Master Apprentice
Archive
Mother's Day
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Archive: MA only
Category: Alternate Reality, Qui/Obi, Romance
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Jo counts her blessings.
Series: Academic Arcadia -- 1) Wedding Gifts 2) A Symposium on Love 3) Dinner and a Movie 4) Please Call First 5) Masquerade 6) A Change of Clime 7) Christmas in Williamsburg 8) A Paduan New Year's Eve 9) Flux 10) Ki of Tranquility 11) A Rescindable Honor 12) An Honor Conferred 13) Outmaneuvered 14) Valentines by Design 15) Mastery 16) A Walk in the Park 17) The Man of the Moment 18) St. Patrick's Play 19) Avocation 20) Sustenance 21) A Cruise for Two 22) Mother's Day
Feedback: Is treasured at MerryAmelie@aol.com
Disclaimer: Mr. Lucas owns everything Star Wars. I'm not making any money.
For my dearest mother
Mother's Day had gifted Jo with surprises this year, even though the holiday itself was still a day away. She knew her sons, including Quinn, were taking the family out to dinner that night, and she'd already put Monty and Ian's cards on the mantel, sparking joy and gratitude in her each time she glanced over at them.
This year, however, brought an unexpected addition: Quinn had also sent a card. Jo knew him to be too diffident to give her one that seemed intimate, although by now, she would have welcomed it. Instead, Quinn had chosen a lovely card "from a friend," as it said on the front.
His small, precise handwriting graced the interior:
Dear Jo,
May you have the happiest of holidays, blessed with the love of your devoted husband, two fine sons, and our sweet Kathy. It's a wonder to me that I'm privileged to share in the celebration with all of you.
My best always,
Quinn
Jo smiled; she could hear the unique cadence of Quinn's voice in his words. She was glad to have thought of celebrating on Saturday this year, leaving Quinn free to spend the holiday with his parents.
The actual date mattered not at all to Jo, just the fact that she now had three sons and a daughter. In the Prentice family, the words 'in-law' were an unimportant afterthought to describe the loving relationships they had established.
After all, Jo had known Quinn for almost a year now, meeting him soon after the Tolkien conference that had brought Ian and Quinn together. She found it hard to believe that in only a week and a half, on May 19th, they'd be celebrating their first anniversary.
It had been a year full of happy discovery for Jo: first, that her love for Ian was completely undiminished by his choice of partner; second, that she instinctively treated Kathy and Quinn exactly the same; third, that her respect for Ian had actually intensified because of his courage in integrating his relationship with Quinn into their family life.
Jo only wished that Quinn could have the same advantages. He never mentioned his family, nor did he have to. Jo had asked once if she could invite Quinn's parents over for lunch, but when she'd seen the look on his and Ian's faces, she had immediately dropped the subject.
Jo's mothering heart went out to Quinn. She could all too easily imagine his awkward position, a man constantly aware of the distance between what his relatives wanted for him, and what he needed to thrive.
Jo did not fault the Mastersons, however; they had never been given the chance to accept or reject their son's choices. Who could predict what even the most conservative family would do when one of their own was involved?
All Jo knew was that Quinn had charmed her early on. When she'd worked through her fears for her son, she had recognized that Quinn was a good man, loyal and kind. At the start of last year's autumn semester, he'd moved to New Jersey and taken on an extra two hour commute daily, so that Ian could have an easy drive to Ken State.
Jo was head librarian at the Boonton Library, and had looked up Quinn's publications, to find that he'd already published thirty papers in his field, with subjects ranging from the expected Tolkien to the unexpected Mary Renault. She'd already known from his associate professorship at Luke that Quinn was an accomplished man; the publication data merely confirmed it.
Luckily for Ian, Quinn was interested in more than his work. Ian had told Jo about the importance to them of aikido as a mental and physical discipline, and their shared love of philosophy. She'd lost count of the number of plants with which Quinn had gifted her; many visits brought with them a seedling or cutting from his terrace garden.
On family game nights, Quinn brought the Guinness and chips, along with a notable honesty, refusing to coin new words, even in the heat of Scrabble fever. Ian and Quinn were already formidable players; misusing their expertise would have made them all but unbeatable.
Ian himself had always been Jo's pride and joy. His irrepressible humor and luminous intelligence had made Ian a delight to raise, and Quinn certainly brought out those qualities in her son. Since the advent of Quinn, there had been a new calm, a mature center to Ian that was wonderful to see.
Jo could sense his happiness with the new job at Luke. Of course, working with Quinn was a gift, but the university itself was a better fit for him than the less structured Ken State. Ian liked having standard syllabi for the required courses that each student was expected to master. He thought that a common body of knowledge was an essential start to education.
Jo, in her capacity as a librarian, had always agreed with him on this, and every year revised her lists of the must-read books for each grade. Mother and son had lively discussions about that very subject, with Quinn a frequent contributor.
Jo was glad to be a positive force in Ian and Quinn's lives. Ian had always had a strong relationship with Keith and her; now that he had trusted them with his private life, they had all grown even closer.
When the baby came next month, Ian's status as godfather would inevitably bring the younger generation together as well. There was nothing like doting over an infant to cement family ties. Would it be Leila Morgan or Wayne Ian? Jo respected the children's decision to wait until the baby was born to find out, but these months of uncertainty were hard on her.
Jo was interrupted in her reverie when Keith came into the living room and hugged her.
"The kids will be here in an hour, sweetheart. The bathroom's all yours," Keith said.
"Thanks, honey. Look what just came in the mail." Jo handed her husband Quinn's card.
"My goodness, Jo; what an unexpected gift. Just like Quinn himself, when you think about it." Keith's smile charmed Jo, as always.
She gave him a kiss appropriate for Valentine's Day, then went off to shower and change for her party that night.
This Mother's Day, she had two additions to the family to rejoice in: her eagerly anticipated first grandchild, and Ian's Quinn.
end.