Found

by Kimberly Odum Wells

  Chapter 11: A Crown of Spring Blossoms

  The crown had taken the shape of spring blossoms. I sat in my closet the better half of an hour willing the crown to change back to its regular thin ring. After that, I was willing to accept anything at all. I huffed in frustration and stood from the dressing table and decided if anyone asked I’d tell them the truth. I had no control of the blasted thing and leave it at that.

  Lucius had only been gone a week and Amara had spent the night three times so far. We would spend hours talking about our childhood. Telling every possible story we could remember. We would fall asleep in each other’s arms and dream of our sisters, more often than not, waking with tear dampened faces the next morning.

  I’d tried several times to get Maalik to watch movies with me but he saw it as a dereliction of duty. Of course, he never came right out and said it, but I could almost feel the divide in him while he was sitting next to me. That was the problem with having two bosses that gave conflicting instructions. Lucius would have had conniptions if he caught Maalik sitting down on the job and I just wanted a friend to hang out with. Not that I took the threat of Azriel lightly, it was just that there were no fewer than forty angels surrounding the property, surely they’d be able to warn us. Wouldn’t they?

  I opened the door to the bedroom to find Maalik standing across the hall at attention. Funny how when you learn about guardian angels you think singular and here I was with a thousand at my beck and call.

  “Going to get a snack,” I said.

  I walked passed him so he could walk behind me. I didn’t argue, I knew what battles to pick. He didn’t make a sound but I knew he was no more than one step directly behind me. I flipped the light switch in the hall that turned on the lights in the front room as well as those above the island in the kitchen. I looked at the clock on the microwave. It was only eight so I decided call Amara. We could watch a movie before calling it a night. I picked up the phone to dial her number and there was no dial tone.

  “Hello?” I said into the receiver and saw Maalik tense. He walked over and stood close behind me.

  “Wila?” Amara said. “I didn’t even hear it ring on your end,” she said.

  “That’s because I was about to call you. I’m sorry for being so needy but do you want to come over and watch a movie?” I asked, I didn’t add the spend the night part.

  “I was actually calling you to see if I could come over. A slumber party is just what I need.”

  “I’ll meet you halfway,” I said already excited. Never mind I’d just seen her hours ago. Who cared, we were catching up on sixteen missing years.

  “Perfect,” and with that Amara hung up the phone, no good-bye or see you in a second. I was still getting use to Amara’s phone manners.

  I turned to Maalik knowing he’d overheard the entire conversation but keeping it as formal as possible, I asked that he inform the patrol that accompanied me whenever I left the house that I would be leaving in five minutes to meet my sister.

  Five minutes later I was walking down the street surrounded by angels. All sides of me were protected from any sneak attack. Lucius was adamant. I gave him what he needed to feel confident that I was well protected while he was away. The only thing that made it tolerable was that I insisted all but Maalik remain invisible. It didn’t take long for us to meet up with Amara and her detail. She was escorted by a young angel named Simone. We hugged and Maalik moved to the front while Simone fell behind us. It appeared that we had two escorts, but the combine number or our protection was ten.

  Amara filled me in on the happenings of her life since we’d last seen each other, which was six hours ago, and I reported that nothing had changed for me. I had always been odd man out from the other kids in school so finding Amara was a double blessing of sorts. We decided to watch a save-the-world-in-the-nick-of-time movie. It seemed appropriate. The movie was good but neither of us could get into it. We turned it off without our usual banter and headed up to bed.

  We were both in melancholy moods. Amara put her head on my shoulder as I rubbed her hair. She hummed a melody that matched our moods. I missed Lucius. Sariel was with him, but in truth I worried about them both. I was not sure if, even together, they would be enough to keep each other safe.

  I could feel dampness through my gown but I didn’t comment on it. I knew Amara would not want me to; she was trying so hard to be strong for me, for the people in the village. She was a guardian and she did not like to show weakness. Her normal, flippant and nonchalant disposition was a defense mechanism. I knew she was afraid of what could or would happen. What may, or may not be, on the way. I was afraid too. I just had the good fortune of being raised by a woman that hid her feelings and therefore I did the same, although recently I was always a weepy mess.

  “I miss Sariel, I love him.” Amara said out of nowhere catching me off guard by her declaration of love. I didn’t quite know what to say.

  “Have you told Sariel how you feel?”

  “No, to be honest, I think he would think I’m too young.”

  “Well, the very first piece of advice I have for you is to tell him how you feel. You will only suffer more not knowing where you stand with him. He will either love you or he won’t, either way you will know and then we can figure out where to go from there. Let’s call him right now.” I teased my sister and made a move to get up off the bed. Amara grabbed me in a panic but realized I was just playing around and for once, it was me that changed the mood.

  I suggested that we use the warm day wisely by going on a picnic. Winters could be brutal and after last night I figured both of us could use a little sunshine in our life. Amara called Mom trusting my meager culinary skills being able to pull off a couple of sandwiches.

  Even with Maalik, his customary, and probably instructed, one step behind me, we never bumped into each other. He walked behind me, offering help. I knew he’d more than likely overheard the conversation Amara and I had last night but he didn’t’ mention it and I didn’t either. If no one asked or told him to he wouldn’t give away her secret. Angels just weren’t gossips.

  Amara reported that we would walk to down to Mom’s and she would drive us to the Great Tree for our picnic. I’d been thinking of somewhere closer, the park maybe, but the Tree sounded perfect. After she stealthy inspected the sandwiches, which she deemed worthy since she didn’t remake them we loaded the basket up with chips, fruit and bottles of water before we set out.

  I’d started to dress like Amara, and we matched in long flowing gowns, hers a deep burnt orange, mine an emerald green. We shared the weight of the basket between the two of us after refusing help from Maalik and Simone. We approached Mom’s house just as she was stepping out of the front door. Holding the door was Samiel.

  Samiel was one of those people whose presence made him bigger than he really was, or maybe everything around him smaller. He and mom were the same height which meant he was a full foot shorter than seven foot tall Maalik but I swear it didn’t seem that way unless the two were standing directly beside each other and even then there was more of Samiel.

  The dark angel was like a shadow behind my mother. I knew he was on our side but I don’t know if I could have helped myself from looking behind me if Samiel was my guard. I didn’t think he would hurt my mom or anyone else in our group, you just didn’t turn your back on someone that dangerous. If my mom was uncomfortable she didn’t show it. She came to us with a smile on her face and opened her arms halfway to us. I hugged her with the heat of Samiel on my arms, he was that close, before Amara took my place for hers.

  There was only room for four people in the Jeep and I thought there would be a disagreement –angels didn’t argue—about who would be the angel to ride with us but Samiel, in a voice that finality that promised pain if disobeyed, announced he would accompany us and neither Maalik nor Simone said a word. Amara and I climbed in back while mom took the driver’s seat, with her angel sitting shotgun.

 
; The Great Tree was fast approaching my favorite spot to be. It was like greeting and old friend when we approached it. The leaves shivered as a gentle breeze blew through them and I was sure I saw some of the branches move. The tree should have blocked out the sun once we stepped into its shadow but there was a spot not too far in that was spotted with sunlight. Amara spread out the blanket in a patch of sunshine and I pulled out the food.

  The guardians formed a semi-circle around us, we were up to fifteen, and our moods were light as we enjoyed each other’s company. When we were done eating, we all realized in the sun enjoying the rest of the day. My head rested in mom’s lap and Amara’s was on mine. I was dozing lightly when I felt it. Mom was gently stroking my hair, pulled her hand away on when I jerked in her lap.

  Since our wedding our heartbeats not only matched but we each could feel the synchronized organs. Lucius’s heartbeat was a strong steady pulse was a soothing presence inside me. The quick fluttering that was banging away stopped my breath. I searched through our bond to find him. The cell phone, he insisted on me having, was not needed. He did call, and often, but our bond acted as if we were only a room apart instead of separated by several thousand miles. I jumped up, dumping Amara from my lap. I was becoming frantic trying to connect with him, despair rising in me like a tide coming in. The sky grayed and there was thunder and lightning. The guardian angels, mom and Amara were looking at me with anxious and concerned stares.

  The heartbeat was stronger now and faster and I willed myself to calm down so I could concentrate on finding Lucius. I smiled when I realized what was going on. I placed my hands on her stomach. I laughed and looked down at the concerned faces of my mother and sister.

  “I can feel the baby’s heartbeat,” I said.

  The sky cleared but the glow of my skin was brighter. I knew Lucius was on his way, I could feel his approach. I separated the now trio of beats inside me and focused only on the strongest of the three but I couldn’t calm Lucius’s heart.

  “Lucius will be back soon and I want to be at home when he gets there He felt the baby’s heartbeat too but he is not calming himself enough for me to let him know what’s going on.” I said grabbing plates and throwing them in the basket.

  “Wila Ife Freeland. How long have you kept this secret?” Mom asked, as she scrambled to pick up the remains of our picnic.

  “About thirty seconds, and we can talk more in the Jeep, Lucius is going to be here shortly and I’m afraid of what he might do if he reaches the house and I’m not there.”

  Amara jumped up and down, clapping her hands. “I knew it when I saw that silly crown.”

  Amara grabbed the basket and Ruth took up the blanket, balling it up in her arms as we walked hastily to the Jeep, where we threw it all in the back without a second glance. My mother climbed behind the wheel and peeled out, leaving a cloud of dust in our wake.

  She drove fast and hard back to the house. She knew that Lucius was uncompromising when it came to my safety and he would do anything to get to me. Amara and I sat quietly so she could concentrate on driving. I was a nervous wreck thinking what state Lucius would be in if he beat me to the house. I couldn’t take my hands from my stomach or the ridiculous smile from my lips. I felt as if my face would split in two. Mom pulled up in record time and I leaned over to hug her before getting out of the car as quick as I could.

  “We’ll be over later tonight.” I’m out of the car before she or Amara could say anything.

  I could feel Lucius presence stronger now, he was really moving. I stood just in the kitchen doorway so he wouldn’t knock me down. I just hoped he stopped long enough to open the door. With that thought I quickly opened the door.

  Wait, what if he thought it’s odd that the front door was open? With visions of him coming through the roof, I decided to wait outside. It’s safer for the house. I stood right in the doorway so he was sure to see me. Seconds later I was in his arms.