The Bodyguard: an alien romance
Page 18
“You want me?” I say. “But I’m insecure. I stay indoors most of the time. I don't really like going places far away from home, so I’d be no good traveling to your home planet, if you ever wanted to go there someday.”
Van chuckles. “This is my home planet. And I will be staying right here. This is where we are meant to be for this life.”
“We?”
“You and me.” He nods. “Other worlds will be in our future, but for now, I am not going anywhere.”
“It's like humans are supposed to be here, right here, right now, on Earth, not in the stars, sometimes making mistakes, because that's how we learn. And if the ones who've been there and done that give away the ending, how will we write our own story?”
“You are much wiser than your sixteen years.” Van lifts my hand to his lips and gently places a kiss there. “And as for wanting you, I have always wanted you. You are the one I have waited for.”
“This is it, isn't it, life, existing all at once, in different dimensions, invisible to us here, but there all the same? There is no real death for DNA, for the soul that keeps it alive through different incarnations. If it can do that for individuals, then relationships can never end either. That means that love can never die.”
Van's kiss moves to my cheek.
“If all points of time and space are connected,” I say, “how many lifetimes have we loved each other?”
“Love?” he says.
“I guess I said too much, didn't I?”
“If our DNA could speak, it could tell us.”
“That's true. It would be wonderful if we could look back, like through a photo album.”
“I have always wanted to be a part of a family.” His words are matter of fact, as if he's simply sharing more about himself. “Will you be my family?” He kisses my lips now in an urgent plea.
He's stolen my breath. I'm unable to speak. I gaze into his green eyes and nod.
“I love you too,” he says, speaking the words with quiet emphasis. “Our people do not have a marriage ceremony like yours. We choose a partner to share our lives with.” He kneels down on one knee in front of me and takes my hands in his, gazing into my eyes. “If you will have me, I choose you.”
The frog surfaces and hops onto a lily pad just beside us. And if I’m not mistaken, it's watching us.
“He is,” Van answers my unspoken question. “All creatures here are sentient.”
Happiness like I've never felt before bubbles up inside me. “It's like I was made for you, and you for me.” I touch Van's cheek with my palm. “We were meant to be even before our DNA arrived here in the form of these bodies.” That happiness I feel tries to burst out of me. I can't hold it back. I start to laugh.
“Does this mean yes?”
“Yes,” I laugh, harder now. I'm so happy, I can't help it. “Yes.”
He gathers me close into the solid embrace of his strong arms and holds me.
“Never leave my side,” I say.
“I swear,” he whispers into my hair. “Never.”
Epilogue
There's one thing I have to do before I start my new life underground with Van and the Bastet people, my people. I made a promise to George to come back for him.
Up on the surface, even though my bodyguard is with me, I carry my cell phone and my pepper spray with me out of habit. There's no one left in my neighborhood. It makes me think of one of those ancient ruins where archeologists one day will speculate about what happened to the inhabitants. I wonder if one day in the distant future, scientists will debate about what happened to Alabama on this day and to its people, and whether or not they'll look on our bookshelves for clues about us.
The unlucky inhabitants of Cedar Park, who carry the D antigen and have positive blood, have probably been taken by the Numen for study to the Antlia 2 Galaxy, a neighboring galaxy of ours, which, as far as all serious science is concerned, isn't inhabitable.
What will happen to them?
I don't have the answer to that. No one does. I can only hope they will live out their days the way the cats in my mother's lab did, carefree.
As for the fifteen percent of the human population that lacks the D antigen, it will be up to them to carry on. My stepfather promises me that the rest of my mother's animals will be cared for by remaining people on the surface. He will see to it. And if there's one thing I know about the major general, is that he keeps his word.
My cell phone rings. Anna's name and picture pop up on the screen.
She's alive.
My hands shake as I push the button to answer. “Anna? Is that really you?”
“Lil, I just got all your texts. I guess my phone hasn't been working out here. Are you okay?”
“Where are you?”
“In Telluride with my family. Where'd you think?”
I let go of the breath I was holding onto. “Anna, I’m so happy you're alright. Can I call you back? I’ve got a lot to tell you.”
I push the button to end the call as we arrive at the door to the basement. I find George with his adopted cat mother where I left him. I couldn't actually separate him from his adopted mother, so I scoop them both into the soft-sided carrier I brought with me. Van carries a separate box for my mother's precious mice. The two cats are going to have to get used to a lot of curiosity from the Bastet people.
“Time to go, George,” I say and smile up at Van as we leave the house and the rest of the world behind us. “The rest of your new family is waiting to meet you. We're all going home.”
About the Author
I’m the author of almost two dozen romances of varying genres, a soon to be out of work homeschool mother, and lover of all things mysterious, e.g. alien encounters, crop circles, standing stones, UFO sightings, ghosts, hauntings, reincarnation, and animal communication, particularly where individuals have been marginalized as a result of their experiences.
Although at the age of fifteen I discovered that people actually got paid to do something as cool as writing, sadly it would lie dormant until I began teaching. After completing a degree in Education from the University of South Carolina, I got a job, quit two years later to homeschool my young children, and never looked back.
I enjoy reading medieval romance, mysteries, and anything mystical. And I love writing it as much as I love reading it.
Along with my husband, I live in South Carolina where I share my home with our two children and three tabby cats. On Friday nights, I love eating homemade pizza and watching old black and white science fiction movies with my family. I also wish all television shows, which I love watching, were as sincere as British shows. On Saturdays, you’ll find me spending the afternoon with my teenage daughter baking. I even write a blog where I share our most current favorite dessert recipes and of course book giveaways—Recipes from a Writer.
Visit me on my author page on Amazon.com, on my Tina Proffitt Author page on Facebook, and on Pinterest to check out some of my research sources and inspiration for my books.
On Goodreads.com, you’ll find giveaways for my books.
Visit my web page at TinaProffitt.wordpress.com to get in touch.
And as always, thank you for your honest review or rating on Amazon.com and Goodreads.com! No author could do it without you!
Novels by Tina Proffitt
If you enjoyed reading any of my books, please take a moment to leave a review. Below are links to all of my books available on Amazon.
First and Forever Love
Second Chances
Third Time's the Charm
A Sprinkle of Magick
Shadow Walker
Parlor Favors
Her Mail Order Husband
The Almoner’s Tale
The Man of Her Dreams
Red Nobody
In His Safe Hands
Ten for a Bird
The Devil’s Own
Her Hero
Event Horizon
Heart of Gold
Sweet Abductio
n
Burning Tree
Soul in the Mist
Lost Valley
The Village Priest
To Love Somebody
1