Teacher's Pet

The campers were drifting away to light smaller fires near their tents. A small team cleared the dishes and headed to the creek, while a smaller circle formed under an oak tree to sing songs. It was a peaceful and dreamy backdrop for a hard conversation.

I tried to step back so Penn and Xavier could take over, but Penn's arm was locked around my waist again.

Alice looked at them and sighed. "How about we take this conversation inside my home? I think I might need some herbal tea."

"I'm sorry," I whispered to Penn as we walked behind Alice and Xavier. "I didn't mean to explode like that."

He shook his head and kept his arm around my waist. "I'm glad you did. And I think that Corsica is a beautiful name, no matter where it came from."

For a moment, my entire past was on the tip of my tongue, but then Penn swept open the curtain of scarves and we were ensconced in Alice's cozy yurt.

She wasted no time in shutting down the conversation about her cancer treatment. "I am a healer. I heal people's thoughts and their bodies. Why would I set that aside when it comes to me personally? How can you ask me to wither away in a hospital, rather than staying here and doing what I love until I die?"

I tugged Penn's beard, and he leaned down so I could whisper in his ear. "There's a treatment center specifically for breast cancer in Monterey. She should at least go there for a consult."

"Why does she think she knows better than me?" Alice snapped.

Her dark eyes challenged me, but I refused to share any more of my personal experiences.

"Corsica was telling me about a breast cancer treatment center in Monterey. Mother, why don't you come back with us and at least have a consult there." Penn's voice had a pleading tone.

"You really had to bring them here?" Alice turned on Xavier. "You couldn't just be content with disrupting my peace on your own. And now look. You've upset Penn's peace as well."

Xavier gestured to Penn's arm comfortably around my waist. "I think he looks better than I've seen him in a long time. And Corsica is just trying to help."

I couldn't stay quiet. "You're underestimating people you don't even know," I said. "Treatment centers like the one in Monterey are all-inclusive. They've seen so many cases of cancer that they are the last people to turn away new approaches or new ideas. You can tailor your own treatment, and it can include everything you have here, as well as modern techniques."

Alice looked at her son, then Xavier. For all her bravado and confidence, she was tired. Xavier jumped forward to catch her, but she refused to sit down. The same stubborn pride I had seen in Penn surrounded Alice like a glow.

She patted Xavier's hand. "All right. Fine. I don't want to underestimate other healers."

"I'll make the appointment for you," Penn said. He let go of me and took his mother's hand.

Alice caught my eyes and held them for a long moment. Then, she smiled. "I will make a deal. For my part, I will go to this treatment center and sit through a consult. I'm not promising anything, but I'm going to argue with them as much as I want."

Penn laughed. "Of course. I'll warn them when I make the appointment."

"What's the other half of the deal?" Xavier asked.

Alice brushed the men back and took both my hands. She drew me out of the yurt and up a small hill to a clearing. Xavier and Penn followed but stopped when Alice held up an imperious hand. "The only thing I ask in return is that Corsica stands here and finds a way to reveal herself."

I laughed, and the buoyant sound bounced off the hills. "Done."

Alice was surprised and took a step back. I waited until Xavier held her steady, and then I let loose the long, suspended first note of my favorite song. It reverberated through the oak groves and up into the night sky.

"Day by day / I'm falling more in love with you…"

I didn’t stop even when the campers ringed around the clearing to stare. The song swelled, and I let it sweep through me and take everything from me. I didn't stop, even when tears rolled down Alice's cheeks. I sang for her with everything I had and knew it was more than she had ever bargained for.

#

The campers drifted away as the last note faded. Xavier finally convinced Alice to return to her yurt to rest. Soon, it was just me and Penn in the small grove. He stood in the shadows, but I could still feel his eyes on me. Moonlight filtered down to where I stood like a spotlight. Normally, being so visible made me nervous, but just then, I felt free.

"Thank you," he said.

"For what? That felt wonderful."

Penn chuckled and joined me in the moonlit center of the clearing. "Thanks for putting Alice down a peg. The shock on her face was worth it."