by Ashlyn Chase
“Like I just won the lottery—and you can call me Ruth.”
He smiled. “Have you decided what to name her yet?”
“I was thinking of a few different names, but there must be a perfect one. I just don’t know what it is yet. I’m sure it will come to me.”
The doctor nodded. “Well, let me know when you decide. We’ll need to put something on her birth certificate before you can take her home.”
“Oh, that’s right. I guess I have to come up with something pretty quickly.”
“You have about twenty-four hours. I want you here for observation, and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to let your stitches heal a bit.”
“That isn’t necessary.” Ruth put her hands on her own abdomen and closed her eyes briefly. “There. All healed.”
“Wow.”
When he’d gone, Gabriella asked, “What were the names you were thinking of?”
“Well, I wanted Kizzy, but she said no. Apparently, people have a hard time with it, and she didn’t want my baby to go through the same thing.”
“How about something that sounds like it but is a bit different?” Gabriella started rhyming names. “Lizzie, Busy, Dizzy…”
Kizzy held up her hand. “No. Nothing after me, thank you. She should have her own individual identity.”
Ruth smiled down at her baby and said, “Or I was also thinking of naming her after Mom or Grandma.”
“Mary or Ann?”
“Or both of them. I was thinking I could name her Mary Ann if she was a girl. Mitchell if she were a boy, since that was Mom’s maiden name.”
“Well, I vote for Mary Ann,” Kizzy said.
“I like that too,” Aaron added.
“All right then. Her name is Mary Ann Samuels.”
“You don’t want to give her Gordon’s last name?” Aaron asked.
Ruth shook her head vehemently. “No. He doesn’t deserve that honor. I’ll use our last name, Dad, if you don’t mind.”
“I’d love that. Mary Ann Samuels. It has a beautiful ring to it.”
“It does,” Gabriella said. “So would you like me to go tell Dr. Ortega’s secretary so he can fill out her birth certificate now?”
“Yes, please. Be sure it’s spelled M-a-r-y space A-n-n. I’m sure he’ll let me go as soon as the secretary has that information.”
“Maybe not forever,” Kizzy said and winked.
Ruth blushed and smiled down at her daughter. “Hello, little Mary Ann. My darling girl.”
“So why do we need two drivers?” Aaron asked.
Kizzy groaned. “Well, don’t get mad. Keep in mind that I had to be with Ruth in the back seat while she was in hard labor, just in case, and the only person left to drive my car was Gabriella.”
“And that’s a problem because…”
Gabriella strode back into the room. “Because I don’t have a driver’s license.”
“What?”
“It’s okay, Dad. We got here safe, and so did Mary Ann,” Ruth said. “Now let’s take her home.”
“Home? You mean to our hotel room?”
“No, of course not. To our home,” Gabriella said. “I’ve invited Ruthie to stay in our guest room.”
“You may regret that at two in the morning,” Aaron said.
Gabriella laughed. “I’m used to it. Plus I’m the new muse of parenting…or didn’t you know?”
“And that means…you can get children to stop crying in the middle of the night?” Aaron asked.
“Absolutely not. But I can get up and feed them without losing more than half an hour of sleep.”
Ruth laughed. “I’ll get up with her, silly. She’s mine, and I don’t want to hand her over to anyone else.” Then she gasped. “Oh! I didn’t mean that the way it sounded, Gabriella. Of course I would trust her to you. It’s just that I don’t want her to leave my arms until she absolutely has to. I already love her so much.”
“Of course you do.” Gabriella squeezed Ruth’s shoulder. “I understand perfectly. I’ve been through it seven times. And you’ll probably go through it again.”
Ruth rolled her eyes, then her expression saddened. “I hope next time it’s not without a husband.”
Kizzy just shook her head. “Can we please get this one to toddler stage before we start talking about Ruth having another?”
“I think it’s Kizzy’s turn next,” Gabriella said. “I want to be a grandma again! Soon!”
“Misty looks like she’s ready to give birth to a whole football team.” Everyone laughed. “Are you ready to go home?” Aaron asked.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Ruth handed the baby back to Gabriella, and Kizzy put down the safety rail so her sister could swing her feet out from under the sheet and onto the floor. She was wearing hospital scrubs.
“Where did you get the scrubs?” Aaron asked.
“One of the nurses had an extra set in her locker. I had my bag packed and ready to go and then forgot it in all the hoopla.”
Aaron laughed. “It’s usually the opposite of that in the movies. The frantic husband grabs the suitcase and leaves his wife behind.”
“Well, this is a new kind of movie. Apparently, the sister and her mother-in-law grab the mother-to-be and take her on a wild ride through a torrential downpour, completely forgetting the bag.”
Aaron pinched the bridge of his nose. “Don’t tell me anything else. I prefer not to know.”
Chapter 12
Gaia smiled as she strolled through the forest, thinking about her date with Aaron. Suddenly, she came to an abrupt halt. Oh no. I’d better check on Pan. “Karma?”
Her sister appeared.
“Where exactly did you put Pan? I should check on him.”
“Would you like me to do it?”
“No, I’d rather see him with my own eyes—not that I don’t trust you, Sister.”
“Of course not.” Karma rolled her eyes, then muttered under her breath, “Once a control freak, always a control freak.”
“What did you say?”
“Oh, nothing.”
Gaia sighed. “You know I heard you, and I don’t like that term.”
Karma shrugged. “Okay. I’ll try to think of some other expression that means the same thing. Power junkie? Control enthusiast?”
“Marginally better.”
“Meanwhile, the school you’re looking for is in New York. Fordham University. He’s the mascot.”
“Thank you.”
Confronting her sister on her rudeness wasn’t as important as her mission right now. She materialized at the college where Karma had deposited Pan. There was a football game going on. Perfect. Mascots are always at the games, right? Looking around, she didn’t see him. Oh crap. She couldn’t sense him either. Double crap.
She quickly copied someone else’s outfit and stepped up to one of the players on the sidelines. “Where is your mascot?”
The player scanned her up and down. “Aren’t you a little old to be a cheerleader?”
Gaia looked down at her outfit, which matched the girls who were jumping up and down on the sidelines. Cheerleader? She must have picked a uniform that didn’t apply to her. Oh well. Tough.
She shrugged. “Never mind how I’m dressed. Where is your mascot?”
“You mean the goat?”
“Yes. The goat.”
“Someone left the pen open, and he ran away. Which is fine with us, because he wasn’t a ram. Our name is the Rams.”
“What do you mean ‘he ran away’? Where did he go?”
The player shook his head. “If we knew that, he wouldn’t be missing. He’d be here on the sidelines, wouldn’t he?”
Gaia was getting frustrated with this young man. If he couldn’t tell her anything about where Pan might be, she should begin scouring the city. “F
orget it. I’ll look for him. If I find him, I’ll bring him back.”
“Don’t bother. Coach is looking for a ram. An actual ram. Why do you want to know about the damn goat anyway? He was a complete pest.”
She shrugged. “What does it matter? He isn’t here anyway.”
The kid just shook his head and walked away. She thought she better do the same thing, so she strode around to the back of the bleachers. As soon as she was sure everyone’s attention was diverted by the game, she stepped into the ether.
Now what? If Pan was on the loose, he could still ruin her date. She’d about had it with his truth spells. But what could she do? He was a god and, as such, hard to manage. If she had been able to control her gods, there would be a lot less trouble around the globe. Especially with the horned ones.
She returned to her rain forest and hoped that some idea would come to her. Pacing, she racked her brain. How can I keep him from ruining my date if he comes out with another truth spell? I really want this one to go well. She snapped her fingers. I was going to talk to Gabriella Fierro anyway. Maybe she can help me figure out what to do.
As she neared the Fierro home, Gaia zeroed in on Gabriella’s energy. She saw her in a nursery holding a beautiful newborn baby. Oh yes, I remember. Aaron’s daughter gave birth to his first granddaughter. Gaia would love to see the child and congratulate the family. Since there was nobody in the house who didn’t know of her existence—nobody awake anyway—she stepped out of the ether and into the room.
Gabriella jumped. “Oh, Mother Nature, you startled me.”
“Don’t be startled when I show up, just pleased. If you’re going to be my muse, you’d better get used to it. I drop in from time to time. How are things going with this mother and infant?”
Smiling, Gabriella looked down at the tiny baby in her arms as Ruth was sleeping. “I can’t wait to be the muse of modern parenting. I think I’m going to love the job.”
“Has Misty told you how to perform your duties?”
“We were just getting started when Ruth went into labor. She went off to find Aaron, and I went with Ruth and Kizzy to the clinic. I was one of the first to hold this little bundle of joy.”
Gaia smoothed the baby’s dark hair back from her forehead. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”
“She absolutely is.” Gabriella looked up at Gaia and grinned. “Some of your finest work. Naturally, my sons were your best.”
Gaia melted inside. At last, someone who respected her creativity. “I worked hard to create the propagation of the species. I knew human infants would come with unique challenges. They’re one of the few species that are completely helpless for a year or more. Occasionally, the parents are overwhelmed and underprepared. I just know that you will work hard to help them.”
“I’m looking forward to helping in whatever way I can,” Gabriella said.
“I’m glad. I had to make sure that love would often lead to sex and made sex pleasurable. Otherwise, humans would never do it. And then the love had to extend to the children…”
At that moment, Ruth stirred out of a sound sleep. When her eyes fluttered open, she looked over to Gabriella and then Gaia. “Mother Nature! How good of you to come.”
“You know who I am?”
“Yes, my father explained you weren’t a neighbor, that you were indeed Mother Nature. Is that true?”
Gaia smiled and nodded. “It is true. I’m glad your father told you. Eventually, I would have if he hadn’t. There are times you might see me around.” She cleared her throat. “Speaking of which, I’d like to talk to Gabriella, alone. Would you be willing to hold your baby?”
Ruth laughed. “More than willing.” She reached for Mary Ann, and Gabriella placed the sleeping infant in her arms.
“How can I help you, Gaia?”
“I’d like to ask you something…if you don’t mind.” She was trying to be more considerate since her sisters said she could be selfish, rude, demanding, and whatever blah blah blah came out of their mouths. She was unwilling to hear most of it and tuned out.
“I don’t mind at all.” Gabriella took Mother Nature’s hand and led her outside the home. “There’s a lovely tree over here. We can sit beneath it on the grass.”
“Yes, it’s beautiful. But it needs one thing.” Gaia snapped her fingers, and a wooden bench circled the tree.
“Oh, how wonderful! Now we can sit on a dry surface in the shade and chat anytime. Oh, provided we can keep it.”
“Yes, of course you can keep the bench. You may need it sometime to talk to those you help. It’s nice and private. Congratulations on your first client, by the way.”
Gabriella looked surprised. “Client? Who, Ruthie?”
“Who else?” Gaia chuckled.
“Oh, I don’t think she’ll need much help. She’s a natural. And she loves this child like you wouldn’t believe.”
“It’s good to start with a comfortable situation. They won’t all be easy.”
Gabriella nodded sagely. “I know. Unfortunately, some parents just don’t understand what they can and cannot expect of children, and when they get frustrated, they don’t know what to do. Sometimes, they do the wrong thing and make it worse.”
“Exactly. And you will whisper in their ear to calm down, find someone else to watch the baby so they can get a break. Or if they’re alone, you’ll suggest other healthy ways to cope. Even if they can only find another place in the house to go and get a grip, it’s better to leave the child in a safe spot like a crib or playpen and get away from the situation rather than harm the child.”
“I understand. But what if they don’t listen to me?”
Gaia shrugged. “You won’t speak to them directly. You’ll stay in the ether and whisper in their ears. They’ll think it’s the small voice inside their own minds and hearts. A conscience can do wonders to prevent abuse.”
“But what if—”
“Misty will instruct you further. What I really wanted to talk to you about is my date with Aaron Samuels.”
Gabriella sat up, and her eyes sparkled. “Date? With Aaron? How exciting!”
“Yes, I guess I’m excited too. I don’t really understand what this feeling is. Sometimes, my stomach feels it’s tied in knots and other times like my beautiful butterflies are flitting around inside. At least I’m not nauseated.”
Gabriella chuckled. “That’s exactly how you should feel when you’re attracted to someone. So that’s a good sign. It means you care about Aaron. I’m glad. He’s a nice man.”
“Yes. I think so too. But I have a little problem.”
“Oh? What is it?”
“There’s this troublesome god who has ruined my dates with other people. I really want this one to go well.”
Gabriella took her hand and squeezed it. “Aaron won’t let anyone ruin your date, if he’s half the man I think he is.”
“You don’t understand. This troublemaker is a god. And he doesn’t need me to cast spells. He has the power to extract the truth from anyone. On one date, he cast a truth spell on the man. He wound up telling me all kinds of wayward behavior he’d participated in. It wouldn’t have been unforgivable except that he admitted he intended to continue on the same path.
“On my next date, the pathological god extracted the truth from me! The poor astronomer fainted when he learned I was Gaia, the goddess of everyone and everything in the universe. At least Aaron knows me, and my identity won’t come as a shock.”
Gabriella smiled and said, “There’s one way you can outsmart this god.”
“There is?” Gaia asked. “What is it?”
“Simply beat him to the punch. Tell Aaron the truth and reveal any secrets you have. The god won’t be able to blindside you, and Aaron will be prepared for whatever you might be tempted to hide from him.”
Gaia tipped her head and thought abo
ut it for a moment. If Pan showed up and she had already told Aaron everything she might want him not to know, would that be better or worse for them? It would be fun to see Pan’s face when he was cheated out of his rival’s reaction. But would Aaron have a negative reaction, even if he heard the truth from her first?
“It’s better if he hears it from you,” Gabriella reiterated as if she could read Gaia’s mind—which, of course, she couldn’t.
What sort of truths would she hide from a man on a first date? Ugh. There were too many things she wouldn’t want anyone to know. She’d made many mistakes, especially when one added them up over the millennia.
As she ruminated, Gabriella placed a hand on her arm. “Don’t be afraid to tell the truth. Lies take a lot more work.”
“I understand. And being honest would be a good way to start a relationship, I suppose. I’ve heard that honesty is the best policy. However, what if he doesn’t like the truths I have to tell? Will he be able to forgive me for my past mistakes?”
“He might need some time to process everything, but if he’s worth your time, he’ll come around. And you don’t need his forgiveness. We all make mistakes. As long as he can accept you—flaws and all—you’ll be on solid ground. And that goes both ways.”
Gaia thought about that. She wanted him to be worth her time. She doubted any man or woman on earth was perfect, so why should he expect her to be?
“Thank you, Gabriella. I appreciate your input. I’m not sure exactly how much to reveal yet. I could start with the dinosaurs and work my way forward, but it might become a very long date. I have the feeling I could probably tell him anything and he’d be patient and listen without interrupting, but he may hear a lot of strange things.”
“Give him credit. He’s a doctor. He’s probably heard it all. Well, maybe not about the dinosaurs…”
Gaia snorted. “Yeah, the Ice Age wasn’t one of my finer moments. Maybe I’ll tell him about the Renaissance instead.”
* * *
“I may have found her a match,” Fate said excitedly.
Karma’s brows rose. “Really? I’d better check him out first. We don’t want her getting completely discouraged.”