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“How long until you can’t fly?” His fingers dance across my belly, and I feel a flutter from inside.
“Oh my god!” My hands cover his. “Did you feel that?” I meet his imploring stare as his other hand moves to cover my belly.
“I did. Feather light.” There’s awe in his voice, matching my own.
“I’ve never felt that before.”
“Could be a sign,” he says, “babe wants to come home, too.” I know he’s not trying to manipulate me by the way he looks at me, almost pleading for me to want it, also.
“I can’t make that big of a decision right now.” He concedes. “I need to think about it. Consider all my…our…options first.”
“I know, pet, I know.” Our lips touch, and I sense the flutter again. His grin is disarming when he feels it as well. “He’s going to be a kicker.”
“How do you know it’s a he?”
“Gut feeling.”
* * *
Cage
We lay by the water until the sun sets and the sky turns from blazing orange to midnight purple. If you look hard enough, stars dot between the clouds, and the moon is high and shining bright. The people in the water on their boats and other water vehicles begin coming in before the darkness completely invades and silence reigns.
Nothing is left but lanterns and other folks enjoying the quiet of the tranquil evening. Magnolia has relaxed so deeply into my arms that I don’t want to move her. I want to keep her tightly wrapped in my embrace for the rest of time, but she needs a real bed.
“Come, pet, let’s get you upstairs.” She hums her annoyance about being moved but grabs her shoes as I help her to her feet.
With a hand on her back, I guide Magnolia into the hotel. Her head rests on my shoulder as she walks, more relaxed than I’ve seen her all day. I’m glad I could give that to her.
The excitement of the day continues to buzz as women I recognize from the signing wander around, chatting in different places around the hotel. Some recognize us and smile and wave, others stare. I’m sure we’re quite the sight. Especially given that Magnolia is all light and sweetness, and I’m the shadows in the dark that you hide from.
What they don’t realize is that her light bleeds into me, waking me up and giving me a life I never imagined. Joss spots us as she comes out of the ballroom and easily glides in with us as we head to the elevators.
“You alright, Mags?” I’m glad she has such a good friend, and I have a feeling Joss is the reason she’s hesitant to leave her life in Texas.I wonder if I could convince her to move as well.
“Just tired,” my girl answers her friend, reaching out a hand. Their fingers entwine, and the jealous growl rumbling through my chest has them both glancing at me and laughing. “Joss is no threat to you.” Magnolia smiles up at me, rubbing a hand down my chest.
The ride up to the girls’ room is quick, and I’ve got them both stowed away before beginning my search for Vega on the grounds.
“You’re leaving?” Magnolia pouts as I tuck her into bed wearing one of my t-shirts.
“I’ll be back.”I promise.There isn’t much that could keep me away from her. Not in this lifetime or any other that follows.
“Okay.” She yawns as her head hits the pillow, and I believe she’s asleep before I’m standing again.
“She has nightmares,” Jossilyn whispers as she leans against the wall next to the bathroom. “Every night. It’s been worse since her mother arrived because she resists sleep. She doesn’t want the bitchy old woman to know.”
“Why?” Though, I can imagine after the way I heard her speak to Magnolia on the phone last weekend.
“Her mom is a Georgia Peach.” Confused, I raise a brow for her to continue. “A southern belle. Like a real-life one. Born and raised in Georgia. With proper manners and the idea that a woman has to be a certain way. Think 1940’s Georgia, where women were demure, obedient, and never stepped out of line.”
“That sounds horrifying.” But I understand her point.
“Right, so imagine her surprise when she learned her daughter was counseling a young pregnant teen on making a life-altering decision and then got shot for it. Or when she flew to South Africa to nurture kids simply because she needed a change. Needed to feel like she was helping someone when she thought she’d failed the first kid who came to her for assistance. Magnolia has a thousand layers to her personality, but the one constant thing for her is that she doesn’t believe she’s good enough.”
I frown down at the woman snoring lightly, covered up to her chin in blankets. So selfless, so caring. “Not good enough,” I repeat. “Not good enough for what, exactly?”
Jossilyn’s sigh carries as she climbs into her bed. “To be a mother. To be a woman. To be alive.” Each explanation is like a bullet to the gut.
