Chapter 143: Kindred
The interaction between the pair made Zane's mother look up. It was the kind of teasing that was more common between siblings than members of the opposite sex, but the warmth of the exchange made her smile. She did not know who the girl was, but since her son and the woman seemed to be close, she would try her best to be social. Zane stepped forward and called to his mother.
"Mom, this is Mina Harlow. She is a good friend of mine," he said. Mina was caught off guard by Zane's introduction and she realized too late that she had let it show on her face, so she tried to play it off like a joke.
"Don't say that," Mina said. "If you tell people we are friends, they might get the wrong impression of me." Mina stepped forward and bent toward Zane's mother's ear. She whispered something that made the woman smile. The old woman then introduced herself to Mina as Mrs. Meagan. She did not give her surname.
"Did you make all of these?" Mina asked. She knew the answer, but she was attempting to make small talk. "How many grandchildren are you preparing for?" Mina asked jokingly. Zane pointed his finger at Mina.
"Stop. You're going to make my mother doubt my character," he said. Mina pointed back at Zane.
"Every parent knows their child. Your mother knows where your weaknesses lie," Mina said, and once again, Zane's eyes widened. His mother did indeed know his weakness. In the past, she had even caught him just as he and her friend's daughter were removing their clothing.
"Mom," Zane whined as his mother chuckled.
"Okay, okay stop. You two have caught my attention. I will come down now," Meagan said. Mina smiled as Zane helped his mother up.
"Have you eaten?" He asked as they made their way out of the room. Zane really pitied his mother, and he was thankful for Mina who understood without being told.
----
Once downstairs Mrs. Meagan sat on the only single seater in the living room. As she made herself comfortable, Zane opened a small wooden box and handed her a few knitting materials.
"Do you own a business?" Mina asked curiously. Zane's mother shook her head.
"I make these blankets for orphans," Meagan said. "The hats are for premature children. I donate these things free of charge." Mina could see the affection in the woman's gaze as she spoke.
"My parents were both orphans," Mina said. "My mother used to tell me that they cherished gifts like these." Mina paused in her statement. She did not want to say that her mother also told her that sometimes the gifts never made it to the intended party, but Mrs. Meagan took the words out of her mouth.
"It's a pity that many of my donations aren't used correctly. At my last count, every child in the facility I knit for should have received at least two blankets a piece, but there are still many children without."
"Mom, you never told me this," Zane said. "You're a busy man," his mother replied. "I don't want to bother you with the concerns of an old woman." Zane considered his mother's statement and knew that she was hiding a lot of her worries from him, this one was no different.
"Mrs. Meagan, Zane is not that busy," Mina said. "I've been to his office; he has hundreds of little 'worker bee's' to do his bidding." she joked. Zane's mother smiled.
"How long have you two been dating?" Meagan asked Mina and both the man and woman in the room spoke at the same time.
"We are not dating," they said in unison.
"Such an adamant denial," Meagan replied.
"Mom, Mina is really just my friend." His mother stopped knitting and looked at her son.
"I heard you the first time. Don't worry about my wishful thinking." Mina chuckled.
"Are you waiting on Zane to get married?" she asked, and the old woman nodded.
"Every day," she said.
"Your first step should be going into his closet and throwing away anything that shines, glitters, or fits too tightly." Zane's mouth hung open.
"I thought women like that," he said. Mina looked at him with a blank expression. He did not know why, but he was getting the feeling that he was being judged by her.
----
The room fell into silence and Zane excused himself, leaving Mina and his mother alone. Mrs. Meagan became a little tense, but Mina eased her mind by asking her if it was okay for her to watch her work for a little while. The woman nodded and Mina soon became hypnotized by the steady back and forth movements of the knitting needles. She wondered if her mother knew how to knit. She wondered what her mother was doing right now. She wondered if her father was still at work, or had he come home on time? There was so much Mina had missed out on in the last few years because she was chasing after success.
Mina's eyes grew heavy as she found herself wishing she could go back and do everything all over again. She quietly drifted into sleep.
----
Out of the corner of her eye, Meagan saw Mina curl herself up on the couch. Her shoes had been removed, but she respectfully kept her feet off the furniture. Meagan liked the silent company that Mina was giving her, and she appreciated the girl for not disturbing her too much. When the girl's eyes closed, Meagan was surprised. She knew that her son had a bad reputation, but it seemed like Mina trusted him enough to relax in his home. She did not know that Mina's current living environment kept her on edge and that just sitting on a couch was the most comfortable the girl had been in weeks. The old woman stood up and draped a blanket over the young girl. Mina's face was contorted in a sorrowful expression and Meagan knew she must have been dreaming. There was a certain kindredness between herself and the girl. She could tell that Mina was just as fractured as she was, although she did not know why.
----
When president Lee arrived, Zane's butler greeted him in a hushed tone. When Ian was led to the living room, the first thing he saw was Mina curled up on the couch. She seemed to be deep in sleep. Surprisingly, Zane's mother was also asleep in a nearby chair. Ian had not seen the old woman in a long time and anytime he came to visit, she would refuse to see him. He knew it was because she was embarrassed by Ian's former relationship with her ex-husband and because Ian had exposed all the man's affairs. Even the ones he had while he was still married.
Ian wondered what kind of effect Mina had on people that made them trust her wholeheartedly, and how she had gotten Zane's mother to lower her guard. He knew that Mina treated him coldly compared to the way she treated others, but he had not seen her do anything to garner favor from anyone, especially not Zane. He thought back to Cylus and how genuine his smile was when he looked at Mina. There was no lust in the man's usual lecherous eyes. He was looking at her the same way Ian did. He simply adored her.