✧The Earthe of the Elves✧

46

Mia's POV

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My footsteps pad almost silently upstairs as I lead Knox to the guest bedroom. It's around 10 pm, and I can finally feel the events of today weighing on me. Specifically in the form of tiredness.

"Here we are," I say, opening the door for Knox as he heads inside. Unexpectedly he turns on a dime and kisses me softly, his hand resting on the side of my face.

"Are you going to be okay?" He whispers in elvish, his face inches from mine. A feeling that I might now be able to discern as love blossoms like a little flower inside me. I place my hand on top of his and lean into it, closing my lips in a smile. I can't even describe how much I appreciate him.

"Yeah, I think so. Are you okay?"

Knox studies me for a moment, before nodding and pulling his hand away.

"Yeah."

"Okay, goodnight," I say sweetly, walking away and waving behind me. I smile wider when I hear Knox chuckle from behind me before shutting the door.

"Hey," my mom says when I grab a tub of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream from the freezer and plop down on the island, my muscles ready to relax. Maybe this isn't a good idea at 10:00 at night, but it makes me feel normal, calms me a bit. Plus it tastes heavenly and I haven't had ice cream in months.

"Hey," I reply, a casual smile stretching my face. "Are you okay?"

My moms smile dims, but after a minute she nods. "The whole thing makes more sense- I guess- than what I thought. I think it's better to know what your dad did than believe he just ran away. When you come back you have to tell me everything about Earthe."

"Of course!" I say around a mouthful of ice cream. "Maybe we can visit together for a while. After what I have to do is over with."

Silence stretches for a minute after that, and it only takes that minute for me to worry that I just ruined our conversation by bringing up the fact that I have to leave tomorrow. But eventually mom leans on the island across from me and wiggles her eyebrows, her face light and happy like I remember.

"Sooo," she says slowly, "is Knox your elf boyfriend?"

I nearly choke a chunk of cookie dough, then laugh nervously. This just makes my mom start laughing too. I can feel a blush rising. Hey, a normal teen thing! A girl telling her mom about a boy she's with. No, we aren't counting the fact that he's an elf.

"Ummm... I guess..? Earthe doesn't really use the terms 'boyfriend' or 'girlfriend,' so..." I clear my throat, looking around the room. "I guess...?" I feel awkward. The normal, teenager, relationship talk awkward.

"Awww, my girl is all grown up now. He's a nice boy, I can already tell."

"Yeah, he is," I reply, smiling shyly and stabbing into the ice cream with my spoon. When my mom says my name I raise my gaze to meet hers.

"I just want you to know that I believe you, as crazy as it is. And I know you're still the same Mia you've always been, just a little more grown. I'm proud of you for doing what you thought was right, and coming back. I love you."

Too many emotions too sort through burst through me, so many that I can't even cry; I just sit there, absorbing these feelings for a second before rushing around the island and crushing my mom in a hug.

"I love you too," I say, closing my eyes and listening to her steady heart beat.

"Knox left me a note the day you left, by the way," Mom says suddenly.