*****

“A mother is your first friend, your best friend, your forever friend.”

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Devlin reached home and found his mom had just finished preparing supper. The peaceful walk back home had done him good.

He helped his mother to quickly set the table and after a short while they were sited at the table ready to eat their supper.

"This food tastes nice." Devlin commented after his first bite. "I've never eaten this before, how did you know this will become my favourite dish? Are you into foreseeing now?" he teased, covering his full mouth.

"Am not a prophet you stupid boy. I wanted to prepare your favourite but then i thought, where is the fun in that? So i decided to prepare you a surprise dish, i knew you would love this." His mother answered him smiling taking her own bite.

"Well, i am impressively surprised. Where did you learn to cook it and why haven't you  surprised me with it earlier?" Devlin asked after swallowing, wanting to know more about the food.

"Where else could i learnt it apart from my recipe book?" Dorcas answered rhetorically. "If you want i could teach you how to prepare that sometimes. You can also go and surprise the others at the barracks." Dorcas suggested to him.

"Yeah sure. I would love to learn how to cook this, but am not sure i will be able to teach the others at the barracks though. We don't have the privilege of having a home cooked meal there." He answered with his mouth full.

He wanted some mothers son bonding while he was around and with her offering to teach him how to cook, he couldn't agree more.

He often wondered how life could have been if he was staying close to his mother. Suddenly a suggestion crossed his mind and he quickly said it out,"Mum, how about i take you back with me? There is a small town close to the barracks and you can come see me anytime you wish and vice versa." Gosh! Why couldn't my stupid head think about that brilliant idea earlier?

Dorcas looked at his son for a moment as if thinking about his offer and then slowly nodded her head sideway meaning a 'no'.

"What! Are you not lonely and bored here? I thought you would be excited to be with me." Devlin rambled confused, not at all understanding why his mother refused his offer.

"Well, my whole life is here." Dorcas started explaining.

"You could start another life there too." Devlin answered quickly as if trying to convince her out of her decision.

"My friends are here." Dorcas explained. "Do you know how difficult it is to make friends in a world where everybody is with someone for their own selfish reasons? Or will you let me come with my friends?"

Devlin sighed defeated. As long as she wanted to stay then he wouldn't force her.

"I know it is difficult for you to come back here to visit, but as long as you call me daily while you are away, i have no problem. You love your job and am proud of you." Dorcas continued, "You are so much like your father you know, he loved helping people whenever he could."

"By the way mum, you never told me how you two met." Devlin asked suddenly changing the subject.

"We had an arranged marriage. I met him on the day of our wedding." His mother answered simply continuing with her meal.

Devlin's hand stopped midway as he was about to put the food in his mouth. "What!? You never told me that!" Devlin almost shouted fully surprised.

"Well i never told you because you never asked." Dorcas answered rolling her eyes like it was the easiest question on earth.

"How could you agree to an arranged marriage with a man that you didn't know? You are so lucky dad was a good man." Devlin was clearly still surprised.

"Well in our time marriage was not only about love. It had to do with responsibility and trust. I was married to your father because our parents were friends and businesses partners." Dorcas explained to her son.

"So there was no love marriages back then?" Devlin asked confused.

"Love was there but it was like a secondary issue. The basic one was trust and responsibility. Love alone cannot build a strong marriage, that's what people thought back then." Dorcas continued explaining to her son.

"And how did you two fall in love then?" Devlin asked.

"Oh, I gave him hell on the first few months after our marriage. He slept on the couch, washed his own clothes and even cooked his own meals. There was this one time he asked me to cook for him, i deliberately added to much salt and pepper and served him. He only ate a spoonful but coughed the whole night." His mother grinned wickedly.

"What! Mom, i never thought you had a bad side! What did dad do after that?" Devlin was now interested in the story.

"My poor husband just smiled at me the next day, neither did he complain nor call our parents that i was a spoilt brat. He just told me we had to try or else the marriage won't work.

In my defence, i was very angry to be forced into a life i had no clue of and with a man i barely knew, so he was the only person around who had to suffer the wrath of my anger." Dorcas continued narrating the story still smiling

"So, what happened then?" Devlin asked.

"I couldn't continue getting mad at him with all his kindness, it seemed useless. One evening he gave me a letter that said i had been accepted at a local collage nearby to study art- something i loved by the way. Without thinking i ran to him and hugged him.

Well things changed after that. I found out he was funny, caring and also understanding and little by little i started opening up to him. Before i knew it i had fallen for him." She concluded chuckling, now tears of sadness filling her cheeks.

Devlin went and hugged his mother. Each of them thinking about the happy and good memories they shared with his father.

"Do you believe in love at first sight?" Devlin was surprised when the question left his mouth.

His mother looked at him knowingly. "I don't believe that. Love grows the more people get to know each other and learn about your partner's good and bad side." Dorcas explained herself.

"That which you feel when you see someone for the first time is just an attraction, you can either dig into it or not.

You can be attracted to a thief because he or she has good looks. You can also be attracted to a singer because of how he sings but he is a drug addict.

Everyone has their negative and positive side. And that's where love comes in. If you get to know the person deeply and still feel the same way as you felt the first time you met the person then that is love." Dorcas finished giving her view.

"Thank you mum, I'll keep your advice in mind." Devlin said retreating back to his seat.

"Is there anyone special in your life?" Dorcas asked hopefully.

"No mum," he said and looked at her mother whose disappointed face was clear "but you will surely be the first to know if i get lucky." Devlin finished.

"Yeah, well, i want a grandchild soon. Need i remind you i am not immortal." Dorcas scolded her son.

"Don't worry you are still young and strong, let me work on getting a wife first and we will see about the grand children." Devlin suggested.

"Okay, it's late we need to get some sleep. Go ahead I'll quickly wash the dishes and go to my room." Dorcas told his son and started fumbling with the dishes.

"Thank you mum, that was a delicious! I'll make sure to add it in my list of favourite meals." Devlin thanked her while going to his room.

As soon as he reached his room his phone started vibrating continuously signalling him that someone was calling. He wondered who would call him in the middle of the night but one look at the caller he quickly accepted the call.

"Hello sir! Is everything okay?" Devlin asked automatically. Since they were talking on phone, it seemed weird that he was talking to his superior without saluting.

"Hello to you too Devlin. Everything is okay at the base. I am just checking up on you son, did you reach okay?" The voice of his base commander boomed on the other end.

The commander had been very understanding to him since he reported at the base and he considered him a father figure by his caring nature.

"I reached fine sir. The wedding is next weekend so i will just be catching up with my mum and friends till then." Devlin informed his superior.

"That is good, you deserved the time off after all." There was a short pause and shuffling of papers on the other end then the commander continued, "There will be a private undercover operation that would begin on Monday just after your friend's wedding. You are one of our best men so i would like to know if you will be available so i can add your name to the list of those who will undertake the op."

Devlin quickly started thinking if he was ready to go back yet. He still needed some time to bond with his mom, his friend Kevin would need him just before the honeymoon and also... the mysterious lady. He wanted to get to know her.

"Devlin, are you there son?" The commander asked alerting Devlin that he had been silent for long.

"I think i would be home for a little while commander, there are some things i need to do before coming back." Devlin answered

"Okay, call me if you change your mind about the mission. Be safe." The commander ended their chat without even waiting for his reply.

Devlin was sure he made the right choice. Just like his mother said he had to stay back home, gather enough courage, approach the mysterious lady, and get to know her more.

Everyone says its difficult to know true love, but Devlin enjoys challenges, and he never gives up till he wins.

*****