by Alexie Aaron
“Me.”
“Yes, you and Ted,” Mia’s voice dropped off and she looked down.
Murphy got out of his chair, walked over and lifted her chin. He saw tears falling from her eyes. “Why?”
“How can I marry Ted? How can I ask him to marry me when I may turn into a god-knows-what at any time?”
“Ted loves you. It matters not,” Murphy insisted.
“Did I hear my name? It better not be used in vain,” Ted’s voice echoed through the converted barn space. He walked over and handed Mia a bowl of popcorn after insisting she get off her ass. He then sat down, pulling her into his lap. “What are we going to watch tonight? The Birdman of Alcatraz? No, let’s watch old Alfred’s The Birds.”
“Not one for subtleties, are you?” Mia said wryly.
“I hate subtleties. I don’t like to read my movies,” Ted claimed, raising an eyebrow.
“That’s subtitles, Teddy Bear,” Mia said, leaning back against him.
“Mia, what Murphy is trying to tell you is that I love you. I don’t care if you turn into a hairy wolf-woman. I’ll just invest in hair remover. Each one of us changes. When I was a kid, I was overjoyed that I’d been born devoid of my father’s big nose. I wasn’t; it was only hiding until I turned thirteen when it grew along with this delightfully knobby Adam’s apple, which earned me the Ichabod Crane nickname. But you love me, don’t you?”
“Yes, I love you and your knobby Adam’s apple,” Mia said and laughed as Murphy examined his own neck and sigh in relief that he didn’t have one.
“When we met, you were just starting to realize who you were. I was just a sidekick, a secondary character. But look now, you’re a confident sensitive, and I am the leading man in your story. What I’m trying to say is that no matter what happens, we will go through this together.”
Murphy scratched his axe on the cement floor.
“What Murphy and I are saying,” Ted corrected, “is that the three of us have a journey to take. But we’ll take it together.”
Mia looked over at Murphy and then up at Ted. “I’m the most fortunate woman in the world.”
“We know. Now shut up, the movie’s starting,” Ted said and kissed the top of her head.
Murphy clicked on the set and sat back as the opening credits ran.
***
Alexie Aaron
After traveling the world, Alexie Aaron, a Midwestern native, returned to her roots where she’s been haunting for years. She now lives in a village outside of Chicago with her husband and family.
Her popular Haunted Series was born from her memories of fleeting shapes rushing around doorways, an heirloom chair that rocked itself, cold feelings of mysterious dread, and warm feelings from the traces of loved ones long gone.
Alexie also writes the Cin Fin-Lathen Mysteries. These cozies set in England and south Florida combine action and intrigue with a liberal dose of humor.
