Blood Rose (Vampire/Ballerina Book 1)

Chapter 28: Chance

 I should keep working to occupy my mind. I could make something else for Kayla. He inspects the nightstand next to the bed, then goes to open the bottom drawer. The bottom of the drawer is made of striped, white wood. Kota gets an idea. I do miss wood shop...missed working with my hands. I could easily remove the wood. He does so by unhooking the front of the drawer to slide the bottom out. Instead of a saw or a stencil tool, he uses his sharp nails, which he command to grow longer.   

His talons carve the wood, carefully creating a chain-link for the first thing that popped into his mind. A necklace. Should the center be a heart? Or would that be too desperate? Should I hold back on my confession? What if that shape is too much? Further down the chain-link, he decides to carve the center as a sun with squiggly lines going outward to represent rays. This is a better choice...since Kayla has such a remarkable glimmer to her. By sunrise, Kota is done detailing the patterned wood. He blows away the dust from the necklace and holds it up to take in his craftsmanship. I think she'll like it. I'll give it to her at school.  

The sound of his mother stepping up the stairs attracts his attention. Kota stands, softly laying the pendant down. Odina stops, he spots her shadow under the door, and watch it spread larger as she bends to pick up the paper. "Son?" She whispers. "What is this?" 

Her son pace to the door and says, "please give it to dad."

His mom recede down the stairs. Everyone is in the backyard planting seeds. Dad is there, I hear his rough breathing from the shoveling. Odina exits the back door. "Matto...come here, please."

"What is it?" He pushes the shovel deep into the soil and nears her.

"Your son wrote this for you." She waves the wrapped paper in her hand.

"He did what?" His father doesn't sound harsh...just confounded.

"Come, read it." Odina hands over the note. Matto unfolds the letter and reads. Kota steps to the window to watch his father's expression. I hope he finds it touching and acceptable. I hope he lets me go. His dad's eyes scroll the sentences, he's moved by the sensitive words. His breathing slows...his shoulders loosen. Matto's eyes switch from critical to sincere. He's moved by the letter. The ending makes him tug his mouth into a frown. "What does it say?" Odina asks. He shows her by turning the paper her way. She quickly reads it.

"I don't know if I should believe him." Matto is crossed between sentiment and authority. "Does he like this Kayla girl? Or is he fooling me?"

"You didn't see how he looked at her...but you're a man, I can't hold that against you."

"How did he look at her?"

"As if she was the only girl in the world...she gave him the look too."

"She did?" Matto is oblivious.

"Sweetie, learn to use your eyes for deeper knowledge." Odina pokes. "Why wouldn't he like her? She's radiant...powerful...and a top ballerina. That's what some call a triple threat."

"Hmmm..." Her husband grumbles. "He did ask to register at her school."

"The fact that they're both supernatural will help them through the stress...they'll be fast friends."

"Hmmm." He mumbles again.

"I can drive him to the school today. I'll call Kayla for the address. I think Kota is longing for companionship that's why he lashed out. He has nothing else to target but retaliation. School will fix him. I know it will."

"Maybe you're right." Matto sighs. "I was a little too hard on him. Wasn't I?"

"A little."

"I'm sorry."