“I’ve got to take this,” he told Jenna. Then he stood and walked to the window. “Hey, Grace. How are things back home?”
“Everything’s great. More than great actually. How are you?”
“Ugh, well, you know, it’s good to be home, but I’m now faced with enough homework to last a week. But I’m sure you know. You probably have a ton of homework too, huh?”
“Yeah, I’ve got quite a bit. I’ve been working on it all weekend. I just wanted to take a quick study break and call to say hi. After spending all day, every day, with you and everybody else, it seems strange to suddenly be so far apart, you know?”
“Yeah, I know.” He realized that as much as he had tried not to admit it, to himself, he missed her.
“Liliana invited all of us to come see her this summer. Do you think you might go?”
He wanted to see her; and yet, he also wanted to see Sarah. Okay, maybe I don’t know what I want, he told himself. Perhaps a few months would help to clear his head.
He didn’t want to get her hopes up, so he said, “Yeah, we’ll see. I don’t know for sure yet what I’ll have going on, but if nothing else comes up, I might be able to go.” It was a vague answer, but for now it was the best he could do. Grace was an incredibly beautiful, sweet, and caring girl, and the last thing he wanted to do was get her hopes up and then break her heart.
The disappointment in her voice was clear. “Okay, well, you know we would all love for you to come. It wouldn’t be the same without you, so at least promise you’ll think about it.”
“I will,” he said. Then he added, “You know you can call me any time.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that.”
He knew that Jenna undoubtedly had one ear focused on his conversation, so he said simply, “And please, call me if you ever hear from any of our friends from Mexico. I’m always here for you.”
“You’re a good friend, Eddie. The same goes with you. Call me any time, okay?”
“I will. I’ll talk to you soon. Bye, Grace.”
“Bye, Eddie.”
He looked out the window and sighed. He would like nothing better than to tell Grace that he liked her, but she was in high school. The last thing she needed was a long-distance relationship with a college student in another state. Time was what he needed, he told himself. Hopefully, in time, everything would figure itself out.
*****
“Hi, Tyler!” Liliana answered the phone on the first ring. “How are you? Did your dad finally find a school for you to attend?”
“Yep. It’s great. I can’t tell you how wonderful it feels to not be under the watchful eye of my foster family. The only thing that would make it better is if you were here, with me.”
“I wish we were closer. Where are you anyway?”
“Hey, before I forget,” Tyler interrupted, “there was a reason that I called.”
“You mean, other than the fact that we haven’t talked in three days? I was starting to worry about you.”
“I know. I’m sorry. With the move and transfer to new schools and everything, I was busy. Forgive me?”
“Of course. So, you were saying? There was a reason that you called?”
“Oh yeah, right. Do you remember that beach that you were telling me about? The one that you wanted to take me to?”
“Yeah. What about it?”
“Well, I was thinking, if you’re not busy today, maybe you could go there and I could chat with you in your mind like we used to. You could describe the beach and what you see, and it would be like I was there with you. I know it wouldn’t be the same, but it would be the next best thing. What do you think?”
Liliana smiled. “I’d like that. I can be there in an hour. I’ll contact you when I get there, okay?”
“Sounds good. I’ll be waiting.”
After she told her mother where she was headed, Liliana rode the bus the short distance to the beach. It was a cloudy, drizzly day, and the beach was nearly deserted. Except for an older white-haired couple walking hand in hand along the shore and two other people farther down the sand, she was alone.
I’m here, she thought to Tyler.
I wish we were walking hand in hand right now, like that older couple you just passed, he thought. Can you describe what you see so I feel like I’m there with you?
She continued to walk toward the water’s edge, and once she reached it, she began to slowly walk the shoreline. It’s a cold, drizzly day. The water is gray and the waves are rough. There are a couple of seagulls floating on the water, and I can hear a sea lion hollering somewhere nearby. She paused her thought and considered about what he had said. Something didn’t seem right.
Wait a minute! I never told you that there was an old couple walking hand in hand. How did you know that?
Are you sure? You must have thought it and weren’t aware of it.
Hmmm…I guess. She continued her walk. One day, I’d like to bring you here. If you were here right now, we could walk up to this little restaurant, go inside and warm up, and get something hot to drink.
That sounds nice. Tell me something else. If I were there with you, right now, would you kiss me?
Liliana smiled at the thought. Oh, you know I would.
Kiss me.
Excuse me?
Look up the beach. Tell me what you see.
She looked up then and saw a guy walking alone toward her. He was about thirty yards away and he looked like…It can’t be…It isn’t…Is that you?
You said that one day you wanted to bring me here. One day seemed too far away. I couldn’t wait that long.
“Tyler?” she called out. She started to walk faster and then broke into a run. He ran toward her, and the moment they met, she was spun off of her feet and greeted with a passionate kiss. By the time her feet rested on the sand, she felt dizzy with emotion.
“I can’t believe you’re really here!” she said breathlessly. “You are here, right? I’m not dreaming?”
“I’m here.”
“But…how?”
My new boarding school is in Portland. It’s just a few hours away. I can drive up here on weekends.
“You’re kidding! That’s wonderful! Why didn’t you tell me?”
“There was no guarantee that we’d get into the school. I didn’t want to disappoint you. And then I decided that I would wait to tell you, because I wanted to surprise you. Are you surprised?” He grinned and kissed her again.
“Yeah, I’m surprised. I’m…beyond words.”
“Good. That’s what I was going for.”
“You’re sure this isn’t a dream?”
“If it is, then I’m dreaming right along with you.”
“You know, this reminds me of a Chinese proverb that my grandma taught me. It goes, ‘If I am dreaming, let me never awake. If I am awake, let me never sleep.' It seems kind of fitting, don’t you think?
“Absolutely,” he said and kissed her again.
*****
Sarah gazed down at the newborn sleeping peacefully in her arms. She smiled and gently kissed the top of his full head of curly, red hair. He had communicated with her so much when she had been pregnant that she hadn’t known what to expect from him once he was born, but so far, he seemed like a typical newborn.
Ian had explained that her baby seemed normal because he was overwhelmed with the new sensations of life. Birth for any baby was traumatic. Within the womb, babies never feel cold, hungry, or tired. After they’re born, the world is an overwhelming place to be. He assured her that once the baby got used to things, she would begin to notice his uniqueness.
The door opened then and a nurse walked in. “Good morning. How are the two of you doing today? Were you able to get any sleep?”
“Not much,” Sarah admitted.
“Welcome to the world of motherhood. You’ll find you won’t get much sleep for the next year or so. Amazing what we sacrifice for our children, isn’t it? It’s all worth it though.”
“Yes, it is.�
�� Sarah looked down at him again. She was aware of the dangers that lurked outside of the hospital walls. Even though the compound in Mexico had been disbanded, she was fully aware that the agency still existed, and there were plenty of people who would do just about anything to find her child. And she knew that she would sacrifice her safety in a heartbeat in order to protect him.
In order to protect Trevor and the sanctuary of Roswell, she had returned to Granite Falls a week before her due date. She had been aware that waiting so long had been pushing her luck, and it had been a fine balance in the timing. Too long away from Roswell would put herself and the baby at risk, but it would have been a greater risk if he had been born in Roswell. The moment he was born, a paper trail would be created. The announcement of his birth would be public record, and he would need to be issued a social security card and birth certificate. Even though Roswell was a sanctuary, a paper trail would immediately draw the attention of the IIA So the plan had been formed to return to Granite Falls, only long enough for the birth of the baby and to recover. Then she would gather the remainder of her belongings and once again disappear.
Ian had insisted that he escort her back to Washington and remain by her side. Sarah had tried to refute his offer, but he had been stubborn and wouldn’t take no for an answer. “He’ll need my protection," he persisted. "If any trackers come for him, I’m the only one who will be able to sense their presence and get the two of you to safety.”
“But once you’re away from Roswell, they’ll sense your presence, too. You can’t risk being captured.”
“That’s a risk I’m prepared to take. Your baby will be helpless. His safety is more important than my own.”
Sarah couldn’t argue with that, so she had hesitantly agreed that he should join her.
Sympathetic to their cause, Patricia had hired two private security guards to stand outside of her hospital room around the clock.
There was another knock at the door and the nurse opened it. Sarah smiled and waved at the security guard hovering behind Ian and her aunt, in the hall. At her wave, the guard nodded and returned to his post.
“With that red hair of yours, I’m guessing that you must be the husband,” the nurse said to Ian when he and her aunt entered the room.
“Uh, no.” Ian looked embarrassed. “I’m a cousin.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“It’s all right,” Sarah said. “My husband is overseas in the military right now.”
“Oh, you poor dear. I’m so sorry. I hope you have some help at home.”
Sarah looked from Ian to her aunt and smiled. She had known that her arrival home, with a man other than her husband, would seem odd, so she had explained that Ian was her husband’s cousin. The red hair made the lie seem plausible. Aunt Mae had welcomed him into her home with open arms.
“Ian and I will help take care of them,” her aunt said. She walked to the side of the hospital bed to admire the baby. “He’s beautiful, Sarah.”
“Thank you.” Sarah kissed the top of his head again, and he opened his eyes.
“What’s his name?” the nurse asked.
“Tristan,” Sarah replied. “Tristan Daniel. Daniel is my husband’s first name.”
Aunt Mae smiled. “It’s a good name. I’m sure his daddy is very proud. Have you talked to him?”
“Yeah I was able to get ahold of him last night. He is very happy. He’s excited to come home.”
“When does he get to come home?” the nurse asked.
“If all goes as planned, it should be in two months. Ian has offered Daniel a job with his business once he gets out of the military, so we plan to move with him."
She looked into Tristan’s eyes and he looked into hers. He was only a day old, and he already looked wise.
Daddy won’t be home in two months. The voice in her head was unexpected, and she wondered for a moment if she had heard correctly. She looked up and met Ian’s gaze. Her voice faltered when she asked, “Did you hear that?”
His silent nod was answer enough. Tristan had communicated with her. It had begun. Daddy won’t be home in two months, he had thought. She didn’t want to know what that meant.
###
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jacinda Buchmann lives in Arizona with her husband and three children. She graduated from Carroll College, in Helena, Montana, with a B.A. in elementary education and later received a Master’s degree from Northern Arizona University in school counseling. After spending several years as a teacher and later a school counselor, she now spends her time writing any free chance she can get, that is, when she’s not spending time with her family or creating a new concoction in the kitchen.
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Indigo Incite (The Indigo Trilogy) Page 28
