Forever Never Dies

The Free sample. Nathan has spent the last ten weeks romancing Tia. The more time they spend together, the more he falls for her. Tia is warmhearted like his mother, and she looks adorable to him. Nathan goes to Tim Horton's every morning to get her a cinnibun and ice cappuccino before she wakes. It is like they are a couple. Then, they work out at the gym. Tia is a part-time broadcasting student at Carlton University. She studies while Nathan works on his up-coming hearing. Tia’s kitchen is very organized because she hates eating out. After their evening meal, they watch African movies. Tia makes him a smoothie every night before she goes to bed. Nathan is not a good cook like his father, but he enjoys watching Tia cook. It is now two days before Christmas and Nathan has still not been able to speak to his mother because she is always sleeping whenever he calls during the day. “Tia, I'm going to the cottage to see my parents. I’d love it if you could come with me.” Tia tries to think of an excuse for not going, but then she thinks, “why not?” Inexplicably, she is also worried about Nathan's mother sleeping all day and night. Instinctively, she suspects there must be some explanation for the mystery. “I’d love to,” Tia replies with a smile. Nathan is more than surprised. He really did not expect she would go with him. “Are you sure?” he queries. “Yes, Mr. Hot. I would love to spend the Christmas holidays with you and your family. We have to leave early,” she says. “I want to stop at St Laurent Fruit Market before it closes. I need to pick up a few things. How about after gym, I buy us lunch and we can head off?” “A beautiful woman wants to buy me lunch? I won't say no.” Nathan teases. Tia wants to say she has enjoyed his company. She loves how relaxed she feels with him. It’s like nothing matters when she thinks of him. She will miss him when he goes back to Toronto. She smiles. The town of Cassleman is not more then forty minutes from Ottawa. They arrive a little after three in the midst of some blustery, snowy weather. There is a storm warning in the towns of Orleans and Cumberland as well as the surrounding area, which includes the Casselman district. Nathan and Tia arrive at the Carter cottage just before the storm begins in earnest. Tia has not seen this much snow before, and already five centimeters of snow has fallen. She loves it, it looks so beautiful. Nathan’s father is out salting the driveway as they pull up. He wears a hat that covers much of his face. Nathan calls out a greeting to him, and he almost loses his balance when he sees how beautiful Tia is and slips on the slippery driveway. Tia quickly goes to him and asks if he is all right. Nathan is too busy getting things out of the trunk of the car. He sees his father holding hands with Tia, talking like old friends as they go into the cottage. Tia admires the cottage, a 1920s house with some modern upgrades. The first thing that draws her attention is the huge stone fire place. Anthony Carter steers her straight to the fire, and pulls over a chair for her to sit in as he helps with her coat. “I will make you a hot chocolate,” he offers. “It's okay, show me the kitchen, Daddy. I will make it myself.” Anthony likes this girl already. She is not like Nathan's usual girlfriends he normally brings home. “Kitchen is right here, honey.” Anthony Carter stands about six feet tall, one hundred and sixty pounds with a touch of gray in his hair; he still has a touch of a West Indies accent as well as the traditional West Indian sense of humor. The kitchen is a big country kitchen with oak cupboards and granite counter tops, and a rectangular island in the middle. A huge stone fireplace just like the one in the living room adds to the cozy atmosphere as do enormously large windows providing a view of the woodlands behind the cottage. Tia quickly switches on the kettle. “You have a lovely home. I adore the fireplace.” “It's double sided,” Anthony says. “Come, I will show you, honey.” He takes Tia’s hand. Nathan has come inside, and with some amusement watches his father holding Tia’s hands again. Talking and laughing like they are like old friends, Nathan is jealous. He has known Tia longer than his father and it took him six weeks before he held her hands. “Never mind me!” he says out loud. “I am only your son, who brings home the beautiful girl.” Tia and Anthony both laugh. He comes over and shakes his father's hands. “Nate, my boy!” Anthony says. “Good to see you! Your mother misses you very much, nice of you to come home and bring Tia, son. Mother is sleeping. Come, let's go make hot chocolate.” “Nathan, I need the groceries from the car, sweetie, please.” Nathan likes it when Tia call him sweetie, beautiful, and Mr. Hot. It makes him feel warm inside. He asks his father to give him a hand. Anthony asks why they brought so many groceries. Nathan tells his father he has no idea. “Tia wanted to get them on the way here. She felt Mother maybe tired. I told her you do all our cooking, but she would not listen to me, Dad.” Anthony laughs. “A woman who can stand up to Nate? I love this girl, Nathan.” His father winks. “Me too, Dad. Me too.” “She is a keeper! This one, son… don't let her go,” his father advises him.