The Last Hours

16: James

After supper, I decided to go for a walk around London. Cordelia and that bloody Harold, or Harvey, or something, had been together all day and I kept running into them. Matthew had been visiting his parents and brother since they had come from Idris for a few days. Lucie had been with Jesse for most of day, and that only left Alastair but there was no way I was going to ask him to hang out.

I opened the doors of the Institute, and walked into the cold London air. Auntie Jessamine sat on one of the front steps, her back facing me.

"Hello Auntie Jessamine." I said.

She turned around and smiled at me. She stood up and floated over to me.

"Hello James. Is it true that Jesse Blackthorn is living here now?" She asked me.

"Yes it is true." I replied.

"I saw him and Lucie speaking in the library today, it was quite odd." Aunt Jessie said.

"Matthew and I suspect she fancies him." I smirked.

Aunt Jessie laughed. "Oh you boys. Anyways, have fun on your walk." And then she disappeared.

I started to walk out of the gate of the Institute. I walked along the crowed streets of London. I hadn't bothered to glamour myself, there was no point, it was only about seven o'clock. As I walked, I thought about Cordelia. Even days after, I kept replaying in my head, when I had kissed her.

I had felt that I was dreaming when I kissed her. I had been very surprised when she had kissed me back, for a second I had thought she had liked me back. But today as I saw her with Harvey, or Henry, I saw that she really loved him. It broke my heart, and it felt like Grace all again.

I was caught up into thinking about Cordelia, that I almost didn't see my cousin-Anna Lightwood-walking up to me. She was dressed as a boy, but that didn't bother me. It had never bothered any of us, we all knew that, that was who Anna really was.

"Anna." I said with a smile.

"Jamie." She smiled back. "How are you?"

"I'm okay. How about you?" I asked.

"Quite well. I saw your mother walking along here only a few moments ago, in quite a hurry." Anna said.

"Really?" I asked surprised.

"Yes, I thought you maybe wanted to know. Anyways, I'll talk with you later James." She said with a smile.

I said goodbye to Anna, and then she left. I then went in search of my mother. It took a few minutes, but I finally found her hurry along Blackfriars bridge. She was wearing a simple dress, and her hair was down. She approached a hooded figure, and I watched her from farther down the bridge so she couldn't see me.

The hooded figure took off his hood. I recognized the person to be Uncle Jem. Why would my mother be meeting him here? I thought to myself. I watched as they spoke, no mundane's seemed to notice them, so they must have been glamoured. I watched then for about half an hour, and then finally my mother said goodbye and started to walk down the bridge in my direction.

I ducked behind a crowd of people as she neared me, but I hadn't been quick enough.

"Jamie, is that you?" She asked

I begrudgingly stepped out from behind the crowd, and looked at my mother. She was giving me an odd look, but she did not look angry.

"Mother, what were you doing here speaking with Uncle Jem?" I asked her.

She sighed. "Come."

I followed her over to an empty bench, and we both took a seat. I shivered a bit as the cold London breeze swept through me. My mother was silent for a moment.

"The first time I had seen your Uncle Jem after he had turned into a Silent Brother, he had made me a promise." She finally spoke. "He said that once every year, we would meet on this bridge so we could see each other."

"Does father know?" I asked.

"I suspect he has figured it out by now." My mother said.

"Why hasn't he asked to come along?" I asked, surprisedly.

I knew of how much my father cared for Uncle Jem. My father said that he would gone to the ends of the Earth to keep Uncle Jem from turning into a Silent Brother, and I always had believed him. I couldn't imagine losing Matthew, as my father had lost Uncle Jem.

"I think your father knew, and understood, that it was our only time alone." My mother said.

"Is it hard? Seeing Uncle Jem like this?" I asked her.

"It was very hard at first, but time heals all wounds. Maybe not completely, but at least a bit." She replied. "Though, your father and I often still grieve over him."

"You three are all so connected with one another." I said.

"How so?" My mother asked, curiously.

"You all seem to just know how to handle each other, without saying anything. Even though Uncle Jem is a Silent Brother, you all still seem to make things work." I explained.

"Sometimes life doesn't offer you a choice, Jamie. Sometimes you just do have to make things work, whether you like it or not." She said sadly.

"You all seem to just take happiness from being in the same room together, too." I said.

"I guess because it does not happen often. Just being in the same room as Jem, for your father and I, is all we can ask for." My mother said.

"That much is true." I said.

My mother then turned and smiled at me. "We should go back, its getting late."

As we walked back to the Institute, I thought about my mother's words. She was right, sometimes you just had to make things work and that was what her and my father were doing. Even though they couldn't see Uncle Jem regularly, they still made sure they saw him at least sometimes and that was better than nothing.

I suddenly very proud to my parents son. They had gone through so many hardships, and yet, they both still managed to find happiness in even the littlest things. I hoped that someday, I would be like that too.