Chapter 80 - Normal?

As Delia sat at the dining room table early that morning, drinking what she hoped would be her last ever bottle of plasma juice, she looked at the collection of empty red bottles seemingly laughing at her, and thought today I will have the last laugh! Today was the day that Delia had been planning for the past 8 years. Has it really been that long, thought Delia?  

Ever since she found out that her late husband was a vampire and their children had inherited vampirism, she had been planning to cure them all with her potions. Then she unwillingly joined the ranks of vampirism herself through a cruel turn of events. But that was in the past, she thought, and this is now. Valerie had been cured months earlier and now that Victoria’s baby has been born and was blessedly human, she could cure both Victoria and herself. Victoria will never have to know what could have been and I can be normal once again, she thought and then smiled inwardly as she crumpled up her last bottle of plasma juice.

After cleaning the remnants of vampirism from the dining room table, Delia went to her room and got dressed. She was going to prepare the potion for Victoria and get her to drink it under the guise of a postpartum vitamin drink to help her return to normal. She has no idea what normal REALLY means, thought Delia. Before she could get downstairs she heard Lucas stirring so she went to the nursery to comfort him before he woke Victoria. 

She picked up her grandson. He seemed to be bringing healing to her little family. She was growing much closer to Victoria and hopefully once she was cured it would get even better. 

Delia hugged the baby and soothed him. Then she laid him back in his crib and ran downstairs. She had to prepare for Victoria. Then it would be her turn.

Back in the kitchen, Delia poured one of the two remaining bottles of blue potion into a glass and sat it on the island in the kitchen. She was just getting ready to call Victoria downstairs when she heard her older daughter talking on the phone in the other room. 

Delia heard only Valerie’s side of the conversation:

“Hello…..Yes, this is Valerie Schlick…….Oh, the hospital...  Yes, yes I did put in an application for an assistant……you do? I mean, yes I still want to apply……Of course. I can be there within the hour……uh-huh…..yes….okay!  Thank you.  Bye.”

Then she heard her daughter yelling through the doorway, “MOM! It’s the hospital!  They want me to come in for an interview right away! I have to be there in an hour! Wish me luck. Love you. Bye!” and the front door slammed. 

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Delia called Victoria downstairs after she finally had the potion ready. It was just as well that Valerie left.  There was no need for her to be there and besides, getting a job was a big deal for Valerie. Delia really hopped she was would be selected. 

“Hi sweetie”, said Delia as Victoria walked into the kitchen; “I prepared a special vitamin drink for you. It is especially formulated for postpartum recovery. It is loaded with vitamins to give you the extra energy you need to recover from childbirth and help curb the onset of postpartum depression. It should make you feel better.”  Delia felt horrible for lying to her daughter, but the truth would be so much worse. At least the lie was laced with truth. It was specially formulated to make her normal. 

“Mom – it looks gross. I swear it is glowing,” said Victoria as she picked up the glass to examine it, "and I don't feel that bad."

“It’s just the special vitamins in it,” explained Delia, “you only have to take one dose according to the instructions.” Another half truth hidden in the lie, thought Delia.  “Go ahead and drink up. I promise it will make you feel warm and tingly!” she encouraged. Truth….she thought trying to justify not being honest with her daughter.

When Victoria began to drink Delia let out a deep breath she didn’t realize she had been holding the entire time Victoria had been examining the blue liquid. 

Then she watched for the transformation.  It was just like with Valerie.  First her skin began to glow a healthy color and then the telltale marks on her neck disappeared.  Delia breathed again. 

She thought Victoria was pretty before, but looked pale and sickly.  Now she was even more beautiful and healthier looking. It had worked.  She had cured her daughter.  Delia had to hold back the tears when Victoria said, “Wow, Mom.  I DO feel warm and tingly. But it was kinda gross. I am glad I only needed one glass of this stuff. No more special vitamin drinks okay.  I promise to eat my vegetables.”

Then Delia couldn’t stand it anymore.  She pulled her daughter in and hugged her tightly and said, “Victoria, I hope you know how much I love you and little Lucas.  I am so proud of how you have handled everything that life has thrown at you; losing your father so young, moving to a new town away from your friends, staying in school through your pregnancy, and now what a fine mother you are becoming.”

Victoria pulled away and just looked her mom, anger building inside and then she just let it all out, “Mom, I am not sure what brought all that on, but if you think for one minute I have been happy through all of this and handled it well you are sorely mistaken. You and princess Valerie all but ignored me up until you found out I was pregnant. Glen was the only person that looked at me like I was something special, well, that is until I – uh – we - well - did IT!” then she looked down at her feet before continuing, “Nothing I did was ever as good as what Valerie did. She and Dad played the piano together and when he was gone she got his piano and all of the attention. I got NOTHING from my father but a picture from when I was four years old! Now my son has no father either and a mother that is still in high school. You think I am HAPPY about that and am dealing with it well? The ONLY thing I was happy about was moving away from Glen and the people in Bridgeport! And if I have handled it at all, it was alone with no help from you, Glen or Princess Val!” Victoria turned and ran upstairs to the Nursery before a dumbfounded Delia could even begin to digest everything that came pouring out of her daughter.

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Victoria ran upstairs to check on her son. He was so special to her. No, Lucas, she thought to herself, you don’t have a father.  Then she whispered to her child as he drifted off to sleep, “Glen doesn’t deserve to be your father.” He used me for sex and then went and bragged to everyone about it, she thought.  Then continued cooing her plans to her little boy, “But if it weren’t for him, Lucas, I wouldn’t have you. He made me feel wanted when no one else did so I gave myself to him.” Then the bastard went and bragged about me being easy.  “So – little one, I will finish my last year of school so I can get a good job. Then we can leave here, just you and me. You will always know you are loved and wanted.” I know your grandma loves you and she loves me too. But she can’t take away the last 8 years of my life. I am sure I upset her, but she needed to hear it! “I wish you could have known your grandfather. He was such a caring man. Your Aunt Princess Valerie can play the piano almost as well as he can. You will like listening to her play.”  But I can hardly bear it; it is like hearing my Dad and hurts too much. “Goodnight sweet prince.”  Victoria kissed her sleeping infant and went to her room to take a nap before he woke.

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After Victoria ran off, Delia went into the sitting room and placed the last bottle of the cure potion on the bar and looked at it. What had started out to be a really good day had just been shattered with Victoria’s revelations. In all the time they had spent together the past few months, she had stopped asking her about Glen. The only subjects that seemed to not to be off limits were her pregnancy and the need for her to stay in school and how they would deal with that. She knew Victoria really didn’t want anyone else to take care of Lucas, and was adamant that she could do it alone. Some of what she said made sense. And now she knew why she said Glen was only a friend. She guessed he was less than that now since he had hurt Victoria in the worst possible way. Her heart ached for her daughter.

Delia had planned to take the potion herself as soon as she was sure Victoria was taken care of, but she wanted Valerie to be with her ‘just in case’ something went wrong even though she didn’t expect it to. Instead she poured a glass of wine and took it outside. She shed her clothes and got into the hot tub to think and kill time while waiting for Valerie to return. She hoped the bubbles and wine would relax her while she thought about all that Victoria had said and tried to figure out if there was something she could do to help her heal. After only a few minutes, the fact that she was a vampire hit home and she had to go inside or risk a serious burn.

Valerie returned home shortly after Delia went inside and found her in the sitting room. She was so excited, she was talking in run-on sentences. She had been hired on the spot and would start work right away. She was detailing the interview when she noticed a glass containing the familiar blue liquid sitting on the bar. Then it occurred to her what was supposed to happen today and she began talking even faster, “Mom, OH NO! I totally forgot! Please, forgive me, I just got so excited when they called this morning. So, how is Victoria? Did it work? It must have. This is for you right?” 

Delia smiled, “Slow down! It is okay and yes, this is for me. Victoria is fine. It worked just like it did for you. But I wanted to wait for you to get home – just in case. She is upstairs with Lucas and has been since this morning. And Valerie, I am very happy for you. Congratulations.”

“Thanks Mom. I can’t wait to get started. But enough about me, this is your time.  Bottoms up!” smiled Valerie.

Delia grabbed the cup, took a deep breath and began to drink.  She was so overwhelmed with all that had happened today and this was almost too much. Valerie watched her mother closely while she drank.

Then the transformation began.  Just like Victoria, Delia’s skin lost its pallor and took on a healthy glow and then the marks finally disappeared from her neck.

The change in her mother took Valerie’s breath away. She gasped when it appeared to be complete. “Mother,” she exclaimed, “you are beautiful!” 

Delia should have been thrilled, but Valerie wasn’t aware of what had transpired earlier in the day with her younger sister and Delia didn’t think Victoria would appreciate her sharing it with Valerie.  What was supposed to be a new beginning for Delia, paled in comparison to what Victoria was dealing with. She thanked her oldest daughter and hugged her saying only, “Now we can get our makeovers!”   

Then, Valerie’s phone rang for the second time today. When she answered it, Valerie was surprised to hear Walter’s deep voice on the other end of the line. He had called to check on how her tattoo was healing.  He said he was in the neighborhood and would be happy to come by and check on it for her. She almost squealed with excitement, but managed to keep her cool long enough to tell him, “Of course!!!!  I will see you in a few minutes!”

Delia looked out the window and saw her daughter talking to a handsome man in the driveway. No wonder she seemed so giddy. Silly girl, she thought, invite him inside!  He obviously likes you. 

Delia smiled to herself and thought maybe one of my daughter’s will soon find love. They BOTH deserve to have the same kind of love that I had with their father. 

Then she went to bed to give Valerie some privacy – just in case.

Valerie answered the door when Walter rang the bell. Her mouth went dry and she just managed to get out, "Hi!"

“Hi, uh, Ms. Schlick. I just thought I would stop by and check on you. It is your first tattoo and sometimes it can become painful as it heals and I just wanted to be sure it was healing okay,” said Walter.

“Valerie, please. Call me Valerie.  Oh, and my tattoo, it seems to be doing fine,” she showed him her arm and said, “I really do like it.”

Just then a shooting star flew across the night sky. Valerie thought it must be a sign that he was the one. 

“Did you see that?!” she exclaimed.

“Oh, another one – look!” said Walter.  Then they both sat down right there on the drive way to watch for more like they were old friends.

They sat there watching the night sky for at least 30 minutes. Walter scooted closer as he pointed out yet another shooting star. Finally, as they started to get chilly as the temperature dropped, Valerie invited him to come inside.

That was when she found out he had more talents than just being a tattoo artist.  He loved music. He picked up the guitar and began to play for her. 

It was getting late and he said he needed to run.  When he hugged her goodbye her heart rate shot up. He said he enjoyed spending time with her and would be in touch.  Then he and let himself out as she just stood there with a goofy grin on her face. 

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