Mother Knows Best

Tom spent the weekend at the Lindholm house. Tess gathered clothes for him from school. His mother fussed over him a little too much, hovering, but really he was glad for it, though he would never admit it. Always one to push himself, he was eager to get up on his feet, though he initially found himself a little shaky and vertiginous. He thought it was funny how, even though he was now back to his full height, his eyes scouted along the floor, seeking ideal places to hide. Weird right?

Internally, he still felt slightly disconnected, just a hair’s breadth out of phase and figured it would take him a while to get back into the swing of things and start feel somewhat normal.

That first night, Janine came to his room, dressed in dark colored track pants and matching sweater, knocking gently at the open door in case he was sleeping.

“Can I come in?” she asked.

Lying in bed, “Sure,” he agreed with a grin, motioning her over.

Taking a seat at the edge of the bed, she smiled down at him, reaching a hand out to caress his cheek. “I’m so glad you’re okay, you know despite,” she looked away, manner becoming kind of shy, almost diffident.

Chuckling, “It’s okay,” he assured, the light sensation of her fingers on his face nice.

“I want to apologize,” she started, but he stopped her.

“What happened, happened. We’re not the same people we were before all of this, we’ve changed, both of us,” he replied, reaching up and taking her hand on his face, bringing it to his mouth and kissing it.

She smiled and brought his hand up to her mouth and kissed it in return. Her lips were so soft, so gorgeous. Tired, fatigued, and borderline exhausted from his ordeal, he found himself becoming aroused.

Raphaella appeared at the door, clearing her throat to announce her presence.

“This isn’t going to be the least bit awkward,” he murmured, winking up at Janine.

Leaning forward, “Try having a conversation with your mother when there is a little dude swimming around in your stomach,” Janine stated before releasing his hand. Smiling, she got up from the bed, giving Tom a wink back before offering Ella a parting good night and exiting the room.

Watching the tall blonde girl vanish, Ella shook her head and sat down on the side of the bed. “She is remarkably beautiful,” she commented before looking back down at her son.

Tom nodded and smiled, shifting to his side to conceal his state of excitement. “And she comes from a good family,” he added.

“True,” she said before declaring, “You are going to come home with me so we can monitor your wellbeing in a safe environment.”

He had anticipated this talk, though at 6’3” it was a lot easier to mount a counter argument than when he was less than three inches tall. “I feel fine and I’m sure in a couple of days I’ll be right as rain.”

“I’m not going to take any chances,” she replied, tone firm.

“I appreciate your concern, I really do, but what I would like to do is just get back to it, jump in feet first back to school and try and make up the ground I lost,” he shared.

Ella shook her head, “No. I’ll hire the necessary tutors to help get you through the remainder of your schooling,” she advised.

“Tutors would be great, but they lack the prestige attached to graduating from a place like Sapperton,” he countered.

Frowning, she shook her head, “That is a hollow argument and you know it. With your name, you’re guaranteed entry into any postsecondary institution you like in the world with or without Sapperton’s endorsement. I think your reluctance to come home might stem from that young lady who just walked out here,” she surmised, angling her head and challenging him to say otherwise.

“No,” he replied. She was right though, in part, but more importantly, this is what he had feared she would do when he was small, that she would secret him away and now that he was restored, he didn’t want to give up his autonomy.

“This is not a dialogue. You were incredibly fortunate this time. I will not see my one and only son left vulnerable to god knows what. You will fly home with us, end of discussion,” she said, tone firm and resolved.

“Oh I know that’s how you feel but it still doesn’t change the fact that I am going to stay here. Tess is here, Cassidy is here, Lina, there are plenty of people around in case something untoward happens,” he offered.

Ella smiled, “I can only imagine the nature of your interaction with Mrs. Lindholm, but I have a strong suspicion that woman would have liked nothing better than to keep you in her ‘clutches’ indefinitely. Cassidy seems like a very nice person, but she herself stated she is not a doctor,” she countered.

“The whole point is moot. I’m not small little bitty fingerling anymore, no one here is going to try and kidnap me,” he replied with a grin, spreading his hands wide. “What must I do for you to realize I can handle myself?”

Reaching for his face, she cradled it and frowned, eyes lingering on the nasty looking wound over his eye. “What shall I do with you my son?”

Allowing her to touch his face, he rolled his eyes, “I’ll tell you what, we’ve got the weekend right? By Monday if I’m not feeling my old self, I’ll come home with you and you can quarantine me then,” he proposed.

She scowled but nodded slowly, wagging a cautionary index finger, “I’ll agree to this on one condition and that’s that you tell me the truth. I want the truth,” she stated.

Smiling, Tom nodded back, “Absolutely,” he assured. Not a chance. Even if he felt a lung coming up, he would grin and bear it.

Ella harrumphed, “You’ve started lying to your mother,” she accused, rolling her eyes and shaking her head.

“Absolutely,” he repeated truthfully.