Page 31 of Having the Time of My Midlife

Looking down at my palm, I noticed the wound had started to close. There was no way in hell I wanted to go through the first half of what I’d just been through again.

I could do this. I had to. “Round two,” I muttered, putting my open palm near my baby’s mouth. I glanced up at Gideon who was paler than I’d ever seen him. “Will it break the spell if you help me with the next part?”

He shook his head, reached over and cupped his hand around mine. Gently, he squeezed my palm, and a single drop of our mingled blood landed in Alana Catherine’s open mouth. We exchanged a shocked glance. Did she understand her part in this magic? It appeared that she did.

“Bababababababababaaaaaa,” she squealed with a giggle.

“Hold her,” Gideon insisted. “I’ll be here to brace you if it gets to be too much.

My nod was robotic, and I held Alana Catherine close. At her first whimper, I held her tighter.

“Mama’s got you,” I whispered against the top of her head. “I won’t let go. I promise.”

The sensations were no less painful than the blood exchange with Gideon, but they were entirely different. Where I’d felt like I was melting from the inside out when Gideon and I had clasped hands, this time I felt as if the literal weight of the world was crushing my lungs and every part of my body. Speaking was impossible… no matter how much I believed. Trying to breathe through it was not happening either. If it went on much longer, I’d pass out.

Only a fool makes light of agony. Novels glorify it. Movies are made about it. It’s not romantic or even noble. It’s brutal and cruel. But in this case, it was worth it. Did I want to repeat it? No. Would I do it a million times for my child? Yes.

In the distance, I heard my little girl’s happy babbling. It gave me the strength to hold on. She was feeling no pain. That was my reward.

As the pressure began to subside, I was able to take short, shallow gulps of air. Oxygen was glorious. Gideon held both of us as tears streamed down his cheeks. That had to have been horrible to watch. It sucked all kinds of ass to live it.

Again, I hoped this was the one and only time I’d have to do this.

“Are we bound?” I whispered brokenly, looking down at Alana Catherine. She smiled up at me and pointed at my mouth.

“Mamamamamama,” she said, touching my chin. “Mamamamamamama!”

I laughed. She was too young to be speaking. It had to be a mistake, but I was going to pretend that her second word was mama. I needed a win right now.

“You’re bonded,” Gideon said. His voice was rough, and his eyes were sparking. “I don’t ever want to witness that again.”

“Trust me,” I said with a pained laugh. “I’m with you on that.”

“Hate to be a ballbuster,” Candy Vargo said, walking over and examining both me and Alana Catherine. “But you got one more fuckin’ bout of hell to suffer.”

“Fufufufufufufufufu,” Alana Catherine babbled, waving at a horrified Candy.

“Oh shit,” she choked out, glancing around wildly for Gram. “Is that my fault?”

I blew out a raspberry and tried not to laugh. “Yep, that’s your fault. You have to tone down the f-bombs or you’re going to spend the next year with Gram in the bathroom with a bar of soap in your potty mouth.”

Candy Vargo was mortified. I’d never seen that look on her yet. “Baby girl,” she cooed at Alana Catherine. “That word is a no-no! Don’t be sayin’ that crap.”

“Nonononononono!” she answered to Candy’s relief.

However, when she yelled ‘crap’ as clear as day, Candy Vargo excused herself from the room and went to get Gram. She was going to be in deep doodoodoodoodoo. However, she was correct. I had one more painful episode to endure before entering the dream state. I had to let Gram into my body. I just hoped I would be able to get her out. Right now, it didn’t matter. It was the only way to get the past, present and future to the Higher Power’s plane. Even if Gideon could bind me to Gram, I would have declined and let her hop a ride inside me. Once was enough with the binding spell.

“Daisy girl,” Gram called out as she zipped down the stairs. “You ain’t never gonna believe it!”

There wasn’t much I wouldn’t believe at this point. “Tell me.”

“Daisy!” Jennifer yelled as she ran down the stairs like there was a fire. My dogs, Donna and Karen were on her heels wagging their tails so hard it created a breeze. “Did Gram tell you yet?”

I was confused. We all were. Jennifer couldn’t see or hear the dead. She was human. How in the heck did she know Gram wanted to tell me something?

“Umm…” I didn’t know what to say.

“It’s nuts!” Jennifer shouted, going right for the wine and drinking it straight from the bottle.

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