“The instructor is recommending him for a more advanced class. Of course, I already gave the greenlight to that. No point in holding him back if he can go much further,” Reiner told me casually before he began cheering and clapping.
Lance had probably just performed another violent miracle. I was so relieved when his session came to an end.
“Let’s go outside,” Reiner said as he offered me his hand.
“Outside?” I asked.
“Yup. It’s going to be Ryder’s turn soon and you don’t want to miss this, trust me,” Reiner said with utmost confidence.
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to see what I was about to see. Regardless, I came here after deciding to play the role of a supportive mother and that was what I intended to do until the very end.
“Did you…do something like this when you were a boy?” I asked in wonder.
“Of course. I probably did much more than them. King was much stricter with me than he is with our sons, and of course, I’m not as strict as King is with my sons. Sometimes I feel like I’m going too easy on them. Hopefully they don’t fall behind the expected standards,” Reiner said thoughtfully.
“Did Queen come to watch you too?” I asked further.
“Of course. She was probably my biggest fan…” Reiner replied with a laugh.
So much pressure on me…right there…
…
To my surprise and slight terror, Reiner led me to an outshoot shooting course that resembled a very rustic obstacle course.
“Stand here and don’t move around recklessly. Bullets can stray…” Reiner warned sternly as he kept his hand on my arm.
Bullets can stray…
“Why are we here?” I asked, although I had a good guess.
“To watch Ryder, conquer that course,” Reiner replied enthusiastically.
My eyes returned to the course in front of us with various walls, obstacles, and black and white target plates.
“Right…” I muttered while not quite sure how to feel.
Reiner acted like this was normal and totally expected. So are boys supposed to shoot guns and hit those targets at this age? Really?
I knew without asking that Reiner probably went through the same thing or something worst when he was younger. Without thinking, I had started praying for Ryder’s safety.
“Don’t worry. Those targets are just paper targets. It’s not like anyone is shooting back at him for real,” Reiner told me reassuringly.
He wrapped his arm around my waist from behind before kissing the top of my head. I tipped my head back and looked up at his smiling face. He kissed my lips tenderly and I ended up blushing.
“He’s here,” Reiner said with pure excitement.
Ryder stepped out and waved a little in our direction before the instructors gave him some instructions. There was a large timer board and even I could figure out that the objective of this activity was for Ryder to run through the course as fast as possible while hitting all the targets. I could understand the attractiveness of the activity as long as it never translated into any real situation.
The whistle blew loudly, and Ryder began running through the course. Everything happened so fast and so were his movements. I wondered how many times he had practice this. His movements were fast and seemed very well calculated. Ryder’s aim was also precise, and he didn’t have to shoot at a target more than once to hit it.
“He’s good,” Reiner confirmed my observations.
He was good. Even I had to admit that with a mixed feeling. On one hand, I was scared for his safety, on the other hand, I was so proud inside that my chest felt so tight. His instructors and classmate cheered for him loudly when the session came to an end. I couldn’t tell if that was a good time that he achieved or not, but Reiner seemed satisfied enough with the result.
“Let’s go see him, Natalia,” Reiner urged.
I turned to smile at him and suddenly felt a throbbing in my temples. Suddenly, I had a headache and I felt very dizzy. Was it because of the sun and the weather outside?
“Are you ok?” Reiner asked as if he could sense my sickness.
“I’m fine…” I replied, to ease his worry.
I wasn’t fine but I should be soon. It’s probably just the sun and the humid weather. I knew that my thought was wrong when I started walking. The dizziness quickly intensified…
“Natalia!”
I heard Reiner call my name and then, I couldn’t remember anything that happened after that anymore.
…
It had been a long time since I last woke up with this feeling. The beeping sound of machines, the overly cold room, and the smell of disinfectant that filled the room told me that I had woken up in a hospital.
“R…” I whispered the first thing that came to my mind.
Reiner…where is he?
“Mum…”
“Natalia…”
I opened my eyes and turned my face around to see my husband and my sons next to my bed. Reiner looked extremely worried. Ryder looked so terribly sad while Lance was openly crying.
“Did I faint?” I voiced my best guess.
“Yes, you did,” Reiner replied flatly.
“Don’t cry, Lance. Your mummy is ok now. I was probably just tired…” I told him reassuringly as I reached out my fingers to wipe away the tears from his soft cheeks.
“It’s our fault for inviting you out…” Ryder mumbled regretfully.
“Of course, it’s not your fault. I had a very good time. You two were great!” I tried to comfort them before plastering a bright smile on my lips.
My throat felt dry, and I would be lying if I said that I felt perfectly fine. The children didn’t need to know that, though. I glared at Reiner as if to ask why the kids were here. Why didn’t he leave the kids at home with King, Queen, or the maids?
“Alright, mummy’s fine now. You should go home. King is waiting for you, so you can go back home with him. Ok?” Reiner quickly suggested.
–To be continued…