“We’re going to get a Christmas tree after breakfast, we were waiting for you. Are you going to come?”
She turned her head to look at Cal.
“We go every year, all of us. Whoever is sitting at this table goes to help pick out the best tree and get it back.”
“Of course I’m going, Vick. I wouldn’t miss this for anything.”
She seated herself at the table and savored the smell of the French toast and bacon. “I was craving this.”
She reached over placing several pieces on her plate along with everything else they had on the table. She ate until her stomach was full.
“I can’t believe I ate that much.” She took a look at Mckayla’s mother whose name she still didn’t know.
“Wait until you get pregnant,” Selma threw her a smile, “you’ll be amazed at how much you eat.”
“The deeper our bond becomes tied with how your talents develop will cause you to eat more to keep up your energy. The working of your talents will require several thousand more calories than you’re used to consuming on a daily basis. Then keeping your soft womanly form will require extra calories. No worries, I’ll feed you to keep you looking so beautiful.”
The man was obviously delusional, but who was she to tell him. If he liked the way she looked she would simply revel in it.
She turned her attention back to the woman sitting at the table. She was beautiful, thick like herself with a caramel complexion.
“I’m glad you’re here and safe. I’m Paige.”
“How remiss of me, I’m Aviana, so pleased to meet you.” She smiled at Paige.
Paige looked around the room; Rylan was doing his best not to look at Aviana as she pretended he didn’t exist. Gabe was looking at his brother, then back at Aviana with a half-cocked smile on his face like he was enjoying a private joke. Joaquin sat in between Vick and Mckayla, looking like he was somehow the outsider.
Mckayla was trading glances with Vick as they both were quietly working to get a smile out of Joaquin. Paige laughed to herself; getting this tree was going to be interesting.
Chapter Twenty One
The forest covered several acres of land. She had never before gone tromping through the snow and trees for the perfect Christmas tree. She never bought a tree when she lived on her own either, of course they had one in the orphanage. It was a time of gathering, she and the others would decorate the tree with whatever was available and sing songs. Her lips quivered in remembered joy. It was a good time, one of the times of the year she looked forward to. So the gifts weren’t great, but the staff seemed a lot nicer around the holidays.
Victor held up his hand motioning for everyone to stop.
“What do you think of this tree?”
All eyes turned to the tree he indicated, it was huge. Nine feet maybe more, Paige judged the height by the males standing next to it.
“I like the tree.” Vick’s eyes were wide open as he craned his head upward.
“How would we trim the top and do you have enough decorations?” Paige never saw a tree this big in the orphanage and the thought of getting it caused her toes to curl.
Selma threw her a smile. “We have plenty of decorations. Do you like the tree?”
Paige nodded her head. “It’s beautiful.”
“Aviana and Mckayla?” They both chimed in loving the tree.
“Victor?” Selma turned to look expectantly at him.
Paige looked around for an axe; not seeing any she looked at Cal who was staring at Victor. How would they cut the tree down without an axe?
Victor slipped his glove off before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a long rectangular black box. He walked around the tree aiming the box at the ground.
She took a step wanting a closer look, Cal reached for her arm stopping her.
“Stay back, that can kill you.”
“What can kill me? It’s just a box doing nothing.”
“It’s a wave manipulator. Everything has motion or waves even if it appears not to be moving. If it was aimed at you, your particles would accelerate and begin to move further away. Watch.”
Victor placed the box back in his pocket bringing out a white cylinder which he aimed at the tree. There was a loud noise before the tree began to rise. The roots rose with the tree, not all of them but enough to know he didn’t cut it off at the trunk.
“How did Victor do that and why are the roots still attached?”
“We have a method that will keep the tree alive through the holiday so it can be replanted for the next year.”
“Why? Don’t get me wrong I think that’s marvelous, it’s just we cut them down every year, lots of times never wondering if we will have trees next year.”