Charmed

Chapter Twenty Two

"Hello, Guinevere." My mother's voice filled my ears, a sound I had not heard for almost a decade. I swallowed thickly before I jumped up, charging at her. I collided against her body, hugging her close. Her hand pressed against my head and back, keeping me against her. "Oh, my darling."

"Ma," I sobbed, forgetting about Claude's makeup. I pulled back and stared at her gorgeous face. Her blue eyes stared down at me, crinkled into a smile. She looked no different than the last day I had seen her, except she looked much healthier. "How is this possible?"

Ma nodded her chin in Joyce's direction. "Your mother-in-law is using her body as a host. It's a rare gift, but one I am grateful that she has for I am able to see you."

"I wish you could have been here today," I whispered.

"I was, honey," Ma said, rubbing my arm softly. She moved away and touched the petals of my lily bouquet. "Nice tough with the lilies." I laughed through my tears.

The light that was shining around her body was the only thing that was reminding me that she wasn't actually here. But I didn't care. I was talking to my mother, something I hadn't been able to do for so long.

Ma turned and grinned. "I would say tell me everything, but I've been watching."

A flush stained my cheeks. "Do you like Darius?"

"He's a wonderful young man." Her mud brown hair shifted as she raised a small shoulder. "He treats you wonderfully." I nodded with a chuckle. From the corner of my eye I saw Joyce convulse, and I stared at her for a moment, ensuring she was okay. "I don't have long, Gwen. This is taking an enormous strain on the Queen mother's body."

"I have so much I want to talk to you about," I said quietly. I felt almost shy - I was a different person than the teenager my mother had known. "Why didn't you tell me that we were descended from the Jameson family?"

"I was going to tell you," Ma said quickly. We sat down in the armchairs beside the fire. It felt odd seeing Ma in her usual day dress while I was sat in an elegant wedding dress. "I was going to tell you everything when you were eighteen. But I never got the chance." A sad glint crossed her eyes. "I was even going to teach you a few spells. I see you're very good at them."

"Darius says I'm very advanced," I said proudly. Hearing Darius' pride was one thing, but hearing it from my mother was another. "He also says our children will be very powerful."

"Children?" Ma gasped, looking at my stomach.

"Oh, no, Ma, I'm not pregnant." I shook my head, and she chuckled. "Not yet."

"So you're planning on having children?"

"Of course." I couldn't wait for the day that I would be a mother. To have a tiny person who was half me, half Darius running around would be a dream come true. "I wish you could meet them."

"I'll meet them, honey, they just won't meet me," she said gently.

"It's so unfair." I stared into the fireplace for a moment before realising I was wasting precious time. "They'll know all about you."

Joyce flinched behind me again, and I turned quickly to look at her. When I turned back, Ma was smiling sadly. I knew our time was up.

"Please, don't go again." I forced my words past the lump in my throat. "Please."

"I have to." She stood up and walked over to Joyce. The hem of her dress began to transform into black steam. "This isn't fair on the Queen mother." Ma turned and caught me in an embrace once again, kissing my forehead. "You looked beautiful today, sweetheart. Now go and enjoy your party."