My Hope (Complete)

Chapter 15

Noah

I have never been so nervous in my life. What if she decides that this is just too much for her? Hope looks scared. Maybe even mad. I'm not sure. Tempie seems to be remembering the things her and Raiden experienced. I think she knows what's coming next for us. But I don't know how she really feels about me and her daughter being together. "...It get's better." Mom told her. "When?"

Mom and Tempest excused themselves from the room. Hope sit's attentively on the couch in front of me. I want to reach out and hold her hand. But I'm gong to try and resist. I want her to tell me it's okay, after we have a serious talk.

"Hope, I want you to know that you already mean more to me than anything or anyone. You are my Soul Mate, my reason to live. I have waited to meet you for so long. When I saw you, I couldn't believe how beautiful and brilliant you were. I felt like I didn't deserve you. I will love you, and only you for the rest of our lives. I would love for you to agree to date me when you turn 18. Will you please consider it?" I asked her with a little desperation in my voice.

"Noah, I am definitely considering it. I have very strong feelings for you. I don't understand all that is happening to me, and I'm not sure how I feel about that, but I would like to give this a try. I just need more information about what is going to happen. Why do I feel so sick when you aren't near me and when will it stop?"

"Because we are Soul Mates, our bodies and minds try to get us together, and keep us together. You can feel the pull just as I do when we are in the same room, right?" I ask. "Yes." "So I need to ensure that you are mine, and I am yours. The first step is the eye contact. We have already triggered that. When I look into your eyes, I feel connected to you." She nods her head. "We also can locate our Soul Mate by being drawn to their scent. Over time, we can find each other from longer distances because of that scent." I inform her. "Okay, that makes sense. Were you outside my house last night?" she asks. "Yes, I was. I wanted to assure myself that you were okay. I hope that doesn't bother you." "No, not at all. In fact, it helped the pain." She told me. "I'm actually surprised you could smell me from that distance already. It's impressive." I praised. She blushed a little. So adorable as always.

"Next is touch. That is a big one. And obviously I have been avoiding it." I confess. "But why exactly? Don't you want to hold me?" she asks with a little insecurity. I look her right in the eyes and answer. "I want to hold you more than anything in the world. Don't ever doubt that. I have to hold back every moment that I am near you. It's very, very difficult. But, once we have made that connection, the pain will get worse when we are apart. It speeds up the bonding process greatly. I want to be as close to you as possible, but I also don't want to see you suffer. So I decided that I shouldn't touch you at all until we decide to be permanently bonded."

"Okay, please explain that further. What do you mean by permanently bonded?" She asks. I knew this was coming. How do I explain it to her without freaking her out? I take a big breath and let her beautiful scent calm me. "Well, it's different than you would expect. At a wedding ceremony for example, the bride and groom would exchange rings and their vows in front of their friends and family. Those wedding rings show the world that I am yours and you are mine. She nods in acknowledgement. "But for us, it's a little more personal and private. I would bite your neck. My mark on you shows that you are mine. Our scent will change slightly after that. Mine and yours will mingle, and people of our kind can smell it." I stop and let her absorb that.

A few moments pass while she considers what I just said. "My Mom has a mark on her neck. I asked about it once when I was little. She said she would rather not talk about it. She has always worn her hair long and tries to cover it. I just assumed it was a scar from something bad that happened to her." She tells me. "Yes, I have seen it. She showed it with pride when I was young. We had a little celebration here at our house for her and your Father. Sort of like a wedding reception."

"So, after we receive our marks, then what?" She asks. "Well, most of us would have a celebration the next day, as I mentioned. Some people go all out and have a full on wedding. After we wear each other's marks, our bodies and minds stop trying to get us together. So the pain stops, the headaches and inability to concentrate stop." I explain. "That's great! So why don't we do that now?" she sincerely asks.

"Well, there is a lot more to it than just receiving my mark. You have to agree to it for one. Also, you need to be 18. You also need to know more about our way of life. Your Father never explained those things to your Mom. That's why she left here when he died. She didn't understand that we are a family. Once you are part of our community, we take care of you." I explained to her.

"Okay. That makes sense. I want to learn more about your way of life. I want to know everything about you. I want to be a part of it." She tells me adamantly. "You don't know how happy that makes me Hope. There is so much I want to share with you. But our people are very private about what makes us different. We don't disclose it to anyone else. We will make an exception for your Dad. I know you are very close. And I would never do anything that would cause any problem between you." I reassure her.

"Let's head into the Kitchen and see what's going on with our Mom's. I have a feeling there is a big meal in our future." We walk in there and see the two women cooking and talking like old friends. I'm so glad Mom has Tempie back. It was such a horrible time after Dad died. Tempie was gone and so was Raiden. The whole community suffered the loss. But Mom had it the worst. She held on for me and the twins. I'm so proud of her. She is still the backbone of our community.

"Hey, how did it go?" Mom asks Hope hesitantly. "It went very well. I've agreed to learn more about your people. I'm very excited. I want to be a part of your family." She says. Her Mom gives her a big hug. "Let's have some food!" Mom exclaims. "And ask the twins to come down now."

Moments later, we all sit down around the kitchen table eating like we were starving. We don't say anything significant about our recent revelations. Just normal, everyday chit chat. We laugh and share stories about our life with Tempest years ago. This is exactly how I imagined things should be. Sitting next to my beautiful Soul Mate with our families. Then Hope asks a question I didn't expect. "Mom, how do you feel about me dating my teacher?" Hope asks her. We are all silent for a moment. "Well, I can't really disapprove since I love Noah. But more so because your Father was my college Psychology Professor." Tempest confesses to her.

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