all good,’ he said, but looked nervous. Amari had never seen him nervous before.
‘Can I get you anything? A cup of coffee or tea?’
‘Actually, do you have any whisky?’
‘Sure,’ she said, her jaw dropping a little bit. She’d never seen him drink either. ‘Are you sure you’re ok?’
‘Yeah, yeah,’ he answered hastily. ‘You have a nice house.’
‘Thanks,’ she handed him the drink and poured herself a glass of juice. They sat at the coffee table.
‘And um… you look nice in green,’ he said, clearly procrastinating, ‘I’ve not seen you wear green since you were a little girl.’
‘Thanks,’ she said again, ‘I forgot I liked it until about three years ago.’
‘There is something I need to tell you,’ Samuel finally started, then took a sip of his whisky. He screwed his face at the taste and looked like he was going to spit it out.
‘Sam, it’s ok,’ she put her hand on his. ‘Just relax. What is it?’
‘Well,’ he started, cupping his hands around the crystal glass. ‘Do you remember how we’ve always told you that you arrived at Sunny Oaks when you were three and a half years old?’
‘Yes,’ she said, sensing what the continuation would be. ‘Wasn’t that the case?’
‘Not exactly,’ he said, avoiding her eyes, ‘you were actually a bit younger.’
‘How much younger?’
‘By a year and a half. You were only two.’
‘So why did you tell me I was three and a half?’
‘It wasn’t easy for us, Amari,’ he looked at her now, his eyes brimming with tears, ‘but we were trying to protect you. Your father was in shock after your mother died and he was unable to look after you. It was the best we could do at the time.’
‘What do you mean, my father? You knew him? You told me both my parents died in a car crash! And I saw… their death certificates!’
‘I know, Amari,’ he dropped his gaze again, ‘the lies you were told have no justification other than your father was in such a state that it was the best we could do for you then.’
‘How could living in an orphanage instead of with my family be the best?’
‘It was your father’s decision,’ he said very quietly, ‘he knew he wouldn’t be able to look after you when he lost Lillian.’