by Alexie Aaron
Mia waited until all but Debra had gone. The autumn wind blew cold through the Calvary Catholic Cemetery. “He’s over behind the large monument,” Mia said, walking towards him.
Ted caught Debra’s eye. He motioned her to follow them.
“Warren Brower, it’s good to see you,” Mia said. She noticed the teen had hold of a boogie board.
“Not a great place to catch a wave,” Warren pouted.
“You can’t really surf the big ones with that board,” a voice said behind him.
Mia looked and saw something she had never seen before. The greeter from the light rode out of the light on a surfboard. “I’m Peter Davi, and I died at Ghost Tree, California. I paddled solo into a seventy-footer. Now I surf the CP, otherwise known as the Cosmic Pipeline, with the others.”
Warren looked down at his feet.
“What’s the problem?” Peter asked.
“I never got to a real wave,” Warren mumbled.
“Then come with me, and we’ll teach you to surf the CP. Leave that board, we’ll find you something better.”
Warren looked at Debra and said, “I’m sorry I pushed you out the window.”
“You’re forgiven. Thank you for entertaining me for a few weeks,” Debra said.
The teen smiled. He saluted Mia and Ted before he dropped his board and followed Peter into the light.
“They’re gone now,” Mia said.
“Who was he talking to?” Debra asked.
“A surfer named Peter Davi. He invited Warren to surf the Cosmic Pipeline. This is an absolute first for me. I’ve never seen a stranger come for anyone,” Mia admitted.
“I found Davi on surfertoday.com,” Ted said, looking at his phone.
“Read it to us, please,” Mia requested.
Peter Davi was an accomplished and respected big wave surfer from Monterey, California.
On December 4, 2007, Peter Davi drowned at Ghost Tree, in California. While other surfers were being towed into 70-foot waves, Davi decided to use his arms to paddle into a big one. His body was found later floating in a kelp bed in Stillwater Cove.
“I’ll have to look him up,” Debra said, taking out her phone and typing a note into it.
“What’s the rest of your day like?” Mia asked Debra.
“Staring at the wall,” Debra admitted.
“Would you be interested in lunching with us? I have an appointment in town later. Ted and I were going to eat lunch locally.”
“I’d love to join you,” Debra said. “Let me pick up the check.”
“Let’s split it,” Ted suggested. “Mia eats as much as the Bears practice squad. This way, both of us can avoid bankruptcy.”
“Do you always let him talk about you this way?” Debra asked.
“Only when there is an element of truth,” Mia said. “I’m always hungry.”
~
Mia sat in the office of Dash Renee’s restaurant Eighty-eight and watched as her long locks were shortened. “See, I told you that your hair had a wave to it,” Dash said, scooping up hair on either side of her face and letting it bounce. “Not deliciously curly as your man’s but enough to give you some pizzazz.”
Mia smiled. “The color?”
“It’s gorgeous. White’s in, and yours has a healthy shine. Before you ask, it’s long enough to French braid if you need it contained.” Dash showed her. He then taught Mia how to do it properly. “You’re not as inept as Ralph says you are.”
“I’m not sure that’s a compliment,” Ted said walking in.
Dash snapped Ted’s hat off his head. “Let me do something with this,” he pleaded.
“He’ll just cover it up with his smelly old hat,” Mia warned Dash.
“Did you know there is research that suggests if you wear a hat all the time, you’ll lose your hair faster up here?” Dash said. “First your hair, then your virility.”
Mia saw just the faintest worry cross Ted’s face. She held her breath.
“I don’t want to look like Bozo,” Ted said and sat down.
Mia exhaled.
“I’m going to give you an undercut so you’ll only have to deal with the curls on top as it grows out. You can have the sides trimmed, and you can have a curly pompadour or keep the top trimmed too. You have enough thickness to shade your crown. Mia, do you want a keepsake?” Dash asked, clipping a coil of hair out for her.
“Oh yes. I’m experimenting with voodoo.”
Ted snatched the hair before Mia got it.
“You really should consider a little facial hair…”
“No. He and Cid will just have a contest, and I’ll have a ZZ Top cover band on my hands,” Mia said.
“Where are the kiddos?” Dash asked.
“School, and afterwards, Lazar and Nanny Berta will be watching them,” Mia said. “I have one more appointment and then we’re going to dine at Ralph’s.”
“He’s stolen a few recipes from my chef André,” Dash tattled. “You’ll have to tell me how he did.”
“Will do.”
Dash was finished with Ted and turned him around. Mia’s hand went to her heart. “Oh dear, I can’t have him seen like that. I didn’t bring my sword with me,” Mia said.
Ted laughed.
“I have to admit, I’ve outdone myself,” Dash said. “It makes your nose look smaller.”
~
Quentin opened the door and shut it again in Mia and Ted’s face. He then peeked out. “I think you have the wrong house.”
“Come on, Quentin, let us in,” Mia said.
Quentin opened the door. “I love it when you whine like that. You too look so fashionable… Well, except for your clothes. I love the new haircuts!”
Mia looked at Ted. “What is it with all the backhanded compliments? I think we should take ourselves to someplace we can be adored.”
Quentin yanked Mia inside. Ted followed.
“You’re to go into the office. Ted, I have a new video game, but I can’t get beyond level three.”
“You’re playing video games?” Mia asked.
“I enjoyed the games at Dave and Busters so much I thought I’d give it a try at home.”
“Let the boys play,” Baxter said, drawing her in and shutting the door. “I love your hair. You look so fashionable,” he said through his teeth.
“I know you liked the long braid, but I have the need for speed in the morning so…”
“Sit!”
“Arf-arf!”
Baxter sat down and took off his glasses and cleaned them. “Oh, it’s going to be one of those sessions, is it?”
“Who rolled over your tail?” Mia asked.
“Mia, contrary to your fan club, the world does not revolve around you. I have other things to take care of.”
Mia didn’t take offense. She knew there was something wrong, and she knew that her normal hijinks were not going to help in this case.
“Can I help?” she asked.
“Maybe. I upset the nymphs the other day, and they haven’t been back since.”
“Can you give me an idea what happened, and if it’s sexual, I’ll do my best not to get all heated up.”
Baxter raised an eyebrow. Mia saw a twitch of a lip that could have led to a smile.
“So not sexual,” Mia said.
“I came back from shopping with Quentin in a bad mood. They surrounded me and tried to ease my pain.”
“I bet they did.”
“Mia…”
“Sorry.”
“I snapped and told them stay away from me. That I didn’t need their help and to… The rest is a blur.”
“How do you contact them?” Mia asked.
“I’ve tried. They won’t come.”
“When I was rescued after the death spiral, they were in the GSD part of the lake. Perhaps, I could fly over and dive in. I understand I have gills still from the Second Day Sea. I’m just not sure how to communicate und
erwater.”
“Same as you would with a birdman of your flock, except you have to know their frequency.”
“Sonar?”
“Similar.”
“Would you want to travel inside me?”
“That’s not possible. I’m not a ghost.”
“You mind walk. Possession is but a few steps away.”
“Let me think on it.”
“Text me later if you change your mind. I’ll fly here after the children are tucked in and pick you up.”
Baxter put his glasses on. “Let’s shift the focus back to you.”
“We could just play cards or chess. You like chess…”
“Mia…”
“I went to The Rock Saturday with the kids.”
“The Rock?”
Mia refreshed his memory about her battle with Aosoth. “I was standing there, and I realized that I didn’t remember a lot of that day.”
“You were poisoned.”
“I didn’t remember Angelo saving Brian. I barely remembered Michael. I did, however, remember when Ted scaled the wall of the climbing center to be with us.”
“Why hadn’t you been back in three years?”
“I was scared. I think that’s the first time I killed someone. I don’t remember it making an impact on me.”
“Again, your long recovery. You had that ring around your leg for a long time.”
“It got me thinking.”
Baxter sat back and cleaned his glasses as Mia spoke.
“When I think of events, tragic and otherwise. I think of how it affected me. I really didn’t put myself in someone else’s shoes. Nicholai is right. I’m a spoiled brat, always thinking of me me me.”
“I’m not sure I’d go that far.”
“At Angelo’s aerie, I didn’t think that my behavior or what I wore would embarrass my grandfather. I only thought that I was being inconvenienced. I didn’t think that Ted would worry the entire time I was at the climbing center because of the memories of the twin tornadoes. I just thought I needed to forge ahead and confront my fears. I didn’t really think how my separating Quentin from his beast was going to impact you or him.”
“You wanted to save him, not kill him.”
“Only because he was going to hurt me. Me again. What if I just walked away?”
“Hindsight is a beautiful illusion,” Baxter began. “Quentin was losing his hold on reality and would have killed and continued to kill. He would have mated with you and destroyed you worse than Lucifer had. That’s the facts.”
“All these wonderful and terrible paranormal creatures trying to save or hurt me impacts my family and friends. And I’m crabby about their attention. Well, how is that for horrible?”
“I think you’re getting too introspective. I don’t want to watch It’s a Wonderful Life with you. Mia, all the trials and tribulations you were part of were going to happen regardless of you being involved. But you were, and thank God you were. Do you really think that Lucifer would have rose to save the world without you baiting him with the in-your-face-Michael moves?”
“What I’m trying to say is, I need to be more grateful and less resentful.”
“But don’t be too perky. I would have to kill you,” Baxter said and put his head on the desk.
Mia moved to get up. He waved her away. He patted his desktop. “I wrote down something we need to work on. Can you read it?”
Mia walked over and lifted Baxter’s head and read. “Mia needs to make more female friends.” She walked back and sat down. “Tell me how?”
“How did you make friends with Paula?”
“Through Noah.”
“Audrey?”
“Through work.”
“Do you like Gates O’Brien?”
“Yes.”
“I think she would be a good friend for you. Why don’t you seek her out and maybe train with her?”
“Yikes, she’s Mike’s girlfriend.”
Baxter took off his glasses and picked up his cleaning swab. He waited.
“It’s not that I have the hots for or abhor Mike, it’s just that I think it’s better not being besties with my former partner in crime’s love interest.”
“How about just being casual friends?”
“I don’t know how?”
“You really don’t, do you?”
Mia shook her head. “Zero to sixty is the only way I relate to people.”
“But not all people.”
“No, but she is extremely likeable.”
“Tell me how you relate to the men of Warrior Flock.”
“Like brothers.”
“No, you don’t. Because you don’t integrate yourself in all of their lives.”
“I see where you’re going with this. I can be friendly but leave the friendship at the door when I leave.”
“Sort of.” Baxter rubbed his temples. He was in so much pain.
“I can fix that headache,” Mia said.
“By leaving?”
“Ouch. If you stop therapy here, we’ll put a pin in it. Then I can ease your headache. This way, I don’t have to sit on the naughty step, and you can feel better.”
Baxter looked at Mia.
“I can reduce the inflammation. I’m excellent on hangovers, just ask Ted.”
“My anatomy is different than Ted’s.”
“I’ve seen it and, yes, it is, but I’m talking about your head.”
Baxter dropped his head down on his desk and whimpered.
Mia walked around the desk and leaned over and took off her gloves. She traced his facial bones with her fingers and lightly eased the stress that too much Mia gave the man. She next drew the negative energy away and substituted the feeling of freedom. Mia gently lifted his head up and leaned it against her. She judged what would be a normal breathing pattern for the creature against her and regulated his breathing. “Relax, let me breathe for you,” she said softly.
Baxter felt a oneness with Mia. It was peaceful. He felt the heat of the Blue Star, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. He drifted off into a lucid dream. Mia stood before him, not more than a teenager. She held out her hand to him. He grabbed it. He saw by the size of his hand that he wasn’t much older than she. He ran alongside of her. They ended up at a cliff and Mia sat down. “Look at the horizon and toss all your problems over the edge.”
“But how would you survive down there?” he asked.
Mia sighed. “Maybe I should word things more carefully.”
“Thank you, I feel better. Take me back.”
Mia did.
She backed away from Baxter. He opened his eyes and rolled his neck. “Thank you.”
“It’s the least I could do.”
~
Mia was making little noises while she was eating. Ted looked over at her and kicked her under the table.
“Forgive me,” she said, looking at Ralph and Bernard. “I’m enjoying this so much, I forgot myself.”
Ralph beamed. “Oh, it’s just something I whipped up.”
Bernard’s eyebrows lifted. The beef bourguignon wasn’t just something Ralph whipped up. The hours Bernard spent watching Ralph sweating over the stove was a horrendous affair. He was personally tossed out of the kitchen twice for offering to help him.
“It really is marvelous,” Ted said.
“Is it rude to ask for more? Is there more? Can I take some home?” Mia asked.
“Yes, it’s rude, yes there is more, and you can take the rest home because there is dessert,” Ralph said, taking Mia’s spoon from her hand. Ralph scurried into the kitchen.
“I hope you like trifle,” Bernard said. “Because this is the fourth one I’ve had this week.”
Ted and Mia looked at each other.
“You don’t know what a trifle is, do you?” Bernard said.
“No, sir,” Mia said. “I’ve heard a good trifle can make the difference in a marriage.”
“It’s a dessert made, in this case, with raspberries, sponge fingers soaked in raspberry wine, and custard.”
“I like custard,” Ted said.
Ralph walked out with a large glass bowl.
“Ooh pretty,” Mia said. “Where’s yours?”
“Ted, you really must feed her,” Ralph fussed.
“That’s Cid’s department. I just provide the witty commentary.”
Bernard rumbled with laughter.
“What’s new at the museum?” Mia asked. “Or should I say, what’s old and new or new and old?”
“We have a new bug exhibit that’s gaining in popularity,” Bernard told them.
Mia made a face.
Ralph pointed. “That’s exactly my expression when he told me about it.”
“I think Varden would love it,” Ted said quickly.
“He’s not going until I have Alan draw up a contract that Varden, upon seeing said exhibit, doesn’t start one at home,” Mia said.
“You do make a good point, pumpkin,” Ted said.
“And Ralph makes a good trifle,” Mia said. “Bravo, may I have some more please?”
“Guess who I saw the other day,” Ralph teased as he scooped out another helping for Mia.
“John Cusack,” Mia answered.
“No.”
“Bill Murray,” Ted guessed.
“No.”
“President Obama,” Bernard answered.
“No.”
“I give up,” Mia said.
“Gerald Shem!”
“Where?” Mia asked.
“Enzo Custom.”
“What were you doing in Enzo’s?” Bernard asked, worried about his retirement fund.
“Picking up a suit for Angelo.”
“When did you become Angelo’s dogsbody?” Mia asked.
“I was doing him a favor. He was in Italy, and I always wanted to get a look at the place.”
“And…” Mia led.
“It’s very quiet inside.”
“No, how was Gerald?” Mia pressed.
“Thin, and a bit ashy. I gave him Bernard’s skin doctor’s card.”
“He has been in prison,” Bernard pointed out. “That can ash someone out.”
“Evidently, he has landed on his feet. Those were his suits he was picking up.”