Lost & Found

[Judah Dashiell]

"Goodnight and thank you."


Judah rubbed his face tiredly as the Allens retired to their room for the evening. It had been a long day considering the subject matter. There was a small sigh as he leveled his gaze towards [member="Thessa Kai"] .It was probably worse for her. No one wakes up and plans to find they were once married and had a son during that period.


Since they were alone now it might be wise to allow her to ask the questions.



"Do you want to ask me anything? I've been dropping bombshells but not really giving you a chance to respond."

 

[Thessa Kai]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]

Hands drifted from her lap to rest on the tabletop. She was keenly aware how close she sat to him. And that they were alone. It took her a moment to realize he was speaking to her again.

Iced-azure gaze quickly shifted down to her hands. All she could think about was how much that scar marred her face. Hand twitched as if she wanted to cover her face but she stopped herself, barely.

"I don't know where to begin. I have a million questions and I think I'm...fearful of the answers to most of them."

Palms pressed flat against the table and her gaze drifted back up to his bright eyes. "Do you know anything about the accident? What Thessa-I- was doing? Were we fighting? What's Makai's favorite color, food? What does he love to do?"

She wanted to know her son very much. She laughed nervously. "Sorry. I wasn't kidding about the questions."

 

[Judah Dashiell]

"Don't blame you, some of the answers may not be what you want to hear."


There was an immediate flurry of questions once [member="Thessa Kai"] got over her initial fear and hesitation on where to begin. Judah smiled a little at the randomness of the questions, there were many and they were scattered all over the place. The actions reminded him a bit of Makai and how his questions could widely vary in one simple conversation.


"I don't know much about the accident at all. You took your X-Wing out so I assume it was some type of flight accident....which....I find highly suspect given your former skills. As to what you were doing, again, I am not sure. Were we fighting? To some extent, yes. Did I feel our marriage was starting to fall apart? Yes. The message I got said you wanted a divorce but it was....extremely sudden and odd. To this day I don't believe it."


"I was angry for a long time, still kind of am about some things."


Judah didn't offer an explanation for his feelings. Thessa wouldn't understand them. Diving deep into how he felt, the betrayal he felt would have only served to make matters worse. Sure he might feel better but it was hard to maintain an anger at someone who had no memory. Someone who offered no resolutions.


"Makai's favorite color is blue, because it reminds him of the ocean. His favorite drink is kelp juice and his favorite food is deep-fried calamari rings. As for activities, he is anything and everything water. He's an excellent surfer. Loves to snorkel and cave dive. Sailing is a new favorite hobby, trying to impress his little girlfriend."


"He's in school, doing relatively well. When you were pregnant, that was the first thing you were concerned about, his education. Thought you were crazy we set aside so much money in a trust for school. Guess I was wrong, its paying off."

 

[Thessa Kai]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]

"Oh," she spoke quietly and cringed. This time, a hand did come up and rub at her temple. In the short time that she'd known him, he seemed like a good man. He'd carried her in from the barn and he'd found her in the first place. He even said something about handing over a bunch of credits - which didn't matter much in her mind. If she did get a bunch of credits, she'd give most to the Allens anyway.

For all they did for her and then some.

Driftwood brows scrunched together as she processed everything. She'd asked for a divorce? Why had they been fighting? Maybe, for him, the accident had been a good thing.

She swallowed.

"A girlfriend already?" Of course, she just found out she had a son. "If...if you don't think it's a good idea for me to meet him, I'll understand." She found that she wanted to sacrifice things already for the kid she couldn't remember. She wanted what was best even if it would hurt her. Maybe it was the same reasoning she had on the day of the accident.

It was painful to say this next part but she took a deep breath and said it anyway. "If I was a horrible....wife and mother, I can stay lost. If you want. If it's better for you two. I would never ask you to....I don't want to put you through anything else." Voice trailed off.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

"Maybe not so much a girlfriend and a bit more of a crush. I know he kissed her....Damn near floored me. Can't believe my son worked that quickly. Its the hair, ladies can't resist it."


There was a good natured grin in the direction of [member="Thessa Kai"] , despite her growing increasingly upset after mentioning Makai's little 'girlfriend' of sorts. Grin faded as she brought up the possibility of not even remeeting their son. Judah had briefly considered it but knew it would end up hurting Makai in the long run. He had already been deprived of a mother for years. If he acted on selfish reasons instead of being a father first it would end up being terrible.


Sometimes one made painful sacrifices for their child. Having Thessa around would open old wounds and cause him pain. Yet it would also brighten his son's life. Makai was the more important one in this situation.



"No, you weren't horrible, there's no reason to stay away. You'll have to decide what type of relationship you'd like with him. One and done? Or will you be around? If you have no intentions of seeing him more than once, just....let me know before you meet him. It will cause a great deal of pain and....and I would need to prepare him for that."


Judah would understand if she didn't want to be around for more than one meeting. He would have to throughly prepare Makai for the situation though. It would be hard for a fourteen year old to understand why his mother couldn't be his mother. He was still a young kid after all.



"Listen, why don't you get some sleep. Looks like you need it, especially after today."

 

[Thessa Kai]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]

"No. I think I'd like to be involved with his life. I could never walk away from family now that I know I have some."

She stifled a yawn. Her back was starting to flare up again. He was right. Best to save anything else for the morning. Though, she doubted she'd be able to sleep.

"But I'll let him decide how much he wants to see me."

Iced-azure gaze leveled on Judah.

"Just let me know when I should come out or whatever you'd rather do." A tired smile and she stood.

"See you in the morning?"

A part of her still thought he was a dream and that when she woke up, she'd find she was imagining all this.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

"Sounds like a plan to me." It might be easier, and wiser, to let Makai set the pace with visits and involvement in his life. "As for visiting, shouldn't be more than a couple of weeks before you come out.Let the shock wear off and then its all downhill from there."



"I'll be here in the morning, goodnight."


----------------


Judah made sure to get up and moving before [member="Thessa Kai"] and the Allens woke. He folded up the blankets on the couch, fixed up anything he may have messed up in the meantime. He started the caf pot but didn't make breakfast. Not sure of the Allen's situation, they may have skipped morning meal in favor of saving money.


Stretching, he headed out into the pre-dawn to do morning chores. Judah had spotted fowl and a home garden, it was best to start there. No doubt something needed to be raked or picked or let out to graze.

 

[Thessa Kai]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]

She dreamed of the man with grizzle on his face, the man she just learned she'd been married to - a long time ago. Nothing was coherent. Just images and bits and fragments. No memories really came. It was mostly of the face she saw last night.

She hoped it might've been more but her memories remained stubbornly out of reach.

Iced-azure gaze fluttered open as the early dawn light filtered through her window. Going through the morning routine, she began to head outside for morning chores. Eyes caught the folded up blanket and pillow on the couch. Aqua-lips tugged into a slight frown.

Maybe he decided to leave after all.

Hair tucked behind her ears as she walked with that slight limp in her step toward the barn.

 

[Makai Dashiell]

In the following days, Judah made sure all the open threads between himself and Thessa were tied up. A trust that had been set up with half the business earnings at the time of their 'divorce' was handed over. Judah made sure to hand over documents and the name of his financial advisor, given the fact it was an incredible sum of credits. Additionally she received the deed to the beach front house on Ceto. A meeting was set up for a month from the current date, one that would take Thessa to Mon Cal




Mon Cala | Scylla Lounge | One Month Later | [member="Thessa Kai"]


Makai fidgeted nervously in the upscale restaurant. Scale-speckled hand came up to loosen his navy-and-yellow school uniform tie. A navy blazer emblazoned with the Heurkea Academy crest made it even more clear that despite his height, he was merely a teenaged schoolboy.


A waitress gave a sympathetic smile to his fidgeting as a tall glass of cold tea was placed in front of him.


"Sure you don't want to order yet sugar?" A holotablet rested in her hand, ready to start ordering. Prep school rich kids normally came in packs, normally around the time their school let out for lunch. It was odd to see one here alone and near dinner time. "I do recommend the blacked seabass on a bed of kelp..."


"Uh....No...Not right now Ma'am....Could you do me a favor?"


A slight nod.


"I'm waiting for a lady. She looks me only older. Scales like mine. Could you direct her this way?"


"Of course. Just me let know if you need anything before then."

 

[Thessa Kai]

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

She wore simple, well-worn clothes. And the flight jacket, of course. She wanted something familiar when she met her son and she wanted him to be at ease. Since that was the only thing she owned from before the accident....it would do. And while Judah gave her a sizable sum of credits, she was never interested in money. And she had even less skills in investing.

She gave a lot to the Allens until even they wouldn't accept anymore. The rest, she put back into funding for Makai and...her family. She just found out about her family. Mom, dad, and brothers.

Head was still reeling a bit. Not to mention the atmosphere of this restaurant. Looked like things on a menu like this would've cost her a year's wage in the farm. She gulped and managed to put on a brace face.

How had she ever fit into a world like this?

Her simple attire got her a few looks until a woman came over and lead her further back into the restaurant. Iced-azure gaze fell on a boy. Really, a young man wearing that blue-blazer. He was taller than any boy that age had a right to be.

Eyes searched his face hesitantly and she got a flash of a very quick memory - a laughing toddler in the pool.

"Makai?" The Galan stepped forward.

 

[Makai Dashiell]

Trying not to fidget and look odd, Makai took out his comm while waiting for [member="Thessa Kai"] .He scrolled through his comm, looking through images on Instaholo to pass the time. He scrolled without looking, too nervous to care about what was in front of him.


Eyes finally caught the movement of a woman, a woman with scales like himself. Throat constricted a bit, nervous about the meeting suddenly. Sliding the comm back into his pocket, Makai forced himself to calm down slightly, despite being incredibly nervous.


"Yes, thats me." Makai stood up and moved to grab her chair. "You must be...Thes-M...uh, you must be you."


He moved to pull out the chair opposite of his. He wasn't sure to hug or shake hands or what. Both seemed unsure. What if she didn't want to be his mother? Dad had said she wanted to be in his life but what if reality set in? Makai didn't expect himself to be a high maintenance boy, at this age he did quite abit for himself.


"Have a seat, please."

 

[Thessa Kai]

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

She couldn't take her eyes off his face. She wanted to soak in every detail. She saw the similarities to herself, instantly and then Judah in the hair and jawline. Her heart ached to remember more.

Time had been stolen from her.

Instead of sitting down, she stepped to the side and gently pulled the taller boy who was her son into a warm embrace. She held onto him like he was just a child and not an overgrown teenager. Scale-speckled arms tightened around him slightly.

"Time and memories were stolen from me," she whispered against him. "From you. But I think a part of me knew something was missing and that something was you."

 

[Makai Dashiell]

[member="Thessa Kai"]


Makai was unsure about the situation, respecting the fact at this point they were practically strangers to one another. Despite the fact she was his mother the years had stretched and they didn't know one another. Makai didn't know much about her life or what she had done since her disappearance. Did his father fill her in on his life? He was unsure.


Her arms went around him, hugging like he was type of lifeline. Awkwardly he put his arms around his mother and gave her a hug back. It was odd feeling. He had dreamed of this day for seven years despite assuming Thessa had died long ago. Now that the day was here he was burning with more questions than anything.


"Why'd you leave me then?"


It was something that had always stuck in his mind. A question he always wanted answered. Makai wasn't sure if he was even going to get that answer now.

 

[Thessa Kai]

[member="Makai Dashiell"]


And there it was. The million credit question. Slowly, arms unwound from around him. She didn't care how awkward the hug was. Anything else wouldn't have been enough. She motioned to the seat across from her and took a seat herself.

But she remained perched on the edge as if Makai would disappear again. As if she'd lose everything again.

"I don't know what happened. The day of the accident." Hands spread apologetically. Then her fingers drifted up to the scar on her face. "I don't think I planned on leaving you. I wish...I wish I could remember."

Thin shoulders shrugged.

"Your dad says you're doing really well in school. And you like to surf?" She gave a tentative smile, trying to shift gears a bit in conversation. She knew it would take time for Makai to trust her and that she wouldn't leave him again as long as he wanted her around.

 

[Makai Dashiell]

[member="Thessa Kai"]


"I remember" Makai said simply, knowing what happened that day before his mother left. He wasn't going to bring it up at the moment, it was painful and difficult to talk about. He hadn't even told his best friend and crush, Ellie. Iced-azure eyes looked at the scar and could only wonder what happened.


Her shoulders shrugged as he sat down, moving onto a new topic.


"Yeah, I just came from there. Sorry, I would have changed......As for surfing, I like surfing. You taught me I think before I could even walk."

 

[Thessa Kai]

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised I like the water so much." Scale-speckled face smiled. The waiter came and brought some waters and took their orders. She leaned forward a bit as he left.

"You remember that day? You were so young. I'd like to know more. If...if you're willing to share?"

 

[Makai Dashiell]

[member="Thessa Kai"]


Makai didn't bother telling her she could breathe underwater either. If Thessa had been anywhere near a bathtub during her disappearance she should have noticed the gills and tried them out. Hopefully. Otherwise it might be a bit of a scare if she actually did decide to go swimming.


He froze a bit when asked to tell about that day. Makai had only ever told two people and that had been years ago. It didn't mean he couldn't remember. The day was seared into his brain.


"I....shouldn't tell you what happened that day. You won't like it." There was a slight pause as he quickly changed subjects. "What have you been doing? Dad says you're a farmer."

 

[Thessa Kai]

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

"Makai," she reached across the table and stopped just short of taking his hand. She didn't know if that would be okay. "If you need to tell me, you can. You don't need to protect me or be scared that I'll disappear again. I mean, I would do everything in my power not to disappear again."

Accidents, obviously, happened.

"Whatever you say won't run me off." The only thing that would run her off would be if Judah or Makai told her to leave and stay away. "I just...wanted to say that, so you knew." She paused, finger tapped once against the fancy table cloth.

Seriously, this place.

"But yet, I'm a farmer," aqua-lips pulled into a smile. "Not a very good one but I do alright. Not sure how much your dad told you but a family, named the Allens found me after the accident. They brought me back to life and essentially adopted me as part of their family. I....owe them a lot."

 

[Makai Dashiell]

[member="Thessa Kai"]


Makai listened to her words about what had happened when she disappeared. He wondered if part of her was trying to piece together what had happened that day. Maybe. Despite her words Makai knew it would hurt deeply if he said what he had to.


"Thanks. Appreciate it."


He listened to the farming and finding a family that took her in. Sounded like a somewhat nice situation, despite losing her memory and being separated from her real family. Hand ran through his shaggy hair as he listened and watched his mother. Too many questions floated through his head. Too much he wanted to say.


"So what are you going to do now? Go back to farming? I hope you have time to stay a bit here on planet, we've got a guest house...I mean, if you want to. I'm sure you're busy."

 

[Thessa Kai]

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

She laughed. "Busy?" Head shook. "No. The Allens understand my situation and they've recently come into enough funding to set them for life and hire all the help they could need."

She'd already seen her parents on Ceto before meeting Makai. That had been a teary reunion. Still, not many memories were triggered.

"I can stay," she spoke quietly. "But wait. You've cleared this with your dad, right?"

Their reunion was still painful and shocking, thought much more for him since she didn't remember...things.