She stared into darkness, shaking her head, and wondering why her cousin’s had not changed the blown out bulb in her mother’s carport.  Over the years, it had been instances like this that fed her worry.  She’d begged her mother to come to Colorado and live with her.  She opened the door, and was met by a comfortable cool heat.  The perfect temperature for skinny dipping.  When she stood, she turned at the sound of her name.

“Mikita?”

She heard the voice but in this surrounding, it didn’t compute with her brain.

Morpheus came out of the shadows, and his face was lit by a partially exposed moon.  He met her surprised expression with a smile.  His voice sounded rested, almost as if he’d been here for days, or had arrived hours ahead of her.  He rounded the car, joining her where she stood, stunned.

He said...

"When I learned that Ernestine was ill, I had to come and see her."

Behind him, she heard the sound of feet, padding across a wooden deck.  Her mother turned on two exterior lights, and with the illumination came clarity.  Mikita's mother glared at her when she said...

"And you waisted money on airfare when you could have flown here for nothing on his airplane."

It goes without saying, during the passage of years, Morpheus had repaired the rift between him and her mother.  In fact, she never spoke an ill word about him.  Mikita closed the drivers side door.  She moved passed Morpheus, then made her way up the path to hug her mother.  She was frail; and she’d lost more weight--and as small as she was, she couldn’t afford to lose another ounce.

Mikita flashed a strained smile.

"Momma."

She spoke in a manner that expressed a duel meaning.  She didn’t mind that Morpheus had been forgiven; even after the way that he treated her.  But she’d wanted to spend this time alone with her mother.  When they were standing toe to toe, her mother’s mouth curled into a smile, while she admired the woman that Mikita had become.  They hugged, and she could feel ribs protruding beneath her mother’s dress.  She began to imagine this visit in expanses of time.  The idea of losing her mother was more than she could bear, so she bit her lower lip, to focus on physical pain, and not the tears that were there but she didn’t allow to flow.

In her island accent, her mother said...

"So--my darling girl, are you hungry?”

She wasn’t, but you never say that you aren’t hungry in her mother’s presence.  Mikita pulled back, then she stared into her mom’s brown eyes.  She would cherish these moments because these would be their last.  She lied, when she said...

“I’m starving”

The women stepped apart, then Ernestine said...

“Dinner will be ready soon.”  She wiped her face, and it wasn’t until then that she’d noticed that her mother had been crying.  She’d been so immersed in her own anguish, she hadn’t consider how difficult this time must be for her mom.

Ernestine said...

“I need to freshen up a bit, so don’t you worry about me.  You two stay out here on the porch.  Look at the sea and the moon--enjoy the atmosphere.”

Mikita said...

“Mom...isn’t there something that I can do to help with dinner?”

“No, no child.  You don’t need to worry about that.  I just need a little time to myself.  But I'm sure there are matters that you and my grandson’s father need to discuss."

With that said, Ernestine ambled across the porch, disappearing inside of the house.

When they were alone, Morpheus said....

"Are you staying here with your mom or are you staying at your house?"

She still didn't know how to register his presence.  While driving here, she had not prepared herself to see Morpheus standing on her mother’s deck.

She considered him and his crisply creased expensive outfit.  Where was she staying, indeed; this was her thought when she finally answered him.

"I've prearranged for my home to be put in a readiness but after seeing momma...."

She didn’t have to say the rest because he’d been surprised as well.  Four months ago, Ernestine had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of pancreatic cancer; one of the worse cancer’s with an unbelievable mortality rate.  His only surprise was that Mikita had not shared this knowledge with him and he didn’t know why.  They were quiet, and his face took on a stony expression and she couldn’t rightly call his mood

She said...

“Where are you staying?”

He looked out at the beach when he said...

“When I arrived, Ernestine told me that you were coming and that I could use one of her spare bedrooms.”

“Did you accept her offer?”

He wondered what would annoy her more; if he stayed under the same roof as her, or that he’d told her mother that he was trying to win her back.

Morpheus pointed to a porch swing, gesturing for her to join him there.  She paused for a moment, but she saw no reason to reject his suggestion.  They sat, and he started a slow rhythmic sway.  As he did this, she questioned if she could ever sell her childhood home.

Morpheus said...

“I told your mother that perhaps I should wait until you arrived before I say anything.  Actually, when I phoned to talk to her, she’d downplayed her health issues.  She didn’t tell me the extent of her illness and when I arrived, I was shocked to see her in her current state.  Mikita--you should have told me.”

She lowered her eyes, because she couldn’t bear the weight of his disappointment, and in her shame, she couldn’t stop the flow of tears.  She tried to stay in control, but with each passing second, she could feel herself being sucked away, like sand being forced out to sea by the tide.  She couldn’t hide her grief.

Morpheus wrapped his arms around her shoulder, and he drew her close to his side.  She sniffled when she said...

“I have to be strong for her.  I can’t let her see me crying.”

“It’s all right you know.  Ernestine expects you to cry.  You don’t have to pretend with her.  She’s your mother and she wants to take care of you.”

“But I’m here to take care of her.”

“You will take care of her--but in the mean time, allow your mom to be the mother.  Don’t take that away from her.  Give her what she needs now.  Let her take care of you for a change.”

She understood, but she didn’t know if she could pull it off.  Morpheus said...

“Mikita--tell me what you want me to do.  I’ll stay here to be with you, or I can go.”

He should go.  That was her first thought, then when the door to the house swung open, she wiped her face like a crazed two year old, who didn’t have a handkerchief.

Mikita jumped off the swing, like a soldier coming to attention.  Her mother smiled, and she rightly assumed what had occurred before she’d interrupted them.

“You can come to dinner now.”

She didn’t give them any other options.  Ernestine walked back inside of the house, and before they reached the door, Mikita grabbed his arm, turning him to face her.

She said...

“I didn’t tell you because I felt that momma needed me.  Just me and nobody else.”

He nodded, then he said...

“But what about you?  What do you need?”

She lifted her chin, and his strength eclipsed every reservation.  She didn’t try to restrain her behavior because it would have been a hollow effort.  Morpheus would always be the only man that she loved and it didn’t surprise her when she chucked all reason to the wind.

“Tell me the truth Morpheus.  What happened between you and Cindy.  Did she have a miscarriage, or did something else happen?  I only ask because...”

She couldn’t finish her sentence because saying the obvious was to frightening.  There were two sides to Morpheus; the business man, and another man with a proclivity that leaned towards unscrupulous activities.  He could be kind and ruthless all in the same breath, but before they moved forward she resolved that their couldn’t be any hidden secrets between them.