Heart Two Heart (19 page)

"Have you already been given the ceremony? Do
you know what we need to do?"

I shook my head indicating that I did not and
the female sighed loudly then looked down at the little girl before
looking back at me. Then she continued in soft voice

"You're a doctor. The easiest way to explain
this is if you think of a blood transfer. Her blood for yours. The
first time, you will need to drink all of her blood until just
before death. Then she will drink from you until she is
replenished."

She looked at me I assume to waiting for me
to acknowledge what she said so I nodded in understanding. Then she
again took the child's hand into her own hand and said

"The second time, she will drain you and she
will replace yours."

I felt as if I’d been slapped in the face.
Not only would I be converting my eternal heart who was still a
very young child I would also become fully commingled with her. I
felt my mouth drop open and I blurted out

"But she is my eternal heart and she is too
young to commingle her essence with me."

That's when I heard the male voice behind me
that I knew Waylon say

"Your right Ulric, she is too young but if
you don't do this now, you will never get your chance. Taini is
dying again and this is the only way she will live."

Then a male voice I assumed was Quopil's
again said

"She will remain with her mother and me until
her eighteenth birthday. You will need to relocate nearby.
Depending on your behavior we can decide if you will have contact
or no contact. I don't know if you are aware of this but, it is
possible to stay platonic with your eternal heart. I know from my
experience. Just give me your word, that you will allow her to
continue to have her childhood."

I swallowed and forced myself to remember the
stories I’d been told of Quopil when I was a child. I remember my
mum and pop telling me he waited nearly a thirty years for his
eternal heart to accept him. I also remember it was because she was
a paleface that was already married with children.

I heard she stayed with her paleface husband
until he died and that Quopil stood in the shadows and remained
just a platonic friend. I could do that. It would be no problem
especially since my eternal heart was such a young little girl.
Heck, we were only talking about a few years not hundreds of years.
I shook my head yes then forced myself to say

"Of course. I am not a monster. She's so
young. I would have waited either way. I will handle it however you
want. You are her parents; I will honor your wishes."

I looked over my shoulder and saw him nod. We
heard Taini take a shallow rattling breath and we knew the time for
talk was over. I bent my head down to her tiny frail wrist and sunk
in my fangs. The moment her blood splashed into my mouth I wondered
if I really was a gentleman. I felt my heart begin to sizzle with
excitement. I felt my heart rate increase and my own breathing
became labored. I’d the sudden desire to pull this small child into
my arms and make her mine. I growled low in my throat then I felt a
firm strong hand on my shoulder and I heard words penetrate through
the fog that was forming in my brain.

"You must fight your instincts. Blood is
calling to blood and heart is calling to heart. Now is not the
time. Remember her heart is old and thinks it is ready but her body
is young and needs time to grow. Be a man not a beast."

The words were enough for me to taper down my
reaction. I forced myself to think of this as just a medical
procedure. I buried my emotions and my unhealthy desires and wants
deep within me. I took several more long swallows and knew I could
and would do this. I would be the man my eternal heart needed me to
be.

“Oh Taini, you are so lucky! I wish I knew
who my eternal heart was. I can’t believe your mum and pop allowed
him to come and take you to junior prom. You are so lucky. Everyone
is going to be so jealous of both of you.”

I’d a huge smile on my face and couldn’t stop
myself from giggling into the phone. My best friend Wenona was so
right. I was lucky. Not only did I know who my eternal heart was,
he was a friend of the family and I’d been lucky enough to see him
from a distance from time to time over the years. I was so happy I
cried when my pop agreed to allow him to take me to junior
prom.

I’d begged for weeks both my mum and pop.
Initially they both said no. I begged and cried but nothing seemed
to change their mind. They insisted that I would get to spend time
with my eternal heart once I turned eighteen. Then, I decided to
write a letter to Ulric. I didn’t beg for him to come. In fact, I
just told him about school and my friends. I wrote about how lots
of the kids in high school were already in relationships. I even
mentioned that junior prom was a great place for a first kiss.

I guess I sort of knew what kind of reaction
he would have. I see the way my parents behave. I know they are
possessive of each other. I think I knew Ulric would twist my words
and worry about my first kiss. Then I pointed out how lots of kids
in my class were having relationships and that many of them were
vying to be my first kiss.

I left it hanging make him crazy. I could
have told him I would wait but I didn’t. I would wait though; there
was never any doubt in my mind my first kiss would be with Ulric. I
didn’t want to kiss anyone but him. I knew he was waiting for me
and I was definitely waiting for him.

“Tell me again what your pop said” said
Wenona. I took a quick breath and then said excitedly into the
phone

“Well, it was kind of odd. He called me down
after school two days ago. He had this look on his face like he’d
just eaten something sour. Then he barked at me to sit down. Once I
did he paced back and forth a few times before he said”

I paused and dropped my voice as low as I
could so I could mimic my pop then continued

“Ulric, your eternal heart called me this
morning. He’s worried that you have been dallying with boys at
school. Said he’s heard things and it’s making him uncomfortable.”
I paused again and said in my regular voice

“It was so funny Wenona. My pop was looking
at me trying decided if Ulric was right or not. I think I sort of
knew if I wanted to finally be able to spend more time with my
eternal heart I needed to look a little guilty so I dropped my eyes
and started fidgeting with my fingertips. Then my pop took a look
breath and said.” I paused again and lowered my voice one more
time

“Young Lady you are an eternal heart to a
nagual. For god’s sake you have already commingled your essence
together. You should never even look at male other than your
eternal heart. Ulric will be coming to take you to junior prom.
From now on you can consider yourself a couple. I would suggest any
boys that you have been dallying with you warn before Ulric gets
here. Now, head to your room and think about proper behavior. Your
mother and I raised you to be a better person than this.”

I heard Wenona’s laughter and added my own.
Then she said

“Wow, I wonder if your pop knew the truth if
Ulric would still be coming. You look at a boy… OMG that’s the
funniest thing I’ve ever heard. Everyone knows that Taini is taken,
and we all know there is only one male in the world that you will
ever look at.”

We both started laughing again. I looked at
the clock and realised that I’d less than twenty minutes before
Ulric was expected to arrive. My hair was still a bit messy and I
needed to finish my makeup. I heard a knock at the door and I
shouted into the phone

“Oh God Wenona he’s here and I’m not ready.
Gotta go. See you there.”

Then I slammed the phone down and quickly put
on my lipstick and fluffed my hair. I took the time to look at
myself one last time before I grabbed my cardigan and headed
downstairs. I saw my mum in the foyer and whispered to her

“I heard the door is he here?”

I could feel my heart bouncing around in my
chest and I’d butterflies going crazy inside of my tummy. Mum
smiled then shook her head and said

“It’s your sister Joanne. Of course Eric and
Justin are with her. She came to take pictures before you two go
off to your first official date together. I would bet Waylon and
Pau are on their way as well.”

I smiled back at my mum then leaned up on my
toes and placed a kissed a on her cheek before saying

“I love you mum.”

She smiled back the said

“I love you too honey. Your pop is in the
living room waiting for you. He brought home flowers. I know you
are my youngest but remember you are his only child. He helped
raise your sisters and your brother but he was like an uncle to
them. With you it’s different. He’s nervous and isn’t really ready
for you to grow up. So go easy on him will ya.”

Then she squeezed my hand and smiled again. I
could have sworn I saw a small tear in the corner of her eye. When
I looked harder it was gone. I walked into the living room and my
mum was right. Waylon, Pau, Joanne, Eric and Justin were all
sitting on the couches. Pop was standing up pacing back and forth
across the carpet. He had a beautiful mix of purple lilacs bunched
in his hands.

The moment I walked into the room my pop
smiled at me and waved me towards him. Before I knew what he was
going to do he pulled me into his arms and gave me a strong hug. I
heard his breath hitch and for just a second I imagined he had
tears in his eyes. Strange, both of my parents looked sad but when
I double checked nothing. I must be imagining things because I am
so excited to spend time with my eternal heart. Then pop said

“Okay, honey stand still so I can pin these
on your dress. Ulric is going to love them they match your eyes and
your dress.”

I watched my pop’s face as he tried
desperately to attach the flowers to the top of my dress. I’d to
force myself to hold in my laughter since he was obviously trying
too hard and his tongue was sticking out just a little. That was my
pop’s little tell as we all called it. Whenever he was
concentrating his tongue managed to stick out just a little.

Mum must have noticed since she moved towards
both of us and laid her hand on my pop’s back. It seemed to have a
calming effect on him since he finished pinning the flowers on and
wrapped his arms around me and mum. We hugged for just a minute
before pop released me but continued to hold my mum.

“Hey squirt, you look great. Come give me a
big hug”

I looked over in Pau’s direction and smiled
as I ran into his arms. He pulled me off the ground and gave me a
huge hug as he swung me in the air. Pau was my favorite uncle.
Sometimes it felt like I’d known him longer than anyone else in the
world. He smiled and placed a kiss on my forehead before whispering
in my ear.

“I want you to have fun tonight. But if Ulric
does anything that makes you unhappy or even a little uncomfortable
I want to know. Just because he is your eternal heart doesn’t mean
he’s perfect. We are your family and we may need to help him become
the best eternal heart he can be. So no matter what you tell me.
Promise?”

I pushed back far enough to look into Pau’s
face. I could tell he was not angry but he was very serious. I
stared him in the eyes for a few moments, and then blinked a few
times before I swallowed hard and nodded in agreement. His serious
face changed immediately and he smiled again.

I managed to get advice and hugs from
everyone in the room. Even my cousin Justin managed to give me his
own brand of advice. His exact words were ‘get some for me tonight
too’. I laughed and told him he needed to grow up. He was already
double my age but still acted like a teenager. I was getting
restless wondering what was taking Ulric so long when I felt the
first tingles in my heart. I heard the doorbell ring and was about
to run towards it when my sister Joanne put her hand on my
shoulder. Then she said

“Have him come to you darling. After all he
is the man. Let him behave as one.”

I stood stock still waiting for him to come
through the vestibule and into the living room. It had been over
six years since I’d seen him last. I know that he lived nearby and
that he regularly checked in on me but my parents had forbid me
from seeing him. Turns out my uncle Pau was hiding on purpose. I
guess he wanted to make sure that Ulric was the one that finished
my conversion and sealed his fate to mine. Because of the process
however, we commingled our essence on the same day I took my first
animal form. A vulture. Over time, I have also been able to mutate
into an anaconda and a grizzly bear.

According to my mum, the conversion process
was hard on Ulric but he agreed that I was much too young to be a
real eternal heart partner. They all agreed together that it was in
my best interest to be kept away from him until I was much older.
Whenever I complained my pop would always say I waited for your mum
for thirty years, you’re only waiting for a few years. Then he
would state very clearly that ‘I’ wasn’t ready and that ‘Ulric’
would remain hidden from me until my pop said otherwise.

I lost the ability to breath the moment he
walked into the living room. He was so much more handsome in person
than in the pictures I kept under my pillow. He was also clearly a
man where the males in my class were just boys. His body was much
larger than mine and he had the best looking face I’d ever seen
even if it was covered in just a little hair.

I found myself wondering if his dark brown
hair was as soft as it looked. I loved the way it looked like he’d
just gotten out of bed. It was cropped a little short but still
spiked at the front in the current fashion. He cleared his throat
and I found myself connecting with his bright green eyes. I felt my
mouth drop open and realised that I might even be drooling. My
eternal heart was clearly the best looking man to ever walk the
earth.