Oracle

by Amy Reece

  She nodded reluctantly. We were very careful about Mr. Gordo because he was one of the last things her mother had given her before she died.

  “Let me get this wash going and then I’ll make us some sandwiches for lunch, okay?”

  “I’ll make lunch, Ally.” She put a final touch on her drawing and then skipped into the kitchen to fix lunch while I stripped her bed. I noticed a few new drawings hanging on the wall as I pulled the sheets off. They were all different views of the same face: a boy about Megan’s age. She had captured the sad expression in his eyes perfectly. I made a mental note to see about getting her some drawing lessons; this kind of talent should be fostered.

  Over grilled cheese sandwiches we discussed our plans for the afternoon. “I thought we could invite Mat and Tara over for a barbecue this evening after we swim. We could pick up groceries on the way home. Would you like that?” She nodded, her mouth full of sandwich. “We have a fitting tomorrow for our bridesmaid dresses, you know. Maybe we could do some school shopping for you while we’re out.” She was going to start fifth grade in a few weeks and although she hadn’t grown much over the summer, she could use some new clothes. “Do you want to invite a friend tonight?” I was worried she didn’t seem to have a lot of friends her own age. She shrugged and shook her head. “What about Mikayla? We could call her, if you want.”

  “She’s at camp.”

  “Oh.” Why didn’t I think of camp for Megan? I tried to think of anyone else we could invite and came up empty.

  She cleared my empty plate and put it in the dishwasher. “It’s okay, Ally. I don’t need a friend tonight. I have you and Jack. Don’t worry about me.” Sometimes I wondered which one of us was the adult.

  We spent the afternoon swimming with Tara; rather Megan and Tara swam. I mostly stayed in the shade and slathered on SPF 50 sunscreen: the curse of a redhead! Tara was all golden brown skin and blonde hair in her barely-there blue bikini while Megan was naturally brown, romping in her sparkly pink one-piece. Jack nixed the bikini she had chosen first, saying that no sister of his would wear so little in public. Strange that he loved it when I wore one.

  “Good lord! Look at all these gorgeous girls at the pool today!” Mat leaned against the pool fence and wolf whistled, his paramedic shirt open and untucked in the New Mexico summer heat. “¡Qué bonita!”

  Tara sashayed over to give him a kiss across the fence. “Get changed and join us,” she suggested.

  Once he got in the pool, the afternoon swim became much more boisterous as he chased Tara and Megan around the pool. Tara let herself be caught frequently; I threw a beach ball at them once when they skirted a bit too close to an R-rating for the afternoon.

  “Sorry, Ally! I can’t help myself around this sexy lady.” He picked her up and threw her, causing a huge splash that soaked me in my lawn chair.

  I was wet anyway, so I jumped in for a few minutes more and we played Marco Polo until I decided it was time to head home. “Come on, Meg. We still need to stop by the grocery store and your brother will be home soon.”

  Tara and Mat waved us away at their apartment door and judging by where his hands were headed, they’d probably be late for the barbecue.

  ***

  I stepped out of the shower later that evening, wrapped myself in a fluffy towel, and grabbed my lotion.

  “I would be happy to do that for you, querida,” Jack reached over my head and took the bottle out of my hand.

  “Oh, you would, huh? You, sir, are helpful,” I teased.

  “Yep, that’s me.” He plopped me on the edge of the bathroom counter and proceeded to pour lotion into his hands, warming it between his palms before smoothing it on my leg. “I always try to be helpful, ma’am.”

  “Is Megan asleep?”

  “Yeah, she crashed right away. You must have worn her out swimming this afternoon. We have at least a little while until she joins us. I plan to take full advantage of it. And you.” He let his hand sneak under the edge of the towel.

  “Ooh, I like the sound of that.” I leaned over to kiss his dark head as he knelt in front of me. “I’m worried about her, Jack.”

  “You don’t think we should let her sleep with us?”

  “No, it’s not that. Grams said she’ll grow out of that soon. No, I’m worried that she doesn’t really have any friends and she doesn’t seem to mind.”

  “Hmm. Well, school starts soon. Maybe she’ll find some new friends in her class. She’s so quiet. And serious.” He moved to smoothing lotion on my arms, which was playing havoc with my ability to concentrate. “We’ve got a lot on our plates with Tara and Mat’s wedding coming up, babe. Why don’t we table this particular worry for a few weeks?” He started at my fingertips and kissed his way up. “We’ll figure it out later. Right now we have that whole bed in there to ourselves for a few hours. It has been at least ten hours since I have held you in my arms, and that, my dear wife, is way too long.” He dispensed with the towel and carried me to bed.

  ***

  I ran. Tripped and fell, cutting my hands and knees on broken glass. Cried out. I picked myself up and ran again. Searching, crying out. For what? Who? Someone was missing and my heart was breaking. My hands were shaking with cold and fear. Where was—what? What was I looking for? I screamed in frustration.

  “What?” Jack jerked awake.

  I must have screamed in my sleep for real. I woke sitting up in bed, tears streaming down my face.

  “Ally, what’s wrong?” He put his arms around my waist and pulled me close. “God, you’re shaking, sweetheart. Did you have a nightmare?”

  I shook my head. “Vision,” I managed to choke out. I knew enough by now to be able to tell the difference between an ordinary nightmare and a vision.

  “Okay, okay,” he smoothed my hair out of my face. “It’s all right, babe. I’m here. I’ve got you.” He rocked me in his arms. I clung to him and tried to get my breathing back under control.

  “Jack?” Megan’s small voice was laced with fear as she peeked around the doorway. “Is Ally okay?”

  “Oh, yeah, squirt. Ally’s fine. She just had a real bad dream.”

  I hated that I had scared her. I reluctantly pulled myself away from Jack, sniffed, and held my arms out to her. “Come here, Meg. I’m fine.” She climbed on the bed, relieved, as my cell phone rang on the bedside table. “It’s Rémy. Can you get it Jack?”

  “Sure,” he muttered as he got up and hurried around the bed to answer the phone. I heard him whisper ‘shit’ as he stubbed his toe on the nightstand. “Yeah, Rémy. Hang on a sec, okay?” He gave me a knowing glance and took the phone into the hall.

  “How did you know it was Rémy?” Megan asked.

  “I, uh, I saw the caller ID,” I improvised. She frowned as she assessed the distance I was from the phone and the fact that my back was to it. Oops. We had so far managed to keep anything Seer-related from Megan, but she was obviously suspicious.

  “Meg, can you get Ally a drink of water, please? From the kitchen?” Jack asked as he walked back into the bedroom and set the phone back on my nightstand. She gave him a long look before nodding and scooting off the bed. He waited until she was out of the room before addressing me. “You need to call him first thing in the morning, I told him we couldn’t talk right now because of Meg.” He sat beside me and took my hand.

  “Thanks.” I tried to smile. “How’s your toe?”

  “Fine. You’ll tell me about it in the morning?”

  “Of course.” I leaned over to kiss him. “Sorry for the midnight drama.”

  “Here.” Megan reappeared and handed me a glass of water. She took it from my hand when I was finished and set it on the nightstand. “You can sleep in the middle tonight, Ally. Jack and I will keep the nightmares away.”

  If only it were as simple as nightmares.

  I called Rémy while Megan was in the shower the next morning. I had told Jack about the vision while he was getting ready for work. He hadn’t said much, just kissed
me fiercely and left.

  “And you couldn’t tell where you were? You recognized nothing?” Rémy asked.

  “Nothing. It looked like some sort of abandoned building. It could be anywhere. Sorry.”

  “You have nothing to apologize for, cherié! You have no control over these damned visions. I know that.”

  “Yeah. Some gift, huh? I was searching for something. Something important. Ugh! Why are these visions so goddamn vague?”

  “Calm down! Getting upset doesn’t help, you know. We’ll figure it out. Now, talk to Mina. She’s been trying to grab the phone.”

  “Ally? Are you okay? We both woke up last night, I guess when you had the vision. Oh, sweetie!”

  “I’m fine, Mina. Thanks. When are you guys coming? I really miss you. Will you be here in time for the wedding?”

  “Yes, definitely. We found out yesterday our bid was accepted.” They were trying to buy the house across the street, catty-corner from ours. I had a “prophecy” soon after Jack and I returned from France that implied the chosen three needed to live in close proximity. “We’re packing up this week. We should be there by early next week at the latest.”

  “Good. Can you bring my red dress? Listen, I have to go. Megan and I have a shopping date. I’ll talk to you soon, okay?”

  “All right. Give Megan and Jack our love. We’ll see you soon.”

  Tara had decided to go with a 1950s vintage theme for her wedding. Megan and I stood on adjacent daises at the bridal shop, trying to be still lest the dressmaker’s pins skewer us. The bridesmaids’ dresses were a soft green, knee-length, with three-quarter sleeves and a boat neck. I felt like June Cleaver; all I needed was a string of pearls. Tara’s dress was a breathtaking creation of ecru lace that looked amazing on her tall, lithe figure. After an hour of poking and prodding, I was heartily glad Jack and I had opted for a simple wedding. I was hosting a bridal shower for her on Sunday afternoon and the bachelorette party the following Friday. Jack was taking Mat out for a bachelor party the same night and the wedding was the following day.

  “No! The neckline is all wrong! You promised you could do it like I asked!” Tara was in tears and the seamstress was at a loss.

  “Okay, Bridezilla!” I hopped off my platform and put my arm around Tara, who was staring, horrified, in the 3-way mirror. “What is wrong with the neckline? It looks amazing.”

  “It does? Are you sure?”

  “Positive. This neckline suits you and the dress style perfectly,” I coaxed. “Now, go get changed so we can get some lunch. You always get cranky when your blood sugar crashes.” She nodded and went off to change.

  The seamstress whispered, “Thank you,” and scurried to the back of the shop.

  Tara calmed down once she had eaten a salad—she was convinced she needed to lose five pounds before the wedding—and was able to discuss the final preparations for her shower like a semi-sane person. “Has everyone RSVP’d? Do you have the games ready? How about the food?” Strike the semi-sane.

  “Yes, to all of the above, Tara! You are going to be a basket case by the wedding!”

  “What’s a basket case?” asked Megan.

  “A really crazy person, like Tara,” I said. “This is exactly why Jack and I didn’t have a big wedding.”

  She pushed the rest of her salad away and pouted. “I thought having a big wedding was important. You know I always wanted one.” She looked at me and I nodded. She had always talked about and planned her dream wedding. “It’s not as fun as I thought it would be. I’m stressed and nervous and driving Mat crazy. I don’t think he even wants to get married anymore.” Her eyes were shining again.

  “Of course Mat wants to marry you!” Megan exclaimed. “He wants to be married, but no guy likes the getting married part.”

  We both stared at her. “You’re right, Megan.” Tara nodded.

  “Out of the mouths of babes,” I muttered.

  “Okay, you’re both right. As of now, I’m going to relax and let it go. It’ll all happen just like it’s supposed to. Right?” Tara asked worriedly.

  “Yes, of course it will. Your mom is on it. Let her do the worrying. You need to just calm down and enjoy these last weeks before the wedding. Why don’t you and Mat plan a getaway? Even if it’s just overnight. You could go to Santa Fe,” I suggested.

  “Maybe,” she mused. “I don’t know.”

  “You should, Tara!” Megan urged. “You could ride the train.”

  Tara smiled fondly. “That’s a great idea, sweetie. Thanks.”

  I started thinking it might be a good idea to plan a short getaway for Jack and me, as well; we hadn’t had much time to ourselves since Megan had moved in. My husband and I needed a date night in the worst way. “Tara, what would you think about a double date? It’s been ages, you know.”

  “Oh, my gosh! That would be great. Let’s do it!” She bounced in her seat excitedly.

  “Meg, can you stay with Trina and Manny this weekend? Do you mind?” I asked.

  “I don’t mind, Ally.” Of course not. She never minded anything.

  ***

  I decided to surprise Jack with the double date. Megan got into the spirit of the deception, managing to keep it from Jack for three entire days. Trina was thrilled to have her for a couple nights and agreed to pick her up Friday afternoon before Jack got home from work. I packed a bag for Jack and me, including a new sexy little black lingerie set I figured he would appreciate and waited impatiently for him to get home.

  “Ally? I’m home, hon.”

  I ran to him excitedly and threw myself in his arms, kissing him deeply.

  “Mmm, what did I do to deserve this?” he asked.

  “You had the good sense to marry me,” I stated. We both laughed. “I have a surprise for you!”

  “I like your surprises. What is it?”

  “I’m kidnapping you! We’re going to Santa Fe for the night with Mat and Tara. We’re staying at La Fonda. What do you think? Are you surprised?”

  “Very. I like it, as long as we have our own room,” he teased.

  “Of course. I’m not sharing you with anyone! Now, go take your shower because they’ll be here in a few minutes. I’ve already packed for you.”

  “I take it Meg is at Trina’s?”

  “Yeah. I figured we needed some time to ourselves.”

  “You are a very wise woman.” He kissed me and headed to the shower. “Give me five minutes.”

  We drove my SUV rather than take the train so we would be free to drive around Santa Fe if we wanted. The 60-mile trip to the state capitol took about an hour but passed quickly as we all caught up with each other. Tara was as good as her word and didn’t mention anything about wedding plans; she and Mat seemed happier and more relaxed than they had for several weeks. We checked into the historic La Fonda Hotel on the Plaza and were given key cards to rooms across the hall from each other. We agreed to meet down in the lobby in half an hour to explore the plaza and find a place to eat dinner. Jack and I deposited our bags and left our room, eager to look at some of the artwork throughout the hotel. Well, I was eager and Jack was indulgent. I’d had a southwest art history class during my sophomore at UNM that had taught me about the history of La Fonda and how it had been a Fred Harvey hotel in the 1920s. I wanted to see the Gerald Cassidy paintings especially and hunted down four of them in the lobby, then proceeded to bore Jack with a running commentary. He nodded and made the appropriate noises, so I rewarded him with a good kiss when we found an out-of-the-way nook.

  “Jeez, you two!” Tara interrupted us. “Give it a rest. I’m starving! Let’s go find a place to eat.”

  “We’ll get back to this later,” Jack whispered.

  “We’d better,” I whispered back.

  Tara rolled her eyes and led the way out the front doors. We found a bar and grill off the plaza that looked fun and smelled promising and headed upstairs to the restaurant. Jack and Mat each ordered a beer but Tara and I were both too young to order a glass o
f wine, something I found a bit difficult after living in France for a year where I had learned to appreciate good wine. You couldn’t hang around Rémy for any time without drinking copious amounts of wine.

  “Don’t worry, babe. I grabbed a bottle from home before we left. We can have it later,” Jack assured me.

  “You’re the best. Thank you.” I leaned over and kissed his cheek.

  We had an enjoyable dinner and then found a place with music and dancing for a few more hours. It was wonderful to relax and enjoy time with two of our best friends in the whole world. Our wedding had been so unexpected and then we had jumped right into parenthood, sort of. We hadn’t had much of a chance to just be a young married couple and I was determined we would enjoy this brief chance to forget our responsibilities for a while.

  After we had our fill of dancing and listening to the band, we walked back to our hotel and said goodnight to Tara and Mat, saying that we would see them the next morning for breakfast. Once in our room, I asked Jack to open the wine while I changed. I told him I had one more surprise for him and disappeared into the bathroom. We had only been married for two months and I hadn’t had the chance, or the nerve, to wear sexy lingerie yet for my husband. Tara had told me that Mat loved it when she put on something sexy and I thought Jack would appreciate it too, but I didn’t know if I could pull it off. Tara had taken me to Victoria’s Secret and helped me pick out something not too extreme I thought I might be able to wear. Maybe. I sat on the commode, trying to work up the nerve to put on the lingerie. I have no idea why I was so nervous; he had seen me naked dozens of times, but this seemed different somehow. I finally mentally slapped myself for being such a chicken and donned the outfit. I peeked out the bathroom door to see where Jack was. He had poured the wine and was sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting for me.