by Alexie Aaron
Ted found Glenda and Brian playing poker. Glenda was playing both hands and informed Ted that Brian owed her three bucks fifty. Ted paid her and lectured Brian on the evils of gambling.
Audrey sat on the edge of the dock with an eye on the approaching storm. Ted sat down beside her. “Hello, pretty lady, my son and I were wondering if we could buy you a drink?”
Audrey giggled.
“She’s playing hard to get,” Ted said to Brian.
“Pblsst.”
“Whoa, you don’t swear at a lady. That’s the last time I let you play cards with Glenda.”
Audrey leaned over and planted a kiss on Brian’s head.
“Where’s mine?”
“Not on my life. You’re married to a flying tiger.”
“Oh yeah, where is the wife?” Ted looked around.
“Fifty feet out. Mike tossed her in, and then Burt dunked her. She, well, you know how it goes. I think she’s having a good time. You?”
“Loving it. I wish I hadn’t fucked up. I hate what I did.”
“Stuff happens. A lot of it wasn’t your doing, and whatever was, has been forgiven. You have to let go of the bad. It just drags you down, Ted.”
“That sounds like experience.”
“I’ve made some bad choices, but I can’t punish myself over and over for them. There isn’t enough time in our lives for that kind of crap. Love her. Know that she loves you, full stop.”
“That’s a very simple equation.”
“Yup, I’m a genius,” Audrey said and slid into the water and swam out to play.
“And so, it’s the nerds on the dock. Or is it?” Ted said, sliding into the water.
Brian gasped as his diaper got wet. Ted swirled him around in the water. There was a soft lapping of water as Mia made her way to her men. “I’m a gator looking for a Brian McNugget.”
Ted moved Brian out of the way. “Go away, he’s my McNugget. You get your own.”
Brian giggled. He felt the love between his parents.
There was a distant rumbling, reminding them of the approaching storm. Mia waved the others in. Ted and Brian waded out of the water and up to the house. Mia ran ahead and started a warm bath for daddy and son. She washed up at the sink while Ted and Brian enjoyed the bubbles. Mia slid out of the bathroom, reminding Ted that Audrey would need to shower off.
Audrey was on the deck drinking a full glass of wine. Mia tucked her towel securely around herself and joined the researcher.
“Ted will be out soon.”
“No worries. I’m enjoying being irresponsible, sitting in my wet clothes, imagining what I must look like at the moment.”
“Your hair is springy, and your eyes look smudgy in a sexy way.”
“My mascara has rubbed off,” she said.
“You have beautiful tiny freckles,” Mia said wistfully. “I love freckles.”
“You did marry the freckle king.”
“Yes I did.”
Ted stuck his head out the door. “Bathroom’s free. Mia, put some clothes on. Mike’s not going to let that towel stay on,” he warned.
Mia popped up. “Whoa, I wasn’t thinking. See you on the flipside,” she said to Audrey.
Audrey laughed. Whether it was the wine she drank or the love in the air, she felt good and complete. Who needed Matt and Matt’s rules?
Chapter Twenty-two
Cid enlisted the help of Mia and Audrey, and soon he had a giant pot of sloppy joes. Bags of chips would have to do as the vegetable for the evening. Mia would head out early to grocery shop. Cid had already made up a list for her. She would drop Audrey and Mark off at the library to do research. Tonight’s plans were a night of D & D in the boys’ RV, and Glenda had invited the girls over for a movie. Mia had declined, being pretty tired from the day’s activities. She would stay in the cottage with Brian, hopefully getting some quality sleep.
Those were the plans. However, Mother Nature had other ideas. A crack of thunder woke Brian. Mia was quick to pick him up. She changed him, grabbed a bottle and headed to the rocker. She sat with Brian snuggled close as she watched the lightning light up the sky. She shivered.
“Are you cold?” Murphy asked.
“Yes. Is that you or has the temperature dropped?”
“I can’t tell. Let me get you a blanket,” he said. He found an afghan draped over the couch. He pulled it off, insisted Mia stand up, and wrapped it around her and Brian before she sat back down.
“Thank you,” she said. “So how was your evening?”
“Fine. I walked Maggie until the rain started. She’s in the trailer with Cid and the men. They are playing a game with a lot of talking and dice.”
“It’s a role-playing game called Dungeons and Dragons. It’s a nerd staple,” Mia explained.
Murphy nodded as if he understood, not really interested in what they were doing. “Glenda and Audrey are drinking, crying, and watching what Glenda calls chick flicks.”
“Audrey and Matt are having problems. Glenda, I’m sure, is giving her the benefit of her experience. I tried to give her advice, but what do I know about men?”
“You’re surrounded by them,” Murphy pointed out.
Mia nodded. “I never thought of it that way. It’s nice. I’m not complaining. What else did you do? Come on, regale me with your adventures.”
“Nothing special. Checked out the woods. Looked around the old house. I can see the family inside. They are living as if the house is whole.”
“To them, it probably is. From what I saw, it was a comfortable home.”
“When the storm got fierce, I came here. I didn’t want you to be afraid.”
“I was. Lightning is one of my weaknesses. I try to watch it and see the beauty, but I still wince when it crashes close by,” Mia admitted.
“Nights like these give me more energy. I haven’t had to use a cube since I arrived. The ley line fuels me, and I suspect it fuels that house.”
“I don’t think the house intended to hurt us. It was showing me something important that Audrey and Mark are going to look into. I was overwhelmed. I haven’t been myself since the aerie.”
“Did Angelo monkey with your works again?”
“Oh, I hope not. I think, when the Gray Ladies reset something, I became more sensitive. I can see details I never saw before. Like your hair. It always looked gray, pewter gray, to me, but now I can see that the gray is mixed in with a soft brown and black.”
“I had dark hair as a lad.”
“I know where your sweetheart is buried,” Mia said quickly.
“Chastity has moved on…”
“No, the woman in the locket.”
“How long have you known?”
“Since I returned from N’awlins. I met a relative of hers there who looks just like her. The resemblance is amazing. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner but…”
“She remarried.”
“So you know. I didn’t want to hurt you with the information.”
“I knew. She made a good match. I hope she was happy.”
“I could take you there if you want. Or Cid if you think I’d been in the way.”
“I’m not sure I want to visit. She wouldn’t be there. She would have risen.”
“Did you hear her call to you from the light?”
“No, just Mother.”
“Then she’s not there. Murphy, from the little you’ve told me, I pretty much figured out she was your first love and you, hers. We women never forget the boy who first brought us flowers, or in my case, the ghost who stepped in and saved me.”
“You didn’t need saving. The kids were mean.”
“No, you don’t understand, I did. And you did, thank you.”
“It was my pleasure. I’m sorry I can’t give you the things you need Mia, and I understand now what a hard line you have walked these last few years. When you opened your soul to me, I felt everything.”
“I suspected, well, actually, Angelo told me that the Cooper curse
activated when you came to my rescue. It bound me to you forever. It made it impossible for me to settle down inside,” Mia said, touching her chest. “I can’t give you my body, Stephen, so I opened my soul to you. It broke the curse.”
“It freed both of us, Mia. The curse isn’t one way.”
“It isn’t?”
“No, Amanda is bound to your father just as much as he is to her. The only difference is that she can see his flaws and be selfish. Like I could see yours and be selfish. I am no longer selfish. I have let you go.”
“So where are we?”
“Friends forever. Battle buddies. Perfect pranksters.”
Mia laughed. “You’re always in my heart, Stephen.”
“Sariel made that certain.”
Mia smiled. “Yes he did. That must have upset Angelo.”
“Cid would say, ‘pissed him off.’”
Mia laughed.
“Are you happy with Ted?”
“Immeasurably so. I’ve been under his spell for longer than I was aware. I was thinking about how I felt when he called me to help him at the maze. My heart skipped a beat. Here I was dating Whit, but I rushed to Ted’s side. I can’t explain the attraction, but it came upon me slowly.”
“Slow-curing concrete makes the best foundation,” Murphy said.
Mia looked at him. “You’re pretty wise.”
“Thank you. I’ve had a century or so to think about things.”
“I need to do more thinking. I’m too impulsive.”
“Your instincts are good. Tell me about Sariel.”
“I don’t know that much about him. He is old and a bit battle-worn, but he still looks about forty. He calls me Misfit, which isn’t good for my ego. He angers, he’s prideful, but at the same time, he is caring and sensitive. I sense that he needs me, but not in a human way. I think he needs someone whom he can trust. I believe trust is something rare in his world. He doesn’t talk about himself, and I’ve not really known him long enough to observe things.”
“Do you care for him?”
“No, not the way I do Ted or you, but I feel responsible for him. Is that strange?”
“You feel responsible for an archangel? Lordy girl, you are a marvel. Let me tell you what I know about angels. I’ve been dodging them for years.”
“I bet you have,” Mia said. “Let me put Brian down. He’s asleep.”
Murphy waited until Mia returned. She had pulled on Ted’s jersey for warmth. She offered him the rocker, knowing his preference, and he took it. She sat on the sofa with her legs curled under her. “Tell me about angels.”
“They have been around the longest. Angels are duty-bound creatures. They take their jobs very seriously. They have feelings just like you and I, and sometimes they cross the line, like you and I,” Murphy added, his eyes twinkling. “But they are noble. They suffer.”
“Suffer?”
“Suffer. They can’t always heal the sick or prevent a tragedy. There are only so many of them, and the world has so many people in it. For Sariel to notice you was a miracle in itself. When he put his arms around me and pulled you and Sticks out of the soul eater’s bowl, he transferred strength to me. But with the strength came the realization that he is injured.”
“Injured?”
“He can’t see behind him. He turned his head constantly. The angels I’ve run into don’t have to. They see every direction at once.”
“So he can heal others, but he himself can’t be healed. Somehow that doesn’t seem fair.”
“It is their burden.”
“Thank you, Murph. I think I understand him better. He wants me to have his back like you have mine.”
“Yes.”
“Perhaps you could teach me, so I won’t be such a misfit up there?”
“I’ll consider it,” he said, his eyes still twinkling.
“I appreciate the consideration.” Mia yawned. “I think I’m going to head to bed. The Dungeon Master will be up for hours yet.” She rose off the couch and walked in the kitchen and rinsed out Brian’s bottle before making her way into the bedroom.
Murphy watched her and saw how much Mia had changed in such a short time. The Gray Ladies had slowed her aging process, but she was mostly human, vulnerable to time. He would give her as much time as he could. Be there for her when she could no longer function. Care for her when she couldn’t care for herself. Why? Because that’s what heroes do.
~
To dream of flying is to dream of being free. Mia’s flying dreams had taken on a whole new meaning once she had taken off for real. Her mind accessed the battle moves Sariel had implanted, and she was, once again, a spectator in a battle where the angels fought dragon-riding demons for supremacy of the sky. Mia mirrored Sariel’s complex moves. She flew above him and upside down, facing the sky. “Your enemy will come from above,” he had said. This was where she was when Sariel turned and saw her there.
“Hello, Misfit,” he said.
Amazed, Mia couldn’t speak. She turned around and faced Sariel.
“I too relive the battle, to see what I could have done better.”
“How is this possible?”
“Mia, angels have dominion over the dream world. You’re not much of a bible reader are you?”
“Guess not.”
“No matter, let’s work on this together. See if you can see where I went wrong.”
“Sariel, if I die in this dream, will I die?”
“No. You’ll go back to Go, but you won’t collect two hundred dollars. Don’t worry, Misfit. You’ll be fine.”
Mia watched, following Sariel as he fought the dragons while defending himself against the spear-throwing demons. Again and again, the spears were denied their target by the triangular shield. After one particularly grueling battle, Mia noticed something.
“Sariel, your shield is broken.”
“Where?”
“At the top, I can see a hairline crack.” Mia picked up the shield and showed him.
“It’s just large enough for the heat of the dragon to move through,” he said, examining it. “So that’s how it happened. How can you see this?”
“Angelo gave me bird sight.”
“He did us both a favor. Go and rest. We will talk soon,” he said.
Mia fell into a dreamless sleep. She felt the heat of Ted’s body as he slipped into bed alongside her. She turned and looked at the Dungeon Master and asked, “How did it go?”
“It was fun. Mike may not look the part, but he’s a super nerd.”
“I’m glad you had fun.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you when the lightning came.”
“Brian woke up. He protected me,” Mia replied.
“Your eyes look different in this light,” Ted said. “Your pupils are so large.”
“I’ve been dreaming.”
Ted pulled her to him. “I’ve been dreaming too.”
“You have?”
“Daydreaming, actually.”
“Care to tell me what about?”
“Oh, it’s not fit to speak of, Mia.”
“Care to show me?”
“Oh yes,” Ted said and kissed her long and hard.
Thoughts of flying vanished and were replaced by the inventiveness of Ted’s hands and body. Mia gave herself over to her husband and was rewarded again and again. The two fell asleep in each other’s arms, sated and exhausted.
Chapter Twenty-three
Mia and Glenda pushed the carts along the aisles of the unfamiliar store. Mia was surprised by Glenda’s insistence on going along. They had dropped off Audrey and Mark with promises of meeting up at the diner for a snack before heading back to the cottages. Cid had insisted Mia take a few coolers to keep the meat and dairy fresh while they traveled.
“So, you woke up rather late. Were you enticed into that silly game of theirs?”
“Oh, no. Ted came back late and…”
“Ah, return of the king. Lucky girl.” Glenda snorted. “Ah, to be y
oung again. At my age, by the time my beaus get around to it, I forgot what we were doing in the first place.”
Mia’s eyes widened. She was happy that she had decided to leave Brian home with the boys. She enjoyed Glenda.
“So what’s this big secret my son won’t talk about?”
“I don’t…” Mia hedged.
“Did you or did you not sleep with him?”
“I did not.”
“Good. You’ve scrambled his brains enough without adding your loins.”
“Your son is a gentleman.”
“He is not. He must care for you, Mia.”
Mia stopped the cart and walked up to Glenda. “Mike could have taken advantage of me numerous times in our short times alone together, but he never did. I was hexed and threw myself literally at his feet. He picked me up and watched over me until I was of a right mind. He is a gentleman and a stronger man than I think he knows he is. Sure, he’s annoying and pushes my buttons, and we do fight. We’re not a good match, Glenda. We’re too much alike.”
“I could see that in Lund. But a woman can hope.”
“He’s got a girlfriend.”
“Ah, the other mystery. He has been close-lipped about her too. Have you met her?”
“I have. She isn’t the normal type I’ve seen him with. She is strong, sensible, and… Oh my god, she’s you!” Mia put her hand to her mouth. “Mike is dating you.”
“You mean he has fallen for someone like me?”
“Yes.”
“Hmmm, could do worse I suppose,” she said smiling. “So how do you feel about him dating?”
“Great. I’m not a woman that racks ’em and stacks ’em just in case my marriage falls apart.”
“How perceptive. You and the beanpole are alright now?”
“Better and stronger than before.”
“Damn.”
Mia laughed. “Can’t I just be your daughter and not your daughter-in-law?”
Glenda’s face softened. “I do think of you that way, Mia. I don’t have any right, but like Ralph, I want to be around to guide you over the bumps. Go shopping. Do lunch. See a football game together.”
“That would be nice,” Mia said. “Well, we better find this spice or Cid will have my head. He’s planning a curry.”