“MIA?”
Mathias leaned in to speak to Mia, who had remained in the lab working on her report. Mia jumped. She’d assumed Mathias had left with the other two. He had an uncanny ability to go unnoticed sometimes, despite his bulky form.
He took a deep breath, then continued in his deep voice.
“What do you think of them, really?”
His question made Mia blush. He was asking her about Felix and Henrik. Mathias was always close by, observing. He had to have noticed the indecision that had taken root in her heart.
“Wh-What do you mean?”
Mia had planned to evade the question, but one look at Mathias’s solemn expression made her close her mouth again.
Mathias continued to dig.
“Still just friends?”
Mia gulped. Mathias was being uncharacteristically pushy. Unable to answer, she remained silent. Mathias sighed.
“I really think you should go with Henrik.”
Mia looked up at him, surprised. She’d assumed he’d be in Felix’s corner.
She wondered what Mathias’s motivation for saying this was.
“Otherwise, I think you’ll end up suffering. Not just you. Him, too.”
Mathias frowned, chewing on his lip, a bitter expression on his face.
✦ ✦ ✦
THE season changed, and the day of the Summer Solstice came around. The sun was at the highest point of the entire year, blazing down on the roads that divided the wheat fields into neat squares. A single carriage came trundling leisurely down one such road.
A few small stone buildings dotted the landscape, but they were mostly all water mills. The water wheels went around and around, sending clean water tumbling down. It was all so different from the hustle and bustle of the capital, like something out of another world.
This was where Mia grew up.
Mia had come home during the school break to tell her mother the good news. Incidentally, Henrik scored the highest on the end-of-semester exams for the second year in a row. And Mia managed to place at the top of her class again.
Felix and Mathias…well, they both barely scraped by, as usual. But at least they’d done well enough to avoid having to repeat a year.
Mia was hoping her mother would be encouraged by the promising news she had to deliver.
Honestly, Mia wished they could just plunge right ahead with clinical trials, but a lack of caution at this stage could mess everything up.
“It’s beautiful here. So relaxing.”
Felix was gazing at the bucolic scenery with wonder.
The breeze sent the green grasses of the wheat field undulating like waves. Birds were flying across the clear skies. Most Sanatoriums were located in the countryside. Fewer people resided there, and it wasn’t easily accessible.
Felix, Henrik, and Mathias had all decided to accompany Mia on this trip to the tiny rural town located on the southernmost tip of the kingdom.
“We’re almost there. I can’t wait to meet your mother, Mia! I’m so nervous!”
“Just don’t ask for her daughter’s hand in marriage. Don’t even let it slip out! She’ll think you’re a weirdo.”
Mathias gave Felix a droll look as Felix sat there practically bouncing in his seat. Mia giggled. Then she grew serious again. It was strange, though, Felix making such a fuss.
After all, even though they were heading to visit the Sanatorium, there was very little chance they’d be allowed to actually see Mia’s mother. Even getting to pass a letter to her would take some convincing. And there was no guarantee they’d even let Mia know how her mom was doing.
Even the tiniest germ could prove fatal to someone in Mia’s mom’s condition. So, it probably couldn’t be helped.
It was okay, though. As long as they managed to get the news across to Mia’s mom that a cure was coming…that was all Mia needed.
Felix, however, remained in a state of agitation.
When they arrived at the Sanatorium, Mia soon realized why.
When they walked into the public health clinic attached to the Sanatorium, there was something there that hadn’t been there before.
The once-dark hallways were now filled with light. Had the place been wired for electricity? Mia narrowed her eyes, focusing. When she saw where the light was coming from, she froze.
“No way…how?”
There weren’t many people around who could make something like that happen.
She turned to Felix. He immediately smiled and nodded.
“Go ahead.”
Felix led her forward, and Mia’s eyes flew wide open in astonishment.
“No way!!!”
Her feet propelled her forward. She forgot she was in a hospital, a place of sickness, for a moment, as she dashed ahead.
The Sanatorium’s walls had been fitted with huge glass windows.
And someone was standing on the other side—a woman.
She wore a white dress and had the same shade of red hair as Mia.
“Mom!”
Those familiar slim eyebrows and high nose. The same hazel-green eyes as Mia.
She’d lost a lot of weight, but Mia could never forget that face, no matter how many years passed.
Her mom smiled and touched the glass. Mia placed her hand up against hers.
The glass was very thick. Far too thick for Mia to be really feeling the warmth of her mom’s hand, but nonetheless…she felt it.
Her heart was filled with a warm, happy feeling of comfort and safety.
Mom, Mom, Mom!
Gulping back her emotions, she gazed up at her mother. She was gazing back at Mia, openly crying.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Oh, Mia, I’ve missed you so much. Look how much you’ve grown! Are you well? The doctors said you joined the Academy. You’ve done so well. You’ve become a wonderful young lady, all on your own…”
Mia’s mom’s lips were moving. There was no sound, but Mia could hear her voice in her mind. The soothing, warm voice that Mia loved so much.
“Mom, I’ve…I’ve really tried so hard.”
Mia knew her mom couldn’t hear, but she was desperate to make her understand.
Everything that had happened the last year…studying like mad to try to find a cure. Getting to the truth about her mom’s condition.
And now…she was hard at work creating the drug that would heal her.
Mia’s mom was nodding earnestly through the glass, as if to say, “That sounds very tough.”
“Actually, I—Oh! Let me introduce you to everyone! This is Felix, Henrik, and Mathias. They’ve all been helping me. So, even though it was tough, it wasn’t actually so bad after all!”
Mia was babbling, still trying to fight back the tears. She hadn’t seen her mom in ten years, and that was a lot of time to hold back one’s emotions.
As she stretched her palm flat against her mother’s, she felt overwhelmed with gratitude for the boy behind her. The one who had given her what she wanted most of all.
Felix…thank you.
Her gratitude for him was greater than it had ever been.
She didn’t think she could ever repay him for this.
The lock Mia had placed on her heart seemed to unlock itself then, and she was overcome by feelings. At that moment, Mia finally felt like she could open herself up to love.
✦ ✦ ✦
FELIX sighed, watching Mia and her mother’s emotional reunion.
The glass between them was very thick to keep out the cold and bacteria. But even though the two of them couldn’t hear one another, they seemed to be able to communicate perfectly.
Mia’s face was lit up as she kept babbling away like an excitable child, telling her mom everything.
They had ten years to catch up on, after all. No matter how long a visit it was, it would never be long enough.
Seeing Mia looking so happy and innocent, like the six-year-old child she’d been when she was torn from her mother’s side…filled Felix’s heart with joy.
I’m so glad.
Finally, he was able to see Mia’s real smile. Negotiating this setup with his father had been very grueling for Felix, but it was worth it. It was so worth it.
“Mom, the medicine is going to be ready soon! You’re going to get better! You’re going to be able to live your life again, without anything to fear! I’m going to work even harder and get it done real soon!”
Mia wiped away her tears, beaming at her mother through the glass. Mia’s expression was firm and resolute, and it was clear that she had a renewed purpose now.