Southern Spirits

by Shelley Stringer

  “Chandler, what do we do if he doesn’t fade back?” Constance whispered as I looked at her.

  “Matthew Gastaneau, come back to Mommy!” I said sternly. He giggled again, and crawled toward Constance, placing his hand in her lap. Finally, he faded back.

  I breathed a sigh of relief. Elly had begun to whine, sensing that Matty might be in trouble. I picked her up and hugged her to me and smiled down at her. She buried her face in my chest, placing her thumb in her mouth.

  “Chandler, you might have to give them a swat or something when they do that.”

  I shook my head. “No. It occurred to me when Banton was stern with Elly the other night. At some point, their fading might be useful, and they might need to do it. I have to figure out a way to teach them it’s okay. I don’t want to discourage them too much,” I replied.

  “Well, good luck with this one. I can already tell he’s going to be a handful,” she said as she picked Matty up and kissed his cheek. “Elly on the other hand, is just like you. All you have to do is look at her sternly, and she cries.”

  “I know.” I hugged her to me closely and kissed her soft forehead.

  The babies soon tired and fell asleep playing. After about an hour or so, Everett finally came back into the room.

  “Here, sweeties, I brought you some coffee.”

  “Oh, Ev, I love you. Will you marry me?” Constance purred as she took her cup from him.

  “Sorry, Constance, my beauty. I’ve fought in two wars, battled Orcos, lived through reconstruction, a depression, and Grandmother Wellington’s menopause. But I just don’t have the strength to tackle the entire woman that makes up Constance LeBlance.”

  I laughed, the heaviness of the morning lightened by their banter.

  “Ev, where have you been all this time?” I asked as I took a sip of my coffee.

  “I just had to communicate with some of the other Aldon. I need to take a trip, but I don’t want to leave you two and Claudia right now.”

  “Did you visit with Mrs. Elaine before we left? How was Claudia this morning?”

  Everett’s eyes became dark, glowing with raw emotion. “I checked in on her before we left. She was resting, still drugged from the medication Dr. Renault gave her.”

  “Banton told me last night what a hard time you are having. You can’t blame yourself for Will’s death. We were all overwhelmed. You are no more to blame than any of the rest of us,” I tried to reason.

  “Bebe, you don’t understand,” he began, turning away to look out the window.

  “What don’t I understand?” I placed my hand on his arm. He turned back and quickly embraced me. “Everett, you have to let this go. You couldn’t have done anything more,” I began.

  “Couldn’t I” he said sarcastically, full of self-loathing. I couldn’t understand where all this was coming from.

  Banton barreled in followed by Ty and John.

  “Banton!” I ran to him and wrapped my arms around his waist.

  “Hey, is everything all right?” he glanced down at me with concern.

  I lowered my voice as I watched Everett and Constance pick Elly and Matty up to place them in their baby seats.

  “Oh, just Matty fading like Elly. And there’s something you need to know. Everett saw Commander Reed walking outside, and he asked me if we knew he is an Aldon.”

  “An Aldon? Are you sure?”

  Banton looked quickly to Everett, who nodded silently in agreement. I watched as a myriad of emotions crossed Banton’s face, none of them good. He stared at me for a moment, and then finally spoke.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll talk to Singleton,” he murmured, lost in thought.

  “So you didn’t know, did you?’ I asked.

  “Chandler, don’t worry. I’ll handle this,” he assured me, helping me gather the twins’ things.

  Banton was silent on the way back to Claudia’s. I finally clasped his right hand in mine.

  “Banton, I know now is not the time, but Laurilee called this morning,” I began.

  “Oh, no. The wedding. I’d forgotten,” he breathed almost in a whisper.

  “What can we do?”

  “I don’t know. Let’s just get back to Claudia’s, and see what arrangements Momma and Daddy have made. I have to think about this.”

  “Banton, I can skip the pre-wedding stuff, and just go for the ceremony. We can fly…”

  “I don’t think that’s possible. I can’t risk taking you away,” he argued.

  “I have to go. I can’t do this to Laurilee.”

  “We’ll discuss this tonight,” he admonished, more anger in his voice than I’d ever heard before. I glanced at Everett in the rear-view mirror. He shook his head. I knew he was agreeing with Banton. I dropped the argument, knowing Banton was right. I just didn’t know how I was going to break it to Laurilee that I wouldn’t be there for the most important moment in her life.

  We arrived at Claudia’s to find Miss Astrid waiting on us to help with the babies.

  “Everett called me. I can help with the kids, and I’m extra protection,” she assured me as she gave me a brief hug.

  “Unca Banin!” Ava ran down the staircase, her big brown eyes large with fear.

  “What’s wrong, Doodle-Bug?” He knelt to pick her up. She threw her little arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder.

  Mrs. Elaine followed her down the staircase.

  “She’s been pacing and worrying herself sick, thinking you wouldn’t come back. She’s been asking if you were going on your ship again,” she said softly. Banton nodded, understanding her meaning. He carried her into the living room and sat down on the sofa with her.

  “Separation anxiety?” I asked. Mrs. Elaine nodded.

  “I understand that emotion,” I replied as I hugged her.

  “I know you do, dear.”

  Everett helped me unstrap the twins from their seats, and then handed Matty to Mrs. Elaine. As we walked into the living room with them, he asked, “Is Claudia awake yet?”

  “Yes. Matt is up there with her. She’s calmer now.”

  “Good. I don’t want her left alone,” Everett commented, glancing up the staircase.

  “Everett, why don’t you go up and see her,” Mrs. Elaine urged him.

  “No, I will later. I have some matters to attend to now.” He crossed the foyer to the back part of the house. I assumed he was going to talk with the other Aldon who were keeping watch.

  Constance followed us, having ridden with Ty and John back to the house. After everyone was back, Banton rose with Ava asleep on his shoulder.

  “I’m going to take her up and talk with Claudia, and then I’ll help you get the twins down for their afternoon nap,” he offered. I nodded, knowing he wanted to talk some more about the Texas trip.

  Miss Astrid helped me get the twins upstairs, and then went in search of Mrs. Elaine to offer to prepare dinner for everyone. The twins were tired after their morning on base, and Elly fell asleep before she’d even finished her bottle. Matty finished his, and I rocked him a little to get him down. I was just placing him in his crib when Banton entered. He slipped up behind me and slid his arms around my waist. I smelled the earthy, clean scent of his cologne before he even touched me. He smelled so good…like Banton. As I turned in his arms, he pulled me through the nursery door and pulled it partially closed.

  Placing his mouth behind my ear, he whispered, “Are you still bleeding, Chandler?”

  I shook my head. “No, I stopped yesterday. It didn’t last long,” I answered as he pulled me into his chest. He trailed his mouth along my neck as he reached under my sweater, his hands hot against my skin.

  “Banton, the door,” I protested breathlessly. He turned me around and covered my lips with his. His kiss was bruising as his hands cupped my buttocks. As he backed me up against the bed, I fell back as he worked his hands up under my sweater, and then slid my tights down my legs in one swift motion.

  “Oh Chandler…baby, I want you,�
�� he breathed into my ear. He pushed me back into the pillows, unbuttoning his jeans as he moved against me. He slid his thumbs under the thin fabric of my panties and then grasped them in his hands. In one motion he shredded them as he pushed to enter me.

  “Oh…please,” I was begging him. I needed him, needed to feel him wrap himself around me. He began to move inside me as his lips continued their assault on mine. His strong hands grasped my ribcage as he moved over me, bringing me to the brink. There was a desperation like the night he’d come home from his first deployment. It felt as if we were living on the edge, neither one of us knowing whether we’d see each other the next time we woke. I gasped as we found our release together, his forehead pressed to mine. Our breathing slowed to an even tempo as he pulled away and gazed down at me. I rolled over on my front, hugging a pillow to me.

  “Andie, I’m sorry. I just needed you; I needed to feel you,” he whispered, easing down beside me. He grasped the bottom of my sweater and pulled it up over my head, covering my body partially with his as he placed kisses on my shoulders. Slowly moving down my back, he reached my lower back and pulled the bedspread up over me.

  “I needed you too,” I whispered, our breath mingling together as he tangled his legs around mine.

  We lay, looking into each other’s eyes, silently communicating how deeply we felt for one another. When my breathing was finally back to normal I murmured, “I’m safe, when you are inside me. I’m home. Nothing else matters but you.”

  “God, I love you, Chandler,” he replied as he pulled my face into his chest. He slid his thumb methodically back and forth across my cheek and then said, “I hope you understand why you can’t go to Texas.”

  “Banton, I understand. I just don’t know how I will break it to Laurilee. Couldn’t you and Everett just fly there with me early that morning, and then we could fly straight back after the ceremony?”

  Banton turned over on his back, and ran his fingers through his hair. “It would take more than me and Everett to protect you. We would have to take at least two others, and I don’t want to split our forces. That’s when we are at our weakest and the Orcos know it. Besides, you don’t want to lead this danger to Laurilee and Dan.”

  I began to cry tears of anger and frustration. “How am I going to tell her I’m going to screw up her big day? Banton, she’ll be devastated,” I argued.

  “Chandler, it’s only one day. She will get over it. This is not worth risking your life, or the babies’ lives.”

  I knew he was right, so I dropped it. He was a man; he just didn’t understand how big a deal this was going to be to Laurilee.

  “I’ll call her tonight,” I said as he leaned over me and placed his lips in my hair. After several minutes, I rose and shrugged into my robe. I pushed the door open to the nursery to find Miss Astrid checking on the twins.

  She looked at me apologetically. “I’m sorry. I just came up to check on them. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop,” she offered as I shook my head.

  “There won’t be many secrets between us with you living under the same roof,” I replied. She placed a hand on my shoulder, leaving the room quietly. I kissed both sleeping babies on their cheeks, and then stepped into the bathroom to shower.

  I stood several moments, just letting the hot water massage my face. It occurred to me, I hope she meant she was eavesdropping on our conversation about not going to Texas, not our moments of passion beforehand!

  After I’d showered and dressed, I hurried downstairs to find Banton and the rest of the boys gone with Everett. Constance and Julia were resting on the sofas in the living room.

  “Where did the guys go?” I asked, sinking down next to Julia. It was unlike Banton to leave without telling me goodbye. She immediately placed her head on my shoulder.

  “Ev said something about going with Banton and the SEALs to straighten this thing out,” Constance said as she gave me a sideways glance.

  “Everett is going with them? Oh, surely they’re not going to confront Reed,” I said out loud as Julia pulled away to look at me.

  “They’re not in danger, are they?”

  I realized Ava and I weren’t the only ones with separation anxiety since the latest attack. “No, I don’t think so, Julia. Don’t worry, they will be back soon,” I assured her.

  “Claudia!” Constance exclaimed as I turned to look at the staircase. Claudia stepped off the last stair into the foyer and crossed to the living room. She looked so small, her hair pulled up in a loose bun on top of her head. I was used to seeing her hair always down and full around her face. Her face was pale, and the tell-tale signs of weight loss were already beginning to show…dark circles under her eyes, her cheekbones too prominent. She smiled bravely at us as she circled the grouping of furniture and came to rest beside Constance.

  “Darlin’, how are you?” Constance whispered, pulling Claudia into her arms.

  “I’m dealin’. I can’t stay in that room another minute. I had to get out. Too much sleep isn’t good for your grief. It just makes you not want to wake up,” she said, almost as if she were in a trance. My heart ached for her, having just gone through the same emotions only months before.

  “Claudia, what can we do?’ I asked, tears gathering in my eyes.

  “There’s nothin’ you can do, sweet girl. Just be here with me. Just be here for Ava Grace. Besides me, it’s you and Banton she cries for. She’s so afraid something is going to happen to one of us, now. I don’t know how to help her,” she worried as Miss Astrid came in with some tea.

  Julia cried silently beside me. I pulled her into my arms once again, at a loss as to how to help anyone.

  “Well, why don’t I see if I can make us a fire…it seems a little cold up in here, and my tidbits are nipply,” Constance exclaimed, rubbing her breasts when she crossed over to the fireplace. Claudia burst out laughing.

  “What?” Constance asked in her classic bossy, hoarse voice as Julia’s laughter bubbled over to match Claudia’s.

  “You just never fail to lighten the mood, no matter what is going on. I needed to laugh,” Claudia said as she wiped her eyes.

  I kissed Julia on top of the head as we watched Constance turn the gas on to the fireplace. The four of us sat quietly, watching the flames.

  “The fire is peaceful, calming somehow,” Claudia mused as she laid her head on her arm draped across the back of the sofa.

  A mewling cry, slowly morphing into a wail alerted us Ava was awake. Julia patted Claudia’s leg and jogged upstairs to get her. No sooner than she’d topped the staircase, I heard the other two little cries join her.

  “Oh, Ava woke the twins,” Claudia remarked as I rose to get them.

  “No, it was time for them to wake. I’ll be right back.”

  I found both babies standing at the foot of their cribs. In the span of two weeks, the babies had gone from turning over to crawling and pulling up. I still couldn’t believe they were developing so fast, even though Everett had told me they would. After Matty was dry, I placed him in Elly’s crib while I changed her.

  As I was snapping the legs on her little footed pj’s, Matty uttered, “Mommy.”

  My eyes snapped up at him, shocked. He’d barely even been attempting garbled baby jabber, like Elly did. He grinned at my startled expression.

  Tears gathered when I urged him again. “Say ‘Mommy,’ Matty.”

  “Mommy,” he said plainly, without hesitation. I picked him up and hugged him to me, kissing the top of his head. Elly held her hands out to me, wanting to be picked up as well.

  I carried them down, one on each hip as I sniffed back tears.

  “Sister, what’s wrong now?” Constance asked as I entered the room with them.

  “Oh, you know me. Every first gets me,” I said, placing them on the plush rug in the floor.

  “What’s new today? Did Elly recite the preamble to the constitution?” Julia asked, picking her up.

  “No, but Matty just said his first word. He said, “Mommy.”r />
  “Hey, little man…that was supposed to be ‘Aunt Constance.’ Can you say Aunt Con-stan-ce?” she enunciated grandly as he grinned and crawled away from her.

  Ava Grace sat quietly beside Claudia, buried into her side, watching everyone interact. I held my hands out to her, and she hesitantly made her way over to me and crawled up in my lap.

  “Ava, you know the babies haven’t been able to play with you in a while. They love it when you play with them. Would you like to get their toys out of their bag?” I asked. She shook her head furiously.

  “It’s okay. You don’t have to, Doodle-Bug. Just sit here and keep me warm,” I hugged her closer to me.

  “Where’s my Unca Banin?” she muttered, her face in my chest.

  “He’ll be back in a few minutes, sweetie. He just went with Uncle Everett on an errand.”

  Mrs. Elaine and Mr. Matt entered from the back of the house and came into the living room together.

  “Claudia, sweetheart…it’s good to see you up. We’ve just come from the funeral home. Would you like to talk with us a bit and tell us what you’ve decided for the service?” Mr. Matt asked her softly. She slowly met his gaze. After a brief pause, she nodded and rose to follow them into the dining room. Julia got up a moment later and handed Elly to Constance so she could join them.

  “Chandler, where’s Brie been today?” Constance asked.

  “She’s been with the other Aldon, Patrick and Olivia,” I replied as I watched the fire. “I think she’s sort of training since the fight the other day.”

  Matty grasped my jeans, pulling himself up as he tried to get Ava’s attention.

  “Mommy,” he mumbled. Ava raised her head to look at him as he grinned at her.

  “An Andler, Matty’s talking,” she whispered up at me.

  “Yes, he is. I wonder if we can get him to say ‘Ava’?” I asked her as she looked up at me. She scrambled down into the floor and pulled him down to sit in front of her.

  “Say Aba, Matty,” Ava challenged him. He grinned at her and cackled. Elly squealed at him from Constance’s lap, trying to get their attention.