by J Armitage
“Oh yes, of course.”
He seemed very flustered as he helped her get into the car. He broke at least a dozen speeding laws on the way back to Baildon but luckily no police were out and about to stop him. Anais was too tired to notice. The day had exhausted her and she just wanted to get home and lay down.
Once back, Winnie tried sending her straight to bed but Anais only complied once she’d explained that Alex had looked after her well and her fainting was not because of carrying heavy things. She was not sure if that was really true but she really didn’t want to get Alex into trouble after all he had done for her.
She drifted in and out of sleep, only getting up at dinner time when Winnie demanded that she eat for the sake of the babies. She realised that she didn’t have just herself to think about anymore. She was responsible for three little people and ultimately, the rest of the world was dependant on her health. She ate well and then took herself back to bed, not needing Winnie to ask her. Tomorrow, she vowed, would be different. She would rest and eat and follow Winnie’s orders to the tee. Too much was at stake to do otherwise. She laid down in her bed and fell into a deep sleep.
The next day, found them in the middle of a storm. Rain lashed down forming puddles like small lakes all over the grounds and finally clearing away the snow. The small stream that ran through the property was now raging with such force that it had burst its banks and flooded on to the driveway. Even August had not braved the weather and had instead come to the house with Baker through the tunnel.
Alex, taking lessons from his mother was now fussing over Anais even worse than Winnie had. He flatly refused to let her go for breakfast, instead taking her breakfast in bed. It was only when Anais threatened to throw the food all over him if he didn’t let her leave that he relented and she ate in the library which seemed to be becoming her new home.
After breakfast she sought out Aldric to give her a check up. She’d rather have just been left alone to read in the library but Alex was refusing to leave her until he knew she was alright.
Aldric checked her temperature and blood pressure and proclaimed her fit and well. He told her to take it easy, no more excursions for at least a week until they could do a pregnancy test, and rest, rest, rest.
When she got back to the library she could see that Alex was still there, waiting for her. He looked so worried that she almost laughed.
“I’m fine.”
“And the babies?”
“We have another week to wait before we can find out if they held on but Aldric seems to think everything’s normal. He told me to rest.”
He ran over and guided her to the sofa, a gesture which although sweet, irritated Anais. She hated all the attention and being treated like an invalid.
She immediately felt bad about her irritation, after all, a lot was at stake and Alex was doing his best to help her out.
She let Alex put his hand on her belly and although she’d not felt anything herself, he was obviously experiencing things that had eluded her.
He was talking to her stomach, to the babies.
At first she was happy to let him get on with it whilst she read her book, but it was so cute to listen to what he was saying that before long she’d discarded the book and started listening to him.
Talking about the future, about what they would all do together.
He was enthralled with this pregnancy. Her thoughts moved to all the other couples in the same position, miracling at the new life they had created, but they weren’t a couple and the new life was only there to save other lives.
Listening to Alex wax lyrical about a future that could not happen made her feel sad. She’d not put much thought into what would actually happen if everything turned out well. The situation seemed so bleak whichever way she looked at it. She envied the naive optimism Alex had, where everything looked rosy and a future of ballgames and trips to the park were possible. If by some miracle she didn’t suffer the same fate as the other Guardian women and by a further miracle these babies possessed the perfect blood, then what? The little family unit Alex was dreaming of was just that, a dream. She loved Alex and she could see how great a father he would be but her heart belonged to Aethelu and nothing could change that.
Still it was nice to hear his voice. It made her feel calm about the crazy situation and the warmth of his body lying next to hers on the sofa was comforting, with his hand stroking her belly as her sang a lullaby she’d never heard before.
She closed her eyes as she listened to him, singing oh so softly, she finally felt at peace. Her mind began to wander and the soothing tones of Alex’s lullaby were sending her off to sleep.
She smiled as she heard Aethelu talking. It was the same dream she’d had since Aethelu left. She knew it so well, it was beginning to feel like an old friend. Aethelu by her side, Aethelu taking her hand, Aethelu and her in the studio, just talking and holding each other. It was really just the memory of their one night together replaying itself over and over again on a nightly basis. It probably wasn’t any good for her, emotionally to be replaying the past but it’s all she had of Aethelu.
This time the dream was different. She could hear Aethelu’s voice as usual but now it sounded different, clearer somehow. Even though she was dreaming, Anais was confused, why was Alex in her dream? He’d never been in it before. Also why was Aethelu talking to him instead of her? It was her dream!
She could still hear Aethelu’s voice but now it was calling her name. Someone was stroking her cheek.
“Alex!” She awoke with a start calling out his name, wondering why he was touching her cheek.
“Well that’s not exactly what I was hoping to hear from my girlfriend but as she’s so beautiful I’ll let her off.”
“Aethelu!” Anais sat up quickly and threw her arms around Aethelu who had taken Alex’s spot on the sofa.
Both of them were wearing long sleeves so it was only Anais cheek that burned with The Light as it touched Aethelu’s face. Anais didn’t care though, the immense feeling of happiness and sheer joy to see Aethelu overcame the electric shocks of The Light. She kissed Aethelu hard on the lips for as long as she could stand it and when it finally became too much she pulled back.
“I guess we are going to have to spend a lot of time touching each other to desensitise you again.”
Aethelu grinned “I certainly hope so. It’s almost worth all the time I was away just to hear you say that! I’ve missed you so much.”
“Me too. I thought you’d be home days ago. I was so worried.”
The pressure of the last few days finally left Anais, replaced with joy. She felt as light as a feather and didn’t even try to hold back the happy tears that were now coursing down her cheeks. She hugged Aethelu again, never wanting to let go. The feel of her was so familiar, the warmth, even the red clothing. Anais had missed it all so much.
Reluctantly Aethelu finally pulled back from Anais and wiped her eyes with a smile.
“Don’t cry my Honey. I’m back now and I will never leave you again. Ever!”
“I wouldn’t let you! So what happened? Are your aunt and uncle with you? Tell me everything.” She desperately wanted to hear about Aethelu’s mission but she also knew that the longer Aethelu kept talking, the longer it would be until she had to tell her about the babies.
“I found Ava and Alfred really quickly but they refused to come home so I got on their boat to persuade them. What was meant to be a short journey turned into a nightmare when we got caught in torrential storms. When we finally got to Cape Verde I couldn’t get a flight because of all the snow in the UK. I finally flew to Paris and got the train home although now that the snow has gone I could probably have waited for a direct flight and still got home quicker. I’ve been travelling for thirty six hours.”
“But you are here now.” Anais couldn’t help herself, she hugged Aethelu again although this time being careful not to touch her directly. She didn’t want to let her go.
“I know about th
e baby.”
Anais pulled away. She looked at Aethelu. In her happiness at seeing Aethelu again she’d forgotten the hell of the last few weeks. She burst into unexpected tears, saving her from having to speak. She wouldn’t have known what to say anyhow.
Aethelu held her and stoked her hair until the sobbing subsided.
“Who told you?” sniffed Anais
“I got back about twenty minutes ago. Mama cornered me before I got to you and told me everything.”
“And you’re not mad?”
“I’m raging, but not with you my sweetheart. I’m so angry at what they have done to you.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t you dare be sorry.” Aethelu’s face was calm and smiling as she spoke. She wiped the tears from Anais face. “After everything that’s happened to you, it’s not you that should be sorry.”
“You still love me?”
“Anais. You are the bravest person I‘ve ever met. I spent every second on that boat thinking of you. You are my whole life now. I didn’t think it would be possible to love you more, but seeing you here, it turns out I was wrong. I love you more than I ever believed possible. You are my hero.”
“But what about Alex and the babies?” It was then that she realised Alex had left the room.
“Babies? Plural?”
“Three were implanted.”
Anais was now worried that this would be too much information. Seconds passed which felt like eternity to Anais. Finally Aethelu spoke.
“Then we buy a triple buggy for our little ones.”
Anais burst into tears again, but this time they were tears of happiness. She’d caught the use of the word ‘our’ and everything suddenly felt right.
“Our babies,” she smiled
“Yes ours. That’s if you want me to be a mama.”
“Of course I do.”
“I hoped you’d say that. I’m going to be a mum!”
“You’ll be a wonderful mother.”
Now Aethelu joined in with the tears and both girls hugged once again.
The door opened and Arcadia entered. She took in the girls embracing in front of her and cleared her throat for attention.
“Not interrupting am I?”
“Cadie!” Aethelu jumped up and hugged her sister.
“I’ve just come to tell you that August has put your bags in the studio”
“The studio, why?”
“I told him to. I thought you guys might want your own space. I’ve asked him to bring the bed down to the lower level as I don’t think it would be wise for Anais to be climbing any ladders at the moment. Andrew and Judith are helping him. I think Alex is hunting the house for a heater for it too.”
“Wow, Thanks Cadie.”
“No probs sis. I’m so glad you are home. I missed you.”
“I missed you too.”
“Mama has asked me to tell you that dinner will be ready in twenty minutes. She’s making it early as she thought you might be hungry.”
“Thanks.”
Arcadia left. Aethelu resumed her position next to Anais on the sofa. They laid there entwined in each other, not speaking, until their twenty minutes were up and they both made their way to the dining room.
Dinner was a very upbeat affair. Judith had proved herself a very able artist and despite only meeting Aethelu once had painted a huge banner saying ‘Welcome home Aethelu’ as the paint was dry it must have been painted long before Aethelu actually got home, and been kept for the occasion. The cake which was the centrepiece of the table was freshly decorated though with a similar message and Anais marvelled at the speed at which Winnie could work. She did bake at least one cake a day though so it would only have been a case of icing it and piping the message on. Still it was impressive in the time she had especially as she’d also managed to cook for the whole family in the same time. It was an odd assortment of leftovers that filled the table. Slices of meat on one platter, Bread rolls, freshly heated on another. A reheated lasagne and some Bolognese without the spaghetti were also choices on the table. The microwave must have been going at full pelt for the last hour to reheat it all.
To Anais, it all tasted delicious. Every mouthful was wonderful. She felt like she’d awoken from a hundred years sleep now that Aethelu was home and her senses had awoken with her including her sense of taste. Everything had tasted dry since Aethelu had been gone and as a result she’d struggled to eat at all. Now though, she couldn’t get enough. She took a bit of everything and piled her plate high with food.
Everyone wanted to know about Aethelu’s adventures at sea and Anais was happy to eat and to listen.
Eventually when Aethelu had exhausted her tale, Aldrich spoke.
“And what of my sister?”
“Auntie Ava and Uncle Alfred have agreed to come for a short while. They didn’t want to fly via Paris though. They decided to wait and get a direct flight. They will probably be here tomorrow. They said they would call when they know what time their flight lands so that they can be picked up at the airport.”
“Did it take a lot to persuade them?” Rafe spoke. Anais realised that she’d not had a conversation with him since Aethelu left. She wondered if he’d been purposely avoiding her although she couldn’t think why.
“Neither of them were particularly happy about it but they both agreed to come back for a short while. I think they were planning to visit soon anyway. I doubt they will stay too long. They are thinking of it as an extended holiday rather than a permanent move. What about Audsley?”
She addressed Rafe now.
Anais was confused. She racked her brains. Audsley was Ava’s daughter and Aethelu’s cousin. She lived in America as far as Anais could remember. She wondered if Rafe had been calling her.
“Audsley is doing well. She said she had to pack up the ranch before she could get over but she promised she’d be over as soon as she could. Knowing Audsley, that could be any time between now and three weeks into next century. I told her that Ava and Alfred were coming so that should step up her act a bit. I wanted her to come home with me but you know what she’s like.”
Anais realised that he had been out to America to see his cousin. She’d been so preoccupied in missing Aethelu and everything else that she’d not even noticed his absence. He must have left not long after his and Alex’s argument in the library. She felt ashamed that she’d been so wrapped up in her own problems that she’d not noticed anybody else. She made a mental note to try to get to know Rafe better. She thought back to the last time she’d spoken to him. It had been Christmas day. He’d not been happy with her then although she’d not taken the time to find out why.
He seemed in good spirits now though along with everyone else. They all raised their glasses and made a toast to family. Orange juice for Anais, Champagne for everyone else.
A party atmosphere filled the room and Anais finally felt hopeful about the future. She caught Andrews’s eye. He was holding hands with a beaming Judith. She winked and he grinned and winked back.
Everything was going to be just fine.
CHAPTER TWENTY
The meal went on for hours. Many toasts were given and a lot of cake eaten. There was much to be thankful for and the mood around the table reflected that. Anais was pregnant with children whose blood would hopefully save the world, the family was back together and the snow had finally cleared completely largely due to the rain that was now taking its place. It seemed as though the misery of the last few weeks had finally passed and it was a happy group who ate that night.
After dessert Anais looked over and noticed Aethelu’s eyes were drooping. It seemed like a good enough excuse to leave. She bade farewell to the rest of the family and took Aethelu out to the studio. It made a change walking across the yard without trudging through a foot of snow. It was now just damp with rain and dotted with puddles which Anais steered a very sleepy Aethelu around. She still had the key to the studio which she used now, opening the door to a very lovely scene.
Alex had obviously found a heater as the studio was cosy and warm. The bed was now in the centre of the studio floor. Someone had sprinkled rose petals all over the top and over the surrounding floor. A basket of muffins lay at the side and candle light danced on the studio walls, created by hundreds of tiny white tea lights.
Aethelu was so exhausted she barely noticed the petals as she fell into bed fully clothed.
“I missed you so much. I thought about you very day, every minute of every day.” Aethelu held up her hand to stroke Anais cheek. Anais, who had followed her on to the bed, slowly stopped her by lightly touching her arm over her sleeve. She ached to feel the touch of Aethelu one more time but this was not it. The Light would still be intense and Anais was not ready for it. She held lightly onto Aethelu’s arm and looked into her inky liquid eyes, shining with the light from the candles. The desire to kiss her beautiful lips, to touch the perfect skin of her face was intense but she fought her impulse. Instead she drew her finger slowly up Aethelu’s arm, only slightly disturbing the light cotton material of the red shirt Aethelu was wearing. Aethelu shuddered slightly as Anais finger passed over the crook of her arm and continued its journey upwards. The light, almost translucent shirt allowed plenty of sensation to pass through its sheer material, the only barrier preventing The Light reacting between Anais and Aethelu’s skin. Anais finger continued up grazing the collarbone to caress Aethelu’s neck. Finally Aethelu broke eye contact. She closed her eyes and let a soft “mmm” escape her lips.
Anais lingered there awhile before slowly letting her finger travel down. It traced a trail unhurriedly over the swell of Aethelu’s breast, making Aethelu squirm ever so slightly. The rest of her fingers now joined the first as she felt her way down the curve of Aethelu’s side and then up to her flat stomach. Aethelu’s eyes were still closed and her lips were slightly upturned. Anais hesitated a moment before bringing her whole hand lower until it hit the denim waistband of Aethelu’s jeans. She traced the line of jeans over Aethelu’s waist until she got to the button. Ever so slowly she popped the top button…
