Everyone laughed again and I felt like bursting with happy tears.
“Deal, Dad.”
“Deal.”
He hugged me tightly and then stood, pulling me with him and although in his mind he believed everything we’d said, he was still wrapping his thoughts around it all. He was ready for bed, to be alone and think.
“Ok,” he looked between Caleb and me, “you knew, from the very beginning, from the first time you brought him here, that you were...were…” he sighed and gripped his neck, “imprinted?” He finally got it out and I nodded. He nodded back. “Ok. No more sneaking. No more lying. No more secrets.”
“Yeah, Dad,” I said as Caleb said, “Yes, sir.”
“Now, uh... How about you two sleep on the sofa tonight. I may be coming to terms with all this, but I’m still your father.”
“Ok, Dad, that’s fine,” I said amused. I turned to Peter and reached up to hug him. “Thank you for coming for me.” He hugged me tightly, just like my own father had.
You’re family now and we love you. Wouldn’t have it any other way.
I smiled through tears but held them back from falling to my cheeks. Caleb said goodbye to his father and then while Dad and Peter were saying theirs, Caleb laced his fingers through mine. I looked at him and he was watching me with a smile.
Are you happy?
Yes. Thank you for this. He took it better than I thought. I know my dad’s a little nuts , but he’ll keep your secret- Our secret, I corrected.
He put his forehead to mine and rubbed my arm from elbow to wrist.
I know he will. I just want to you to be happy, whatever that is.
You. Me. Alone. Arizona.
He laughed out loud and started to frame my face with his hands but looked over to see our fathers watching, not hearing our internal interlude. He smiled bashfully at me and turned to wave at his father as he left.
“Ok, kids,” Dad said and rubbed his hands together, “I’m going to bed.” He hesitated. “I’ll come check on you guys later,” he said hurriedly and I heard his thoughts.
“Dad, I promise you we will be fine. We’ll sleep on the couch, nothing else, and won’t runaway into the sunset before you can get up.”
He laughed ruggedly.
“Ok, ok.” He hugged me. “Night, baby girl.” And he said it like he always had. Not like I was a freak or different but like I was his daughter and always would be, no matter what. Then he shook Caleb’s hand. “Night, son. Thanks again and uh...I’m sorry, for what I said to you before-”
“No need, sir, it’s forgotten. Good night.”
Dad left and I could have collapsed right there. It was like it all hit me at once and I sat down swiftly on the couch.
“I need a shower,” I muttered and yawned.
“Not tonight. Sleep first.”
“Wait.” I stopped him and held his cheek in my hand. “Your face. Marcus punched you.”
“Barely,” he scoffed. “It’ll be fine,” he assured.
“Let me heal you.”
“You’ve been through enough tonight-” But I just closed my eyes, put my hand on his jaw and focused, hearing him sigh in defeat.
I wasn’t sure what I was doing or how to but somehow my body knew just what to do. My body felt suddenly heavy as if I was weighed down and then my hand...I could feel me drawing it out of him, like a magnet; the pain, the blood, the bruises. It all went in me and then through me. Then it was over. I opened my eyes to see his jaw was no longer pink.I smiled in triumph.
“Happy now, doctor?” he smirked.
“Yes.”
He pulled the afghan off the recliner and I didn’t have the strength to argue as he gently urged me to lay down, then slid beside me and pulled the blanket over us, wrapping his arms around me and tucking my head under his chin. My body practically sighed.
Sleep, Maggie. No worries tonight.
No worries. Ok. Thanks for coming for me.
I’ll always come for you. I’ll always find you, I told you, you’re everything now, Maggie. I love you so much.
He squeezed me as he spoke to me in my mind and I felt that he hadn’t really gotten to relax and just feel his relief of my being found yet. He was shaking with the release of it all now, finally taking his turn to relax.
I leaned back and reached up to press my lips to his. His happiness and relief coursed through me. When I closed my eyes I saw the energy ribbons bouncing around us but when I opened them, nothing was there. He kissed me back gently and caressed my cheek with his fingers, pushing my hair behind my ear, raking his fingers through it.
I missed this, I told him as he continued to kiss away all my troubles.
Me, too. Me more, I think.
I laughed against his lips. He gave me one last kiss on my lips, then on my forehead.
Sleep, sweetheart. There’ll be plenty of time for that later.
I love you.
I love you.
~ ~ ~
So it turned out, Arizona was not where we were headed. Apparently there was an uncle I still hadn’t met who had a vacation beach house in California. Ugh. Just the thought of being in the same state that my mom had fled to made me want to hurl.
We were woke up the next morning by Peter as he came over early. He and my dad had all the details worked out before we even got up. I apparently needed the sleep because we slept on that couch soundly until 11:00 in the morning.
I remember feeling warm and absolutely content. My body zinged with energy and happiness as I slowly came out of sleep. I opened my eyes to see Peter over me with a smile as he shook Caleb gently. I could see Caleb and I hadn’t moved an inch during the night, awaking in exactly the same position as we’d fallen asleep in.
Caleb opened his eyes then and looked at me first. The smile that crept to his cheeks was illuminating. Then he saw his dad and his expression went back to neutral.
“Oh. Hey, Dad,” Caleb muttered.
Peter looked amused.
“Oh. It’s good to see you, too, son.” He leaned up and nodded his head to the kitchen. “Come on you two. We’ve got a lot to talk about.”
He made his way that direction, I heard his thoughts about the beach house and our flight leaving that night as he left. I looked back at Caleb.
“Did you sleep ok?” I asked.
“You know I did. It’s impossible to sleep without you now.”
I nodded and pushed the thoughts of the fitful and painful sleep I’d had at the Watsons away. He pulled my face back up with a finger under my chin.
“Don’t think about that anymore. That’s all behind us.” He kissed my forehead. “Now, go take a shower and I’ll see what these two clowns want,” he joked. “I’ll grab a shower down here if your dad doesn’t mind.”
“Ok.”
I didn’t need any more convincing. He helped me up and I ran upstairs. I was shocked at the amount of energy I had. I felt like a completely different person.
As much as I wanted to just sit in the shower for hours, I knew they were waiting for me so I hurried through a hot one and went to get dressed in my room. As I took my towel off in front of my mirror I did a double take.
That was not me. I looked like a woman. I remembered after the ascension how Caleb had subtle changes to him that I’d noticed but I hadn’t seen myself then at all nor since then. I had no idea what I had looked like yesterday, all matted and dirty but today, clean and brushed, I barely recognized myself.
My cheek bones were slightly more defined. My hair was shiny and a little longer. My upper arms were still soft but I could see the muscles more clearly. I felt stronger. My stomach and legs were a little slimmer and the, uh, womanly parts of me were - well - more womanly.
I leaned closer to the mirror and examined my face. My eyelashes were longer and fuller. My face was completely clear. My complexion tan and glowing, making my freckles stand out more, but for some reason it looked good on me. My green eyes looked like sea weed swirls with dark and light.
I wondered why my dad hadn’t noticed the changes last night. Maybe the changes weren’t as noticeable as I thought. I did see myself everyday; I would notice them more than someone else. I shrugged, knowing it was all caused by the ascension, I just didn’t know why, so I didn’t worry about it right then.
I put on a jean skirt and my coral tank. I had no idea what we were doing today, so I just put on something comfortable. I slid on my silver hoop earrings. My charm bracelet had been taken from me at the Watsons along with my phone. I missed it already. I put on a long necklace Dad had given me a couple years ago for Christmas. It was a jumble of charms on the end: a heart, a cross, a circle swirl, a quarter moon, a dangle of gems. I’d always loved it, but had stopped wearing it this past year because I was so angry with him.
I padded my way barefoot down the stairs and stopped by the kitchen door. I could hear them talking about me. Caleb must have taken a quick shower.
“So, sleeping with you not only keeps her safe from someone hurting her in her dreams, you anchor her or whatever, but also makes her physically feel good in the morning?”
“Yeah, we both do. We energize each other, with...skin contact, we heal each other.” I could tell Caleb was uncomfortable by his tone, but didn’t know if Dad could sense it or not.
“Huh.” My dad got a thought and I almost burst in to stop him, but waited. “Wait. Did you heal Maggie already? Did they hurt her and you healed her before you brought her home?”
“Um. Well,” Caleb started but Peter stepped in to elaborate.