Nothing happens. He just sits there.
“Okay,” he breathes. “I guess that doesn’t work.”
“You’ll be okay.”
He nods unsurely. “I’m sorry for being such a pain.”
“You’re not. You’re just new to everything. Many people are terrified of flying, so it’s okay.” I pat his hand. “It’s only six hours. We’ll be there before you know it.”
“How many times have you flown?”
“This would be my second.”
“Was your first time hard?”
I nod, biting my lip. “Yeah, but I was thinking more about Daisy’s death and everything that happened. Worrying about a flight seemed…less important to me.”
“I wish I could have been there for you.”
I smile. “We’re here for each other now.”
He returns the smile.
Our gate is finally called and we board the plane. Sebastian’s eyes shine with delight. “This is amazing.”
I laugh, and we find our seats. I offer Sebastian the window because I want him to have the full experience. He squints at the TV screens. “What’s this?”
“Entertainment.”
“They have TVs here?”
“You’ve never seen the inside of a plane before? Not in a movie your masters may have watched?”
He shakes his head. “Many didn’t let me out of my lamp for more than they needed me. They’d wish and I’d move on.” He touches the screen. “I’m glad I’m here with you.”
“I’m glad, too.”
The plane is a little delayed, and Sebastian and I talk about many different things. Once we move, I expect him to shut his eyes and clutch my arm, but he does none of that. He’s watching the activity going on outside. He’s in awe. “This is like magic,” he tells me. “I never expected it to be like this.”
“What did you expect?”
He shifts in his seat. “I thought it was like chairs and cages.” He laughs. “I don’t know, but not this.”
We busy ourselves with talking, watching TV, reading. Two hours into the flight, Sebastian looks at the seat across the aisle. “They’re sleeping.”
“Yep, people sometimes sleep on planes.”
“Will you?”
I shrug. “I’m not really tired.” Even though we woke up at three in the morning to catch our flight. We should be at my mother’s house around eight or nine, pacific time. We’re going to stay for a couple of days. I wish we could spend more time with my mother, but I can’t take too many days off from work.
Mom and I discussed the idea of living closer to one another, but she really loves her job and isn’t sure she can get another. And I want to live in New York. I guess we’re still figuring it all out.
After a little while, my eyes feel heavy. When I peer over at my genie, I find his head drooping toward his chest. Trying to be as quiet and gentle as possible, I cover him with his blanket and slip a pillow under his head. His eyes flutter before they open. “Sorry,” I whisper. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
He yawns, then wraps his arm around me, tucking me close to his body. I cover us with our blankets and cuddle up against him.
Chapter Six
We’re standing outside the house I grew up in. When Sebastian and I came here a few weeks ago, everything was different. Mom and I were strangers, hadn’t spoken to each other for a few months. He held my hand to help calm my nerves. Now it’s me holding his hand and giving him a reassuring smile. I don’t know why he’s convinced my mother won’t like him. He doesn’t realize what a kind and caring person he is.
“Are you ready?” I ask.
A hard swallow makes its way down his throat. “I don’t think I can ever be.”
“Just be yourself. Oh, I completely forgot. We need to come up with a history for you. You know, where your parents are from and what they do. What you do. Damn, we should have thought about this sooner.”
His eyebrows lift. “I didn’t think of that.”
“We should try to stick to as much truth as we can, not that there’s a lot.” I tap my chin. “Your parents abandoned you when you were five and you were thrown into the foster system.”
He nods. “Like I was forced to work for the palace.”
“Yes, but no one forces the kids to be slaves. Many people treat their foster kids with love and attention, but there are some who don’t. You were part of the kind that didn’t.”
“Why?”
“Because you don’t have a relationship with your foster family.”
He nods slowly, like everything is making sense in his head. “Okay. What else? How did we meet?”
“Through work. You wash the dishes at Inferno. We’ll tell her you’re trying to make a life for yourself. Saving up for college like I am. She’ll be impressed by your dreams for your future.”
“Which are?”
I hate that I can’t be honest with my mom, that Sebastian and I need to create a life for him. It seems silly. But what choice do I have? Telling her he was a genie seems pointless, since he’s no longer one.
“When you told me you want to go to school and get a job, what did you have in mind?” I ask.
He shrugs. “I don’t know. All my life, I’ve done things for other people. I guess I would still love to do that.”
“You can be a nurse.”
He stares ahead, like the idea never struck him. He beams. “Lily, that’s perfect! I think I want to be a nurse.” He bends toward my ear and whispers, “And maybe I can use a little bit of magic to my advantage. Not to cheat or anything like that, but to help my patients.” His eyes get unfocused. I don’t think his mind is here anymore. Perhaps he’s imagining his future.
When he returns to me, he smiles. “I’m really excited now. We’ll need to figure out how I’ll get an education—”
“Sebastian. Remember what we said? One step at a time.” In case things don’t work out the way he imagines, I don’t want him to be disappointed.
His face reddens. “Sorry. I’m just really excited.”
I rub his arm. “I’m excited for you. Let’s get inside. Mom might be worrying what happened to us.” I called her when we landed. She told me she’s looking forward to meeting the man of my dreams. That didn’t help calm my genie’s nerves.
Hand in hand, we approach the door, and I ring the bell. I keep giving Sebastian reassuring smiles. He returns small ones.
A few seconds pass before the door springs open, revealing my mother. She has green eyes and light brown, wavy hair. Daisy was an exact copy of her. I’m the only one in the family with brown eyes and auburn hair. I used to hate my hair, until my sister showed me how to style it properly.
Mom pulls me into her arms. “Lily.” We had just seen each other a few days ago, but it seems like years. So much has happened since then, with Sebastian returning.
I pull off and sweep my hand toward Sebastian. “Mom, this is my boyfriend, Sebastian…uh…” Damn we didn’t give him a last name. Do they even have last names on Ortarus?
Smiling, Sebastian steps forward and holds out his hand. “Smith,” he says. “Sebastian Smith. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Richards.”
Mom casts me a sideways glance before accepting Sebastian’s handshake. “Please, call me Lauren. It’s a pleasure to meet you, too, Sebastian.”
She looks at me and widens her mouth and eyes. I can almost read her mind. He’s hot.
I smile.
Mom invites us inside, and we dump our luggage on the floor. It seems as though she was just as anxious to meet Sebastian, because the place looks beautiful and smells like she’s spent hours cleaning.
We sit down in the living room, where Mom has provided refreshments. Her delicious chocolate chip cookies and brownies. I’ve never been able to make mine just as good. Baking isn’t really my strong point.
“These look awesome, Mom,” I say, taking a cookie and offering one to Sebastian. “My mom makes the best cookies in the world.”
Sebastian bites into one and his eyes widen. “She’s not. These are delicious, Lauren.”
Mom smiles. “They’re Lily’s favorite. I made enough for you to take home with you.” She addresses Sebastian, “Where do you live?”
“With Lily.”
Mom’s eyes widen. “Excuse me?”
Oh, God. We’re not as prepared as I thought. Mom thinks Sebastian and I just met a few weeks ago. It’s too soon for us to be living together.
Sebastian turns to me, his eyebrows furrowed. It’s too late now. Lying will only make things worse. I chug down some Coke. “Yeah, we live together,” I tell her. When Daisy was contemplating going to colleges far from home, Mom didn’t like the idea of her and her boyfriend sharing an apartment, even though they had been together for three years. Maybe that’s due to my father walking out on us when I was little. Mom has a hard time trusting guys. I know she just wants to protect me.
“Lily.” Mom looks from me to Sebastian. “I don’t know you, Sebastian, but you seem like a nice guy. Nevertheless, it’s too soon for the two of you to be living together.”
“I’m sorry,” Sebastian says. “I would never hurt your daughter or take advantage of her. She’s done so much for me and I love her.”
Mom’s eyebrows shoot up. “Love?”
“Yes, I love her. Very much.”
Mom looks at me.
“I love him,” I say. “Sebastian means the world to me.”
She’s quiet. She’s never heard me say that about a guy before, and I understand how surprised she is. “I want you to live your life, honey, but maybe the two of you are rushing into this?” She looks from me to him again.
“No,” I say. “We’re not.” I hug her. “Thanks for looking out for me, but Sebastian is a great guy. I want you to see how caring and wonderful he is.”
Mom turns to him. “How old are you?”
“Eighteen.”
“Are you going to school in the fall?”
“No.” His eyes flit to me for a second before focusing on her. “I work at Inferno—”
“It’s where we met,” I add.
“I’m saving up for college. I want to be a nurse.”
Mom seems pleased. Sebastian has a small smile on his face. He has no clue he’s being interrogated. “What do you do at Inferno?” Mom asks.
“I wash the dishes, but I’m hoping to climb up.”
“And your parents?”
Sebastian’s gaze drops to his lap. His fingers are interlocked, trembling slightly. He must be thinking about his real parents. Even though they abandoned him hundreds of years ago, it still hurts. I squeeze his hand.
“I don’t have parents,” he says in an empty voice. “They abandoned me when I was five years old.”
Mom rests her hand on his arm. “I’m so sorry.”
“Thank you. I grew up in foster homes. Unfortunately, they weren’t kind to me.” He smiles to me. “I’m grateful for everything your daughter has done for me. If not for her, I don’t know what would have become of me.”
I smile, wishing I could kiss and comfort him.
Mom eyes him carefully. “So you don’t have a home.”
“Mom…” I groan. “Don’t interrogate him like that. He did nothing wrong.”
“I never said he did.” Her hands tangle through my hair. “You have such a big heart, sweetie. I just don’t want to see you hurt.”
“You have my word that I will never hurt Lily,” Sebastian says, his eyes sincere.
Mom nods. “You do seem like a good guy, Sebastian. But Lily is so far from me. A mother always worries about her children, no matter how old or independent they are.”
“I appreciate that,” I say. “But you have to trust me to make my own decisions.”
“I do trust you. It’s just hard.”
I wrap my arms around her. “I know, but I’ll be okay.”
We resume talking, and Mom and Sebastian start getting to know each other better. Mom suggests we go out to eat, her treat. She and I take Sebastian to one of my favorite restaurants growing up. They serve all different kinds of pizza. Sebastian hasn’t tasted pizza yet. I’m very excited to share this with him.
“They never change the place,” I tell him as the three of us walk there. It’s a few blocks away from Mom’s house. “That’s what makes it so special. It looks the exact same way it did when I was little, and every time I come here, the memories pour in. Like when I was ten, and Mom and Daisy organized a huge birthday party for me. Daisy got me a dress as a gift, and that dress ended up being my favorite. I outgrew it quickly, but I used to try to force it on since I loved it so much.”
We enter the restaurant and take seats in the back booth, like Mom, Daisy, and I used to do.
Mom’s smiling, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. She must be thinking about Daisy and all the memories we had here. She and I haven’t had a chance to talk about the death yet. Mom still needs time. Maybe she’ll open up when we see the therapist tomorrow.
A waitress, Camille, comes to take our order. She’s an older woman and has been working here for many years. She and Mom are good friends, or they used to be. After Daisy died, Mom shut everyone out. She’s trying to reconnect, though.
When Camille sees Mom, she smiles. “Lauren! I haven’t seen you here in ages.” She turns to me. “Lily! How’s New York?”
“It’s beautiful.”
Camille smiles, then looks at Sebastian. “Hello, I’m Camille.”
“This is Sebastian,” I tell her. “My boyfriend.”
Camille’s smile grows wider. “It’s nice to meet you.” She bends toward Mom to whisper, “Ted, told me that George has been asking about you.” I don’t think I’m meant to hear this, but I’m sitting close to Mom. And Camille’s voice isn’t that low.
Mom raises her eyebrows. “George?”
Camille nods, eyes animated. “You know he never got over you.”
Mom’s eyes move from me to Sebastian. Both of us are staring at her. Who’s she talking about? Ted is Camille’s husband. But who’s George?
Camille seems to understand that Mom doesn’t want to talk about this now, so she takes our orders. I go for my usual eggplant pizza, Mom takes plain cheese, and Sebastian is completely lost.
“I don’t know what any of this means,” he whispers to me. “I mean, I know what these ingredients are, but I don’t know how they taste and I don’t understand…”
Both Mom and Camille are gawking at Sebastian as though he fell from the sky. I force a smile. “Sebastian hasn’t eaten a lot of pizza....”
“I’ll have what Lily is having,” he says.
Camille jots that down and walks away. Mom is still looking at Sebastian funny. “I’m sorry,” he says. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
“No, not at all,” Mom assures him. “I just never met anyone your age who hesitates when it comes to pizza.”
Sebastian swallows. “I wasn’t allowed much when I was a child. We didn’t spend money on pizza and such things.”
Mom nods in understanding.
“Mom, who’s George?” I ask.
She waves her hand. “Just someone I went to high school with.” Mom has lived here her whole life and knows almost everyone in our neighborhood.
“Like a boyfriend?” I say.
Mom doesn’t respond, but the tips of her ears say enough. They’re red. It’s obvious she’s had a past with this man, and I wonder if he’s my dad. She never speaks about my father.
I’m about to press further, but Mom changes the subject, asking us about work, updating us on news going around the neighborhood. She still grills Sebastian, but she seems more at ease with him now. That’s one of the best things about my genie—it’s so easy to be comfortable around him.
As we’re enjoying our chocolate cake for dessert, I catch Sebastian smiling at me. He looks like he’s having a great time and does
n’t seem to be nervous around my Mom like he was before. I’m really glad he and my mom are getting along. They’re the two most important people in my life and I don’t know what I would do if I lost either of them.
Chapter Seven
Sebastian, Mom, and I are sitting on the living room couch, watching a documentary about ocean life. Sebastian’s eyebrows nearly shoot to the ceiling and his mouth practically reaches the floor. Even though he’s been on this world for many years and has gained a lot of knowledge, he’s never seen sea creatures up close like this. Most of his masters hardly let him out of his lamp, or hung out with him as a friend, or let him watch TV.
He’s bent close to the TV, his eyes growing wider and wider as a new sea animal is introduced. “This is beautiful,” he says.
Mom smiles. “Yes, it’s very fascinating. There’s a whole world down there.”
“I’d love to see it.”
I take his hand. “Maybe we can. We can take scuba lessons, if you want.”
“Scuba lessons…you mean, go underwater?”
I nod. “You, too, Mom. Maybe we can all go together.”
She laughs. “You kids go ahead. Let’s just say the ocean isn’t a place for me. I can’t swim.”
“I can’t, either,” Sebastian says. His eyes light up. “I’d really like to learn, though.”
“I’ll teach you,” I offer.
There are so many things for him to explore, for us to explore together. I can’t wait to share every aspect of my life with him. The possibilities are endless.
He pulls me close, nuzzling my nose. “Thank you, Lily. I love you.”
“Me, too.”
Sebastian lowers his mouth toward mine, but stops when Mom clears her throat. He quickly backs away. We’ve been alone for many weeks. He’s not used to having someone else around. “I’m sorry,” he says.
Mom doesn’t take her eyes off the TV. “I was clear about the sleeping arrangements, wasn’t I?”
I try not to groan. “Yes, Mom. I’ll be in my room upstairs and Sebastian will sleep on the couch. Downstairs, far away from me.” This is so embarrassing. I slurp down some Coke to try to lessen the awkwardness. Why do parents have to be like this?
Loving the Genie (Genie's Love, Book 2) Page 4
