Trespasses
Trespasses
By
Lady MoonHawke
“And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those
Who trespass against us.”
Matthew 6:12
The knock at the door was an interruption in Krysten’s well-oiled morning routine. She turned the stove down and set aside her spatula, admonishing the twins to behave themselves. Then, tucking in the collar of her robe a little more tightly, she padded over to the door.
The sun was full on the eastern side of the house, casting shadows across the lawn, and through the peephole she could see a car parked by the road just off the end of the driveway. The car was vaguely familiar, and the figure it belonged to, now standing on her porch, was even more so.
Krys quickly released the locks Michael had set after he left for work and opened the door. Red-rimmed brown eyes ringed with dark circles lifted to meet hers, filled with a defeated attitude Krysten had never seen.
“Hey,” whispered the figure’s roughened voice. “Mind if I come in?”
Krysten grabbed at Aurora’s wrist and yanked her inside. Her friend shambled in, all signs of her usual grace lost in an ungainly shuffle. Krys dragged her into the kitchen and let Aurora drop into a chair near the twins, who had managed to get almost as much food into their mouths as was spilled around their plates.
Deftly, Krys filled a plate with scrambled eggs, topped them with toast and bacon and placed it in front of Aurora along with a hastily poured cup of coffee. “Get started on that while I straighten out these jokers. Then I’ll be back and we can talk.” She worked quickly and efficiently, setting the twins on the floor and handing them each a sipper cup, then cleaning the scattered egg-bits with a few quick swipes of a sponge. The plates were rinsed and hidden away in the dishwasher along with the child-size flatware, then Krysten stooped and collected Elyssabeth and Michael Jr., carrying them toward the bathroom.
When she returned to the kitchen, strains of “Sesame Street” drifting in from the den, Aurora had yet to touch the cooling plate of food. But the coffee cup was empty. Aurora still sat where Krysten had left her, elbows resting on the table and hands over her face. Krysten collected her own cup and sat down across the table. “So what happened?”
The hands didn’t move from her face, so Aurora’s voice was muffled. “It was my fault. I should never have said anything.”
Krysten raced through the memory of that startling moment, seeing Aurora on her doorstep looking bedraggled. Had there been marks, bruises, on her face? She hadn’t thought so…. “You’re starting at the end. Tell me how it began.”
Aurora’s face was revealed as she folded her arms down, showing no signs of the bruises or welts Krys had seen on the faces of women at the shelter where she volunteered. “I had a fight with Steven,” Aurora offered in a low voice. “A horrible fight. Screaming, shouting, you name it. Finally I told him to go fuck himself and stormed out. I grabbed my purse, some keys, and I left. I just…drove. And found myself here.”
Krys stared at her, aghast. “That must be a 15 hour trip, at least. How can you just…drive here from Colorado?”
“It’s a lot shorter if you speed?” Aurora said facetiously. “I just knew I had to get as far away as I could, and go somewhere that didn’t belong to Steven.”
“So what did you fight about?” Krys asked, refilling their coffee cups.
Aurora sighed. “It was something only Steven and I could fight about, I’ll say that much.” She made a face and nibbled at a corner of her toast. “It all started with a conversation with Jareth, of all things….” Her eyes grew distant as she recalled the events of the previous evening.
“Hey, Jareth, do you have a minute?” Aurora asked, spotting her brother-in-law in the foyer.
“Always for you, little sister. What do you need?” His smile which could be almost feral at times, was now warm and open.
“Come on in here and sit,” she offered, passing him and moving into the living room. She settled into a chair and waited for him to do the same.
“I’ve got to ask you what’s going on with you and Vincent. I know he’s still young, but you were working with Adryanna and Jareth Michael at this age. And he’s a bright boy. He’s going to notice if you don’t spend time with him.”
The smile on Jareth’s face turned sickly, as if someone had punched him in the gut. “Aurora, did Steven neglect to tell you?” he asked gently.
Now Aurora felt punched in the gut. “Sounds like he did. I think you’d better fill me in.”
Jareth closed his eyes and sighed, then opened then, twisting his thin lips into any number of unhappy grimaces. “Aurora, I’m not going to teach Vincent to use the gifts. Vincent has no abilities to speak of.” He watched as her face fell, reality seeping in. “Vincent is a very bright, very funny, and very normal, little boy.”
She was still for a moment, barely breathing as the information filtered through. “Thank you,” she said softly, rising to her feet. She walked slowly to the door.
“STEVEN!”
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me!”
“Did you really want to know? Really? You were just happy to be alive; happy that Vincent was healthy. Don’t tell me you wanted to know about it then!”
“You didn’t even ask me. You just went ahead and did it!”
“You were DYING! I couldn’t wait to have some long, drawn-out discussion about whether or not I was doing the right thing. I just DID it!”
They were shouting at the top of their respective lungs’, voices echoing through the house. Jareth had long since contacted Adryanna and together they had collected the boys before they were fully aware of what was happening. Now the huge house was filled only with the sounds of their rage.
“You’ve killed him,” Aurora insisted. “You and I and Adry and Jareth will go on and on, and Vincent will die. How could you do that to him?!”
“For you,” Steven insisted. “There was no way to save you. The doctors had done everything they could. They said you would just get weaker and weaker and die. That you’d never wake up; you’d never see him, or hold him. You’d never get to be a part of his life. And then I thought about it, not having you. Last time, the pain got so bad that I couldn’t stand to LOOK at Adryanna, and I knew, I KNEW, I would see you again. How could I hold him and love him when he cost you your life? I’d be no use to them without you. They’re the best thing in my life, and it’s all because of you.” He sighed. “I waited so long, I worked so hard. I wasn’t ready to give it all up.”
“I would have done it GLADLY!” she shouted in reply. “I would have died, yes, but I would have done it to preserve my son. You don’t even realize what you’ve done. He’s nothing to your family now; just another mortal who will come and go without impacting them at all.” She stared at him a moment, tears threatening to overflow again.
Steven reached out to her, clearly thinking the storm was winding down. “Why don’t you come upstairs? We can talk about it sensibly and work everything out.”
He was wrong. “You can go upstairs,” she said, deadly quiet, “and you can fuck yourself. I’m leaving.” With that she stormed out of the room, snagging her purse from its cubby-hole in the foyer. From there she fled to the kitchen.
“Bernard?” she called, still angry. “I know you can hear me, damn it.”
He appeared in the doorway that led to the back hall. “Do you need something, Madam?” His voice was carefully neutral.
“A car,” she replied succinctly, pushing past him and studying the plethora of keys hanging from their hooks on the wall. “Not the Ferrari,” she elaborated, skipping past her personal car instantly. “I’m going for a long drive.”
He reached past her carefully and lifted a set down. “This should suffice, then. It’s in number 6; a dark green Rover.” He pressed them into her palm, holding onto her hand a moment long than necessary. “Please be careful, Madam.”
She pecked him quickly on the cheek. “Sometimes I love you Bernard.”
“There are others, Madam, perhaps more worthy of your affection.” His composure wavered only slightly.
She scoffed derisively. “That remains to be seen. I’ll…keep you posted, I guess.” She slipped through the door to the garage as footsteps approached the back hall.
“…And so I just went west. And the further west I went, the further I wanted to go, until I was parked outside your driveway.”
Krysten studied Aurora carefully. Several cups of coffee had left her friend a false aura of animation, and most of the plate’s contents had disappeared, but Aurora was sagging in her seat, eyes drifting shut. She snapped her fingers in front of Aurora’s face. “Hey, Rorie!”
Aurora started to semi-wakefulness, eyes extremely wide, but blinking often. “What? Oh, sorry. Almost checked out there.”
“That actually sounds like a good plan,” Krysten advised. “Listen, you didn’t grab any clothes in your mad dash, right?” Aurora shook her head, and Krys nodded. “Why don’t you take over the spare bedroom, and I’ll try to dig up something for you to wear. Then when you’ve gotten some sleep and feel more human, we can talk more or whatever you want, okay?”
Aurora stared at her, expression grateful. “When did you become the stable one and I turn into a wreck?”
“Life handed you a whole grove of lemon trees. Maybe we can get a few pies out of it.”
Aurora’s grin was wry. “Yeah. I’m going to steal your shower first.” She left the kitchen, heading for the stairs.
Krysten waited until she could hear water running upstairs before picking up the phone and speed-dialing Aurora’s Colorado home. Bernard answered.
“Landon residence.”
“It’s Mrs. Merino, Bernard. Is Steven available?”
“A moment, please, Mrs. Merino.” There was silence, then Steven’s voice.
“I’m kind of busy right now Krys. Is it important?”
“Yes. She’s here,” Krysten replied quickly.
“Oh, thank the gods,” he breathed. Then there was a murmur as he obviously conferred with someone else. “Okay. I’ll be on the next flight out.”
“Wait, Steven,” she broke in. “She’s not ready to see you yet.”
“What?”
“Steven, she filled me in on the fight--”
“And now you’re on her side, I suppose?” he interrupted.
“I’m on no one’s side. What I’m trying to do is prevent things from getting worse. Just give me a few days to talk with her, and then you can probably fly out, okay? But I need the time to work with her, okay? She’s here, she’s safe, and things will be okay, okay?”
“I’m going to have to trust you on this one, aren’t I?”
Krys nodded to herself. “I think you are. I’ll keep you posted as best I can. But right now I need to go. I just wanted to fill you in.”
He sighed on the other end of the line. “Okay. Thanks for calling, Krys. I’ll talk to you again soon.”
“You’re welcome. Hang in there. Bye.” She hung the phone up and hustled upstairs to find some clothes.
With a little effort, she was able to collect some spare t-shirts and shorts that she felt confident would fit Aurora well enough. She knew her pants would be hopelessly too short on Aurora’s taller frame. Krys knocked on the door, then entered as Aurora came through the connecting bathroom door wrapped in a fluffy towel. She accepted Krysten’s offering gravely, exhaustion clear in every move.
“Thanks, Krys,” she murmured, looking through them idly.
“Sleep,” Krys directed. “I’ll leave a note if I have to go out.” She backed out of the room with a smile as Aurora started dragging on clothing.
The shrill chirp of a cell phone pulled Michael from his afternoon round of paperwork. Setting aside his pen and pilot-trainee evaluation forms, he dug it out from the pocket of his jacket and answered it.
“Mike Merino.”
“Hey, Flyboy.”
His wife’s voice never failed to make him smile. “Hey yourself, Beautiful. What’s up?”
“Just wanted to let you know, Aurora dropped out of the blue and onto the front porch this morning.”
“Not literally I hope.” Her slight chuckle in his ear was reassuring. With Aurora, he had a feeling she could easily have done exactly as Krysten had stated. “What’s up with her?”
Her reply was cryptic. “Storm clouds in the Rockies. She wanted to get out of the area before the lightning started.”
“I guess that’s not literal, either?” he asked unhappily.
“Who knows?” she replied. “The lightning may very well be. At any rate, I told her to camp out in the spare room until she’s ready to deal with it. Cool?”
“Fine with me honey, but do you remember what today is?”
“Thursday. Why?”
“The date, Krys. Not the day.”
“The 26th –oh, shoot.” He heard her sigh through clenched teeth. “You know what? It’s been long enough. They can both just deal with it.”
“Works for me. Want me to pick up anything else on the way home, aside from the other houseguest?”
“Something to throw on the grill tonight, maybe?” she suggested. “I’m going to have to find a way to break the news to Aurora, on top of everything else. And that’s after I straighten out the mess here in the darkroom.”
“You’re at the newspaper office?”
“Yeah,” she sighed. “Someone has everything mixed up in the room, and I got called down. We should have it fixed soon.”
As she was explaining, Michael heard the PA kick in. “Listen, Krys. I have to run. They just announced the flight.”
“Okay. I’ll see you later. Love you.”
“Love you, too.” Mike clicked off the phone and grabbed his jacket, heading for the door.
When Aurora finally awoke, the clock on the bedside table informed her with its glowing LCD that it was well past two PM, and heading quickly for three. For a moment, she envied those lucky souls who could wake in an unusual location and wonder at first where they were and why. At the moment, she was experiencing no post-dormancy amnesia, fully aware of her location and what had brought her there.
She sat up and ran a hand through her hair, frowning at the sleep-induced knots. And she had left home with no more than her purse and a car. That may well be enough, though. There had to be someplace to shop here, small military-support town thought it may be.
Aurora pushed herself out of bed and padded across the carpeted floor to the dresser. The clothing she’d been wearing the day before was neatly folded on top, and she pulled them on, silently grateful to Krys for washing them. Feeling a bit more like herself, she continued on to the bathroom to deal with the necessaries. Finished, she prodded at her hair a moment more with her fingers, then gave it up as hopeless. Nothing short of a genuine brush or comb would settle it. She regarded herself in the mirror a moment, noting that the worst of the redness and dark circles had faded, though there was still a lingering sadness hanging about her.
“I’m just tired,” she whispered. “I’m hurt and tired, and I’ll get over it.” Steeling herself, she left the bathroom and went out into the hall.
The first thing that struck her was the quiet. Larger though her own home may have been, the sounds of two children under the age of five were almost always present. Here, in a cookie-cutter tract house designed to serve a military family, she should have heard the twins. But there was no sound, save the quiet rush of air through the vents. Almost afraid, Aurora tip-toed down the stairs, searching for any sign of life.
Than answer was revealed on the kitchen table, in the form of a note.
Rorie -
Sorry I’m not here. I had to run down to office. Someone made a mess in darkroom, and guess who gets to fix it? Ugh.
Make yourself at home. I should be back around four, Mike 5-6. Front-door key on back porch. Creepy spot.
C-U later,
Krys.
Aurora read the note over a few times, smiling at Krys’s reaction to the problem at work. Then she turned it over and wrote a reply on the back.
Krys,
Went looking for store. Should beat you back, but you never know. Will be back for sure by dinner.
Thanks for everything,
A-
Satisfied, she propped the note against a vase of flowers, confident that Krys would notice that it had been moved. Then she went looking for the key.
The back porch was clean, though. There was a covered bar-be-que in the corner, and a plastic tub filled with toys, but nothing struck her as creepy. Then something brushed at the back of her hair, and she turned, only to find herself face-first in Krysten’s creeping philodendron. She laughed a little and stepped back, admiring the obvious gardening skills. The plant had long trails of leaves hanging everywhere, and someone had carefully tied the vines along the upper corners of the patio, giving the space a conservatory feel. Aurora enjoyed the effect, knowing that she herself had no gardening skills, and lost most of her own potted plants to over- or under-watering.
But the creepers gave her an idea, and she reached up, dipping one hand into the planter hanging from the ceiling. Her questing fingers met cool plastic, and she retrieved it, smiling to see a film case that rattled a bit when she shook it. Returning inside, she liberated the key and slipped it into her pocket, leaving the case on the table as a reminder. Then she collected her purse and left, locking the door behind her.
Krysten opened her front door, not a bit surprised to find it unlocked. Aurora’s Range Rover was parked by the curb, but she couldn’t tell if had been moved. She ushered the twins inside and followed them, shutting the door.
The kitchen appeared undisturbed; only the note she had left on the table had been moved. She picked it up and read Aurora’s message, then crumpled it and tossed it into the trash. Wherever Aurora had gone, she obviously was back now.
The back door opened without warning, and Krysten jumped.
“Just me,” Aurora said, coming in. “I was putting the key back, and I called the boys.” She stuffed her cell phone back into her purse.
“Are they okay?”
“Adryanna says they’re fine. Jareth was a little upset, but I think he understands a little better now. Vincent just babbled. It was good to hear his voice though.” She sank down into a chair. “I can’t believe I’m still angry.”
Krys turned on the burner under the tea kettle and then took a seat. “I’m still a little confused by the whole thing. How can Vincent not have…the…”
“The gifts?” Aurora supplied. “It’s complicated. You know I was having a hard time during the pregnancy, right?” Krys nodded, and she went on. “I went into labor 6 weeks early. Bad contractions, my water broke, the whole show. Well, he hadn’t turned yet, and I wasn’t progressing, so the doctors opted for a Caesarian. There was some kind of problem with it, and I lost a lot of blood. And since I’d been anemic, I couldn’t afford to lose any. I went into the coma, and for a while it looked really bad. That’s when Steven went to his father. He offered to trade anything to him if my life would be spared. And his father took the deal. He took Vincent’s magic in exchange for my life.” She sighed, plinking one nail against the edge of the cup of tea Krys had set before her. “I have my health back, my life, and the magic I was given. And I will have the dubious privilege of outliving my son. I just can’t forgive Steven for it now.”
Krysten reached out, covering Aurora’s fluttering hand with her calm one. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you want, Aurora. You know that. But at some point you’ll have to face off with Steven over this.” She took a deep breath, gathering her courage. “I called him and let him know you were here. I also told him not to be on the next flight out here; that you would let him know when you were ready. But I didn’t want him to wonder where you were.”
Aurora sucked in a sharp breath, ready to lash out, then released it slowly, letting the anger flow away with it. “Okay. I probably should have done it myself, but I wasn’t ready to talk to him. I’m still not ready. Thank you.”
“Easier done than said,” Krys said, brushing it aside. She looked around, eyebrows tilting down a bit. “Where are the kids?”
“Backyard. They came tearing past me while I was talking to Adryanna.”
Together they moved to the back door, and Krysten pulled it open. “Oh, no,” she moaned.
MaJor and Elyssabeth were both spotted with mud, clearly removed from Krysten’s flower bed. It was rubbed into his crew cut and clumped in her curls, and both had brown war paint striped across their cheeks.
Krysten and Aurora each corralled one and pulled them, protesting, to the porch. From inside the house, the chime of the clock announced that Michael would be home any time.
“Five o’clock and these heathens need a bath. And I haven’t got dinner even vaguely started because of that mess at work. What a day.”
Aurora started pulling off the twins’ shoes. “Let me handle this crisis while you work on dinner. And let’s leave these clothes out here, at least for the moment. Then they can’t drag too much mud through the kitchen on their way upstairs.”
Krysten offered her a grateful smile. “Deal.” She went to work on Elyssabeth’s overalls. “Okay, guys. Auntie Rorie is handling bath time, so don’t you give her too much trouble.”
“Okay, Mommy,” they replied in the peculiar unison of twins. Then Elyssabeth tugged at the jeans Aurora had purchased. “Auntie-Ror?”
Aurora crouched down to her. “Yes, sweetie?”
She looked shy for a moment, and Aurora regretted how long it had been since she’d seen them last. “Did Jaret an’ Vincet come with you?”
Aurora felt her heart twist, but smiled anyway. “No, honey. I’m sorry. Maybe next time, okay?”
An angelic smile broke over the toddler’s face. “Okay,” she replied, and submitted herself to her mother’s ministrations.
Aurora turned her attention back to MaJor, who was squirming in her grasp. “It’s just going to take longer if you make this difficult, Michael Drew Jr.,” she said sternly.
“I gotta go,” he whimpered, knees pressed together and bouncing slightly.
Aurora freed him from the last of his clothing, leaving him with a pair of luridly colored boys’ briefs. “Okay, run upstairs and I’ll catch up,” she said, releasing him.
“He still has accidents,” Elyssabeth informed them as her shirt was removed. Her childish pride was evident.
“I wouldn’t be too uppity, miss,” Krysten pronounced, gathering up the muddy things. “I’d put money on you having an accident or two more before your life is over.” She patted her daughter on the back. “Go get ready for your bath.” Her daughter scampered off.
Aurora smiled. “They’re great, Krys. You and Mike are doing a wonderful job.”
“Our little miracles.” She stood from where she had been kneeling, knees popping a little. “I keep forgetting that I’m getting older. I’m going to drop these in the laundry sink,” she said, waving the clothes. “You know where to find their pajamas?”
“I meant to ask you about that. I got some stuff for them while I was out. Just clothes, nothing fancy, no toys,” she explained before Krys could protest. “And matching pajamas, with the feet. I think they’re cute, but Jareth won’t wear them, and Vincent overheats too easily. Please, let me give them to the twins.”
Krysten’s smile was wry. “You don’t have to give them gifts every time you visit, you know. They’re going to start expecting it.”
“Please, Krys,” Aurora pleaded. “Say it’s okay. I need to spoil little kids right now.”
“Okay,” chuckled Krys. “Just this once. I’d better get a move on. Mike will be home soon.” She watched Aurora head for the stairs. “Hey, Aurora, there was something I needed to tell you--”
A squabble broke out upstairs, and Aurora waved her off. “Later.”
Krys chewed her bottom lip. “Yeah,” she murmured, heading for the utility room. “Assuming you’re still speaking to me later.”
Aurora reached past the slippery little bodies to the faucet, turning off the tap. “Okay, team. Now that we have the worst of that mud off, you guys can play with some of this stuff for a while.” She tossed in a pile of plastic tub toys she’d previously dumped out and settled onto the floor, back resting against the cabinets facing the tub.
Elyssabeth poured water over her head from a plastic cup, then looked at Aurora. “Mommy puts on music, Auntie-Ror,” she announced in an expectant tone, pointing.
Aurora looked up to see the a bit of stereo hanging over the edge of the counter. “Okay. Music it is.” She levered herself up to her knees and pressed a few buttons experimentally. Finally the disc inside started spinning, and Julie Andrew’s voice poured out.
“Not that one. The do-re-me song.” Elyssabeth was firm in her demands, and Aurora indulged her. The kids hopped up and down in the tub in time to the music, and Aurora was so charmed that she sang along.
Krysten smiled to herself as the CD player in the bathroom went on. Her charmingly conniving children had probably talked Aurora into it by neglecting to mention that it was a privilege reserved for very good days, which did not include being covered in sticky mud. She finished rinsing the salad greens and tossed them into a colander to drain and went to work stripping ears of corn.
Jovial voices on the porch alerted her to her husband’s return, and she rinsed and dried her hands quickly, then went to meet Michael at the door.
“Hi, Honey,” she greeted him, kissing Michael as he came in.
“Hello to you, too,” he replied, returning the kiss. “Look what I found at work. Brought him home just for you.” He reached back and hauled Jonathan through the door.
“Hey, Krys.” He stood in the living room, looking a little awkward until Krys hugged him.
“It’s good to see you, Jon.” Her smile was warm and genuine. “Come sit down and tell us what’s new in Limbo.”
“Not too much,” he replied, settling on the sofa. “The crew from the Sinistar Diner on Fense act up every so often, and we ship them off to the Penal Planet, where they must spend their time thinking up some new crazy plan. Splitting up what was left of the Mob to different galaxies really helped cut down on the trouble they create. One or the other of that bunch is usually up to something, but without a force like Mon*Star behind them, it’s more pathetic that problematic.” He chuckled a little. “So what have you guys been up to? Have you heard from…the rest of the team?”
Krysten knew what he meant, though they never talked in great detail about Aurora. That was obviously going to change. “We’re good. The kids are upstairs right now. They had a good roll in the mud today. Will calls every so often. He’s working on the Sentroid project, the android assistance dog thing. Emily writes occasionally, but never seems to say anything of consequence. Mail from the Planet of the Mimes is slow, but we heard from the Kidd that he settled down and has a family now.”
“And…Aurora? I know you two are close.”
Michael stood abruptly. “I’m gonna get to work on these steaks. They need some trimming before I throw ‘em on the grill. You want a beer or something, Jon?”
“Yeah, sure. Thanks, Mike.” He looked back at Krysten. “So how is Aurora?”
She took a deep breath. “Jon, she’s here. Upstairs, with the kids.” Before she could continue, He was off the sofa and heading for the stairs. “Jonathan, please, don’t upset her. She had a fight with Steven, she doesn’t know you’re here--” He was pounding up the stairs, not listening to her in the least.
“-That will bring us back to doe!” Aurora and the twins sang, wrapping up their third trip through the song. It was clearly a favorite, as the kids knew all the words quite well for three-year-olds. They were all completely unaware of their audience until a voice spoke up from the door.
“And here I thought Krys was joking when she said you don’t sing well. All this time she was just being nice about it.”
Aurora had moved over to kneel by the tub while singing with the kids and now she turned her head, almost unwilling to face the speaker. “She was being very kind if she described it as ‘doesn’t sing well.’ But then, I never listed singing with my talents, so in that department, you must take what you get.”
“It’s always that way with you, Aurora. Everyone just has to take whatever you dish out.”
Aurora’s hot reply was interrupted by a wave of water surging over her as MaJor jumped from the tub and raced across the bathroom, throwing himself at Jonathan. “Unca’ Jon!” he screeched happily.
To the SilverHawk commander’s credit, he caught the slippery toddler with ease and hoisted him up into a more secure grip, hugging him. “Hey, Little Mike. How’s my big guy?”
Aurora watched in amazement as MaJor wrapped his chubby arms around Jonathan’s neck, babbling nonsense nonstop in his ear. Jonathan smiled and laughed, then set the squirming child down.
“Back in the tub, Big Man. You’re all wet and dripping on the floor.” With a minimum of fuss, MaJor was back in the tub next to his sister, who was crouched down in the water, with only her head sticking out.
“And what are you today, Lyssa-Bet?” he asked fondly.
“I’m nakee, Unca’ Jon,” she replied with childlike solemnity.
“Oh, I see,” he replied. “I thought maybe you were a frog waiting to be kissed by a prince. Shall I step out?”
She appeared to think for a minute. “No. But you have to cover your eyes until I say. Auntie-Ror, can I have my towel now?”
Aurora did her best not to laugh. “All right. Let me help you out.” She pulled the girl from the tub and draped a towel around her, covering her from shoulders to ankles. “Now don’t trip.”
“You can look now,” Elyssabeth announced as Aurora pulled MaJor from the tub and wrapped him as well.
Aurora rose to her feet smoothly. “Will you take them into the nursery? I left their pajamas in my room. It’s just through-“
“I know,” he assured her, without a trace of rancor in his tone. “Okay troop, form up. Who led off parade last time?”
“MaJor did.” Elyssabeth announced.
“Are you sure?” Jonathan asked. “Because I can look in my book and see.”
The little girl’s eyes dropped. “I did,” she admitted quietly. “I’m sorry. It’s MaJor’s turn to lead.”
“Thank you for telling the truth,” Jonathan said gravely. “Remember, good troopers are always honest.” He looked over at Aurora. “Are you going to get those pajamas? We won’t be long getting to the barracks.”
Aurora just nodded and slipped through the opposite door. She was starting to wonder if she had slipped down a rabbit hole somewhere and forgotten about it.
Krysten followed Michael into the kitchen. The steaks lay on the butcher block, and he was deftly relieving them of excess fat.
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell him she was here.”
He looked over at her. “How, Krys? ‘Hey, Jon, how was your flight?’ By the way, Aurora fought with her husband and is staying with us.’ It’s her business. She can tell him as much or as little as she wants.” He whacked at a hunk of gristle. “Did you tell her?”
“No. I got back late from work, and the kids really did take a roll in the mud. Aurora offered to take them up for a bath, and I just didn’t get a chance.”
“So she doesn’t even know he’s comin’? Oh, Lord. And you never told her that we straightened it all out, right?”
“We agreed on that part, remember? Aurora would have had a royal purple cow over it. She’s never forgiven Jonathan.”
“For what? Honestly, Krys, what went on between the two of you is worse than any number of bad passes he made at her. Why is she hanging on to it so hard?”
“It’s just part of her wiring. ‘Fool me once, I’ll never let you forget it.’” she paraphrased.
“She’s going to have to get over it sometime,” Michael concluded. He looked down, surveying his efforts. “The steaks look about done. Are we ready to fire up the grill? These won’t take very long.”
Krys set the hamburger patties she’d made for the kids on the platter with the steaks. “I’ll check with the rest of the crew and see where they are.”
Before she could reach the stairs, Aurora marched down, followed closely by Elyssabeth and MaJor, with Jonathan bringing up the rear.
“I appear to have been demoted,” she announced before Krysten could ask. “And I was informed that it was my turn to lead.”
“That’s right,” Jonathan announced. “Cadet Aurora is new to our troop, but we have high hopes for her.”
“Well, thank you, Commander Greyer, for that tremendous vote of confidence.” The laughter in her voice smoothed over the sharp tone, and Krysten was surprised by her smile.
“Ah...we’re about ready to start the grill, if you guys are about done managing them,” Krys said, trying to regain her equilibrium.
“Well, I know I’m ready,” Aurora responded. “I skipped lunch sleeping off that drive and forgot to eat anything while I was shopping, so I’m starving. How about you guys?” she asked, turning the face the “troops.” “Are you ready to eat soon?”
The chorus of babbling from the twins was clearly positive, and Aurora then trained her gaze on Jonathan. “Commander Jon? You hungry yet?”
Krysten watched Jonathan carefully, seeing the dilation of his pupils, and feeling the onslaught of emotion rippling out from him. But as quickly as it happened, it was passed, and his smile in return was only that of a friend. “You bet.” He turned away from her, toward Michael. “Need a hand with grill, Mike?”
“Oh, sure. The more men to stand around commenting on building a fire, the better. Can you girls manage things in here?”
Aurora cast him a mock frown. “I’m a former military commander and the head of a multi-national corporation. I’m not a girl, buddy.”
“All right, Ms. CEO. All I want to know is if you can boil water for the corn.”
She smiled. “That is about the outside edge of my kitchen experience. But I will endure.”
“Another one of those things not to be listed with your talents?” Jonathan asked, fishing a pair of beers from the refrigerator.
“I have other talents. I can merger with the best of them,” she sassed back, poking a finger in his direction.
“Ooh, baby. I just bet,” he leered.
“In your dreams.”
“Many times.”
Krysten stepped between them before things could go any further, but for the life of her, she couldn’t tell which way. Aurora seemed equally prepared to kiss Jonathan or slap him, and he seemed prepared to accept either gesture. She smacked him fondly on the shoulder instead. “Get out there before Mike blows the roof off the patio,” she directed.
Once the men were safely outside, she looked at Aurora. “What on Earth was that all about? Were you going to kiss him or kick him or what?”
Aurora checked the pot on the stove for water, then turned up the burner under it, setting the water to steaming. “I really don’t know. But it was fun, whatever it was.”
Krysten studied her carefully; the light in her eyes, the hints of a grin at the corners of her mouth. “Don’t do this, Aurora,” she stated solemnly. “I know you’re mad at Steven, but--”
Aurora cut her off. “You know, for a minute there, I had forgotten about Steven completely. It’s probably the first time today I wasn’t churning with guilt and grief over something I can’t change. And I was enjoying it, thank you very much.” She broke off to drop cleaned ears of corn into the heating water, then settled into a chair. “I could never be free of Steven, even if I wanted to.”
Krys sat down with her, knowing that eventually Aurora would explain her remark
Aurora turned her right hand face-up, revealing the scar on her palm. “I did it before Adryanna was born, to prove my devotion. Steven has one just like it, proving his devotion to me.”
“Most people just exchange rings,” Krysten commented, taking in the pale line near Aurora’s thumb.
“You can take off a ring, you can give back a ring. This is a part of my life forever, just like he is.” She sighed, rubbing absently at the scar. “I just can’t stand the sight of him at the moment. Why?” she asked, voice cracking, “why does it hurt so badly?”
Krysten covered Aurora’s marked palm with her own. “It hurts so you know when you’re better.”
Aurora awoke to the unaccustomed sound of a door closing somewhere downstairs and cracked open one sleepy eye. Six in the morning seemed to come very early in the desert, and sunlight streamed in the eastern window, drenching the room in light. Rather than burying her head beneath the pillow, Aurora pushed back the covers and hauled herself to her feet, rolling up to her toes to stretch cramped muscles. Shaking her arms a little, she moved to the window, just catching sight of Michael’s truck as he turned at the corner, heading for work. Gently she placed a hand on the glass, testing its warmth in the radiance of the sun, trying to gauge the temperature outside. Satisfied that while the day would be a warm one, the current temperature was still reasonably cool, she quickly donned shorts and a t-shirt, snagging some socks and her running shoes, determined to jog before the desert became an inferno.
She slipped downstairs barefooted and paused in the kitchen to retrieve a bottle of water and get her shoes on. Ready to go , she slipped into the back to collect the house key. Intent on removing it from its plastic case, she failed to notice a figure approach her.
“Going out early?” Jonathan asked.
Startled, she dropped the key, and he handed it back to her. “Thanks. Just jogging. I normally go in the evenings at home, but here the heat will have worn me out by then. What about you?”
“The same, more or less.” She could feel are eyes on her, studying, assessing her. “Want to go together?”
She stared at him a moment, thinking, trying to find his angle, then had to laugh at herself. It was just an invitation to jog, which she intended to do anyway, not a proposal of marriage or anything untoward. “Sure,” she replied. That was perfect. Just keep it casual. “You about ready?”
“Unless you think I should wear something more formal,” he said, stretching his arms wide.
She made a great show of studying his outfit, similar to her own, though his shirt was emblazoned with the UESC logo. “Works for me. It’s up to you what you sweat in. Water?”
“Got it. Were you just planning on running around here?”
“More or less. Why?”
“Because if you don’t mind driving a few blocks, we can run at the high school track. It’s open until 8 am for joggers. Sound good?”
“Sounds great. Let’s go.”
They stumbled back through the front door a few minutes before eight, laughing hysterically.
“I knew you were a closet-sadist,” Aurora gasped. “I haven’t run wind-sprints since I was in the Academy. I’m a corporate exec and mom, not a track athlete.”
“Hey, you’re the one who said you didn’t me to change my routine,” Jonathan insisted. “I do laps, I do sprints, and then I do more laps. And I have never inflicted pain upon a closet for pleasure, thank you very much.” He spotted Krysten in the kitchen, staring at them. “Hey, Krys. Don’t mind us. We’re on an adrenaline rush.”
Aurora flopped into a kitchen chair. “You may still be on the rush. I’m on the way down.” She jumped back up again to find a cup of coffee. “Morning, Krys,” she said after downing half the mug. “Hey, that’s mine,” she protested as Jonathan relieved her of the cup and finished it.
“You can have half of mine later, I promise. Mind if I borrow your bathroom for a few minutes?”
“Help yourself,” Aurora replied. “And that coffee better be unadulterated.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Thanks. Hey, Krys, do you have to work today?”
She nodded. “The darkroom disaster put us behind deadline for the latest issue, so I’m going in early. Why?”
“There’s a conference today focusing on off-planet service. I’m on one of the panels, so I have to go, and I thought you might be interested. Aurora, what about you? Do you have plans?” he asked.
“Not really. Unless…Krys, do you need me to watch the kids?”
She shook her head. “I’m dropping them at Mom’s Day Off on the way in. Feel free to go.”
“Cool. I’m in, then.” She smiled as he disappeared to clean up.
“You two are awfully chummy,” Krysten observed. “Breakfast?”
“No, thanks.” Aurora considered a moment, refilling her coffee cup. “Feel free to say ‘I told you so.’ I was probably too harsh on Jon a few years ago.”
“What brought you to this conclusion?”
“The way he acts with the kids. He’s so much different away from the military situation, more human, almost.” She smiled again, settling back into the chair. “I wish I’d known him before HawkHaven. Before a lot of things.”
Krysten shook her head. “Don’t do this, Aurora,” she warned again.
“Do what? What am I doing that’s so wrong?”
“Falling in love with Jonathan. And letting him fall in love with you again. It can’t end anywhere but in disaster,” she prophesied.
“Krys, I’m not. We went jogging together, yes, because we both happened to be going at the same time. We’re going to conference which happens to interest both us, all of us, really, because we served on an extra-planetary base. It’s just casual stuff, that’s all. It doesn’t mean anything,” Aurora insisted.
“You didn’t see yourself last night. You were asleep on the sofa after dinner, practically in his lap. I’m worried about you.”
“I was tired, for pity’s sake. And he woke me up and suggested I go to bed. If he was looking to read more into it, don’t you think he would have just left me there? It’s nothing.”
Elyssabeth came in, curly pig-tails bouncing over her ears. “Are you and Mommy fighting, Auntie-Ror?”
“No, honey,” Aurora replied, settling the little girl on her lap. “We’re just disagreeing about something. You’re Mommy thinks I like Uncle Jon.”
“Sure you do,” the child replied. “But you like Unca’ Steven more.”
“There you have it,” Aurora laughed. “I’d better get moving if I’m going to be decent for this conference.” She set Elyssabeth on the floor. “Thanks, honey. You’re absolutely right.”
“I still don’t agree with you,” Aurora said, guiding the SUV into place next to the curb. “In systems where the threat-level has been determined to be low, I don’t see why families shouldn’t be allowed.”
“It’s still not completely safe living off-planet,” Jonathan insisted. “Would you have lived on the station with your children?” He climbed out and came around to open her door.
“Limbo wasn’t nearly as safe then as it is now,” she retorted as he helped her out. “And while the station isn’t the place for kids exactly, Bedlama was hospitable. There’s no reason service personnel couldn’t live on the planet and work on the station.”
“There’s still a criminal element in the system.”
“What, that bunch you mentioned from Fense? They couldn’t break out of a paper sack. And there’s a criminal element everywhere. It’s part of the price we pay for modern civilization. Your job is keeping it in check.” She slung her purse over she shoulder as he escorted her up the walk.
“Glorified policeman for the galaxy. Remind me to update my resume.” He reached out to open the door. “Huh. It’s locked. Do you still have that key?”
She dug it out of her purse. “Here.” She offered it to him, and he opened the door.
The interior was dark, and he reached in to turn on the lights before ushering her through the door. She stopped in the living room, looking around. “I wonder where they are.”
“Out, it seems,” he replied from the kitchen. “Krys left a note. They’re having dinner at her parents’ house, and we should help ourselves to ‘whatever.’ Also, there’s a message for you on the answering machine.”
“Play it, would you?” she requested, coming to join him.
The machine beeped as Jonathan pressed the button.
“Krys? Michael? Aurora, are you there?” Steven’s voice filled the quiet room. “Honey, I’ve been trying to reach you all day. Your cell phone’s been off for hours. The boys are getting upset, and it’s all just getting too ridiculous--”
Aurora stabbed the ‘Stop’ button before the message could finish. “Nice to know my emotional collapse is ridiculous,” she said quietly.
“Aurora, I’m sorry. I know you would prefer I didn’t hear that--”
She cut him off. “Don’t worry about it.” She sighed. “Steven always plans things so carefully that when something upsets it, he gets frustrated until he can get a new plan together. I’m not helping any by not talking to him.”
“Do you want to? I can make myself scarce for a while…”
“Having been called ridiculous? No. Not right now. Right now, we should decide what we are going to have for dinner.” Deliberately she crossed to the refrigerator and studied its contents. “Hmmmm…. There are a couple of ways we can do this. One: we can work together and try to assemble some of this into something resembling a meal.”
“And two?”
“Call out for pizza.”
He grabbed the phone. “Where’s the phone book?”
She laughed. “Fair enough, especially after last night’s discussion.” She looked into the refrigerator again. “I’m going to run to the market for some beer. Do you want anything?”
“Nah. I’ll guard the fort, turning away all invaders.”
“Just so you don’t turn away the pizza guy.” She dug in her purse again and offered him some bills. “Here.”
“No.”
“Jonathan--”
“No, Aurora. My father brought me up right. Always have dry socks, always make beds with hospital corners, and never let a lady pay for dinner. Now, as you are an independent woman, I can’t stop you from going to the store and buying whatever you want. But you are not going to pay for the pizza. Got it?”
She had to laugh again. Where had this Jonathan been twelve years ago? Things could have been so much different now…. “Okay. I’d better hurry if I’m going to beat that pizza guy.”
“Drive carefully.”
“You bet.” It was fun, and comfortable. Very comfortable.
Aurora pinched the edges of the last lime wedge together and squeezed it slowly into the empty beer bottle. Jonathan watched her, intent on her long, gleaming nails, painted some neutral color like sand.
“You know,” he said finally, “I was kind of surprised.”
“At what?”
He tilted a beer bottle. “This. I thought you would get something strange, like Winter Wheat Honey Malt or Mid-Summer Pale Ale. I wasn’t expecting….”
“Real beer? I like real beer on occasion. And take-out pizza, and lots of things that Bernard would shudder to even consider.”
“Bernard?”
“Steven’s butler. He manages the day-to-day stuff and leaves me free to do corporate-slash-mom things.”
“Sounds nice.” He watched as she toyed with the end of the lime rind. “Do you ever wish you had something different?” he asked.
“Like what?”
“Like this,” he replied, gesturing around. “3 bedrooms, 2.5 bath, pool and deck with an assumable fixed-rate mortgage. A husband who didn’t call you ridiculous.”
“As opposed to one who treated me like a tramp, I suppose? Doesn’t seem like much of an improvement to me.”
Jonathan stared down at his interlaced fingers. “I was so wrong then,” he confessed. “I said the wrong things; I did the wrong things. I kept trying to hold you tighter and tighter, and you were slipping away. Then I treated Krysten unforgivably badly. I knew what she was thinking, and I wouldn’t let her down gently, or just break it off altogether. There are a hundred things I should have done differently, and each one cost me my chance with you.”
Aurora rested her chin in her palm, elbow planted on the table. “I wasn’t so brilliant myself. I did a lot of acting without thinking, and I started ordering people around in a situation I had no clue about. And after Montana, when I promised you a clean slate, I kept letting it bubble back up, until the trial. Seeing that disc burned me. Seeing that you had chosen her, when you had insisted so many times that you wanted to be with me. And I wanted to punish you, because I knew I couldn’t punish her.”
“At least we can both admit that we’ve screwed up.” He watched her watching him, a small, regretful smile on her face. “So tell me,” he began, reaching out to run a finger down her arm from wrist to elbow, “did I ever have a chance?”
She lifted an eyebrow. “I don’t know. Maybe. That first Christmas. You sat with my father, your eyes following the rest of us. I used to tell myself, ‘If he’d kissed me, things would have been different.’”
“What if I kissed you now? Would things be different?”
The corner of her lip quirked up in her typical half-smile. “Just how drunk do you think I am?”
“As little or as much as you want. Whatever make you happy.”
“And how drunk are you?”
“Not very. Just looking at you seems to negate the beer’s effect. So, what would happen if I kissed you?”
She was at the edge of one of those precipices in life; a point where you could turn back and know you were safe, or go forward and trust Fate. This time, she wanted Fate. “I guess we’ll just have to try it and see.”
He slid the back of his fingers up the inside of her arm, slipping his hand between her cheek and palm. “You are so very beautiful,” he whispered, leaning closer.
She didn’t pull away. “And here I thought you just loved me for my mind.” His hand was warm next to her cheek, and everywhere they touched seemed to tingle.
“I love everything about you; your mind, your body, your soul. There isn’t anything that isn’t wonderfully intriguing.”
“Shut up and kiss me,” she instructed, and he did.
His lips were warm and soft, undemanding, as though he was content simply to be in close proximity to her. It wasn’t until her own lips parted and her tongue ran gently around his lips, detecting the minute traces of tomato sauce and lime juice that he really became aware of the situation. He pressed his other hand to her face, desperate to keep her from fleeing, but she only leaned closer and teased him with her tongue until his own lips parted as well.
He pulled away from her, breathing harshly. “Don’t be teasing me, Aurora. Please, whatever is happening here, don’t be teasing me.”
She reached out slowly, tracing an eyebrow with one finger, then resting her hand against his cheek. “I’m not teasing.” Her eyes dropped to the tabletop, then came back up, almost hesitating. “Will you…join me upstairs?”
He ducked his head, pressing a kiss into her palm. “Anything for you. Anything, everything. Whatever you want.”
She pulled back from him and stood up. “I need to clean things up down here--”
He placed a single finger gently against her lips, silencing her. “Let me do it,” he offered. “I’ll meet you up there.”
She could only nod and move toward the stairs.
Aurora stared out the window, watching the moon rise over the desert. Somewhere to the east, she could sense Steven looking out a window, facing west, willing her to come home. She poked idly at the ring on her finger watching it catch the light and throw it back. She pulled the ring up slowly, letting it slide between nail and knuckle, turning to hang stone down. She curled her fist closed, pressing the stone tightly against her palm. Then she forced the fingers open, letting the ring fall off, into her other hand. As it slipped from her fingers, she could sense the connection with Steven closing, and then there was no way to hear him, no way for him to hear her. She had been blocking him out before, ignoring his pleas to communicate with him. Now even that was gone.
A gentle knock at the door startled her from her reverie, and she set the ring on the window sash, then turned away to let Jonathan in.
Krysten couldn’t sleep. The alarm clock informed her in glowing red numbers that it was only 6:30, but something was keeping her from the final half-hour of her rest. Sighing with resignation, she pushed aside the covers and forced herself up from the warm mattress. If she had to be awake, she would just as soon be vertical.
She made her way downstairs, noting absently that Aurora’s shower was running. But she discovered in the kitchen that Aurora was not in said shower. Rather, she was perched on a chair, arms around her drawn-up legs, wrapped in a robe.
She looked up as Krysten turned on the light, and a part of Krysten observed that Aurora actually looked worse than she had when she arrived 48 hours before.
“Aurora? What’s wrong with you?”
She watched as her friend’s eyes slowly focused on her. “Oh, Krys. I’ve done it now. I screwed up big time.”
Krysten took in the disheveled hair and red, swollen eyes and felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise. “What happened?” She turned to look over her shoulder at the darkened hall where the den, office and utility room were. “Where’s Jonathan?”
“It’s not about him,” Aurora said. “We had dinner, we had a few beers, and it was nice. We were two friends having fun. We said a lot of things that needed to be said. And I did…what I thought needed to be done.”
“You didn’t,” Krysten breathed. “Rorie, please, tell me you didn’t.”
“I did.”
“How? How could you do that? Steven, your children…. You’re throwing away everything.”
Aurora shook her head. “No. I called Steven. He’s on his way. That was insanely easy, all things considered. But that’s not the problem.” She sighed deeply. “Jonathan’s not going to understand. I’m pulling the rug out form under him, but there’s nothing else I can do. Don’t let him take it too hard. I honestly didn’t know it would mean that much to him.”
“Did it?”
“I was his dream, and now it’s over. I can only hope he doesn’t hate me more now.” Footsteps sounded on the stairs, and she dropped her feet to the floor, swiping the sleeve of her robe across her face.
Jonathan bounded into the kitchen, slowing only slightly at Krysten’s presence. “Morning, ladies,” he said jovially, dropping a hand on Aurora’s shoulder. “Thanks for letting me borrow your shower.”
“No problem, as long as you put it back where you found it.”
“Anything for you.” He scrubbed at his dripping hair with a towel. “I need to get dressed. See you in a bit.” He let his hand drift across the back of her neck as he left.
“Oh, dear,” Krysten sighed. “I see what you mean.”
“I’m going to go upstairs and hide out. If you can keep Jon occupied for a while, I’d really appreciate it. Steven should be here in an hour or so.”
“I’ll do what I can,” Krysten promised.
Aurora was more then ready to go when the doorbell rang ninety minutes later. She heard the kids squeal with delight, and steeled herself for the summons.
It wasn’t long in coming.
“Rorie,” Krysten’s voice floated up the stairs. “Steven’s here.”
Aurora scooped up her bag and headed downstairs.
Krysten had seated Steven on the sofa, but he stood as Aurora came in, taking her bag from her and setting it aside to hug her.
“Good to see you again, Angel,” he said, holding her close.
“Good to see you, too, handsome.” She kissed him happily. “Did you bring the boys?” she asked finally, looking around.
“Sorry, no. I couldn’t see driving back with them,” he explained.
She nodded. “Okay. I was just thinking that Jonathan would like to meet them. Did Krys tell you Jonathan was here?”
“She didn’t have to.” He held out his hand, her ring resting in his palm. “You took it off.”
“I needed a few minutes alone.” She let him slide it back on her finger.
“It’s all right. I understand.” And with that, somehow, it was all over. “Are you ready to go home, then?”
Before she could answer, Jonathan came striding into the room.
“Aurora? Krys said you were upstairs…. General Landon.”
“Commander Greyer. Good to see you again.” He held out a hand, and Jonathan took it hesitantly.
“You, too, sir. Been keeping busy?”
“Oh, some. You?”
“About the same, I’d imagine. Mind if I borrow Aurora for a minute?”
“Help yourself. I’ll just take your bag out, okay, Hon?”
Aurora smiled. ‘That’ll be fine. I won’t be long.”
Krys volunteered to walk Steven out, and Aurora found herself alone with Jonathan again.
“You’re going back.” It was a statement rather than a question.
“Yes.”
“Why? I thought what happened meant something…”
“I know. And I’m sorry.” She breathed deeply, steadying herself. “Jon, it wouldn’t work. We would be at each other’s throats in days, if not hours. And I don’t want that to happen. I want to be able to remember you with a smile. Please, don’t make me walk away angry.”
“But you’re still walking away.”
“I’m still walking away,” she confirmed.
“So could it have been different?”
“What?”
“Last night. I asked you if things could have been different…”
She studied him for a moment, considering. “Yes, probably. Many things could have been different. But I don’t know if they would be what you want them to be.” She reached out, resting a hand on his chest. “Jonathan, you will always be important to me. But it can’t be anything more than that.” She leaned in slowly and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you. But I have to leave now.”
He grasped her wrist before she could move away. “Wait,” he gasped, and pressed something cold and hard into her palm. “In case you ever have to run away again. Vermont is nice, you know. Gorgeous mountains, and not as hot as the desert, either.”
She looked down at what he had given her, then wrapped her fingers over the key. “Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.” She kissed him again quickly, and then turned and walked out the door.
Jonathan stood on the sidewalk next to Krysten, watching the car as it rolled away down the street.
“I still don’t understand…” he thought aloud.
“Why she had to go back?” Krysten asked.
“Yes. I thought…after…. I thought I had finally gotten the prize.”
“She’s not a prize. And I think she has always been his.”
“That doesn’t make much sense.”
“It’s not really supposed to.” The sun sparkled off the roof of the SUV. “Come on inside,” she said finally.
“I want to wait,” he said.
“There’s nothing to wait for now, Jon. It’s over.”
“No, she’s going to…There!” He pointed as the car turned the corner. “She’s waving to me.”
In the distance, Krysten could barely see, but it was there. Aurora’s hand, pressed to the glass in a silent gesture.
Jonathan raised a hand in return.
“Good-bye, Aurora.”
* THE END *
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