mother's love

“I don’t know... I mean I knew they were gonna grow up and they’ve been through so much. I suppose I just hoped they’d stay little for a while longer. Tiny and safe” Megan’s wings drooped as her heart ached. “I wish I could take away all that hurt, Ororo. I wish I could just...”

She closed her eyes, hiding her face in her hands and shaking her head. 

“How’d you deal? All these years having to watch children y’love get hurt and just feelin’ so, so helpless”

 “Oh” Megan made a sympathetic hissing sound as she sided up to the stranger, her smile wide and friendly. “Let’s turn that frown upside down”

She offered him a flyer, on it was a brightly coloured advertisement for a Paragon choir and music club. Specifically for the adults of Paragon only, and welcoming people of all skill ranges from total beginners to experts.

“Wednesday nights, starting in two weeks time! But if you can’t wait, m’studio is always open out of class hours if you need a chat or just somewhere to nap?” She let her voice trail off at the end, hoping she wasn’t overstepping.

The fairy tapped on the door leading into Ms. Dane’s office, opening the door without waiting for an answer and lent on the frame. Under one arm was a stack of papers bound together with a crisscross tied string, and in the other she held up a bag of Krispy Kreme. 

“Hey neighbour” Megan greeted, referring to their offices being adjacent. “Got a massive pile of theory marking and a fresh bag’a doughnuts, right here. Y’picking up what I’m puttin’ down?”

Dainty hands wrapped around the tea cup, warmed by the heat and equally dainty lips curved into a smile and let out a hum at the pleasant feeling. With winter setting in Megan was beginning to want to curl up and hibernate; but with school still in full swing that wish was never going to come true. 

She looked up at her companion- former teacher, teammate, on going idol and fashion icon- and her smile turned into a fully fledged grin she knew always fondly infuriated the other woman.

 Megan approached the younger and stood beside her, the pair looking out over the Paragon grounds. From the corner of her eye she peeked at Coralie. She remembered attending her fathers’ wedding, working along side Jean-Paul, and even confiding in him about her sexuality as her friend Victor had.

It felt strange to see little Coralie so big now; remembering when Jean-Paul and Kyle had announced their adoption with so much light in their eyes. How long ago that had been...

“What? Do I have something on me?” Jai said as he looked on himself for anything out of the ordinary. He reached his hand to his back and pulled off a sign that said Kick me, I’m a nerd that was clearly taped on his back. “I swear whoever put this on my back likes to believe they have a great sense of humor, but I have an idea on who did this.”

“Well, let me know and I’ll have a chat with them” Megan intoned, voice disapproving. She held out her hand to take the note off him.

“I’m lookin’ fer my classroom, actually, Mrs. Gwynn. I teach a class on journalism. Could’a swore I was in the right building…” Clark furrowed his brows for a few moments as he entered deep thought. He eventually shrugged and weakly joked, “Guess I keep makin’ left turns at Albuquerque, somewhere.

How long have you been playin’ for, if ya don’t mind me askin’? It sounded great out in the hall.”

“Ahh, colleagues call me Meg. Non’a this Mrs.Gwynn business from you, baby blue” She swatted in mock protest, then tapped her chin as she thought.

“Oh yeah I know where tha’ is. Hm, you’re not in the right building, sorry love” Megan patted his arm consolingly. The joke fell flat with her but to be polite Megan gave a warm smile, offering her arm for him to take. “Come on, I’ll take you”

As she led him out of the music room and back out into the hall, the petite woman preened with the praise.

“Comin’ up for thirty years now, gosh, I picked it up when I was visiting m’ mam’s world” Megan told him, waving to a couple of students who smiled her way as they passed. “Do you play any instruments? Am I gonna have to whisk you away for lessons, Clark?”

“Maybe. Probably.” Though, Jude knew. Music sounded different to her, and between the her now and the her then was only a few years and the dread that the memories of THEN sometimes stirred with in. Music sounded foreign and beautiful and too good for her. “No, no. just listening.”

The pink haired woman thought for a moment, black eyed gaze on the other before seeming to come to a decision: she patted the seat beside her with an encouraging smile.

“Come, sit down I’ll teach you some” Music was something to be shared and there was never any harm in taking on new students: no matter their age, pupil or peer. “The best thing about music is that it can be shared by all- yes, including the Deaf. I know that because I personally know a dancer who’s Deaf and she uses the vibrations to guide her, and I know of a musician who’s Deaf. Come on, whatever’s on your mind let’s let some music ease it away, huh?”

She strummed some of the fine cords. 

Now this was a conversation he didn’t think he would ever experience. A conversation about music and instruments. He have always had a love for music, it had always been there when life was rough and the bullies were ruthless. But he never thought he, the kingpin of the underworld would talk about those kind of topics. “Now that is a good question” he stated with a hum before he shook his head. “Oh no, not really”

Megan didn’t recognise him, but he seemed friendly enough and the faerie’s spine straightened and she gestured for him to come closer.

“Join me, music’s best shared- eh?” She played a few notes, raising her eyebrows encouragingly at him. “If you have any requests I’m open, otherwise it’s more of my own stuff with the occasional lullaby. Can’t be all tha’ bad, always popped m’kids off to sleep”