Page 18 of After the Fall
“Go ahead,” he said, giving me permission.
I gently stroked the plant, admiring its vibrant purple hue. “It’s beautiful,” I whispered. “I’ve never seen a fern this color. Is it native to Washington?”
He smiled and nodded. “It only grows in Stirling County. And even then, only under the right conditions. This is the first year I’ve been able to reproduce it successfully indoors.” I detected a hint of pride in his voice.
“That’s incredible.” And it was. From working at the nursery, I knew the intricacies of plant reproduction.
“It’s even more amazing than you realize.” His voice lowered a notch. “This is no ordinary fern, Miss Davis. Its fronds contain an incredible gift. You are familiar with aloe vera, I take it?”
I nodded. I’d left my aloe plant, one of my favorites, at Savannah’s, knowing I now had an entire greenhouse in my backyard.
“Its leaves are similar to that of aloe vera. Have you ever seen such fleshy fronds on a fern before?” He squeezed gently, and a gel-like substance appeared on his fingertips. He rubbed it together, smiling.
“Like aloe,” I grinned.
“Yes,” he nodded. “But with far greater medicinal properties. This gel can be formulated into a medicine that aids with everything from healing wounds, to aging, to reproduction. As a matter of fact, our species share seventy-five percent of our genes with this fern. Remarkable, no?”
My eyes lit up. “Reproduction?”
He chuckled. “Yes. Reproduction. This fern is one of the reasons our kind can birth such healthy children well into our later years. Why, my aunt gave birth to a robust baby just lastyear. He had the biggest cheeks, like perfectly round apples,” he boasted.
I shuffled back and forth on my feet, afraid to ask the question that had been haunting me this past week. I didn’t want to say the words out loud. “Could it…” I quickly shut my mouth. What was I thinking? I barely knew Tim. He was a stranger, and not even a human one. This wasn’t a casual chat with Savannah over a glass of wine. And if word got back to Wyatt that I’d been so forthcoming with one of his staff...
Looking down at the ground, I could feel shame building inside me. I vowed to be more careful with my words. “Never mind,” I whispered.
But Tim’s voice spoke, low and gentle. “Harper.” Surprised to hear him use my first name, my eyes looked up from the concrete floor, meeting his. They shone golden, and like Wyatt’s, seemed trustworthy. “I’m a scientist. My entire world lies within these glass walls. No question is off limits.”
His words gave me the strength I needed. “Could it help me have a baby with Wyatt?”
“Oh, I see.” His face fell, and I steeled myself for the answer I knew was coming. “I’m sorry. It’s impossible for a human and a sasquatch to reproduce.” He sighed. “The cryptothelys is an amazing plant, but it can’t do the impossible.”
He turned to continue the tour, but I stayed frozen in my spot, unsure if I had heard him correctly. “What did you just say?”
He paused and turned back to face me, but any warmth was gone. His eyes flashed, tense and anxious. “I’m sorry, Miss Davis. I know that wasn’t what you wanted to hear, but it’s genetically impossible for you to get pregnant by a sasquatch.”
“No, not that.”
He looked relieved, yet perplexed. “I’m… not sure I understand.”
“The fern. What did you call it?”
The side of his mouth turned up, his relief apparent. “Cryptothelys. But of course, you won’t find it in any encyclopedia. As far as humans are concerned, the cryptothelys doesn’t exist. Now, shall we continue in this direction? I have some exciting new discoveries from South America I’d love to share with you…”
His voice faded away. My mind was unable to make any sense of words but I nodded along, pretending to be fully engrossed in his tour, a fake smile plastered on my face to show interest as he droned on.
But Tim was wrong. Today wasn’t the first time I had heard the name cryptothelys.
The last time I’d heard it was long before Wyatt had appeared in my life. And before my dad had left it.
NINE
“One more page?”she begged, tucked under the frilly pink covers of her twin bed.
“How can I say no to my Sunbeam?”
As he turned the page, Harper let out an appreciative sigh. “What’s this one?” she asked, pointing at the purplish bean-like plant that filled the page.
“Ah, we’re in the Amazon now, one of my favorite regions. Although the one you’ve picked is most definitelynotmy favorite,” he chuckled. “The mucuna pruriens makes you really itchy. And yes, I learned that the hard way.” He winked dramatically, eliciting a bout of giggles from the bed.