by ID Johnson
Larkin’s mouth hung open for a moment before he finally managed a response. “I don’t know what to say. I never thought… I never thought Raphael would give his permission.”
“Well, he has,” Ru assured him. “So, believe me, I’m working on it. We were just discussing our plans for Japan. By the time I return,” she swallowed hard, “everything will be taken care of. Then, you and Mom can finally be together.”
Still scratching his head, Larkin finally allowed a smile to creep over his face. “That’s remarkable, Ru.”
She nodded, not sure what else to say on the matter. She had found it surprising as well, but it seemed like Raphael was in a gracious mood. “I really wish you could see Mom before then, though. I mean… he said you couldn’t be together, but that probably doesn’t mean he’d show up all angry if you just spent a little bit of time in the same location, does it?” Ru looked at the faces of her friends, and while all of them looked skeptical, no one was shaking their head in protest.
“Sounds like a decent plan to me,” Rider finally said. “Why don’t you call your mom and see if she wants to come over here for a little while?”
“Rider are you sure?” Ivy asked, her face seeming even whiter than usual. “When Raphael gets mad, he gets really mad. Or so I hear….”
“Yeah, I’m sure,” Rider nodded. “A little family reunion ain’t gonna hurt anybody.”
“Rider,” Ru said, turning to face him, “that’s extremely thoughtful of you. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. If there’s a problem, you know I’ll take full responsibility.”
He shrugged like she was asking him if she could borrow a pencil in math class. “It’s fine, Ru. But… I think the rest of us should probably head out and give you guys some family time together.”
“That’s a good idea,” Lyric agreed, reaching for her coat. “You guys can come to my house. My parents are at the neighbor’s playing cards.”
“Sounds like we should head to your neighbor’s house then,” Rider teased, pushing his arms through the sleeves of his brown leather jacket. He handed Ivy her coat and the three of them headed out the door.
Cutter’s eyes followed them to the door, and he looked confused, lost maybe. Stepping up next to him, Ru put her hand on his arm. “You’ll stay, won’t you?”
“Do you want me to?” he asked. The question in his eyes was deeper than the one he had voiced, and it melted Ru’s heart.
“Of course I want you to,” she replied, a reassuring smile on her face. “You’re just as much my family as anyone else in the world.”
A crooked grin broke out over his face. “Then I’ll stay.”
“See you in a bit,” Rider called as the three of them stepped out onto the porch, closing the door behind him.
Ru waved at them through the little window next to the door and then turned to face her father. “I’ll call Mom,” she said, and he nodded.
Cutter offered her dad a seat, and Ru pulled her cell phone out of her pocket, stepping back into the dining room to make the phone call. Her stomach was flip-flopping as she selected her mom’s name from her list of recent calls.
Maggie answered on the second ring. “Hi, honey! How are you? Still at Rider’s?”
The fact that her mother answered the phone so differently than Liddy Brown made Ru feel all warm inside, but she quickly got her mind focused back on the task at hand. “Hi, Mom. Yes, I’m still at Rider’s. But, listen, something’s come up.” She wasn’t sure exactly what to say, so she decided to just get it out. “Mom, Dad’s here. At Rider’s. He wants to see you.”
There was a long pause, and Ru considered looking at her phone to see if they’d been disconnected when her mother’s shaky voice finally broke through. “Larkin… is there? At Rider’s house? Right now?”
“Yes, Mom.” Ru gave her a few more seconds before she added, “I know what Raphael said about the two of you being together, but I don’t think he’ll get too mad if you just have a quick visit. Do you?”
“Uh, I don’t know, honey,” her mother admitted, and Ru could tell she was crying even if she was trying to hide it. “But… I think I’m willing to take that chance. As long as you are. I mean, I don’t want to get you into any trouble, honey. Or Rider.”
“No, Mom, Rider, Lyric, and Ivy left. Rider said he was fine with it. I don’t think we’ll get into any trouble if it’s a quick visit. I know that’s probably not what you want after twenty-some-odd years of not seeing each other, but I thought it might be better than nothing.”
Once again, the silence was overwhelming. Eventually, her mother said, “I’ll get my coat.”
“Do you want me to send Cutter to get you?” She wondered if her mother would be up to driving in her emotional state. For that matter, she wasn’t even sure if Maggie knew where Rider lived.
“No, I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“Okay. See you in a bit. Love you, Mom.”
“I love you, too, sweetheart. So very, very much.”
Ru ended the call and was glad for Cutter’s hand on her shoulder. She melted into him and let him be her strength for a moment as she took some deep breaths. Her parents were going to be meeting again for the first time since she was a toddler. And, for the first time she could remember the three of them would be in the same room together. It was almost too much to comprehend.
“How are you doing?” Cutter whispered into her ear, his arms around her waist now.
“I’m okay,” Ru assured him. “It’s just more than I could’ve ever imagined.” She slipped her phone back into her pocket and turned to face him, his arms sliding around her as she did so.
“It is a lot. And you made it happen.” He smiled down at her, and Ru had to fight not to get lost in his blue eyes.
“You made it happen, too,” she reminded him. “If you hadn’t convinced me of who I really am, none of this would’ve transpired.”
He cocked his head to the side. “True. I guess… in some ways… I should be the one getting all the credit for closing the portals.” A crooked grin broke across his face, and Ru could see a twinkle of mischief in his eyes.
Rather than argue with him, she said, “Seems fair to me.”
“Really?” he asked. “Cool. I’m gonna start making demands. See where it gets me.”
Ru shook her head. “Hasn’t gotten me much so far. Of course, if Raphael doesn’t throw a lightning bolt and burn Rider’s house down, I’ll consider that a win.” She realized her dad was waiting in the other room, so she leaned up and gave Cutter a quick peck on the cheek before slipping out of his grasp and heading back into the living room.
Larkin was sitting on the edge of Rider’s black leather sofa, his hands on his knees, literally twiddling his thumbs. “Mom’s on her way,” Ru said, sitting down on the end of the couch closest to the door to watch for Nana’s car. Cutter took a seat across the room, and she could tell he was still uncomfortable, not quite feeling like he belonged, but she wanted him there. She needed him there.
“She is?” Larkin asked, his expression changing from hopeful to nervous. “Okay.”
Ru couldn’t help but giggle. He looked like a teenager waiting for his date to arrive. “Dad, you should know, her hair looks different now. It’s dark brown. I think she colored it that way to hide.”
“I’m sure your mother looks absolutely lovely no matter her hair color,” her dad replied, though he looked a little puzzled, as if he were trying to picture it but coming up short.
“And Dad, remember, she goes by Maggie now.”
He nodded, but Ru caught the look in his eyes that implied he’d try to change that as quickly as he could. She was sure it would be difficult for him to start calling her something else after she’d been his Sera for all of these years.
Ru asked a few questions about where he’d been staying and how he’d gotten there, and he explained he’d rented a room in the next town and left his motorcycle outside of Los Angeles and walked the rest of the way so
it wouldn’t alarm any of the residents. Around here, people associated bikes with Reapers. He said he still had plenty of money but not enough for a taxi. When Ru asked why he didn’t just Uber, he asked what that was, and Ru realized he’d been in another world for far too long. Headlights out front caused them all to go silent, and Ru took a deep breath and went to the door.
It seemed to take a long time for Maggie to actually reach the porch. Ru couldn’t imagine what it would be like if she hadn’t seen Cutter for this long and he was waiting for her on the other side of a door. What sort of questions and doubts might go through her mind? Would she be so excited to see him that she didn’t even care what she looked like or would she be self-conscious. She knew her mother well enough by now to rest assured she was having the same sort of lingering questions.
Hearing her footfalls on the stairs, Ru opened the door. Her mom was wearing a nice pink sweater beneath her coat and her best pair of dark blue jeans. She looked like she might’ve run a brush through her hair, but her makeup was as simple as it always was. Standing in the porchlight, Ru thought she looked absolutely lovely, just as her father had said.
“Hi, Mom.” She waited for her mom to reach the threshold, but Maggie hesitated.
“He’s really here?” she asked.
Ru smiled reassuringly. “Let me take your purse and coat,” she replied, and her mom handed them over. Maggie’s first step through the door reminded Ru of her first leap out of her body. Nothing would ever be the same after this.
Larkin was standing halfway between the couch and the door, and when he saw his wife walk through, he gasped. Ru fumbled with the hook on the wall she was trying to place her mother’s belongings on, not wanting to take her eyes off of what was happening in front of her.
Maggie stepped into the room, covering her mouth with both hands. The sound she made was something between a laugh and a giggle, and before Ru knew what was happening, she launched herself across the small space between them and landed in Larkin’s arms. He scooped her up, pulling her close, and Maggie buried her head in his shoulder. Ru pushed the door closed and stood back, admiring her work.
After what seemed like several minutes, Maggie turned her head. “Ru, come here, honey!” she called through her tears. Without hesitation, Ru stepped forward into her father’s embrace and wound her hands around both of her parents. A rush of memories came flooding back, and for a moment, she was a little girl again, walking hand in hand with her father on the beach, soaring above his head through Central Park as he lifted her into the spring sunshine, sitting on her mother’s knee as she lovingly brushed her hair and sang a silly song. So many moments from ages ago fluttered through her mind’s eye, and tears of joy began to escape down her cheeks. The feel of her father’s lips pressed hard against the crown of her head meant she was safe, she was loved, she was home.
But something was missing, and Maggie realized it, too. Letting go of Larkin with one arm, she beckoned, “Cutter, get over here!” Ru couldn’t see his face as he joined their group hug, but she was sure there was both joy and awkwardness there as her dad and mother wrapped their arms around him. Ru had never felt more whole, more complete, in her entire life.
After a bit, Cutter wiggled out of the embrace, and Ru looked up, realizing her parents were staring longingly into each other’s eyes. It was touching, yet at the same time, she thought they definitely needed some privacy. She leaned forward and kissed each of them on the cheek before saying, “We’ll give you two a few minutes.” Neither of them even blinked as she slipped out of their arms and reached for Cutter’s hand.
Rider’s house was so small, they didn’t have too many options of where to go, so they headed for the guest bedroom in the back of the house. Ru wiped tears off of her cheeks and plopped down on the bed. Cutter closed the door and joined her, sheltering her with his arm around her shoulders.
He gave her a few moments before he asked, “You okay?”
“Yeah,” Ru said, nodding. A smile broke across her face, and she turned to look at him. “I’m… amazed. All those years, I never, ever thought that could happen, you know? But, it did. My parents—both of them—together.”
Cutter’s expression reflected her own. “That’s pretty special.”
“It really is,” she nodded. “I’m glad you were here.”
His smile broadened. “Me, too. But you know I was just teasing before, right? You did this. No one else.”
“Whatev.” Ru rolled her eyes.
“You do know there’s an E-R on the end of that word, right?”
“Not in my world.”
He brushed a few strands of wayward hair away from her face with his free hand. “Well, if that’s the case, I guess I better start saying it that way, too. Because there’s not another world I want to be in.”
Cupping her face, he leaned down as if he would kiss her, but Ru pulled away. “Are you sure? There’s a lot of other worlds out there, you know?”
“I know. I’m sure.” He tried again, and this time she met his lips with hers, knowing he truly meant it. Ru felt overwhelmed with luck and overjoyed with the way her life was turning out.
And then another thought entered her head. She pulled back as her stomach began to churn.
“What is it?” Cutter asked, his forehead crinkled with concern.
“This… isn’t permanent,” she said, letting out a sigh.
“Well, it’s only been a couple of months. Give a guy some time.”
She couldn’t help but chuckle. “No, silly,” she clarified, rolling her eyes. “My parents. This isn’t permanent until I finish my job.”
“Oh, right,” Cutter nodded, coming up to speed. “True—but it’s just a matter of time. We’ll go meet with Sky and then hop on a plane to Japan. Before you know it, you’ll all be one happy family again.”
As tempting as it was to just believe his words, Ru knew it wouldn’t be that simple. He’d skipped over the hardest parts. Doubt crept into the corners of her mind, and what bothered her the most was that it wasn’t closing the portal that concerned her. It was the other task, the one she couldn’t even bear to think about.
“Ru, it’ll be fine,” Cutter assured her. “You can do this.”
She nodded, but the doubt didn’t dissipate. Instead, it continued to spread throughout her mind, like a virus. And Ru realized if she didn’t find some way to control it, her uncertainty could ruin her chance at having her happily ever after—and her parents’.
Chapter 16
Ru wasn’t exactly sure what to expect when she leapt into Sky’s realm, but what she saw was nothing like what she’d fantasized. Images of people floating around on white fluffy clouds, sliding down rainbows, and little cherubs playing harps had been her idea up till now, even though she supposed that was probably more what she should expect out of Heaven and not this place, which Cutter explained they usually referred to as The Depot because a lot of beings passed through here at one time or another to gain their assignments.
Rather than looking like something out of a cartoon, it actually looked like a regular city. There were skyscrapers, busy streets with cars—regular ones, not the flying variety—and people walked along in regular clothes on their way to work or wherever they needed to go. The only difference between this place and New York City that Ru could note was that this place was a lot cleaner. Everything gleamed and shined in a sun that didn’t fill the sky but was there nonetheless. Oh, and lots of the people rushing by on the street had wings. She tried not to stare.
“If they have wings, why don’t they fly?” Ru asked, turning her head away from a beautiful woman with long black hair who passed by, her white wings tucked behind her. Her coat had two slits in the back of it, sort of like the openings for sleeves.
“We can levitate, and we don’t,” Rider pointed out.
“True,” Ru muttered, although that didn’t quite answer her question. She decided to let it go.
They had assembled on the sidewalk outside of
Sky’s office building, which reached so high up into the atmosphere Ru suspected it would reach the clouds if there were any. The sky was clear and blue, and Ru wondered what was above them.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Lyric gently pressed her in the back, a nudge of a reminder that she was supposed to walk forward through the door Rider was holding for them. She pulled her eyes away from her surroundings and headed into the lobby, which looked like every other office building she’d ever seen on television. She’d never actually had a reason to go into any such buildings herself in real life. Ru had never even toured the Empire State Building.
By the time she stopped gawking at the sparkling clean interior, where she could see her reflection in the marble floors, she realized Cutter had stopped at a receptionist’s desk and was explaining they were there to see Sky. The woman behind the counter, who had the blonde hair of a Keeper but might’ve been old enough to be her grandmother, picked up a phone and dialed with a smile on her face. She spoke to someone on the other end, not Sky, and then said, “Ms. Gabriels will see you. Take the elevator to the seventeenth floor. She’s in 1702. You’ll see it.”
Cutter thanked her and they all headed toward the elevator. “So, was she a Keeper?” Ru asked as the five of them climbed inside and Cutter pressed the correct button.
“Yes,” Ivy replied, “retired. Most of the people who work and live here are either retired or angels. Younger Keepers are too valuable to spend their time doing these types of jobs.”
Ru seemed to remember one of them mentioning back when she first started that there weren’t that many Keepers in existence, at least compared to Reapers, mostly because of issues with crossing bloodlines. “But the city seems so big,” she muttered.
“It’s an illusion,” Rider explained. “And all the Keepers that are here aren’t really here—just like us.”
“Right.” But Ru still had questions. “So why isn’t anyone transparent here?”