Annie's Song(13)
“It’s Annie. I’m fine, Zach. Just—surprised. Come here.” She held out her hand, Annie’s frantic voice pouring out of the phone. “Yes, Annie, I’m here, and so is Zach. Will you tell him the good news? He’s a bit worried about me.”
She gave him the phone, watched the concern for her fade as his mouth dropped open. Smiling, she eased the phone out of his hand.
“—someone talk to me!”
“Still absorbing here.” Claire rubbed Zach’s arm. “Congratulations, sweetheart. How is Eric doing?”
“Sleeping off our celebration. He’s thrilled, Claire, and I’m terrified. God, I wish you were here.”
“We’ll be there soon enough, and celebrate in person. You will be a great mother.” Claire heard the panic, kept her own voice soft, even. “Why don’t you get some sleep? You sound exhausted.”
“Yeah.” Annie let out a sigh. “Eric’s always poking at me to rest. As if I haven’t already been doing that the last two weeks.”
With an effort, Claire kept the laughter out of her voice. “He’s worried about you, and he loves you.”
“Yeah, he does. I still want the wedding here—that’s okay for you? I really want you and Zach here. And Marcus, if he has to be here.”
“You know he would want to be part of it. And yes, I am more than okay with it. Zach is already half packed, and creating a list of places he wants to go, since we’ll already be in England. How could I say no to that hopeful look,” she winked at Zach, “which I swear he practices in the mirror.”
A grin spread across his face.
“I love that kid.” Claire could hear the smile in her voice. “How are things there?”
“Nothing new.” She tucked Zach into her side, put the phone on speaker. “Just missing both of you. Zach wants to say hi.”
He shook his head, let out a sigh when Claire raised her eyebrow. “Hey, Annie. Congrats on the, um, baby thing. Can I go now, Mom?”
Laughter burst out of the phone. “Thanks, Zach. Let him go, Claire, before he explodes with embarrassment.” Claire smiled as she watched him bolt. She took the phone off speaker and lay back on the bed as Annie continued. “You’ve got one fantastic kid there.”
“I know it.”
“Okay—what gives? And don’t say nothing—I hear it in your voice.”
Claire rubbed her face, suddenly exhausted. “He’s asking more questions.”
“Ah. No answers yet, I take it.”
“I just—God above, I don’t know what to say to him, Annie. To top it all off, he resents Marcus. I feel like I’m in quicksand up to my chin.”
“Hang in, honey—and you call if you need to talk.” Annie yawned. “Sorry—being up all night is finally hitting me. Get some sleep, and I’ll do the same. Call me tomorrow. By then this whole baby thing will have sunk in, and I’ll be in full panic mode.”
“You will be fine. Celebrate this, Annie. No one deserves happiness more.”
She heard sniffling on the other end. “Man, I love you.”
“I love you back. Now go to bed.”
“Okay. Good night, Claire.”
“Good morning, sweetheart. Say hello to Eric.”
After another goodbye Annie hung up. Claire stared at the phone, still processing the announcement. Their lives were about to change in a big way. Again.
*
Claire waited until after morning mass to approach Simon.
He wasn’t in the rectory, so for the first time since he took over as priest, she stood in front of the small church.
There’s no reason to be afraid. She wasn’t a demon—not anymore. Demons did not have a soul. There was no reason she couldn’t simply step over the threshold like any normal person.
Shaking out her hands, she took a deep breath and walked inside.
The scent of incense and candle wax greeted her.
“What do you know—I didn’t burst into flames.”
“What are you doing here, Claire.”
She spun at the angry voice. Simon stood near a stairway at the back of the church, in the shadow of the balcony overhang.
“I have a request.”
He stepped forward, his face carefully blank. “You know I want nothing—”
“It’s for Annie.” Surprise broke through the blank facade. “I wouldn’t come to you for myself, but I thought you might want the chance to choose, so I’m asking.”
He sighed. “Asking me what?”
“If you would attend her wedding. Zach—” Simon flinched at the name, and the anger she promised to keep in check flared. “Zach and I are leaving today to join her.”