by Elise Marion
Chapter Eighteen: Beginnings and Endings
Jack was awakened by the loud ringing of his cell phone from the other room. At first, he wasn’t certain what he’d heard, but as he floated up out of the fog of drowsiness, he realized the sound was reaching out to him through the bathroom separating Addison’s room from the one he shared with Derek. Rolling out of bed, he reached for his jeans and slid them on, quickly padding across the hardwood floor into the bathroom.
At first, he wondered why the noise hadn’t woken Derek, prompting his roommate to get out of bed to silence it. But as he stepped into the room, he found Derek’s bed empty—the sheets mussed as if it had been slept in, but now vacant. Squinting against the morning sun gleaming through the window, he plopped down onto his neatly made bed and reached for his phone, which he’d left hooked up to the charger last night.
Finding the call coming from the familiar New Orleans area code, he quickly answered. “Hello?”
“Good morning,” said the rumbling, masculine voice from the other end of the phone. “This is Sheriff Michaelson calling from the New Orleans Police Department. May I speak with Jackson Bennett, Jr.?”
“This is Jackson,” he replied, his stomach performing a few somersaults as he realized this must be about his application.
Things had gotten so hectic with Abaddon’s attack and the sudden move from the city and into Monroe House that he hadn’t even had time to be nervous about it.
“I’m calling to invite you to come down and continue the application process,” the sheriff said. “We’ll need to have you take the written exam first. If all goes well, you can move on to the physical agility phase, background checks, and interview. How soon can we expect you?”
For a moment, he was incapable of speaking. He had risen from the dead full of plans for his future, and just now, it seemed as if everything was on track. His calling, his love life, and now the possibility of an actual career instead of a dead-end job.
“I can come today,” he replied, pulling back to glance at the screen of his phone and note the time. “A few hours?”
“That sounds good,” the sheriff replied. “We’ll you see you this afternoon, Mr. Bennett.”
“Thank you,” he said before ending the call.
Setting the phone down onto the bed, he couldn’t stop the wide grin pulling at the corners of his mouth.
“Looks like you’re having a good morning already,” Addison murmured from the doorway.
She leaned against the frame, wearing the shirt he’d discarded on her bedroom floor the night before. Her hair was hopelessly tousled, its new length framing her face perfectly. She was radiant first thing in the morning, taking his breath away with the simple act of standing there and smiling at him.
He got to his feet and crossed the room, pulling her into his arms and kissing her. “Good morning.”
She grinned. “You really are in a good mood. What’s going on?”
“Well,” he replied. “I didn’t want to say anything until I got the call, but I guess I can’t keep it from you anymore.”
“Okay, the suspense is killing me.”
“A few days ago, I quit my job at Mama Jo’s and put in an application with the New Orleans Police Department,” he told her. “That was them, calling me in for the testing phase.”
Her smile must have been as wide as his as she jumped up into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist and letting out an excited squeal.
“Oh, my God, Jack, that’s fantastic!”
Holding on to her, he laughed. “Let’s not get too excited. I still have a shit-ton of hurdles to jump over.”
“Too late,” she told him, kissing his forehead. “I’m excited as hell, and so dang proud of you.”
Looking at her, he could see that she spoke the truth. Her eyes fairly glittered with excitement, her smile making it hard for him to take his own advice and not get overly enthusiastic.
“I gotta go get ready,” he said. “I told them I’d come this afternoon, and it’s already ten o’clock.”
“Ten o’clock!” she exclaimed, jumping down out of his hold. “Shit, I’m going to be late for class if I don’t get a move on.”
He chuckled, watching as she disappeared through the bathroom. “You needed the sleep!”
She came back into the bathroom with a pair of jeans and shirt draped over one arm. “I know, but I’ve missed too much class as it is with all that’s been going on. If I hurry, I might have time to eat before I leave. Do you think Micah is cooking?”
Jack reached into the nearby shower stall, turning the nozzle all the way to ‘hot’. “If I know Micah, he’s cooking … there’s nothing he likes better than showing off for people who have never tasted his food, and there are hundreds of your siblings around for him to impress.”
Shedding his jeans, he stepped under the spray and shut the glass door while near the sink, Addison was spreading toothpaste onto her brush.
“Damn, I forgot my body wash,” he muttered. “Addie, would you grab it for me? It’s in the bag by the bed … the only one I haven’t unpacked yet.”
“Okay,” she mumbled around her toothbrush.
The sound of her feet faded as she crossed into the next room. After a full minute of standing under the spray and waiting for her to return, he frowned. Opening the door, he peeked out.
“Hey, are you having a hard time finding…”
He trailed off when he found her standing in the open bathroom doorway, holding a tiny black box in her hand. The tiny black box his father had given him when he’d been in New York. It was open, showcasing the ring inside, the emerald gleaming in the light of the sun.
Addison glanced down at it, then up at him, and back down again with a slack jaw. Her expression read shock, and maybe even a little bit of terror.
“I wasn’t … that is, I didn’t try to snoop through your stuff,” she stammered. “I just … it was in the bag and I was curious, and … it’s a ring.”
Turning the water off, he reached for the dry towel hanging nearby and stepped out, wrapping it around his waist.
“Yes,” he replied, keeping his voice calm. “It’s a ring. Why don’t you take it out and get a better look at it?”
Her eyes snapped up to lock with his, still wide and a bit uncertain. Then, glancing down at the ring, she pulled it out of the box and held it gingerly between her fingers.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered.
“Look on the inside,” he prompted.
Turning it, she squinted and tried to make out what he knew to be inscribed on the inside. Etched into the gold was the symbol of the Guardians, an heirloom passed down by the Bennett men for generations. There were three of them still in the family—one of which had belonged to his great-grandmother. His stepmother now wore it proudly.
“If you’re sure that Addison is the one, then you need this,” Jackson, Sr. had said while handing him the box just before he’d left New York.
Jack had taken the ring, but had planned to keep it to himself until he felt Addison was ready. He didn’t want to overwhelm her when she had so many other things going on. But, now that she’d found it, there was no use pretending that the ring was meant for any other purpose.
“The Bennett men have been passing rings like that down for a few hundred years now. Sarah has one, and one of my cousins has the other. Dad’s been hanging to this one for me … until I was ready to give it to the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. I told you last night that I would marry you someday. Did you think it was just talk?”
Glancing up at him, she shook her head slowly. “I’m coming to realize that you never do anything halfway, and you don’t say things like that unless you mean them. I believed you.”
“If you aren’t sure yet, that’s okay,” he said, finding that he meant it. “I didn’t mean for you to see it. I was waiting for the right time.”
He had known she was the one pretty much from the moment he’d first kissed he
r, even as he’d tried to tell himself he could never have a future with her. Now, he couldn’t imagine his life without her.
“I’m sure that I love you,” she offered tentatively. “I know that I want all the things you mentioned before … a life, happiness. I want those things with you.”
Ignoring the water he was dripping all over the floor, he came closer, plucking the ring from her hand.
“That’s enough for me, for now,” he declared. “If you want me to hold on to this until you’re ready to wear it, I will.”
Glancing down at the chain hanging around her neck, with the Seal of Solomon resting against her chest, he smiled.
“Or …”
He slipped the chain off over her head. Unclasping it, he slid the ring onto the chain so that it rested behind the Seal.
“You could wear it like this.”
Replacing the chain around her neck, he watched as the ring fell against her sternum, covered partially by the large, gaudy Seal.
Reaching up to touch it, she smiled. “I like the idea of wearing it like this for now. It’s like a reminder … a promise of what we’ll have when we finally end this war.”
Reaching out to cup her cheek, he lowered his head and kissed her again. “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”
Seeming to forget that he was dripping wet, she wrapped her arms around his waist. “Have I told you lately how much I love you?”
He grinned. “Yes, and if you weren’t running late for class, I’d ask you to show me again.”
She groaned, releasing him and stepping away. “I hate class right now. Class is stupid. Why do I care about class again?”
“No, it’s not stupid,” he admonished, trying to keep a straight face. “Go get ready. I’m not going anywhere … we have all the time in the world. Right?”
Reaching up again to clasp the ring, she smiled. “Right.”
Stepping back into the shower, Jack turned the water back on. He shouted a reminder to Addison about his body wash, which she quickly retrieved.
And as he prepared for his day, he experienced a sense of rightness about what had just happened. If he were going to plan proposing to Addison, he would have found a more romantic way to do it. But, now that they’d agreed on what they wanted, he couldn’t imagine a better way for things to happen. He and Addison had their entire lives ahead of them … and now all he had to do was prepare for said life, one step at a time. First step, getting this job with the police department. With thoughts of a future and family with Addison at the forefront of his mind, it seemed more important than ever for him to succeed.
Later that afternoon, Addison returned to Monroe House from class to find Reniel seated on the front porch waiting for her. Jack still used Antoine’s motorcycle and had driven her into town on it. Now, he let her off at the front of the house, going to park it in the garage before offering to go see if any of her siblings needed help settling in. He seemed to sense that Reniel wanted a word with her, and wasted no time leaving them alone.
The angel rose from where he sat in an old wicker rocking chair, something clutched in his large hand as he approached.
She stood, waiting at the foot of the porch steps as he descended, his expression melting into a smile as he drew closer.
“I’ve been waiting all day to talk to you,” he said, offering her one arm.
Looping her arm through his, she let him lead her on the path trailing toward the greenhouse and pond.
“Sorry, I slept later than I planned, and then I had class,” she replied.
“It’s quite all right,” he said. “You deserved your rest after all that’s happened. I must say, when I undertook my quick trip to Heaven, I didn’t imagine I’d return to find so much changed.”
Glancing up at him, she squinted from the brightness of the sun shining behind him, making his hair glow like the golden halo she imagined he must wear while in Heaven.
Or, maybe not. Were halos even a thing? Now didn’t seem like an appropriate time to ask, so she filed the question away for later.
“Surprised?” she asked with a sheepish smile.
“Proud,” he replied, patting the hand resting in the crook of his arm. “You performed well against Abaddon, and when the time came, you stepped into your destiny by providing a home for your siblings. I couldn’t be prouder of you, Addison.”
She wrinkled her brow as they neared the pond and came to a stop. “You knew my Nana, didn’t you? You knew what this house would become.”
Allowing her to release his arm, he moved his hand to join the other behind his back. “I knew Gayle very well, as I do all the Guardians. When the house fell into her hands, she wanted to sell it and set the money aside for you. The money would serve you better than an old plantation, she said.”
Addison chuckled. “That sounds like Nana. What changed her mind?”
“Vivian,” he told her with a shrug. “She saw the vision, and enlisted my aid in making sure Gayle knew what this house would be needed for. Your grandmother then made it her life’s mission to prepare it for you.”
Glancing out at the dragonflies flitting over the still water and the green field stretching beyond, she nodded. “She certainly did a good job. Her, Paw-Paw, and Mr. Thorton. Thank goodness, too, because we needed a place sooner rather than later.”
Reniel inclined his head. “More will come, you know. Seeking refuge.”
“We’ll be ready,” she promised. “As a matter of fact, I’m supposed to meet up with Derek and Micah later to discuss some plans for getting organized and making sure things run smoothly around here.”
“Good,” Reniel replied. “It sounds as if you’ve got everything in hand. Now, on to other matters. While I was in Heaven, I took your request concerning Elizabeth to Father himself.”
Her heart leapt up into her throat as she turned to face Reniel, hope causing her pulse to raise. It had been a long shot, but she’d been praying God would have mercy and allow her to know where her mother’s final resting place was. Even if it turned out to be Hell, Addison decided she could live with that. Not knowing at all had become unbearable.
“Okay,” she murmured, wiping her sweating hands on her jeans. “What’s the verdict?”
Reniel’s brow furrowed, his gaze filled with an emotion she couldn’t mistake for anything other than pity. “I am sorry, Addison. The rules are clear. I am not allowed to tell you whether someone’s soul is in Heaven or Hell.”
Just as quickly as her heart had taken residence in her throat, it plummeted into her stomach. “I understand.”
Reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder, Reniel sighed. “I am truly sorry.”
“I know,” she replied, forcing a smile. “It is what it is. You tried, and I’m grateful.”
Moving his left hand from behind his back, he extended something to her with a rueful smile. “I do hope that this will bring you some comfort. I brought it from Heaven. A gift to lift your spirits.”
Reaching out to pluck the delicate-looking flower from Reniel’s grasp, Addison found herself entranced. It was unlike any blossom she’d ever seen. If she had to compare it to something, she might say it looked like a cross between a lily and a tulip. However, the brilliant color was also unearthly … like some shade of yellow that did not exist on the palette of any artist in the world. It seemed to shimmer, taking on a slight glow in the light of the sun. A palpable energy radiated from it with a strength that brought a smile to her face even as a tear rolled down her cheek.
She’d never seen anything more beautiful.
“It’s stunning,” she murmured. “The color … it’s surreal.”
“In Heaven, everything is better,” he said. “The colors are brighter, the fragrances are sweeter. People who live there are truly at peace.”
She glanced from him to the flower, then back to him again. He was watching her closely, his voice heavy with meaning. As if he were trying to tell her something without saying anything.
“My mot
her’s favorite color was yellow,” she whispered. “It’s my favorite, too.”
“Is it?” he murmured, a knowing smirk curving his lips. “What a coincidence.”
Warmth filled her chest as she lifted the blossom to her nostrils and smelled it, feeling as if the fragrance washed her clean from the inside out. There could truly be nothing more beautiful on Earth than this solitary flower … except, maybe, the knowledge that Reniel had just given her. A covert message from Heaven; one she heard loud and clear.
Elizabeth was at peace. She was free, and happy, and surrounded by these beautiful yellow blossoms. He didn’t have to say it out loud for her to know it was what he was trying to tell her. Perhaps, her mother had even picked the flower herself, placing it in Reniel’s hand just for her. She would choose to believe that.
“Thank you,” she whispered, swiping at another tear. “Thank you, so much.”
Reniel took her hand and raised it, placing a chaste kiss on the back of it. “For the woman who has given more than most for the cause of Heaven … anything.”
Then, releasing her hand, he left her standing there on the edge of the pond, clutching the flower.
For a long moment, she simply stood there, enjoying the moment—the sun on her face, the buzz of a dragonfly’s wings, the scent of the flower in her hand.
Then, it became too much to keep in. A laugh bubbling up in her throat, she turned and trotted back toward the house, keeping her eyes peeled for Jack.
There was no one else she’d rather share her joy with right now than him. She was practically skipping as she neared the garage, thinking to check there for him first in case he hadn’t left yet.
But, as she neared the old wooden structure, something gave her pause. An unnerving silence cloaked the air around her, until she couldn’t even hear the chirping of the birds flying overhead. Goose bumps rose along her arms, and a tremor rolled down her spine, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.