[Intertwined Souls 05.0] No Good Deed

by Mary D. Brooks

  Mixed in with the happiness and joy, we have the sadness of Percy’s passing. We had Percy’s funeral last week and there were so many people who attended, even the Prime Minister. His death was so unexpected. He was a funny, lovely man. Aunt Jana is taking it in her stride.

  In my last letter I told you about Tommy’s decision to change his profession and become a psychologist. His gentle nature will be welcome in such a difficult field. Tommy wants to specialize in treating people who have suffered severe trauma, similar to what Eva and Earl have endured. There are so many wounded soldiers from the Korean War – wounded in mind and body – that Tommy wants to do more than being a mental health nurse. Aunty Stella says Uncle Timothy would have been so proud of him. She doesn’t talk about Timothy a lot but when Tommy told her that he was planning on following in his footsteps, Aunty Stella cried. We are so proud of him. We will have another Dr. Lambros in the family.

  Earl is in line for a promotion to assistant headmaster at his school. He is so happy, and having Tommy in his life has made him even happier. I suspect Eva will be Earl’s girlfriend again. They do make a beautiful couple (yes, I am trying to be funny).

  Henry says to thank you for the gift you sent him and Alexandra for their wedding. They are so happy, and we are going to have another little baby in our lives soon. No, I’m not pregnant again. Alexandra is pregnant! Henry will send you a long letter, but he wanted me to let you know.

  Aunty Stella and Tessa are doing well. Tessa is doing well after her back surgery, and she is getting stronger each day. I love her and she has been like a second mother to the both of us. Stella is very busy with the practice and has painted her hair bright orange. No, I’m not joking. It is the brightest shade of orange I have ever seen. I’m enclosing a photograph Eva took of her. She still zany and outrageous. Dr. Hannah is now working with Stella and they are going to be working in a new private hospital. Eva wants to build it for them to treat the soldiers coming back from the war and others who need their assistance.

  Elena and Friedrich’s little ones are growing faster than weeds. Rebecca is adorable and such a quiet child, and their son Daniel was born a few weeks before our babies. Rebecca and Daniel are two very beautiful children that have wonderful parents.

  Elena wanted me to send her thanks to you for the beautiful letter you sent her after she miscarried two months ago. She was so despondent, but she is getting better. They were both shattered by the miscarriage.

  David has been promoted to Division Manager at the War Crimes Unit. I’m not sure that’s a good thing, considering the work they do, but David thinks this is the path he needs to take. Debbie is now working at Lambros Steel and she’s enjoying it. Having her there makes Eva’s job easier.

  Wilbur and Marlene send their love. It was so good to have them come and stay for three months. It gave Eva a chance to spend time with her beloved uncle and aunt; she misses them so much. They have now gone back to Berlin, but I suspect Wilbur will be back in the next few years.

  Isabella sends her love. It’s been so good to have her here, and it has made us so happy. The twins love her, which is such a blessing.

  What else can I tell you about your grandchildren? Theo and Tommy were painting the new nursery and bathroom last month and had left the paint to have some lunch. Unfortunately, the twins decided to investigate and we ended up with blue colored children—they painted themselves. They were very proud of their artwork.

  Yesterday I can honestly tell you that I aged ten years. I know it, I can feel it. I’m not quite sure how you managed with an orphanage… You have the patience of a saint. One thing we learnt yesterday, Larissa hides very well. Eva was frantic when she couldn’t find her. Yes, you read that correctly. Eva was frantic. My ever-patient spouse disappeared. I’ve never seen her like this before. We knew Larissa couldn’t have gone outside, since Theo made lattice doors for the front and the back steps to prevent our little angels from tumbling down the steps.

  We searched every room, under every bed, and even the laundry. Evy thought she may have gone into the dryer on the floor and she looked in there as well. We searched for one hour. Then we found her. Eva came out of the kitchen with the biggest smile on her face. She led me to the kitchen sink and opened the cupboard doors.

  I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. Larissa was happily playing under the sink, covered in flour. I don’t know how she got the flour or how she found her way under the sink, but there she was. Evy was so relieved she just couldn’t stop laughing. I did the only thing I could do and took a picture of our precious and precocious little girl. This photo is going to be great blackmail material when she’s older.

  “Mama! Mama! Mama!”

  Zoe looked up for her notepad and smiled when she saw Larissa balanced on Eva’s hands. Eva was holding Larissa’s feet while the young girl was standing upright. Zoe knew what she about to do and raised her hand. “Go!” she called out.

  “Go! Go! Go!” Larissa called out. Eva lifted her hands and the youngster used them as a springboard and dived into the water. Moments later she came to the surface. “Mutti! Do it again! Now!”

  Zoe chuckled when Eva brought Larissa into her embrace and laughed. Zoe went back to her writing.

  Eva, Tessa, and Jana have been keeping an eye on Larissa about those PentaGifts. She hasn’t shown any indication yet but it’s only a matter of time. Evy wishes Lari didn’t have the gifts, but we all know she will. Larissa is fearless, and I’m worried about her when she gets them. That day will come soon enough. Eva’s abilities are more than enough to scare anyone. Nothing scares this child except her brother’s aliens under the bed stories.

  I leave you with all the news, Father, and I hope to hear from you soon.

  Zoe put her pen down and reread the letter. Larissa and Nicky were giving them some of the best memories she would ever have, and running them ragged, but those were experiences she would never give up.

  The whirlwind that was her daughter came running up the steps dripping wet. “Mama! Mama! Mama!” she cried out.

  Zoe gazed down at Larissa. Her red-gold hair was now shoulder length and plastered to her head, and her green eyes looked up at her with such love that Zoe’s heart ached. “Did you have fun diving?”

  Larissa laughed and shook herself, getting water droplets everywhere, including on Zoe’s letter. She laughed and gave her mother a quick kiss before she got up and raced inside the house, quickly followed by her brother.

  Eva came up the stairs behind their two children. A towel was wrapped around her waist. Her long hair was wet and tied in a ponytail. “I’m a little wet,” she said with a laugh as she leaned down and kissed Zoe tenderly on the lips.

  “I get tired watching them!” Zoe said. Eva sat down next to her.

  “They’re water babies,” Eva whispered, making Zoe giggle. She sat back on the sofa and rested her head against the cushion. “I think we have a problem.”

  “Oh?”

  Eva nodded. “I saw an old friend just now.”

  “How old?”

  “Two thousand years old,” Eva replied. “She was sitting at the edge of the pool with her legs in the water.”

  “Well, she did say she would be keeping an eye on us.”

  “Hm. That’s not the problem.”

  “What is?”

  “Lari saw her,” Eva said quietly. Nicky came back out and was about to race down the steps. “Nicky!” Eva called out, which made her son stop. He turned with a questioning look.

  Eva crooked her finger at him and he slowly made his way to her. “Not in the pool unless I’m with you!”

  Zoe tried not to laugh as she watched Nicky giving them such a dejected look. He was almost a carbon copy of Eva. With a heavy sigh, he went back inside the house.

  Zoe giggled. “He reminds me of you when you do that.”

  “I’m not nearly as cute.” Eva laughed.

  “I disagree,” Zoe said as she reached out and tweaked Eva’s chin. “What do you mean
Lari saw her?

  “She turned and said that Nana was sitting there and that she should come in and swim.”

  Zoe’s eyes widened. “Nana? She’s seen her before?”

  “Apparently. I asked her when and she said yesterday. I also saw Lari’s eyes change color.”

  “Are you sure? You’re not wearing your glasses, love, so…”

  “I’m sure. They were dark blue. I asked her to describe what she was seeing and she looked at me like I was going a little crazy. She said she liked Nana and she wanted her to stay.”

  “Her eyes were back to green when she came up here.”

  Eva sighed deeply. “I really wish, like my mother did, that she didn’t have the gifts. I wish I could put a block on hers, but that won’t stop them.”

  “You, Tessa, and Jana will teach her. She will have what you didn’t have, Evy. It’s better for her to know how to control them than not having any control.”

  “Yes, I know. I will call Aunty Tessa and Jana in the morning,” Eva replied. She sat on the edge of the sofa and looked down at Zoe’s notebook. “Are you writing to Father and telling him all about his rambunctious grandchildren?”

  “Yes, plus filling him on the rest of the family.”

  “Another divorce in the family. Shocking.” Eva laughed. “You were right about Emily.”

  Zoe nodded. “She has a good heart and we need to plan for another wedding.”

  The screen door opened with a bang and Nicky stood halfway out of the doorway. “Mama! Mutti! Mama! Mutti! Mama! Mutti! Lari is drawing on herself!”

  Eva leaned back on the sofa and laughed. “Zoe, my love, your mother was a saint.”

  Zoe looked at Eva for a moment and then laughed. “You know, Evy, my mama must be laughing so much in heaven. I lost count of the number of times she told me that she wished I had children just like me.”

  They looked at each other for a moment and then burst out laughing.

  ***

  Jana sat in the deserted small chapel and gazed up at the crucifix. She crossed herself and kissed the gold cross that hung around her neck. Theresa materialized next to her. Jana turned and smiled at her younger sister.

  “It happened again, Jana.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. She saw me on both days. She’s calling me ‘Nana,’” Theresa replied. “This is it. I believe the prophecy does relate to them.”

  “We have to tell them about the prophecy.”

  “We will but not now. It’s too soon.”

  “I really thought the prophecy meant Daphne, Tessa, and Eva but…”

  “We’ve been playing this guessing game for a long time. It wasn’t them, Jana. You also thought it was Irene, Daphne, and Tessa.”

  “How do we know we are not guessing now?”

  “The fiery one shall merge…the grey, the blue and the green.” Theresa replied as she looked up at the crucifix. “The fiery one is Larissa.”

  “If you are right, there is much to be done. How do we know she is going to be safe until she is ready?”

  “They have us and we have been commissioned to protect them, my sister. We will keep them safe. When the time is right the prophecy will be fulfilled.” Theresa put her arm around Jana and kissed her on the cheek. “We won’t fail,” she said quietly as they sat side by side in the quiet chapel.

  THE END

  This is not the end of Eva and Zoe’s journey. The Intertwined Souls Series Continues in the sixth novel in the series

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  Thank you,

  Mary

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  Standalone Novels in the Eva and Zoe Universe

  Mabel of the ANZACS (Timeframe: 1948)

  (Coming July 31, 2018 Available for Pre-Order now)

  A Widgie Knight (Timeframe: 1949)

  Zoe’s Promise (Timeframe: 1949)

  Intertwined Souls Series – Eva and Zoe

  Book 1: In The Blood of the Greeks (Timeframe: 1941 – 1944)

  Book 2: Where Shadows Linger (Timeframe: 1947)

  Book 3: Hidden Truths (Timeframe: 1950)

  Book 4: Awakenings (Timeframe: 1950)

  Book 5: No Good Deed (Timeframe: 1951)

  Book 6: Nor The Battle To The Strong (Timeframe: 1956)

  Non-Fiction

  In the Blood of the Greeks The Illustrated Companion