1. Signs of the Times
Ciara O'Faolain pursed her deep red lips as her calm gray eyes studied the wilted roses she had found in her prized garden. "Tsk," she said and tossed her head. Her long black ponytail bounced with the motion as if in repeat of her disapproval. Ciara had thought that getting herself a proper garden would be the best part of moving to the countryside. Everything had been great at first, but suddenly her plants had started dying quickly. The neighbors' beautiful gardens still flourished seemingly in mockery of her wilting weeds.
Today's sunshine was good for the flowers, but less so for Ciara's pale and freckled skin. She was about to carry the wilted roses indoors to take a look at them more closely, when she heard a voice behind her say: "Hi, mom."
"Well hello, son," Ciara said and turned to face Sean. "I trust your father didn't miss his flight again?" Sean had driven Frank to the airport. He had several important meetings abroad this week, as often was the case.
"Hey, I was driving this time," Sean grinned mischievously at his mother. "I'm not slow like dad."
"Unfortunately you aren't as careful as him, either." Ciara knew her son well. He had his good characteristics, but his impulsiveness occasionally caused trouble. Ciara sometimes wondered where he had gotten that. Probably from his grandmother. "Surely you didn't break any speed limits on the way?"
Sean bit his lip even though he was seemingly in a light mood. A glance of Ciara's cool gray eyes always had that effect on him. The kid was not good at keeping secrets from his mother.
"Umm... Well, I didn't get a ticket," Sean answered evasively.
"That just means the cops didn't catch you this time," Ciara said, shaking her head in a way which made her dark ponytail wave around. That was a warning sign her son was quite familiar with.
Sean just shrugged and looked away from his mother.
"Tsk," Ciara said and went into the house. Sean followed apprehensively and watched with sudden interest as she laid the roses on a table. He looked like he was going to say something about them, but Ciara suddenly surprised him with her own question. She had that kind of a talent.
"Are you going out with Niamh again?"
Niamh O'Diomain was Sean's new girlfriend from the village. Ciara had discreetly inquired around, but for some reason no-one seemed to know Niamh or her family very well even though they had apparently lived here for quite a while. Ciara herself had found Niamh to be strangely shy despite her fiery red hair. From what Sean had told her, she was not always like that, though...
Sean seemed to tense, realizing his mother had yet again seen right through him. He kneeled to brush the fur of Graymantle, Ciara's dog, who had just entered from the living room.
Ciara went and did the same. The animal immediately moved away from Sean to her feet. Graymantle liked Sean and most other people in general, but not as much as he liked Ciara, the leader of the pack. For some reason Graymantle had not liked Niamh, though, and the feeling had obviously been mutual.
"Talk to me, Sean," Ciara said with a motherly voice. The words were reassuring and supportive, but they still sounded like an order and not a suggestion.
"Urgh, mom..." the boy started, turning away from her.
"Look at me while you talk." Ciara knew very well her son couldn't resist her if he had to meet her gray gaze.
Sean only glanced at his mother, but that was enough to coax some kind of an answer out of him: "Didn't you like Niamh, mom? It seemed like that when she was here. Is it because she was scared of Graymantle? She said it was a wolf and not a proper dog." Niamh had visited them last weekend, and she had been quite wary of the animal.
"Did she? Imagine that..." Ciara brushed Graymantle's fur thoughtfully with her maroon-nailed fingers, and he uttered a satisfied growl. People often did wonder what kind of a dog he was. Ciara did not answer those questions. "I just want to know what you are up to. It's perfectly natural isn't it? You may be nineteen, but since you still live here, you have to be prepared to discuss some things with your mother."
"Grk. Well..."
Ciara could see Sean was about to complain, but she silenced him with a wave of her slender maroon-nailed finger. "Why are you so nervous?" she asked, looking her son in the eyes.
"I'm going on a date, mom. With Niamh, if you must know," Sean said and turned away again. He happened to glance at the wilted roses on the table so he tried to change the subject: "Niamh liked your roses, though. What happened to them?"
Ciara O'Faolain took one of the dead flowers into her hand and studied it thoughtfully. Then she put it down again and took her son's hand into her own. She looked at him and said: "Just be careful. You know, if you are going to..."
Sean bit his lip out of embarrassment and said: "Yes, yes, mom, I know all about that stuff."
Ciara watched as her son retreated upstairs to his room. Then she glanced at the flowers and wondered if he really did.
2. Meeting of the Lovers
Ciara was showing her roses to Aislinn, the local florist, who had a shop at the village center. Ciara's black ponytail was bouncing in agitated agreement as she listened to Aislinn's words.
"I don't see any marks from bugs or disease on these, Ciara. Did you say all of them just suddenly wilted like this? That's really strange."
"Hmm..." Ciara muttered. Her attention had been caught by a scene which was taking place on the other side of the street. Niamh's mane of red curls was unmistakable, and she could immediately identify her son as the other participant. The young lovers seemed to be having an agitated conversation. It ended with Sean staying behind and gloomily staring at his feet as Niamh walked away, tossing her fiery locks over her shoulder.
"Go mbeire an diabhal leis thú, leannán sí..." Ciara whispered under her breath and shook her head.
"What?" Aislinn asked. Her attention was concentrated on the roses. She had not quite heard Ciara's words or seen the scene outside the window.
"I have to go," Ciara said to the florist. "Can you ask around if anyone else might know what is ailing my roses, since other people's plants seem to be fine? I have an idea myself, but I hope I'm wrong..."
"Sure thing," Aislinn answered, sounding puzzled, as Ciara stormed out of the store and went to confront her son.
Sean did not look very happy to see her. He looked around, trying to find some kind of an excuse to not talk to her. Unfortunately even the main square of the village was not a bustling place, so there was nothing noteworthy going on at the moment.
"Hello there," Ciara said to her son.
"Mhh..." Sean mumbled and stared at his own feet. There was nothing else to look at and he did not want to meet his mother's eyes.
"How did your date go?" Ciara tried to sound as nice and supportive as she could.
"Not... very well." The boy sounded like he was about to cry. Ciara took her son's hand. It made him look at her in the eyes. She was suddenly reminded that they did not often touch.
"Come on," Ciara said to her son. "I'll drive you home. Everything will be all right."
Sean just sighed, but he followed her. He did not speak during the entire drive home. He was just staring out of the window at the fields and rivers which passed by. They were beautiful in their own way, but Ciara knew he could not really see that right now.
3. Black Lace and Red Lips
When they arrived at home, Ciara waited for her son to take her jacket off. Graymantle had arrived to greet them, but Ciara had uncharacteristically sent him away with just a light touch on his shoulder.
She took his son's hand again. The feeling still seemed to startle him a bit. She led him upstairs to his own room.
"Err, mom, what exactly are we doing?" Sean wondered, looking at his mom, who was shaking her head as she saw the overall messiness of his room and accidentally swatted him in the face with her ponytailed hair. She did not often come to her son's room, so Sean did not often bother cleaning up either.
Ciara turned to face her son and spoke seriously: "I know I can appear a bit distant occasionally. There are reasons for that."
Sean looked puzzled when he heard this statement. He looked even more puzzled when Ciara raised her hand and lovingly touched his cheek.
Ciara explained further: "I had high hopes when you met Niamh. But I think I might have seriously miscalculated her."
"I got the feeling you didn't like her, mom, if you don't mind me saying that," Sean nervously mentioned.
"I didn't and I don't, but what does that matter? You liked her, and that was good enough. Or so I thought at the time." Ciara looked her son deep in the eyes and asked: "Do you still believe in love, Sean?"