Page 86 of The Spy Ring

“What do you have there?” I asked and fought the urge to run my fingers through his hair to get it under control.

He was nervous about today. David wanted to make Henrik proud and not have to sit during the ceremony. I told him Henrik would be proud of him no matter what, but David insisted he do this. He also insisted on shaving despite not having a bit of scruff on his chin.

“Just something I found at home a few weeks ago. It must have fallen off that old blender you threw away. I’ve been keeping it in my pocket as something to fidget with. And it has a sleek design. I might draw it.”

David sighed examining the small object. “I figured I’d need as much help today as possible. It’s sort of soothing, at least for me, to play with it.”

I still couldn’t help but be impressed with how far he’s come with communication. What he just said to me came out clear as day and without any delay. My mind wondered how he would be this time next year. Would he even need his therapists anymore?

“That would be cool. Maybe you could add it to your comic. Some special device the hero has to use to catch the bad guys.”

David groaned, “Bad guys? Come on, Mom. I write about cyber mutated creatures that are both good and bad. It’s the twenty-first century. Nothing is black and white anymore.”

“Sorry. I was just trying to help. Oh wait . . .” I looked around as I heard the music begin. “I think the wedding’s about to start. You better get up there.”

I offered a hand to David, but he waved it away, determined to do everything by himself. Once he stood, he took his phone out of his pocket and my eyes widened.

“Shut that thing off. Here, give it to me.” I tried to reach for it but he held it away.

“No. I’ll shut it off, but I want to get pics after the ceremony.”

“Fine. But put it away.”

He shoved everything in his suit pockets. I was thankful for once that my boy was as skinny as a bean pole and his tuxedo trousers hung off him. At least all the stuff in his pockets wouldn’t be obvious.

David got into place and I snuck out my phone from my clutch and snapped a few pictures of him standing proud next to Edgar and Henrik.

I turned in my seat and watched Aria and Evaleen in a tentative stride walk down the middle of the aisle of chairs. They looked beautiful in matching long, pale pink dresses.

But when Morgana entered, everyone went quiet. As she began to move with her arm intertwined with her father’s, we all stood. Morgana looked radiant, and I placed my hand over my heart as I watched the smile on her face.

She glowed in that dress with its plunging V-neck and white lace ball gown. It seemed to be made for her and accentuated her beauty. She didn’t wear a veil and I didn’t blame her. It would have covered the pretty flowers in her striking red hair.

When I glanced up at Henrik, I had to hold back a giggle. He looked to be in some sort of trance as he watched her. They really were perfect for each other.

Once we sat, after Morgana kissed her father’s cheek and took Henrik’s arm, I watched as Morgana’s big, burly dad wiped a tear from his eye.

The ceremony flew by and before I realized it, the minister was asking the crowd if anyone would object to Morgana and Henrik marrying.

“I do.” A woman’s deep voice rose from the crowd.

There were gasps and my eyes flew to Morgana’s grandmother. In fact, everyone was looking at her.

“I swear I didn’t say a word.” Her grandmother held up her hands.

“It was me.” I turned completely around, and toward the back row stood a woman with a wide light green hat with flowers flowing off the side. She seemed familiar and then I realized, too late, who she was.

She walked toward the front, but as the men stood to block her path down the center aisle, she turned and came up the side until she was standing next to my son.

“It’s time for my son to finally get married to the right woman,” Emma Hawthorne said.

I stood and tried to move toward David, but Emma Hawthorne had other plans. She took a gun from her purse and as she wrapped her arm around David, she pointed it to his head.

“No! No, please. Don’t,” I screamed and held out my hands.

“Stop this, Mother. If you want me to go with you, then here I am. Let the boy go.” Alex’s voice came from behind me but I refused to turn my attention away from my son.

“Of course, you’ll come with me, Alex. But to make sure no one follows us, I’ll be taking this kid as protection.”

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