The Old House

by Alexie Aaron

  She held out her hand. “Caffeine me, please.”

  Cid filled a mug and placed it in her hand. Mia raised her head long enough to take a sip before laying it down on the table. “Who was on the phone?” she asked, confused.

  “Your husband was, spouting promises, regrets, and there was a lot of shit I didn’t understand, but the important thing is, he’s coming home. What did you do out there?”

  “I fought for him, Cid,” Mia said and fell asleep, exhausted, the coffee mug still in her hand.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Ted didn’t know what to expect when he arrived back at the farmhouse. Would Mia even be there waiting for him? Would Cid and/or Murphy kill him? All he knew was that he had made the single most idiotic error ever to made by anyone; he left the woman he loved. He relived the memories Mia had shown him on that deserted bit of road. The feelings that he blocked, the memories that he had pushed away, all came to bear testament that Mia Cooper was the only woman he would ever love.

  His misplaced gallantry was a fantasy made up by a caffeine-addicted techie whose bible was written by Marvel Comics. He knew deep down that Beth was using him. He still thought he could save her though, but now he no longer wanted to. Sometimes you have to let go of regrets in order to move forward. Regrets anchor a floundering ship. You need to cut the cord in order to sail to safety.

  Mia sat on the porch swing sipping on the coffee that she had reheated in the microwave. She had added Ted’s ring to the necklace’s contents when she changed her clothes. Gone was the smell of the upper atmosphere. It had been replaced with Tide and Downy. She had frantically searched and found the box of Christmas candles and placed one in the guestroom window. She had no idea what she was going to say to him. Hundreds of words moved through her mind at once, bringing on a migraine. She stopped thinking and took a deep breath and concentrated on the air moving through her lungs. As she let it out, she opened her eyes. Before her stood her grandmother Fredericka.

  “My little dear, the torment you have been through. You must be exhausted.”

  Mia didn’t question her existence. She set her cup down and made room for Grandma Fred on the porch swing.

  “You have a beautiful home.”

  “Thank you, Ted and I may not have Ralph’s taste or pocketbook, but we do have a lot of imagination,” Mia said. “Would you like to see your great-grandson?”

  “Oh, Mia, I have watched over him day and night. He is a beautiful baby and will bring you years of happiness and, yes, eventually a little strife.”

  “Teenage years?”

  “Yes. I remember yours weren’t exactly easy.”

  Mia nodded. “Grandma, I’m scared.”

  “He’s coming back, Mia.”

  “For now. I’m not sure I can keep him. People leave me all the time. My parents, my lovers…”

  “You think this is because there is some kind of flaw inside you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Your parents were but vessels to bring you forth. Ralph, Bernard and I raised you the best we could. The men in your life weren’t strong enough to stand in your shadow. It takes a brilliant man to see that by doing so, he is enriching himself. Contrary to what Angelo would like you to believe, Ted is the man for you. Yes, he is confused. He lives too much in his head. He is more afraid of you leaving him or being taken from him than you can imagine. He sees himself as inadequate physically. He can’t fight like Stephen, Angelo and Sariel, but he can help you to do so. Listen to him, Mia. He is connected to the world of science and numbers, where truth rules. He is your greatest ally.”

  “This past month, I have been presented with two grandfathers. Do you care to comment?” Mia teased.

  “Orion has come forth has he?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good, he has had his head in his books for far too long. Help him, Mia. He will need you more than you need him. Now, Amanda’s father Émile is a good man. You must take your family and friends to his home when the battle begins. He will protect them for you.”

  “Grandmother, I have chosen Sariel to fight with. Have I chosen wisely?”

  “Stephen Murphy is who you will fight beside on this earth, but in the heavens, Sariel will need you beside him. Angelo too. I know all this is so confusing. So many needy males. You’re going to have to find a way to accommodate them all.”

  “Can you tell me about what is to come or when?”

  “I’ve never been a seer, Mia. Those answers Orion will bring you. In the meantime, mend your marriage. Take Ted away from here, and make sure he knows that, above all, he is the most important being in any dimension.”

  “The curse…”

  “It bound you to Stephen when you were but a child. But you broke the curse when you showed him your soul. You gave him something he desperately needed from you. He will no longer tempt you away from your husband. He understands who you are, maybe more than you do.”

  “I have missed your counsel.”

  “I have missed giving it. But alas, my place is elsewhere, which I have to return to, pronto. Oh, I have taken the gift of having children away from you, just for now. I will return it when the time is right.”

  “I’m not sure how I feel about that,” Mia said. “Brian needs siblings. Being an only child is lonely.”

  “For now, he will have Sabine’s daughters. Later, you will provide him with many, many brothers and sisters.”

  “Whoa, how many?”

  Fredericka laughed. “Oh, Mia, some things must remain surprises.”

  Mia hugged her and felt more than the transfer of love from a grandmother; she also felt strength move into her body.

  “Take care and learn. Listen to Ted, and trust him, Mia. Oh, and tell Orion, he was the best.”

  Mia shook her head in amazement as her grandmother walked into the dark night.

  Ted pulled into the drive. He saw the light from a candle move through the trees before he rounded the bend, and the headlights of the car caught a lone figure standing on the porch waiting for him.

  He stopped the car in front of the farmhouse, got out and vaulted up the steps and took Mia in his arms. He felt her cling to him, transferring her love with the heat of her body and the words that spilled from her lips.

  “I love you so much. Never leave me again. I need you. You are my heart, you are my world.”

  Ted set her down and got on his knees. “Forgive me, Mia,” he pleaded. “Forgive my weakness of wanting to be a superhero. I am a vain, insecure man who fears losing the best thing that will ever happen to me.”

  “I forgive you, Ted, if you will forgive the times when I can’t be with you, when I can’t tell you things. Trust me, Ted. I need your trust and your love. I need your big brain to help me navigate in this changing world. I need your laughter in my ears, your body in my bed, and your love to keep me safe.” Mia pulled him to his feet. “Do you forgive me?”

  “Yes, Mia, I forgive you,” Ted said.

  He took her in his arms, and his lips found hers. He kissed her softly.

  Mia opened her eyes and looked into his as she kissed him back. She traveled beyond his eyes, past the equations, and found her way into his heart. She planted part of herself there. No matter what happened to her, Ted would have part of her with him always.

  “Mmmm, I’m lost in your eyes,” he said.

  Mia took off her necklace and slid off the ring. She held it tightly as she got on her knees. She looked up at him. “Theodore Martin, would you take me as your wife, to have and to hold regardless of feathers, bitchy days, and interference from all of our friends and enemies?”

  “Yes, Mia.”

  She stood up and took his hand, turning it over first, and traced the lifeline of his hand, promising, “I, Mia Cooper Martin, promise my love, my soul, and my body as long as we both shall live –and if you play your cards right - into eternity.” She slid the ring back on his finger.

  Ted scooped her up in his arms. He carried her into the house and up t
he stairs. He gently set her down on the bed. He raised his finger and ran to look in on Brian who was sleeping with a wide smile on his face. It was as if he knew that his parents had found each other again. Ted placed a kiss upon his head. “Sleep in, little dude,” he said.

  Mia undressed and waited for her husband to return. She pushed away all other thoughts and concentrated on the moment.

  Ted walked into the room and looked down at her. Mia looked up at him and smiled shyly. He never saw her so vulnerable before. Ted couldn’t help but be overcome with emotion. He discarded his clothes and slid under the sheets with her. She clung to him, and he held her. “Mia, I’m not going anywhere.”

  “I was so afraid,” she admitted. “I can fight dragons, demons and devils without fear, but the thought of losing you is something I cannot bear.”

  “Why me, Mia? Why have you given me your heart? There are so many more worthy beings that would treasure you.”

  “You are the most valuable person I have ever met. You have given me courage, humor and shared your intelligence. You convinced me that you were the man for me. You’ve saved me, and put me in danger, but above all, I know you love me. You show me this every day. I pray I will be enough for you, Ted.”

  “Mia, you may be too much for me. Remember I’m human. Speaking of, those were a mighty set of wings you were sporting earlier. They weren’t…”

  “Crow’s wings? No they weren’t, were they?”

  “How?”

  “I suspect that I’ll never turn into a bird. The best you’re going to get is…”

  “An angel,” Ted completed. “Show me.”

  Mia slid out of bed and turned her back on Ted. He watched as she caressed her wrist and the tattoos appeared.

  “Oh my god, that is so amazing,” he said, getting up and running his hand along her back.

  “There’s more. Stand back,” Mia said as she tapped her wrists together.

  Ted stood there as wings pushed out of her skin and, feather by feather, formed the most glorious set of wings to ever grace a being. “They glow, like…”

  “Sariel’s, yes, but, Ted, they are mine, and mine alone.”

  “But how?”

  “Does it matter?”

  Ted turned her around and lifted her chin. He kissed her. “No, Mia, it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you’re happy.”

  Mia extended her wings and brought them around them both. She pulled Ted close to her. “Love me, Ted, love me forever.”

  “I love you, Mia. You too are my world.”

  Mia released her wings and left the warrior behind as she climbed into bed with Ted and enjoyed that she was a woman, that she was Ted’s woman.

  Cid smiled as he put on the noise-cancelling headphones. He reached down and patted Maggie’s head. “Mommy and Daddy are back together.”

  Murphy moved through the trees to the far edges of the forest. When he broke through to the glen, he looked up and watched the stars for a while, putting thoughts of Mia behind him. Ted was back, and he would watch over Mia now. She was no longer the wounded waif he had fallen in love with. She had become a woman, a warrior, a mother, and a wife. He understood his place in her life finally. He would always treasure what she had shared with him, but he would look elsewhere to share his heart.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Orion’s patience was wearing thin. It was a simple request. He wanted to visit the Dark Vault, a place where the most sensitive documents and artifacts were kept. He had been there before, and it wasn’t as if he needed a guide.

  Over and over, he answered the same question. “Why do you need to access the vault?”

  “Because I have come in contact with a witch tree. One that has been raised on the blood and bone of children.”

  “There aren’t any,” the last guardian said.

  “This was not a figment of my imagination. I have proof.”

  “Let’s see you proof,” the guardian demanded.

  Orion handed him the flash drive on which Ted had uploaded footage of the tree in action. He also handed the guardian a lead-lined box in which the blunted tree spike had been contained after it was extracted from Mia’s body.

  “I will examine your proof and be right back.”

  That was hours ago. Orion thought the gargoyle had simply taken a coffee break. Truly, Starbucks had opened a store in the midst of the gargoyle territory of Rome, and the stone beasts flocked there in droves. Not that he blamed them. They had so little they could legally enjoy. Stripping the raw flesh off of mammals had been banned. “Give them their coffee,” he thought.

  Several other beings had walked past him on the way into the meeting room. One had walked back out and looked at him before going back in.

  Finally, the guardian came out and handed Orion the flash drive and the lead-lined box. “You may enter. Afterwards, we would like a moment of your time.”

  “I may be quite some time.”

  “We’ll wait.”

  Orion used the washroom. He cleansed his body and drew on the smallest robe that was offered. He knotted the cord tightly before leaving the room. He walked into the chapel and confessed his sins. He wasn’t sure regret was still considered a sin, but he tossed that in too. He rose, and the gatekeeper led the way into the Dark Vault of the netherworld. Here, the large lead coffins of uncontrollable demons were stacked beside old cauldrons and Exeter torture racks. He ventured deeper, making sure his robe did not trip him, or worse, brush against something most undesirable.

  The gatekeeper unlocked the doors to the Great Library. He handed a small pair of gloves to Orion, instructing, “This is for your protection. Words can kill. Please refrain from reading aloud. If you experience any tingling of any kind, step into the decontamination tube as soon as possible. We will come and try to resurrect you as soon as it is convenient.”

  “I shall take that under advisement.”

  He moved quickly to the horticulture section and picked out the first of many books about trees.

  ~

  “About my latest defection…” Ted said, walking into the office.

  Cid looked over from his keyboard and asked, “I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about?”

  Ted’s face softened. “What would I do without you, Cid?”

  “Walk around on all fours, eating out of garbage cans, I imagine.”

  “Cute, but deserved,” Ted said, sitting down. “I still have a chore to do…”

  Paul Simon started playing on the speakers.

  “No, Jake, don’t, please don’t!” Ted pleaded.

  “The problem’s all inside your head…”

  Cid started laughing. “Nah, Jake, he doesn’t need ‘50 ways to leave a lover.’ How about one? A phone call. Be honest with the woman. Short, sweet and direct.”

  “I’m still a fan of texting it,” Mia said from the doorway, holding Brian. “Tell her, I reminded you that it was your turn to take the trash out.”

  “Ouch, fifty points for Slytherin,” Cid announced.

  Ted looked very uncomfortable. Mia tried to sympathize, but she never was a good actress. “You really can’t hurt anyone’s feelings, even evil people, can you?”

  “It goes against my nature,” he admitted. “But it has to be done.”

  “Here, hold Brian. I’ll do it,” Mia said, handing him his son.

  “No. I’ll do it.”

  The line to the house rang. Jake displayed the caller. It was a new number, but the name was all too familiar, and it cut into Mia like a knife. Mia’s sharp intake of breath surprised Brian. He hugged his mother as if trying to protect her from whatever upset her. “Thank you, darling. Let’s go for a walk. Murphy spotted some baby bunnies. Let’s see if we can spy on them,” she said sweetly. She left the office.

  Ted picked up the phone, putting it on speaker. “Hello.”

  “Hello, Ted, this is Beth.”

  “Yes, Beth?”

  “I’ve been trying to get ahold of you. I finally figu
red out that the rat boy had my old number blocked. Did you know that Mia had the audacity to turn me in to Homeland Security?”

  “No, I believe that was Jake.”

  “Who the fuck is Jake?”

  “He’s a friend. Why are you calling me?” Ted asked.

  “To ask you when I should move my stuff into the farmhouse.”

  “Why would you do that?”

  “Someone has to take care of Brian when you’re working.”

  “I think you have your wires crossed, Beth,” Ted said coldly. “I’m no longer under the influence of Roumain or you. I think you should get on with your own life and leave me alone.”

  “But I need you, Teddy B…”

  “Shut up!” Ted yelled. “No one calls me that but Mia!”

  Beth laughed. She knew she had gotten to him.

  Cid looked at Ted and could see that his friend was very angry.

  “Come on, Ted, loosen up. You don’t need a woman like Mia dragging you down. You’re going to be rich. How is it going to look when you have Crazy Cooper on your arm?”

  “I think it’s going to look wonderful. Beth, the moment I saw her, my world was rocked. Here was this tiny thing handling problems bigger than I ever imagined. She had a heart. She cared for the ghosts and the haunted. And she was very kind to you. Don’t you remember that?”

  “She stole you from me.”

  “Beth, I never was yours to steal. You were a pal, just one of the guys.”

  “You liked me. I know you did,” she argued.

  “No, I’m sorry you got the wrong idea. I treated you the same as I treated Amber. I never touched you, and I never wanted your attention. You had no claim on me. You owe Mia a giant apology. She never did you any harm. She saved your life in Lucky’s, risking her life to untie you before you were violated.”

  “I don’t remember any of that.”

  “Ask Burt.”

  “He’s a waste.”

  “No, he’s not,” Ted defended.

  “Why her and not me?” she asked.

  “You’ll understand when you meet the one you’re supposed to be with for the rest of your life. It knocks the crap out of you. Mia wasn’t even mine, but I hung on every cuss word she spouted. She didn’t look my way, but I wanted so to walk up to her, turn her face towards me, and tell her that she was going to marry me.”