The tea was awful. Gawain almost spat it out at first try. It felt like it was set on burning a hole through his throat. He did not spit though. It was not polite to spit. In the presence of old ladies. Who throw cars.

>>“Have some tea. And if your mother ever shows her face again, I'll show you the car-smash.”

Oh yeah.

Gawain sipped the tea. Carefully. As little as possible. Sip.

"It's not her fault, you know." he muttered "She would not have left me if she had a choice. She never left me alone."

Except that one time.

Granny did look as if she liked the tea. She had made it, after all. From somewhere behind a green-glowing pot of sugar approached Mirror and hovered at his elbow. Because Grannies have that kind of awesome power. Not Telekinesis. That was only her. But they knew the face of a person trying to stomach something unpleasant. Just like that. I win. “Sugar?” That was said in her nice voice.

A sip of tea later she got out her not-nice voice. “Look, honey, I don't care if she had to go save the world.” Yes, this was quite true. Mothers leaving their children alone. Not her type of people. “She wasn’t there when it mattered. She will meet the car.” Just like that. Bitter things I know about, her eyes said. Because I’m old. And you aren’t.

>>“Sugar?”

"Yes please" Gawain nodded, holding out his cup of tea. Sugar sounded like a good improvement indeed. He liked sugar. It was sweet.
Granny seemed to be showing her softer side now. Probably not the side Sam would ever see, and Gawain felt kind of proud that she was feeding him tea instead of car-smashing him.

>>“Look, honey, I don't care if she had to go save the world. She wasn’t there when it mattered. She will meet the car.” J

There was an expression on the young mirrorwalker's face, somewhere between a smirk and a frown. Granny was awesome for a grandma. Too bad she was dissing the wrong person.

"And what if she couldn't come back?" he inquired, looking into the dark pool of the now-sweet tea "What if soemone won't let her?"

It was a theoretical question, of course. It was obvious someone was not letting her come back. She would have come back a long time ago if it was just up to her.

And then sometimes you're somewhat too old to remember things. Until a kid comes along to remind you. Them kids tend to be fiercely loyal and idealistic. Both were characteristics she could relate to both in abstract and practice. But then there also was a realist heart beating in her chest. A realist heart that sadly said things about the poor boys mother that were noncomplimentary. Also they were not for good and decent company. OR any company at all. Grannys do not swear. They behoove themselves to and on great composure.

“Kid...” Yes she said that. Yes, she did, because she was old and arthritic and had much to much on her mind just now. “just know that you can come to me after you find the answer to that question.”

And that was that. She looked over her teacup with very old eyes.