“Are you sure?” I knew my voice didn’t just sound unsure but small, but there was nothing I could do about it. My past with my own parents—and Ego’s—had taught me that there was no room for error or growth. If we didn’t do things right the first time, or excel or weren’t top of the class, and the list went on and on, it meant that we were failures.
He pulled back and smiled softly down at me. “I’m positive.” Repositioning both of us to sit up, leaning against the headboard, he held my hand in his, playing with my fingers. “And what happened tonight. That’s on both of us. I’ve known there had to be more to this whole thing. But I didn’t push Gran too hard for information, either.”
“She’s your grandmother. You were still recovering from being left out of the loop for so long.”
He huffed. “That’s true. And she said there were some things we had to see for ourselves before we’d understand, and after tonight, I get it. But now we’ve seen. Or rather, we didn’t see, that there are other things in the Dream-veil than spooky ghosts to take care of. Tomorrow, we’ll go to her and demand more answers.”
My mind went back to the huddled figure in the abandoned sewage drain, and a shiver ran down my spine. “I’ve never heard anyone say such cruel things, and I grew up with my dad and uncle around.”
King cleared his throat and glanced at me. “Can you…tell me about that? You haven’t spoken a lot about?—”
I shook my head. “Not tonight. I’m already feeling too raw to open up those wounds.”
He leaned in, kissed my forehead and then laid his head against the top of mine. “Okay. Fair enough, but when you’re ready to talk, I’m here to listen. I want to know everything about you, sweetheart.”
Trying to change the tone of our conversation, I teased through my sniffles, “The good, the bad, and the ugly?”
“Yes.” He gripped my hand tighter. “Especially the ugly.”
He sounded so solemn, so sincere, and my already runaway feelings for this man sped toward something more, something sweeter, something more real, and it gave me hope. Hope that we’d figure this all out—together.
We arrivedat Willowhope Manor before the sun announced its presence for the day. I wanted to beat Elyse here this morning. I wanted her to know how serious I was about what she’d never gotten the chance to say yesterday.
Chance and Jetty were both early risers, so unless they’d lingered in bed this morning, there was a chance they’d already be up, and there was a definite possibility that the ghosts were already up doing their thing, but I let King go in through the front door while I walked around the side of the manor with my yoga bag in one hand and a bottle of water in the other. We’dfailed that man last night, and I’d do everything in my power to be ready the next time we faced something like that again.
Leaving my mat in the bag, I stretched out on the grass by a garden bed of lavender. I took deep breaths, relaxing my body while visualizing melting into the ground below me, boneless and open to receive whatever my mentor had for me. I let Mother Earth cradle me in the safety of her bosom and let go.
I let go of my disappointment in myself.
Of my fear that I’d upset Elyse forever.
Of abandoning the man last night.
Of letting Ego down.
All of it.
I let it seep out of me into the ground beneath, releasing the toxicity and absorbing the comfort rising up from the earth and into me, into my soul. Slowly, all my whirling thoughts settled, and I smelled the freshness of the dewy blades of grass beneath me, the sweet, earthy fragrance of the flowers beside me, and the gentle caress of the sun as it bade me good morning. Anchoring me to the here and now.
The sounds of quiet movement around me roused me slowly from the peaceful place I’d found. Starting with my feet, I wiggled my toes, then rolled my ankles. Coming up, I wiggled my fingers, then turned my wrists this way and that, allowing my body to waken slowly. Turning my head from side to side, I finally fluttered my eyelashes open and found Gran and Elyse sitting to either side of me.
“Hello, sweetheart,” Elyse said gently. “Sorry to intrude.”
“I was waiting for you.” Using my core, I sat up and scooted back to sit cross-legged between my favorite two women in the world and reached out and clasped each one by the hand. “I wanted to?—”
“No, no, dear,” Gran said softly but sternly. “You don’t owe us any apologies. You’re learning.”
It was sweet of her to say, but she’d been less than forthcoming herself, so I was more concerned with Elyse’s opinion of my latest behavior. She’d taken time out of her day for months to guide me and teach me. I felt like I’d let her down as much as myself.
Turning my head toward her, I was met with the warm, loving smile I’d always associated with her. The one that I’d cherished every time she’d come to visit her son once we’d become best friends. “No apologies,” she agreed. “I’m sorry I let my frustrations get away with me. I wasn’t annoyed at you, but for you. You have such a bright future before you, Sky. So much to offer this world.”
Humbled by her words, I rested my head on her shoulder for a moment. “Thank you.”
We had a peaceful moment of silence, basking in this new day, when it hit me that Gran was here with us this morning. And so early, too. “Gran, how are you here?”
Elyse’s laugh—full of tinkling bells and sparkles—rang out. “I woke up this morning with a knowing.”
“Knowing what?”
