Double Fated (Book One)

by C.K. Mullinax

  Chapter Fifty

  Terrified, my voice was hidden deep inside of me…

  The only form of lighting was the video game on the screen. I wasn’t looking where I was going, anyway. That’s never a good combination for running.

  My eyes had not adjusted to the dim environment. So, I didn’t see the scattered markers strewn across the floor.

  “Arm…eeeeekkkkkk…” I shouted as I tripped and fell, because that was the best I could do.

  “Aunt Krista…you can’t walk around on top of my markers ‘cuz they’re rounder than marbles. I had out tacks a minute ago. You’re super lucky I was finished stickin’ them in stuff and was colorin’ some more things for mommy and daddy…” Haven informed me as she scrambled to clear the remaining markers.

  “Oh…sweetttiiieeeeee…my sweetttiieeee,” I said, gathering my little niece into my arms and holding her, tightly.

  “Oh, my Aunt Krista…I love you and I’ve been missing you something awful. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for you to try and cross the marker river. I didn’t know you were gonna come running around in here to be with us ‘til it was all over. You didn’t get to finish your runnin’ ‘cuz of those…I shoulda been usin’ my crayons. Well, I think they woulda made you fall over in your tracks, too but just not as fast maybe. They break when you run over them, but they’re still round like markers…even when they’re in pieces.

  “Did you hurt your arm eeeekkkk, Aunt Krista?? Is that why you’re upset?? I didn’t mean for you to get hurted on my junk! I shoulda picked it all up or kept it in the basket. I just forgot to pay attention to where I was puttin’ stuff ‘cuz this has been my corner while I’ve been in here. I’m a messy Plicasso…” she stated and continued rambling, nervously.

  Zander, Quinn, Luke and Mikey are ignoring the commotion. But, they are all safe…in this room…playing video games…with junk food wrappers and empty soda bottles surrounding them.

  “Is…okay…baby…” I offered weakly, attempting to calm down.

  I had been so petrified when I ran in that I could still taste the adrenaline.

  “What’s an arm eeeekkkk, Aunt Krista?? Do only grown-ups get one or do little girls have them too?? I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone tell me that…arm eeeekkk, huh?”

  “There’s no such thing as an arm eeeekkkk, baby girl – just an arm. That ‘eeeekkkk’ part is just what my crazy brain came up with to say. I didn’t know you were in here…” I stated, keeping my tone light.

  “We’ve been ripping-up our horror-moans…” she announced.

  “Do you mean revving up your hormones?” I inquired.

  “Yup…that’s what I thought I was saying!”

  “Just how long have you and your brothers been in here revving your hormones?”

  “It’s kinda hard to tell without no windows in the place. King Luke A. Mon and Mikey T. S. Biggs have slept about four sleeps. Zander and Quinny only slept for two or three sleeps. It’s three if you wanna count the little nap they took after their first super long champlang…I mean camp-pain.

  “I’ve been getting us food and drinks using the Commandee in Central Command. See my apple cores, pear cores and yogurt cups and cot…well, I’ve been eatin’ right and sleepin’ just like I’m supposed to. The boys are getting ready to take off on a tester-road adventure. They said they gotta stay up and play and eat junk ‘cuz it’s what marathong gangers munch on when they’re revving their horror-moans. So, junk food is what I ordered for them…” she revealed.

  “First, the terms are “testosterone”, “marathon” and “gamers”. And, it’s “hormones” not horror-moans, remember?”

  “Oh yeah…sorry…”

  “Second, why have all of you been sleeping and eating in the media room?”

  “Well, it’s a long, borrrriiiinnnnnggg story…” she hedged.

  “I’ve got plenty of time to hear it. Before you start, mind telling me why they’re not interested in saying ‘hi’?” I asked her gently and she turned to her brothers.

  “Welllll, that’s kinda an even super longer story…”

  “Haven Celestial Serene…”

  “Just hold those name-horseys’ and I’ll fix their interest…” she declared and withdrew what looked like a channel.

  The boys dropped their controllers. Mikey and Luke keeled over and fell asleep.

  “EEEEEkkkkk…my hands…” Quinn said, trying feverishly to rub the cramps out of his overused palms.

  “Aunt Krista said there’s no ‘eeeeekkkkk’ body parts…it’s your crazy brain’s made up word…” Haven offered him, logically.

  “What…this…how long…happened?” Zander asked, attempting to sort through his thoughts enough to ask a question.

  “I don’t understand the word orders you’re sayin’ Zander. Are you askin’ us a something or telling us a something?” Haven questioned.

  Zander didn’t respond right away. Instead he healed Quinn’s hands and nodded for him to return the favor.

  I couldn’t seem to keep a straight face when they had to dig each other out from underneath the empty bottles, candy and chip wrappers.

  “What did you do to us, Haven?” Quinn inquired, valiantly trying not to laugh right along with me.

  “I gave out heart-flips desires…” she announced.

  “What kind of heart-flips desires? Daddy’s kind?” Zander questioned, clearly understanding something she said.

  “No, not my daddy’s kind…R-daddy’s kind. It was from that big, fat book on the high, high shelf in his office…”

  “You can’t reach that book, alone…” Quinn offered.

  “I didn’t need to reach it…” she replied.

  “How did you read about heart-flips desires if you didn’t reach the book to read it?” Zander asked, succinctly.

  “Mikey put Luke on his shoulders and they reached it down for me…” she told us, proudly.

  “Who did you give the heart-flips desires to?” I questioned her, bracing myself.

  “Well, practically everybody but not g-mommy or Grand-Mommy Edie or you either ‘cuz none of you were with us when we were eatin’ breakfast on the day after the animal sure-far-ray…”

  “The word is “safari”, Little Girl…” Quinn corrected her and looked at me, knowingly.

  “I like sure-far-ray better. Oh well, no one asked me what to name animal-looking when they decided on it…”

  “Let’s get King Luke A. Mon and Mikey T. S. Biggs to bed. Then, mind showing the rest of us the heart-flips channel you gave to us?” Quinn requested.

  “I’ll show you, but you can’t read it or take it off. Zander’ll have to read it to you, if you wanna know the whole-whole thing. There’s this big word at the beginning that I couldn’t figure out. And, there’s only one that I couldn’t get in the middle. I had to guess at one other word near the end, but I think I guessed it right. I could read all the rest of it…I’ll show you if you want. Part of heart-flips is in that funny picture language that the Vaydem old folks liked to write in. R-daddy’s been teaching it to me and I’ve been learning it, as fast as I can. Those old Vaydem people were real picky about who can take heart-flips away. I gave it out so I’ve gotta be the taker-backer…” she said.

  “Great…a hybrid ancient/modern Vaydem heart-flips desires channel that has a big word attached to the title and can only be withdrawn by the giver. Yay, it’s just what we all wanted…” Zander stated and Haven was beaming.

  “Okay, Zander…Quinn and I will put Mikey and Luke in bed while you and Haven go look at the heart-flips book…” I offered with a smile the size of Texas on my face.

  “It’s not called heart-flips book, my Aunt Krista…the big, big book is called Deepest Prassions,” she informed us.

  “The word is ‘passions’…” Zander responded with an equally big smile.

  Scared senseless again, I put Luke down at the speed of light. Quinn changed Mikey into fresh P.J.’s, put him
to bed and made it out before I did.

  “How bad can this be??” I asked Quinn before we joined Zander and Haven.

  “Depends…how long were we gaming?” my nephew replied.

  “It’s Sunday, late morning, now. I haven’t heard anything from any of you since Monday night at dinner…”

  “My mom and/or dad call you?”

  “Nope…not a word…”

  “Ember/Uncle Jaysen? Aunt Fallon/Uncle Reid? Either momma and/or daddy??”

  “Nope, nope and double no…”

  “Let’s get to Sunridge and pray everyone’s still breathing…” he said without any humor.

  Haven greeted us as we rushed into R-daddy’s study.

  “Momma-C and R-daddy are playing safari…isn’t that excitin’! They’re making all kinds of animal sounds. I just couldn’t tell which jungle from which world. But, Zander put up a quiet barrier and says we can’t ask them if we can be animals. I wanna play safari too…” she declared and her lower lip stuck out to prove her extreme dissatisfaction.

  “It’s a jungle going on in there…alright…” my Boo-bear agreed with a very red face.

  “Haven, you’ve been playing all week! It’s time for everyone to stop, now…” I said, attempting to be convincing.

  But, it sounded completely lame and pathetic. Quinn was snickering and Zander was hiding behind Haven’s head so she couldn’t see him laughing.

  Someone needs to confiscate my adult card…

  Fortunately, Haven wasn’t paying attention to me or my weak pseudo-reprimand. She forgot about playing safari too when she found the channel in the book underneath a pile of papers.

  “Here it is! Tell me the word, Zander. Tell me the word that’s too big to read…” she stated in excitement.

  “That’s actually two words…boundlessly enchanting…your gift is called boundlessly enchanting heartfelt desires…” Zander told us and turned as pale as a sheet of paper.

  “And, what’s that word…I just skipped it ‘cuz it didn’t look big enough to think about…” Haven inquired, wrinkling her forehead in confusion.

  “It means waning…” Zander revealed.

  “What’s whanning?” she questioned.

  “No Haven…waning. It means goes away little-by-little,” Zander said in a haunted voice.

  “Well then, I’m happy I didn’t use that little ‘waning away’ word ‘cuz I wanted them to have loads and lots of heart-flips for days and days…” she offered, twirling and giggling.

  Mission accomplished!

  Zander took Haven by the hand and led her to Momma-C and R-daddy’s bedroom. He pounded on the door, but they didn’t open it. We waited while they trans-versed to the House of Michael. Ember and Jaysen didn’t respond. Then, they went to the House of Evn’ Tides to see if they could get the channel withdrawn from Tray and Willow. No such luck either.

  By the time he returned to Sunridge carrying her alone, I knew we were in over our heads.

  “Haven tried to be a taker-backer. But, the channel appears to be stuck on them…” Zander declared with a look of genuine horror.

  “I promise-promise that I tried my very hardest, but those heart-flips are staying right where I put ‘em,” she announced.

  “We need Grandma…” Quinn stated.

  “Yeah, we need Grandma Edie…” Zander agreed.

  “Yeah, I want my grand-mommy. I’ll give her the heart-flips when she gets here. She’ll play safari with me!” Haven announced, remembering what she wanted to do.

  “No more presents today, Baby Girl!” Quinn, Zander and I exclaimed in unison.

  I pulled my phone out and sent a fast text to g-mom.

  “No help coming from home front. Tiny situation here,” I said and she replied, instantly.

  “Am I needed???”

  “Not yet. Will keep you informed…”

  Then, I sent Grandma Edie a text that said, “Z, Q and I need you ASAP Sunridge…”

  This prompted an immediate call from Filgro.

  “Hello, Command…” I stated happily in a neutral voice for Haven’s benefit.

  “Reigning Lady Quinton apprised us of an urgent matter – please advise!” Filgro exclaimed, sounding like campus security.

  “Little Lady Haven has stuck a channel gift to everyone and she can’t seem to get it unglued. We’re hoping…” was all I got out before Haven snatched the phone from my hand.

  “Let me handle him. Hi Commandee in Central Commands…this is General Commander Girl Haven, over and under. I want my Grand-Mommy Edie, please. You’re still locked where you’re stuck and can’t come in here like you can’t go to Media Room Central. So, I want my grand-mommy, right here with me.

  “You heard me…now! They’re in there playin’ safari without us but you can’t hear it ‘cuz Zander keeps putting up those silent walls. She’ll wanna be here to see it and play it…whether she can hear it or not…” Haven said and fell silent for less than ten seconds. “Yes, that’s what I was just sayin’. She’ll have to be here with us at Mommy-CiCi’s and R-daddy’s house if she wants to play jungle safari in the bedroom.

  “No, tell her they won’t come out to go play…

  “Aunt Krista says that game time is over ‘cuz we’ve been at it all week. She put her foot down ‘cuz she’s Commander General Girl when she got here – she out-spanks me and even, Zander. But, my Grand-Mommy Edie and my G-Mommy Lizzy out-spank her. They know how to play, even more than my little brothers. They won’t say ‘no’ to any game, anywhere and might make Aunt Krista put her foot up. If my grand-mommy can’t come ‘cuz she’s busying around someplace, I want my G-Mommy Lizzy to come play with me…” she stopped for another twenty seconds before she interrupted him.

  “No, you gotta listen, Commandee Filgro. Mommy-CiCi and R-daddy won’t come outta the bedroom long enough to do anything with me or without me…”

  Filgro must have said something to her about her missing parents. Thunder clouds were brewing as the tears brimmed.

  “I forgot how much I miss my mommy. I want her and my daddy, too. I haven’t seen any mommy or daddy or Papa Tray or grand-mommy or g-mommy in a bunch of sleeps. My Aunt Krista just got here to me. I’m not gonna heart-flip her until later ‘cuz I don’t want her to get stuck in a bedroom someplace. I want the ones that aren’t with me to still keep having their heart-flips. But, I want them to want their Haven too while they’re flipping their hearts out with each other playing jungle safari in their bedrooms. I want my…whole…big family…” she said and she started sobbing.

  We were huddled around Haven, trying to console her, when Grandma Edie trans-versed to us. She gathered my niece into a hug and kissed her until she stopped sobbing.

  She was obviously in the middle of something important because she was wearing her crown. Zander, Quinn and I attempted to apologize for the interruption, but she waved a dismissal to us and smiled.

  “I love you, little Sweetie Baby. It’s alright…calm down. What’s wrong with my Havey girl?” she asked, soothingly.

  “Grand-mommy, it’s been a fun, long week in the room playin’ and playin’ with the boys and their hormones. But, Aunt Krista says game time is over. She put her foot down and we’ve gotta listen unless you can put her foot back up. I wanna play jungle with everyone too, but no one wants to stop playing safari long enough to open the door and give me a turn.

  “They don’t wanna listen and I can’t be a taker-backer. I want them to want their Haven while they play their heart-flipping jungle safari game in their bedrooms. I’m not extra-tired like Luke and Mikey. They stayed up all night and I didn’t,” Haven told her, snuggling to Grandma Edie like she had never been held before.

  Zander opened the book and grandma swiftly read through the channel. Her eyes widened and she blew a breath upward before she talked to Haven.

  “When Aunt Krista puts her foot down, we all have to obey her order. They didn’t hear her command. So, I
’ll go with you and we’ll make sure they hear it. I’ll get them to stop playing and you can be a taker-backer…” Grandma Edie stated.

  After Haven informed her of her victims, Grandma Edie carried her around and together, they removed the heart-flips channel. My parents and siblings filed into the dining room in the House of Michael, ten minutes later, looking like holocaust survivors. They were a disheveled bunch of mismatched, emaciated, dehydrated vagabonds…at least, that’s how I would describe them.

  I was fighting with all that was in me to keep from laughing. I would be happy that I managed to maintain my composure. I walked by a mirror and finally looked at myself. When I was changing clothes, I was nervously preoccupied with the unknown female locked in the media room with Zander. I didn’t assume the female would be Haven because she isn’t normally allowed to play or watch the video games Zander plays.

  Filgro would have told me it was my niece, if I had asked the right question. The Ava’shay are always literal, answering only the question addressed to them.

  My outfit was more comical than anything the others were wearing. I had on a clean white t-shirt, but I was still wearing my hot pink bra from this morning with a winking face on the left cup.

  I couldn’t recall where I got my pants from. Somehow Jaysen’s pajama bottoms had found their way into my dresser…or I might’ve picked them up from somewhere in my worried panic. Either way, I was wearing his camouflage lounge pants that Ember bought him as a joke for Valentine’s Day. The pants had “Major Stud” printed all over them. So, the fact that my sister was wearing her “General Sweets – Studs Report Here” pajama top turned out to be very ironic.

  And, to complete my look, I had a long black streak of eyeliner starting at my left eye and ending underneath my shirt. That wouldn’t have been so bad, but the line formed an arrow. The thick black eyeliner-arrow was prominently pointing to my unwinking, right breast.

  We were preparing to run for cover. But, Grandma Edie shook her head.

  “Everyone park it!” she demanded and we complied.

  Haven was being passed from lap-to-tired-lap for hugs and kisses. She told them, one and all, that they have to play bedroom animal noise safari jungle game with her the next time it’s their night to tuck her in.

  Even Quinn and Zander were sporting glowing red-faces because they understood what she was asking for. My poor parents and siblings were holding their plastered-on smiles and telling her they would make up a new safari game just for her and her brothers. Papa Tray finally convinced her that jungle games are bedroom-specific and hers would be the most special one. Haven was squealing in delight by the time she was handed back to Grandma Edie.

  The staff brought in a hot meal. Everyone dug into the food like they hadn’t eaten in days. Although I wasn’t famished, my stomach was growling. So, I joined them.

  Grandma Edie trans-versed to change into more comfortable clothing. We continued to anxiously chitchat with Haven and pretend this is a normal, everyday lunch we’re eating – instead of the last meal before swinging from grandma’s gallows.

  When grandma returned, the tension mounted. Smiles were still affixed, but only my niece was talking.

  It was evident that Zander and Quinn had been cooped up for a week. They were still wearing the clothes they had on last Monday night at our family dinner. That was the first time I have ever seen a Cheetos-stained t-shirt in what appeared to be an art-deco pattern. My oldest nephews were so exhausted they were struggling to lift their forks.

  Once they were finished eating, they looked at Grandma Edie with pleading eyes. They were hoping to be dismissed entirely from the forthcoming lecture.

  “Zander and Quinn, make the rounds for hugs and kisses. You can both take a fast shower when you’re finished. Toss everything you’re wearing in the garbage. Then Quinn, I want you to run a bubbly bath for our little princess. Zander you come pick her up from my bedroom. I’ve already called Tabby. She’ll be here at about the same time you deliver your baby sister to the bathroom. Then, you two hit the hay…no calls, girls or anything besides sleep. Got it?”

  “Yes ma’am…” they said, simultaneously.

  “As for you, Little Lady…let’s go talk in my bedroom until that bath’s ready. Aunt Tabby will put you to bed after…

  “Oh no no…I’ll have no pouting! You only need a short nap, but you’re going to take it. Now tell everyone ‘bye so we can get to our girlie talkin’…”

  Haven made the world’s quickest rounds because she doesn’t get Grandma Edie all to herself very often. Although she was confused by our strange outfits and the way we look, she didn’t mention anything about it.

  They left us and before we could say anything to each other, a hologram appeared. We were getting ready to sit in on their private chat and listen. Grandma told Haven to sit in the rocking chair. She would brush her hair while they were talking.

  “I know you’ve been camped out in the Media Room, but why didn’t you go sleep in your own bed this week?”

  “Zander and Quinny were watching us like hawks, even when I didn’t think they were, they were – can you believe it?? They’ve got those back-of-the-head eyes with grand-mommy vision. They said we didn’t have to go to bed until they took us to it.

  “Their heart-flips made them want to play video games all night and day. I think they forgot about putting us in the bedroom. But, Quinny ran out and got us our camping stuff and cots while Zander held both controllers. They told us to make a camp. We couldn’t burn the smarsh-mellows since it was an indoor tent and we couldn’t make a fire. But, it was fun, fun, fun campin’ in the clean indoors room. Well, it started out clean and my side stayed that way. Icky boys don’t much care about germs.

  “Oh, Quinny kept saying he needed to go out of the camp and call his gypsy chair-um when they finished fighting on the screen. But, the army men kept right on coming outta nowhere. And Zander needed Quinny to wash his back…” she stated.

  “You mean watch his back, right?”

  “Oh yeah that’s what I mean. They’re great big good army guys now – practically non-beatable. But, those poor girls in Quinny’s chair-um didn’t ever get outta their chairs if they were waiting on him to call and get them up. No cells work in Camp Media Central. Quinny was fighting up a storm with Zander, back watching…”

  “How did you get fresh clothes and food? Did you brush your teeth and take a bath? Did you get some sleep, sometimes?” Grandma asked her.

  “Zander appointed me the General in charge of Camp Media Room ‘cuz I’m the biggest. I called my Commandee in the Central Command on the intercom and told whoever answered what my order was. We ate the food we wanted ‘cuz that’s what campers get to do.

  “I was a good girl and brushed my teeth in the sink three times, after every meal. I couldn’t get the boys to do it like they should, but boys will be boys. That’s what Mommy-Willow says, anyway. I don’t know what that means, exactly. Shouldn’t it be boys will be dirty? Or boys will be boys playin’ games with dirty teeth and faces?” Haven inquired.

  “That’s what it really means, Honey Bunny. Let’s keep that our girlie-secret, okay?”

  “Sure, grand-mommy…”

  “Okay, where were we…oh yeah, did you take a bath?”

  “Yes, I took five of them. But, I didn’t get pruney fingers, not even once, ‘cuz Zander and Quinny rush, rush, rushed me! I was only the General Girl in the camp and not in my bathroom…”

  “Did they ever leave you or your little brothers, alone?”

  “No silly-willy. One stayed to watch the camp and the other took me to the lap-spreen…”

  “That word is latrine…”

  “I’ve been calling it the wrong thing all week! General Girls need to know the right thing to call bathrooms’ in camp worlds. Oh well, they might not know the right word to call it either. I’ll just tell them the next time I think about it…

&
nbsp; “Zander and Quinny played rock-paper-scissors. The loser had to take me and run a bubbly bath. Whoever took me sat right outside the door and hurried me up. I tried to tell Quinny he could call his chair-ums while he waited. But, he was busy kickin’ booties on the iPad – whatever that means. He said I couldn’t watch what he was doing ‘cuz it was M-rated. If mommies rate it, then I can watch it, too. I’m gonna be a rated mommy someday.

  “Oh by the way grand-mommy, baths aren’t too much fun when a girl’s being rushed by her big brother…”

  “I know, Sweetie Pie. Did your little brothers take a bath?”

  “Not that I saw. But, they might’ve done it or pretended to do it. They pretend to brush their teeth and wash their faces. They mostly jet wet their toothbrushes ‘cuz it takes more than an eye blink to scrub their teeth clean. I told them mommy will start inspectin’ them again ‘cuz they don’t listen to General Sisters.

  “I’ll tell daddy he needs to do it on that boy outside camping trip. Mommies aren’t allowed to go. I guess dirty camping trips are D-rated…” she informed her, attempting to hide her yawn.

  “Just a few more questions, then Zander will be coming by to get you. Baby, why did you think everyone needed a heart-flips gift at breakfast on Tuesday morning?”

  “Well, mommy was crying and tellin’ Aunt Krista she wanted to be with daddy. That wasn’t at breakfast. That was when we had that fun slumber party in the family room. Mommy said her heart was crushed from missing daddy. Aunt Krista was cryin’ for her ‘cuz that’s what best friend sisters do – they cry for you. Oh grand-mommy, don’t worry…I wasn’t steve’s dropping…”

  “You mean eavesdropping…”

  “Yeah, that’s what I was saying. I wasn’t eavesdropping on their bedroom talk. I was just going to get my new tube of pink sparkle toothpaste to show Mommy-GiGi and their voices found me in the hall.

  “I knew mommy wanted to be with daddy so much her heart was crushing. I kinda forgot about her heart pain when we went on safari ‘cuz I was havin’ too much fun. I’ll have to tell mommy I’m sorry.

  “My mind remembered it when we got back and went upstairs to wash up for breakfast. I heard Mommy-Willow and Aunt Fallon talking about how their hearts were smashin’ too. They wished they had some more time with their sprouses ‘cuz a few measle-leaps minutes isn’t long enough…”

  “The word is measly…”

  “Measle-leaps sounds funnier, but okay. I went to ask someone else to tell me who the sprouses are. But, everyone else was busy talking about their heart pains and hurts and sprouses, too…” she said.

  “Did you ever find out who the sprouses are?” Grandma Edie questioned her after my niece stopped yawning.

  “Well, I had to figure it out by myself, but I did it. Sprouses are the people you love with your whole, entire heart so much you marry them ‘cuz they’re your best friend mommy or best friend daddy. Did you know that whole hearts get smooshed real easy when we’re not careful with them?”

  “Yes…I do know that…”

  “Sprouses play together when they first start the marrying. That’s what I think they do at least. They really wanna spend time with each other and do their things together. But, they turn into grown-up adult sprouses, way soon after they do the marrying I guess. They get to working and busying around and forget how to play fun stuff with their sprouses.

  “They shouldn’t forget about playing…especially with their bestest friend in all the wide worlds. It makes their hearts hurt. And I couldn’t let that happen…not to my mommy and really not to my daddy…” she said, stopping long enough to drink some apple juice.

  “So, you can’t let your daddy have his heart hurt…” Grandma Edie prompted her to start again.

  “No, it’s real bad on the daddies when their hearts get squashed ‘cuz they’re going away for a week to play with the boys. They can’t fix smooshed hearts when their sprouse can’t come in the boy only tents. Well, Uncle Reid mighta been able to get his heart un-smooshed ‘cuz I think he’s stayin’ with his sprouse. But, I didn’t know if my mind would remember to ask him. That’s a long week away and lots of things happen in my mind. R-daddy and Daddy-Jax will be busying around playing with me…” she said and motioned for grandma to hold her in her lap.

  “Daddy told Papa Tray he was gonna miss mommy while he was gone and they didn’t get enough time together. He sounded like he was gonna cry and Papa Tray sounded like it too ‘cuz he wanted to be with Mommy-Willow.

  “Grand-Mommy, you and I know for sure, daddies don’t hardly ever cry! Mommies cry a bunch like when you’re happy, mad and sad…but, not daddies. It took almost forever, but I finally figured out why everyone was cryin’. They were telling the wrong ones that they didn’t get enough time to finish playing with their sprouses. I would cry too if…”

  “Hold on…what do you mean…they were telling the wrong ones?”

  “Well, they were telling their sisters or brothers. But, they shoulda been telling their sprouses that they want to play with them some more. Then, they shoulda just gone and done it. They’re not like my Kyrann with his big boss and bigger boss.

  “My mommies’ and daddies’ do their own bossing. At least, I think they do their own bossing around. But, even if they have two big bosses, those bosses should know that sprouses need time to play together so their hearts won’t get smooshed flat…” Haven stated and had to stop long enough to yawn and rub her eyes again.

  “King Luke A. Mon and Mikey T.S. Biggs aren’t my sprouses ‘cuz boys don’t marry sisters. But, they’re my bestest friends. I’ve missed playing with them ‘cuz their heart-flips made them want to be like our bigger brothers. That was just a week of days and my heart was squashed to a billion pieces! I didn’t have anyone to play with at all…stupid boy video games get borrrrinnngggg after days of hours of playin’ them. Well, they don’t bore out the boys, but us, girls have better things to do with our time than staring at the screen and fussing at the cartoon characters going the wrong ways.

  “Oh, and my Commandee in Central Command doesn’t get to play games with anyone, ever. He said he’s locked to a post. He’s real nice…so, he doesn’t deserve to be chained to a post. He must have a real mean boss and no sprouse waitin’ for him ‘cuz being locked to a post sounds awful. Doesn’t that sound awful, grand-mommy?” she asked.

  “It does…and, your ride’s here…”

  Zander came in, kissed grandma and carried Haven out, piggyback.

  Grandma Edie trans-versed back to the dining room. The staff wordlessly cleared the empty dishes. They brought in two desserts for all the adults and left us a huge pot of coffee. Not a good sign for our overall scheduling conflicts…but, I’m not moving an inch until I’m given permission.

  “Krista, I won’t even ask about that interesting outfit and war paint you’re wearing. I know Haven didn’t flip your heart. So, I assume you’ve been flying and flipping solo all week. Has everything been okay??” Grandma Edie asked me.

  “I’m fine, regardless of my strange digs and body markings. I was here, changing clothes and sprucing up when I figured out there was a problem. The Commandee tied to his post told me that Zander had locked himself in the Media Room with a privacy barrier and a female. Filgro didn’t elaborate because I didn’t ask him to. I yanked on a shirt and pants. My eyeliner took a header down my body and into the wall.

  “It would’ve paid for me to ask who the female was, but as we can all guess, hindsight’s twenty/twenty…” I stated, awkwardly and prayed she wouldn’t ask me to elaborate on my week of solo flying.

  “I’m glad you did okay without any of us for back-up. And, I’m extra happy that you figured out my other sons and daughters were up to their eyeballs in bedroom safaris!” she exclaimed.

  “I’m too full for dessert and I really should…” I said, preparing to excuse myself from this sensitive meeting.

  “You might be finished
eating, but this is far from being over. You need to sit still and listen. You’ll be married to your sprouse, one day. And, this is a lesson best learned before you start to play with him.”

  “Yes ma’am…” I whispered.

  My parents and my siblings were eating, slowly. But, no amount of stalling would get them out of this predicament.

  “Would anyone sitting here like to tell me how many short minutes you spent intimately heing-and-sheing on Monday night while Liz and I had the kids?” she asked and the silence was deafening.

  “No takers, huh? I’m positive I heard you each vow that you would spend ‘plenty of quality marital time’ behind closed bedroom doors, demonstrating your love for your soulmates. I took off on an adventure, wrongfully assuming you understood my meaning and the gravity of what I told you Monday night.

  “This time there’ll be no fluff or any PG-editing. No one is allowed to duck behind anyone or anything while I’m talking – got it??

  “None of you are just married through an earthly ring and a frivolous piece of legal paper. You are all committed through spiritual covenants that the Creator personally sealed. All of you are actually two-fold sealed. Reid and Fallon, that temporary lack of your Ava’shay communion is moot. Your hearts and spirits are already forged at the deepest level possible.

  “Your marital commitments to each other are not some flighty teenage emo-romance. These are serious, all-consuming needs each of you has. They go beyond longing…they are primal drives. Primal urges must be satisfied. And, only your spiritual mate can fulfill those crushing needs.

  “Our oldest baby boys’ game played, obsessively from their heart-flips. But, they also stopped to eat, drink and take care of our little ones. I had to boost Haven’s withdrawals and blast your bedrooms with a channel called redirect because none of you could force yourselves to stop long enough to answer a door!

  “What if our babies had been in trouble?? Those privacy barriers have cell phone blocks. They prevent Command from coming inside and interrupting any one of you unless we declare war. Liz and I were off-the-grid, unconcerned about their welfare because you, each should have had fourteen blissful uninterrupted hours to make passionate love. You should have been fully, martially satisfied by Tuesday morning.

  “So, I’m going to go around this table and ask my boys, again. How long did you spend physically demonstrating your love to your soulmate on Monday night? My sons, I want exact numbers.

  “Oh and, don’t think you’re off the hook, little girls of mine. I’ve got another question for you to address when they get finished.

  “Traywick Shane?”

  “It was about…”

  “No, I said precisely. How long did you spend with Willow?”

  “Twenty three minutes…but, that’s more time…” he said, softly.

  “Hold that thought. Here are unacceptable excuses. If you have one that I don’t go over, then give it a whirl. Number one, that’s more time than we’ve spent together in days, weeks and/or months. Number two, we were shooting for quality and not quantity. Number three, we scheduled more time…for the next time.

  “None of those I just listed are valid. If it’s something else, feel free to get my input. Are we clearly understood?”

  Even I nodded my head to agree, although I didn’t have to answer for anything at the moment.

  “Now, Raven Daniel?”

  “Thirty eight minutes…” he replied.

  “Jaxon Edward?”

  “We spent thirty one minutes together…” Daddy-Jax responded.

  “Reid Staley?”

  “Twenty nine…” he whispered.

  “Jaysen Michael?”

  “Grandma…could we…” he attempted to say something to her.

  “‘Grandma, could we’ isn’t a number…” she remarked.

  “Twenty one minutes…” Jaysen finally revealed after a brief stare-down with her ended in his ultimate defeat.

  “I spent fifty five minutes with you in that meeting. So, you all realize that I got more of your time on Monday night than you gave your soulmates’. I know I sound frustrated…that’s because I am! You are all setting a horrible example for our babies.

  “You are also setting an even worse example for your baby sister/youngest daughter. Krista’s schedule is so out of control that she has to plan a minute to plan her time. We had to channel-force her to relax and dance with her single peers at the Warming. She is the one who is supposed to enjoy it without a care. The only thing on her mind should’ve been wowing gypsy male suitors. Her married siblings and parents watch over her while she dances and has fun. That’s how it should’ve happened!

  “Krista barely eats, although she spends about five hours a day working out. She sleeps the minimum amount she can get by with and feels guilty for taking time off to have a little bit of fun. Any guesses as to how she justifies that madness??

  “You can bet that Krista will seal her marriage to her soulmate. A plain ‘I do’ earthly union at the local wedding chapel will feel empty to her. She is spiritually sealed to her family. That’s the only way she knows how to live, commit and love anymore. She might marry a human man. Or, the guy might be gifted, given her exposure to potential partners. But, sealing experiences are rare to find. So, human or gifted, he’s gonna be bowled over unless he’s sealed to someone. The probability of any man having a sealing in his history is about as likely as him winning the lottery three times on the same day, after surviving a plane crash and dodging a clip full of bullets.

  “He won’t have any knowledge of what he’s getting into and will need his soulmate’s assistance to have a prayer of deciphering it. It’s not like any of us could even explain our sibling ties or parental bonds to Krista and Liz when we wanted them to seal to us. We tried and in the end, we can all admit it was the most wasted air we’ve ever expended.

  “But, that’s nothing compared to trying to describe a spiritually sealed marriage to a person who has never been exposed to a ritually sealed family. There’s no fatherly advice to be given. No motherly interventions to help the couple understand the concept. There’s no way to explain it and no hints to adequately express how profound the union is.

  “So there Krista will be with a sealed marriage, a clueless sprouse and no frame of reference to go by. The best she’ll have to offer is telling him how they get together for thirty eight minutes at most, once in a blue moon to play together! Is that what you want for her?? Stabbing around in the dark on her wedding night, hoping to figure out how a sealed marriage operates without a blueprint? You’re all shaking your heads, but right now that’s all she’s got to go on!

  “My married kids, you know you’re sharing more than sex when you make love. You feel the sealing…you experience the channels…you exchange your spirits…you open yourselves up and give more than you ever thought you could give. That person receiving it is the other half of you! It is a love so intense that it defies all known logic.

  “I’m texting Lizzy because I want her to share something with you. While we’re waiting on her, let me point something out. Our babies took care of themselves for an entire week because not one of my marry children listened to me.

  “We are sealed to each other…spiritually sealed! That means the Maker stuck us together. The bonds we share run much, much deeper than the closest human tie. We need each other. There is no relationship among us that can suffer, anymore. You need your sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, daughters and sons. But, more than those, you need to prioritize engaging in a meaningful sexual relationship with your soulmate, frequently. It can’t be rescheduled! It can’t be put off! And, it should be both quality and quantity. If you spent hours together and you still want more…take it! You should take from your soulmate until you are completely satisfied, always.

  “For my kids that have those fidelity seals, have you ever wondered why having spiritual marital relations is not quit
e as satisfying as the real physical deal? Guess no more…I’ll tell you why. Those fidelity seals are only to be used in times when the Creator limits your interactions. He opens the links and ordains spiritual marital relations when His plans for you keep you apart from your soulmate. If you’re busy because He put you on task, then those times will feel just as satisfying to you. But, you’re all busying around doing what you think you need to do…not what He needs you to do. You just proved it!

  “When you’re using them as a substitute, it feels hollow. It leaves you wanting more than you did to start with. There is no worthy substitute for a caress or breathing in a scent or even feeling someone’s weight pressing against your body. That’s not how the Maker intended it…

  “Traywick, you told me that Ember smacked you with a love whammy right after you ritually sealed your marriage to Willow with Vaydem rites. She also smacked Rave and Celeste with the same whammy, at the same time, correct?” Grandma asked.

  “Yes…” Tray said.

  “Now, before I continue, I want you to realize that I sealed Ember to you at birth with a privilege of my station. She was carried by Journey…a surrogate, but Ember Skyy was born as your daughter. You were already sealed to Willow. I did that the night after you met her. I knew she was your soulmate and Tabby did, too. The Creator allowed me to perform that ritual as a luxury. You were both kids at the time I did it. It’s was a marital-type sealing and one that typically won’t work until you’re old enough to consent to marriage. Your sealings were what gave me peace when I was taken from you for all those years.

  “Willow, I sealed your daughter to you the night you held her and welcomed her to the world. I was hiding in the shadows and watched the sealing forge between you and Ember.

  “So, whether any of you knew it or not, you had experience with sealed relationships from a very young age.

  “Okay Ember, did you ever feel the slightest twinge of guilt for smacking your parents with a love whammy on their honeymoon?” Grandma Edie asked her.

  “No…”

  “They were out of commission for a week and you ended up getting ritually married to Jaysen while they were off honeymooning. So, why didn’t you feel guilty?”

  “Well, I wanted them to be together, together…” my sister revealed, wiggling from her discomfort.

  “You wanted your parents to spend a week privately making love and creating a baby. Is that an accurate assessment?”

  “Well, yes…”

  “I wasn’t around then, but I can safely declare that you wanted them to be “together, together” from the minute Willow came back into your lives…” Grandma told her and Ember gasped.

  “How’d you know that??” she questioned in amazement.

  “The sealing compelled you to want to shove your parents together. You don’t feel guilty about it and you never will. Just like you didn’t feel guilty about shoving R-daddy and Momma-C together that same day. They’re your parents, too and ritually sealed.

  “I’d judge you felt more than satisfied knowing your parents were sharing a marital bed and consummating their sealings. It’s normal for a sealed child to manipulate the system if the adults aren’t taking care of business.

  “Willow, aside from the obvious and private baby-making, what did you do the week of your honeymoon? Do you remember doing anything else, at all?”

  “No, not a single thing until Ember called to us to come get her…” she admitted.

  “Traywick?”

  “Nope…we couldn’t even remember where we left our child…”

  “Rave and Celeste…Ember’s your daughter too and she channeled the same blend to you, correct?”

  They nodded.

  “Celeste, aside from the private obvious, do you remember what else you did, if anything?”

  “I gave Rave a back rub. I kept telling him I should get dressed and start dinner. He said “I’ll help you…” and “…we’ll do it in a minute”. Then, he finally said we’d just take Zander and Ember out for a late meal…” she said with a soft giggle.

  “Rave, your turn…” grandma coaxed him.

  “I remember that and what I talked about. We soaked in the hot tub after that back rub…remember, honey?” he stated.

  “That’s right! You kept heating and cooling the water to keep me comfortable. You did it to make me stay in with you, longer…” Momma-C offered, smiling.

  “When we finally got out, about two hours later, we took a shower. I used a whole bottle…shampooing her hair while she talked…her voice…I wanted her to just keep talking to me…” R-daddy stated and closed his eyes obviously, losing himself in the pleasant memory.

  “Ember withdrew the blend through your bedroom door, I assume…”

  “Yes, we were still in the shower…” Momma-C told us.

  “You were two closed doors away, with the water running, talking. Did she have to bang and beat on the door? Beg you to come out? Did she have to take care of Zander, for even thirty minutes while you decided whether or not you could pull away from your soulmate long enough to take care of them?”

  “No…” they answered together.

  “Tray and Willow, have you ever wondered why they only semi-lost one amazing afternoon and managed to keep their wits about them…whereas, you two truly lost a week to your frenzied, blissful honeymoon mania?” grandma inquired.

  “Well, we kinda assumed Ember didn’t give them as much ‘love whammy’ as she gave us…” Tray practically whispered for both of them.

  “That’s what I thought too, grandma…” Ember affirmed, even softer.

  “You gave them the same amount, Little Girl. R-daddy and Momma-C were taking care of marital business, sufficiently at that point in time. Your mom and dad weren’t…

  “Now before I have anyone brave up and remind me that Traywick and Willow weren’t technically married until their honeymoon, let me say this. They both felt their relationship tie every minute, of every day, together or apart…they felt it. It was always there – just like the rest of my married babies.

  “Fallon, I know you held off dating Reid. He told you daily that he loved you, but you never told him that until years later. Did, not saying the words or keeping yourself from being with him change even the tiniest iota of anything?”

  “Yes ma’am…it made me want him more…it was like a growing desire…” my sister responded.

  “Reid, when she was refusing your offers and not telling you what she felt in her heart, did you believe she didn’t love you?”

  “No ma’am…” my brother revealed.

  “Did you shrug her off and date other pretty girls until she decided to come clean?”

  “No…”

  “Did you ever, one time think about taking out another girl…even just dating as a friend type thing?”

  “No…”

  “Let’s get this straight. Fallon, you didn’t say one word to your soulmate about your feelings. You refused to go out with him on a date. You wouldn’t even let him spiritually court you…

  “Reid, you spent years openly telling her how much you love her. And, even though she refused to give you the time of day or admit she was in love with you…you knew it.

  “Newsflash sealed babies…the two of you were born with only one-half of a spirit. You’re not filled until the other half finds you. It doesn’t take words, vows, dinner dates or flowery declarations – the fact is…it’s the giant in the cottage. You can’t miss it!

  “In life or death or absence, the true love of your spiritual mate remains perpetual. It’s everlastingly…eternally…and unendingly infinite. Nothing kills or destroys love…

  “Now get this. I’m not suggesting Traywick and Willow could’ve jumped into the baby making phase without having a holy, official union. That would’ve stripped something away that couldn’t be replaced. But, they could have, and should have been physically dating, spiritually dating and engaging in some serious h
eavy petting while making out in private. They should’ve been talking…not about their daughter or the daily chaos or how to clandestinely parent her behind the scenes. Don’t you see??? Ember was sealed to her parents from the get-go. They both grasped that mommy/daddy bond by the tail and ran with it.

  “Willow and Tray felt the parental sealing, even though neither of them knew about it until right now. They dedicated their lives to being her mommy and her daddy. They sacrificed time, energy…anything…everything for their sealed baby.

  “People looking at them from the outside would call them both obsessed when it comes to their relationship with their children. Outsiders would try to talk you into counseling because to them, you’re too “parentally enmeshed”…you love your kids way more than you should. That goes for all of us, we are intimately and unapologetically enmeshed with our little ones – even by way of gypsy standards, we are more parentally driven than they will ever understand. We fervently protect and zealously adore our little ones to an obsessively, obsessive level. That is a Creator-sealing bond for ya’…

  “I’m sure we’ve all dropped everything to help our sons, daughters, siblings and parents. Oh, that reminds me, this is the perfect time for me to ask my married daughters the burning question of the day. Between you and your spouse, which one of you is the Monday night, guilty party? I want you to tell me whether your husband asked to end things early or if you were the culprit behind cutting off the bedroom activities.

  “FYI, I already know the answer…I witnessed Tray and Jaysen drop everything to stay close to their Momma-C and Momma-G in that meeting about this wedding leviathan. The only reason Reid didn’t come back was because I heard Fallon command him to help her.

  “So girls, I know but I still want to hear you say it. And, I want you to tell me what excuse you used to convince your hubby that it had to be…for lack of a better term…a Monday night ‘quickie’.

  “Emma Gayle, let’s hear it…” Grandma Edie stated.

  “I am the guilty party. I told Jax we needed to make it hasty because of our schedules. He put up an argument, but eventually gave into my demand,” Momma-G said.

  We went around the table and all of them admitted virtually the same thing.

  “So, our busying around took priority. The Maker spelled out His simple priority list. He gets top billing…then, sprouses…then, little ones…then, sealed family…then, our busying around with everyone else. You inverted the list…mostly unintentionally…but, it still got flipped. You didn’t provide the nurture that your marital bond needed.

  “I’ll say it again. Spiritually sealed children will manipulate the system if things get out of whack. They are sensitive to interferences and know precisely how to disrupt you. Haven didn’t actually have to hear or see the problem. She would’ve still found that channel, in that book and smacked you all with a love whammy. All she understands is that the “sprouses” she calls her “parents” weren’t playing like they should. She remedied your problem, just like Ember did for her mommy and daddy right after they got hitched.

  “Let me remind each one of you, Ember didn’t see Tray or Willow shed a tear over their long forgotten dates and lack of make out sessions. She never heard them make a peep about missing out on their relationship because of her or other scheduling priorities. But, and this is key…Ember knew her mom and dad weren’t taking care of their relationship business, anyway. So she – as their spiritually sealed child – took care of re-prioritizing it for them!” grandma exclaimed.

  I’m sure she would have continued her lecture, but g-mom popped in before she could.

  “I’m almost scared to ask…what did I miss?” g-mom inquired, looking in strange fascination at her family of haggled, misfit vagabonds.

  “Lizzy, thanks for dropping what you were up to for a few minutes. I know this is personal and feel free to decline my request. But, I was wondering if you would mind sharing your ‘I don’t do mornings…’ story. Our sons and daughters need to hear it, well only if…” grandma said and g-mom motioned for her to stop.

  “Of course I’ll share it. Mind if I grab a coffee and maybe eat a sandwich, first? I know it’s a short and sweet tale, but finessing a nasty little Polecat consumes a lot of energy…”

  Although I wasn’t technically in the hot seat, I was still feeling the pressure. I do use them to justify my hectic schedule. However, I’m an adult, responsible for my actions. But, it won’t do a bit of good to tell grandma that and try to defend them or their actions. In fact, offering excuses usually makes things worse.

  So, like the others, I kept my head down and lips sealed while we waited for g-mom to finish her lunch. She chatted casually with Grandma Edie. They talked about the fun they had being happily incognito and playing hooky for nearly a week.

  As fortune would have it, grandma didn’t ask her what she was up to with the Polecat. And, g-mom didn’t ask her why she was sitting in a meeting with us instead of being the Tarrish queen like she had scheduled.

  They only stopped conversing once. G-mom was actually mid-bite and mid-sentence. She sat silently smiling for a minute. I’ve seen her do that plenty in my time…

  I’ve always wondered why she would zone out, but I never asked the question.

  Sometimes the answers are destined to come, even when we don’t ask for them…