by Kara Summers
As time went on, Eva slowly began to accept the harsh truth, that nothing would be able to bring Bhradain back to her.
But Eva's attendance at the library had offered another type of solace. The head librarian had taken notice of her frequent visits, and she had offered Eva a job assisting patrons with their research. Eva had been overjoyed by the offer, as the type of work was exactly the pace and environment she craved.
But there was another reason why Eva had accepted the only job offer she had had in the past few months. One bittersweet morning, Eva discovered that she was pregnant with Bhradain's child. While the thought of raising his child without him grieved her, she was still thankful to carry a part of him with her.
Eva knew that she could no longer rely on her aunt and uncle's generosity. Although she knew that they wouldn't consider her a burden, Eva still felt that it wouldn't be right of her to continue to rely upon them once the child was born. She had a good job that she enjoyed; it was time that she moved out on her own.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" her Uncle Mark asked as he aided Eva in the move to her own apartment.
"This is something I need to do, for myself," she said. She didn't add and the baby, as she had yet to tell any of her friends and family. Eva figured she had good few more weeks that she would be able to keep her baby bump hidden.
"You are welcome to come visit anytime," Aunt Marie offered, as she placed a box of kitchen stuff on the dining room table. "Do you want us to stay and help unpack?"
"No, no," Eva waved them off. "You both have done enough and I am forever grateful," she smiled. "But I am exhausted and would like to rest," she explained.
Her aunt and uncle nodded their understanding.
"I'll go take these empty boxes to the car," Uncle Mark said as he left the small apartment.
Eva's aunt lingered a moment, "But honey, remember," Aunt Marie added, "if you need anything don't hesitate to ask."
"I won't," Eva smiled.
"Come here," Marie held her arms and enveloped Eva in a tight hug. As Marie walked away, she suddenly stopped just short of the door. She turned back around and sent Eva a fierce look. "And Eva, just remember, we are always here for you," she paused for the briefest moment, as if debating her next words, "and the baby." And with those final words, she left Eva alone in her new place.
Eva was determined to face her current world and all the challenges ahead of her with courage. She knew that it wouldn't be easy, but the fear of the challenge no longer intimidated her. Old Eva would have never been strong enough to be where she was right now. And although she sorely missed Bhradain, their short journey had tested Eva's strengths and taught her to put trust in her own abilities.
Chapter: XVII
Eva had been at work when the contractions had started. She had been helping one of the librarians archive some old newspapers from the 1920's when all of a sudden she felt a gush of water pool at her feet.
"Sweetie," the elderly librarian looked at the floor and then back at Eva, "I think your water just broke.
"No, really?" Eva asked sarcastically as a contraction rippled through her and caused her to double over in pain. "Call an ambulance," she said through panted breaths.
"Tsk tsk," the woman teased as she made her way toward the office in search of a phone. As she walked, she started absently telling Eva about the birth of her fifth child, and how he had come so quickly that she ended up giving birth to him in a restaurant. "I gave birth during the second and third course, cleaned him up, and then returned to the table to finish by dessert," she said as she started to dial the emergency line.
"I'm sure you did," Eva said through gritted teeth. She wasn't in the mood to argue with old Mrs. Matthews about the factuality of her story, as she had a well-known tendency to exaggerate.
"Annddd," Mrs. Matthews continued, "only after I finished by dessert did I go to the hospital."
"Great story Mrs. Matthews, but is the ambulance on its way?" Eva asked desperately. Her contractions had subsided for the moment, but she knew that at any second they would return.
"I'm on the phone with them right now sweetie," she called to Eva from across the room.
At this rate, Eva feared she would never make it. Come on Eva, you are stronger than this, she encouraged herself. She gritted her teeth and set her jaw with determination. She was going to be just fine.
****
Eva looked down at the sleeping babe in her arms, her and Bhradain's little baby boy. He had a full head of thick black hair and intense brown eyes, just like his father.
"Drummond," she echoed softly, "I'll name you Drummond, after your father." She pressed a soft kiss on the baby's forehead and gently began to rock him while she hummed a lullaby.
Eva stopped humming the moment she sensed another presence in the room — a presence that caused her body to respond in an instinctual way. She didn't need to look up to know who was standing in the doorway.
"Bhradain," she gasped as she brought her eyes up to meet his with fierce intensity.
Heavy emotions played out on Bhradain's face as he looked down upon the image of Eva holding the babe.
"He's ours," she said softly.
"I ken," his voice wavered on the last word.
Eva smiled at the sound of Bhradain's heavy brogue. She had missed it greatly. "How did you, I mean, where did you?" she had so many questions, but she was too overwhelmed by the surprise to think clearly.
Bhradain walked slowly toward Eva and baby Drummond, his eyes glistening with the hint of tears. "I cannae believe he is ours," he said gruffly.
Eva nodded. Her own eyes stung with tears of joy, her mind still taking its time to fully process that Bhradain had returned to her.
Bhradain leaned closer and brushed his thumb gently against baby Drummond's cheek. "He is beautiful," Bhradain breathed. He turned his gaze back on Eva. "And so are ye," he smiled as he spoke.
"Would you like to hold him?" Eva asked Bhradain. He looked surprised, but eager.
"Aye lass, I would," he said softly. He carefully lifted the sleeping baby out of Eva's arms and brought him close to his chest, cradling him gently.
Eva enjoyed the site of her intense highlander gently rocking their sleeping babe. Her heart ached with the joy of seeing him, while her mind continued to try and wrap itself around the concept that he was indeed here.
"I thought you were gone," Eva said. She wasn't sure how Bhradain had returned to her, and she wanted to know what had happened to him these past few months.
Bhradain looked up from where he had been gazing at their sleeping infant; his eyes locked with hers. "The curse is broken Eva," he said with pure happiness. "Ye broke the curse."
Eva felt even more bewildered. "But your mother said that it was too late," she added.
"Nae," Bhradain said. "Ye remember the night when little Drummond was conceived," he shot Eva a heated look. "Ye said ye were willing to pay the price to help me break the curse," he continued. "It could only be broken if a witch gave birth to my child."
Eva's eyes widened. "Because we got pregnant before your birthday, the curse was broken?" She tried to clarify. "But where were you these past few months?" she drilled.
Bhradain laughed. "Aye, the curse was broken in part that night, but it was not complete until little Drummond was born," he explained. "Until then, I could nae change into my human form."
"But how did you get here?" Eva asked. Her mind kept racing with questions.
"Yer druid friends were able to send me," he added.
Eva balked. "But they tried to kill me! Why would they help us now?"
Bhradain looked a bit sheepish. "We misjudged them,” he said. It appears that they had only good intentions all along,” he said.
Eva threw her hands up in the air in exasperation, "Well I've officially seen it all," she exclaimed. When she looked back up at Bhradain, she couldn't help but giggle. "I can't believe you are back," she sighed. "Are you here for good?" she asked nervousl
y. She suddenly was filled with the fear that he might leave her.
"I will stay as long as ye want me here," he said gently. "Although with ye being a witch, it seems that ye would have the ability to return us if we ever wanted to make a visit to the old country," he teased.
Eva laughed. "Well I've been researching that, and I'm not anywhere close to understanding what it means to be a witch." She had seen a few articles on the matter, but nothing concrete that would help her understand why she was able to return herself to her own world after being summoned to another. "But I'm sure I'll learn," she said with determination.
Epilogue
"Now Bhradain, my aunt and uncle are fiercely protective of me, so don't take it personally if they ask you a lot of questions," Eva explained. They stood on the front porch of Maria and Mark’s home, with baby Drummond in the stroller.
"Am I nae fiercely protective of ye too?" Bhradain asked.
Eva chuckled. "I should hope so," she teased.
Just then the door swung open and six-year-old Jamie greeted the young family.
"Hello Jamie, can we come in?" she asked the young boy.
Jamie took one look at Eva, another look at the stroller, and an even longer look at Bhradain before he spoke. "On one condition," he stated.
"And what may that be?" asked Bhradain as he knelt down to Jamie's eye level. "Not too high a price I hope," he chuckled and shot Eva a wry look over his shoulder.
"Nope," Jamie said excitedly. "My only condition is that you agree to play a game of Manhunt after dinner," he stated firmly.
Uh oh, Eva thought. The last few times she played that game with Jamie, she had been sent back to a whole different world. "Jamie perhaps —" she stopped herself. She took a loving look at Bhradain and baby Drummond; if she had to go back now, she wouldn't change a thing.
"Yes?" Jamie asked expectantly.
"I'm in," Eva beamed.
The End
Return to the TOC for Bonus Content
Mystique
(Fantasy Romance)
Chapter One
Marie Stevens was a good woman in a bad situation. That had always seemed to be her story. She’d grown up in a small Southern town, and so she had a certain charm about her. Men fell for her left and right but she’d always been the type of girl who believed in “the one”.
She lived on a small farm with her parents in the mountains of Tennessee. The farm was never meant to be a source of income but she’d loved taking care of the animals. Marie had a special place in her heart for animals. She almost liked them better than she liked people.
Marie had always been a quiet, studious girl who was dedicated to her schooling. She wanted to leave the small town and become a veterinarian. She’d always dreamed of spending her life helping animals.
Her dreams were big and she knew that she could achieve them if she put her mind to it. She could move mountains if she believed she could. People told her that she was meant for greatness and she believed them.
While all the girls in her school were busy with boys and prom, she was studying and keeping her GPA near perfect. People made fun of her and the boys she turned down would accuse her of being a lesbian or some other claim that made the blow to their manhood more palatable. It was a ridiculous game, in her opinion, and so she refused to play.
The boys were drawn to her ethereal beauty. All the boys wanted her and the girls wanted to be her, even if Marie didn’t know it. She had long, curly blonde hair that glistened in the light and always seemed to lay across her shoulders perfectly without any effort. Her eyes were as big and blue as the ocean and when she smiled they shined brighter than stars. Her pale skin was never marred with blemishes and her round face gave her an innocent charm that drew people in.
Despite her beauty, Marie’s focus was never pulled away from school. She stayed the course and managed to ignore the advances of potential boyfriends and the pressure to go to parties. Her parents couldn’t have been more proud of her, but that was all going to change her senior year.
Robert had been so damn charming when they first met. His eyes were almost a golden amber color. The closest thing she could compare them to was honey. They were deep and rich and seemed to look right into her soul. She fell for him the moment they met.
Marie had enjoyed fairy tales growing up and so she’d bought into the idea of love at first sight. It was how she’d wanted to meet the love of her life. She wanted the storybook romance that she’d read about for so many years.
She was inherently feminine and had denied herself the things that girls looked forward to for her entire life. Marie never went to school dances and she never put herself into the dating pool. She’d focused on more practical things, and as a result she was hungry for the very things she’d avoided.
Robert paid attention to every one of those desires. He made Marie feel like a princess and it was intoxicating to her. It was enough to drag her away from her books and away from her goals. He promised that he would take care of her for the rest of her life. She’d never have to work a day in her life. She’d just stay at home and take care of their babies.
The first time he’d told her that, she’d questioned if it was what she really wanted. She’d had her heart set on being a veterinarian for so long that she couldn’t imagine anything else. Robert convinced her that it wasn’t something worth pursuing. He convinced her that he only way they could build a life together was if she depended on him completely.
Those red flags should have been enough to wake her up. Marie should have run away from that fate as fast as she could, but she was too caught up in her own fairy tale to listen to reason. She jumped right off the cliff, expecting Robert to catch her. She would realize later in her life just how stupid of a decision that was.
Marie gave Robert something that she’d been told was precious. Her virginity. It was another thing she would look back on and scoff at. Her virginity meant nothing. It was something that society had put on a pedestal to keep girls from exploring their own sexualities.
At the time, however, it was a big deal. The first time they laid together she was expecting something wonderful. She expected her world to be changed forever, but it was much duller than that. A few sloppy thrusts and grunts and he came, leaving her unsatisfied and confused. She wasn’t even sure if it felt good, to be honest. It had happened so fast.
All of their encounters following that were pretty much the same. She wouldn’t have her first orgasm until a friend bought her a vibrator as a joke. She had been embarrassed at first, but it became a staple in her and Robert’s relationship. She kept it by the bed for all of those disappointing sexual exploits.
Their intercourse wasn’t completely unproductive. Right after graduation she found out she was pregnant with her first and only child. There was pressure for her and Robert to marry thanks to the old world views of their small town.
That pressure was more than enough to convince them to get married. It was a quiet affair that was put together quickly. Her parents wanted to preserve her dignity and so it needed to be done before she started to show.
It was the first of many disappointments that she would experience in her marriage. Her pregnancy left her unable to go to school and so Robert got the housewife he'd always wanted.
Robert went to work every day and left Marie at home, pregnant and terrified. She hadn't planned on having children for years. Some part of her still wanted to get out of her small town and see the country, and maybe even the world.
She would have to come to terms with the fact that she was a mother and a wife now and that would define her for years to come.
Chapter Two
The birth of Richard was one of the happiest days of Marie's life, but it was promptly followed by weeks of soul crushing depression. No one ever talked about postpartum depression and so Marie didn't know to expect it.
Her husband was present for the birth of their son but that was where his involvement stopped. Men were expected to work
and women were expected to care for the children. There was little cross over.
Thanks to this archaic view, Marie was left at home with a screaming infant and no one to look to for help. Her mother would shake her head in disappointment if Marie admitted to being terrified of the baby or unsure of what she should do.
The gruff, aging woman would tell her to follow her 'maternal instincts'. As a nineteen-year-old woman and new mother, she wasn't sure she had the instincts her mother was talking about.
She felt like a failure as a mother and a wife, not realizing that there were other women around her suffering from the same affliction. They wouldn't talk about it for the same reasons that Marie did not. They were all too afraid of being judged.
Those first few weeks were hell but Marie pulled through and gained confidence as a mother. She felt she was a good mother, though her husband would tell her otherwise on many occasions.
She did her best to cook and clean despite the fact that she hated every second of it. She went to every PTA meeting and every hockey practice. She decorated the house for every holiday and gave out plenty of hugs and kisses.
It wasn’t an act. Marie loved her son. She loved him more than anything on the planet and she was thankful for his happy face every day. He looked so much like his father. He had his golden eyes and Marie’s thick blonde hair. His nose turned up when he smiled and Marie took all the credit for that one. He was a beautiful boy and she adored him to no end.
Her husband, on the other hand, was a completely different story. She’d hoped for a fairy tale life but it didn’t seem like she was meant to live happily ever after. Her relationship with Robert fell apart soon after Richard was born.
The man was never around. He preferred the company of his coworkers at the bar to that of his wife and his son. No one batted an eye at it either. This was normal. There were few women in this small town who were in happy marriages. Everyone said they were happy but Marie knew it was a lie. She saw the same sad look in every woman’s eye that she had in her own. No one was happy, but you couldn’t admit it.