Tessa and Erik
“Mum, do I really need to be there at the reception?” Tessa’s large grey eyes are already filled with tears, and she can feel her lips trembling. “I haven’t been to work yet, and nobody in this family has completed the fashionista career yet. At this rate I will have all my traits before I finish the career. I had to do the exercise Bootcamp as Brandon and Camilla didn’t want to leave the baby with Brooklyn, so can’t I go to the studio now?” Tessa feels desperate, not so much about her career, although she does love fashion. She is desperate to escape Brandon and Camilla’s wedding reception. “Why are they having a reception now? With Brooklyn’s toddler running round, and their own baby in the bassinet? They really have no shame, have they?” she says a bit more vehemently to her mum. “Mum, I don’t want to be here, I don’t want to meet Brandon’s friends, and I don’t want to lie…what if somebody asks me if they really have two children, what can I say? ‘Just one, the older one is from Brandon’s concubine…’, Mum, please say I can go to work!”
Her mum is adamant though, “It’s your own brother, of course you need to be there! We’re expecting just a few guests, which means that it will be difficult enough to get the party up to the high standard that the SiMobile Government demands from parties. We need the Gems, and the blue tickets. Brandon has already used up four tickets to have his two children, we will need more. You are part of this household, so you need to contribute. Besides, your career is not that important, as you will be married off soon enough. Brandon says he will look for a good husband for you. Careers don’t transfer, so no need to get too high up. Maybe Camilla can work in the studio once you have left…” Tessa has gone very pale, her freckles standing our like little dark mud splats. That is the main reason that she does not want to be at the reception! The fact that Brandon is looking for a husband for her!
She rushes back to her room, tears streaming down her face, sobbing, gasping for breath. There is no escaping the party though, and Tessa dresses as conservative as she dares for Brandon’s party. Brandon and Camilla are waiting for the approval of the SiMobile Government to start the party. Papers have to be checked, and Brandon and Camilla have a quarrel about the question that lets you choose between ‘Anyone in SiMobile’ or ‘Friends only’. Brandon wants everyone to turn up, you never know if somebody good looking will be there… Camilla insists on Friends Only, as she really hopes somebody from her family might turn up. However much she wanted to escape their lifestyle and what she sees as narrowmindedness, strangely enough she does miss them. Misses their hearty laughter; misses her mum’s rather wild ideas; misses her strong Viking uncle and his lovely wife; misses her many siblings and little Viking cousins… She secretly admits to herself that she is just a little homesick…
Finally the approval is granted, and Brandon dashes out to get all the party things: the board next to the post box, the table with the cake, the book for guests to sign…he comes rushing back, and it’s a real scrum to get the house decorated before the first guests arrive. Tessa helps with the decorating, as she loves it. She is very good; her grey eyes taking in the décor, studying it, looking for ways to improve it… Once she is satisfied she finds a very quiet corner, and from there waits to see what will happen. “I wish I could make myself invisible,” she sighs, “and just hide in this corner till all the guests have gone… What will I do if Brandon brings one of his horrid friends to me, to introduce us? What if one of these louts makes a flirtatious introduction? What if they want me to come to the little café? How can I refuse? The SiMobile Government only lets you refuse the risky advances, but not the small standard ones… I have no way out…!” Panic is climbing up her, twisting round her, choking her like bindweed, and it seems just as impossible to eradicate… Tessa can feel herself sinking deeper and deeper into a panic attack, when suddenly Camilla appears.
She could tell from her side of the room that Tessa wasn’t doing very well. She isn’t surprised, as she has met quite a few of Brandon’s friends herself. There is Brooklyn as well, of course. No, Brandon hasn’t got the best reputation, and now that she has come to know Tessa a little she can just imagine the young girl’s fear! Quickly she sidles up to Tessa, and says softly, “Don’t panic, Tessa, I’m quite sure some people from my family will come. I will make sure that you get introduced, and then we can ask them to take care of matters! Brandon is so busy with Brooklyn and me, and our children, that he’ll be more than happy to delegate… Just trust me, I won’t let you down,” and she smiles at the terrified girl. Tessa just nods, fighting her panic, willing it to stay under control…
Whenever she looks round the room she can feel it wriggling at the base of her throat though, trying to get her to scream and run… Some of Brandon’s loud friends are already here, but at the moment Brandon is kept entertained by Brooklyn… Brooklyn’s huge blue cat eyes have taken it all in, and she overheard some of what Camilla said to Tessa, and thoroughly approves of the plan. She has no regard for Brandon at all; all she wanted was to be made active, and to leave her job behind. Brandon was her ticket out, and all she needs now is for Tessa to leave, so Brooklyn can take her place. So she decides to lend a helping hand by distracting Brandon, so he won’t have time to drag Tessa over to one of his friends, or to even point her out to his friends.
Tessa stands in her sheltered corner, feeling her bare knees shaking, rubbing her freezing, clammy hands dry on her little skirt, when she hears her name mentioned. Her heart stops, then starts its rhythm again, but at twice the normal speed. She glances up, and gasps in horror! Camilla is talking to this huge, blond guy, and is pointing where Tessa is trying to blend in with the paintwork! “No,” she breathes, “no, please, Camilla, no… Lord, please, not me, don’t let him come to me…” Her voice trails off into a little whimper, as the big blond man lets out a loud, hearty laugh, hugs Camilla, then turns round, and strides up to her with purposeful strides. Tessa can’t breathe, and she can feel her body starting to shake. She can hear his footsteps stopping just in front of her, but she daren’t look up.
Then, a warm, deep, manly voice says, “My cousin Camilla tells me your name is Tessa. That has such a sweet ring to it; I think it suits you. Please allow me to compliment your hairstyle as well, my cousins will be very jealous. You see, my family is saving up for one of the expensive hairstyles, so they won’t be able to afford that cut. I think it’s beautiful, and makes you look like a pixie.” He laughs, a warm, caring laugh, rumbling like thunder in the distance. Tessa looks up then, and meets the kindest eyes imaginable, with cute blue eyebrows above them! She can’t help it, she has to smile, and her little face lights up. So do the young man’s eyes, she notices.
She blushes a little, and says softly, “I love your blue eyebrows… And that was the kindest flirtatious introduction ever heard in SiMobile, I’m sure!” They both laugh then, Tessa’s light, tinkling laugh, its silver bell effect matching her grey eyes. The blond young man’s laugh is loud and hearty. He stands at a respectful distance, not crowding her at all. He doesn’t look her up and down with leering eyes, like Brandon’s friends do. He doesn’t try to impress her; he just stands there, smiling, patient and with an inner calmness that calms Tessa as well. She can feel her heartrate settling down, and realises that there is no sign of panic now at all. Just a curiosity about this giant! “I’m sorry,” she says, going red, “I didn’t get your name… You say that you’re Camilla’s cousin?” She looks over at Camilla who is chatting to another guest, and looks back at the blond man with the blue eyebrows. “I can’t spot anything blue on Camilla…?” She makes it sound like a question, as the blue eyebrows somehow really intrigue her!
The giant laughs, and says with his deep voice, “Sorry for the oversight; my name is Erik, son of Magnus, the Viking. As for my blue eyebrows, well that is quite a story. May I buy you a coffee at the little café and I can tell you the story if you’re interested? It’s…ah…rather noisy here?” His voice goes up at the end of his sentence, making it sound like a question. He looks round at the other guests, and looks at the little toddler, Deborah, with her cat like eyes and dark hair. A look of great sadness glides over his face for a moment, but when he looks back at Tessa the look has gone, and only kindness can be seen on his smiling, handsome face.
Tessa feels ashamed of her messy family, and greatly relieved that Erik has offered her a way out of the party… “Yes please, I’d love a coffee,” she says, blushing at her eagerness. I won’t need that Izzy Creation effect with the fire at this rate, she thinks, my face will self ignite any minute now if I keep blushing like this! Erik looks relieved too, and he guides Tessa out of the house, somehow, without touching her. People make way for him, only glancing at the slim girl next to him. One of Brandon’s friends, one that Tessa really can’t stand, tries to look at Tessa too long. Erik moves so he is blocking the guy’s view, as well as glaring at the man. The man goes bright red and hurries off into the hobby room.
When they pass close by Camilla, Erik says softly, “I’m taking Tessa for a coffee at the little café. We will see you later. You better let Brandon know, so he doesn’t get any ideas in his mind with regards to his cronies!” He looks quite stern, his green eyes looking right into her heart it seems, and Camilla can feel the heat creeping into her cheeks. She can only imagine what her burly cousin must be thinking… She looks over at Brandon, sees his burning eyes fastened on Tessa, his hand resting on the arm of one of his obnoxious friends. It is clear that he was just about to point out Tessa to the guy. Now he is too late, and Brandon is too much of a coward to even dream of confronting Erik, or to try and argue with him. Tessa is safe, and Brandon’s evil plan has come to nought. She knew he would find a nasty piece of work for Tessa, as he can’t stand his sister’s faith, and always tries to hurt her emotionally or cause her distress. This time he is too late, and when Camilla looks at Brooklyn she can see the bright blue cat eyes sparkling with malicious pleasure. The two women look at each other, and their glee is a precious shared moment.
Camilla almost does the fist pump used for pulling off a risky action, for Brandon’s friend has just missed out. Her plan worked, and her handsome cousin has obviously taken a liking to the petit girl. “Good for him,” she grins, “good for him, I’m really pleased. Tessa is a sweet girl, way too emotional for my liking, but in the Mortina household she’ll be fine. They will look after her, and show her the kindness she deserves. As she doesn’t mind looking modest, and staying faithful and all that, she will feel right at home! I hope the first date goes alright, and I just hope, or maybe even pray, that they will continue in a relationship. I like Erik, he’s lovely, just like Uncle Magnus. I think its nice that he dyes his eyebrows blue, as a sign of belonging to his father. He really is a great guy, and it’s a shame he is my first cousin, hahaha, otherwise Tessa might have had some competition!”
She is shocked out of her pleasant daydream by a harsh voice in her ear, “You look like the cat who got the canary. I take it you planned this? Arranged a marriage for my sister without bothering to tell your husband, who happens to be the girl’s only brother?” She looks round, and can see the fury in his dark eyes, but Camilla doesn’t care anymore.
She looks as haughtily as she can and over her shoulder, whilst walking over to one of the nicer guys, she says, “I didn’t arrange anything. In fact, you know that I wasn’t sure anyone from my family would attend. As the guy is my cousin, I think Tessa has made a perfect choice; as Tessa is a sweet, kind girl, I think my cousin has made a perfect choice too!” She briefly makes eye contact with Brooklyn again, who looks more like a cat than ever, and Camilla is sure she can actually hear her purring happily to herself…
Erik and Tessa have a lovely time at the café, and by the time the choice for relationships crops up, Erik doesn’t hesitate to apply for ‘Soulmate’. He adores Tessa, he loves her lithe frame, and those grey eyes…well, they’re large enough for any man to drown in! As they are walking over to the Mortina home to start their courtship, Erik realises with a shock that he has fallen for the girl hook, line and sinker! He tries not to worry about that fact, but he keeps seeing his cousin, bare midriff and all; his cousin’s husband with his piercing eyes; he remembers the disgusting guys at the party…and for a split second he wonders if Tessa fits in the same picture… Immediately those nasty images are replaced with his first sighting of Tessa. The tiny girl, more modestly dressed than anyone else in the house, standing in the corner. He actually could see her knees knocking together, and when they shook hands he felt the icy cold fingers; could feel the trembling of her hands and his heart had melted for this young girl, who was obviously not having a great time… No, he decides, she is nothing like anybody in that family. Let’s hope she’ll get on with cousin Zahra…
She does, and Erik is relieved. He likes Zahra, and values her opinions. She has recently married one of the Knights, Michael, who has just moved in. The wedding was very special, as it’s not the first time that a Mortina married a Knight. Zahra had glowed with happiness, and kept saying, “He is so wonderful! I just feel so honoured, I mean, think of all the things Michael has to give up… There is also the risk of…” and she had stopped, a worried frown appearing. The others knew what she meant though. The last time a Mortina had married a Knight, it turned out that he was suffering from Llama Flu. Not the Weebles strain, which was very easily cured. No, this Knight, Richard Knight, had been struck down, literally, by the Pink Blob strain, and his life had hung in the balance for several days. He was cured, eventually, but the stress had been terrible on all the family. His cousin Victoria had been in the house at the same time, as they had had a double wedding. Erik can’t imagine what it must have been like… After Michael and Zahra are married, and Michael moves in, Erik can tell that the whole family is holding their breath. It turns out that Michael is as fit as a fiddle though, and life had settled down.
Tessa is amazed at how her life has been turned round. Here she is, little Tessa, with nobody to talk to, nobody who understands her, all alone; transformed into Tessa, Erik’s girlfriend. She has to keep pinching her arms to check that she isn’t dreaming. Surely this is too good to be true? She adores Erik, and thinks the world of him, even after a few dates, and time with his family. She loves the house, and they are more than happy for her to use their yoga mat. She loves it, as the yoga mat is near the piano where Michael is playing. He smiles at her whenever she looks at him, and is very kind and polite. He loves to help, she can tell, and she likes to watch him interact with what he calls ‘his three girls’, for Michael and Zahra have two daughters.
Tessa leans over, and this time happy tears drop onto the yoga mat. “Thank you, Lord, thank you! I can’t believe how my life has changed. I’m so very grateful; I love Erik, and I love the way he speaks to me; I get goose bumps from the way he looks at me, with respect, and warmth, kindness and love…He makes me feel special. Thank you Lord, for sending the right man at exactly the right time…” Her thoughts drift off for a moment, and she shivers. In one of her few moments at home Camilla had told her in quiet whispers what had happened at the party; Camilla had in just a few words made crystal clear to Tessa what sort of life she had narrowly escaped, for Tessa knew the man Camilla described.. How awful, she thinks, how utterly and profoundly unhappy my life would have been…
Then Tessa looks up again, catching a glimpse of one of the Mortinas in the kitchen, and smiles to herself, and breathes out, relief flowing off her in huge waves. “Thank God for this family, and thank God for my…well, fiancé in just a few hours!” It is true that Erik has been patient, not wanting to push Tessa, but the proposal comes at the right time. The whole family rejoices with the happy couple, and before anyone realises it they are wearing the SiMobile Government issued wedding gear, their faces beaming. They make a striking pair, the blond, giant, muscular Erik, his Norse blood showing. Standing next to him leaning on his strong arm stands the frail looking Tessa, with her tanned skin and large, grey eyes filled with happy tears! Tears that splash onto her freckled cheeks when her blond Viking leans over and kisses her under the wedding arch, and whispers with his face aglow with wonder and happiness, “Welcome home, Mrs Tessa Mortina, wife of Erik the Viking!”