Hey all,
Hey everyone! We're here in Buenos Aires and so far I'm lovin' it. By the time you read this I'll have wandered all around the neighborhood where our apartment is and it's great. Small shops, pubs and restaurants, veggie and flower markets are everywhere. We'll have plenty of places to eat out if we want. And the people are friendly and helpful.
And I've also traveled a bit away from the apartment...to several parks and down to the main area of town. There is so much to see, I'd have to live here for years to get it all done. But you do what you can and then move on. A bit like Eran and Amaris. They have to finish talking to her parents before they can start her training. Shall we see what happens next? Enjoy!!!!
And I've also traveled a bit away from the apartment...to several parks and down to the main area of town. There is so much to see, I'd have to live here for years to get it all done. But you do what you can and then move on. A bit like Eran and Amaris. They have to finish talking to her parents before they can start her training. Shall we see what happens next? Enjoy!!!!
The Watcher's Guild: Sweet Nephilim
~~~~***~~~~
Eran
couldn’t help it. He chuckled. And chuckled again. Then, giving up, he laid his head on the back
of the chintz couch and just roared. Eran
hadn’t laughed like that in centuries. It
went on until his sides ached, and his eyes were wet with tears. After a long moment, Johnson snorted and then
he too gave in and laughed. Janice and Amaris
looked at each other, giggled and then all four of them were laughing like
loons.
“I’m
sorry,” Janice gasped as she wiped her eyes.
“I forget some aren’t as plain spoken as I am.”
“Plain
spoken?” Johnson snorted again. “Honey, you’d make Dear Abby blush.”
That sent
them all off again, and it set the tone for the remainder of the visit. Eran and Amaris fended off any potentially
embarrassing questions with humor, and her parents were glad to go along with
it. It was a pleasant time, with some of
the best gingerbread cookies he’d ever tasted, even with the truly horrible
coffee. If it had actually been a time
to meet potential in-laws, Eran would have said it went well. But he had to keep reminding himself that Amaris
wasn’t his wife-to-be, and even though he’d taken the step and made her his
lover, she was still first and foremost his student and assignment, which meant
they still had an important matter to discuss.
“Little angel,”
he spoke during a lull in conversation.
“Don’t you have something to tell your parents?”
“Oh—”
Janice clasped her hands together in delight, “—do we get to plan the wedding
now?”
Amaris’
face paled, and he saw the pain in her eyes.
She swallowed, hard, and he took her hand to give her strength.
“What is
it?” Johnson too had seen the darkness
in her countenance. “What’s wrong?”
“N-Nothing’s
really wrong,” she hedged, but Eran felt her tremble. “It’s…it’s just I have to go away for
awhile.”
Janice blinked. “Go away?
Go away? What do you mean?”
Her
daughter’s mouth opened and closed, and then Amaris looked beseechingly at
Eran. With a sigh, he stepped in, hoping
that the explanation would satisfy both her parents.
“She is
coming with me. I am going on an
assignment, and I don’t want to be without her.
Not anymore. But our destination is
a bit of a secret so she won’t be able to get in touch with anyone once we
leave.”
The older
folks were both quiet for a moment then Johnson tapped his pipe on an
ashtray. His steely eyes gazed at
Eran. “Is she going into danger?”
Amaris’
mother gasped, but Eran had to tell the truth.
“Perhaps. Where we are going can
at times be difficult, but I will protect her.
No harm will come to her. You
have my word.”
“You can’t
promise that,” Janice protested, wringing her hands again. “You aren’t omnipotent.”
Eran held back
a grin. “No ma’am. But the one I serve is…very careful with his
people, and from now on Amaris will also be under his protection. She will be safe.”
“You can’t
tell us where you’re going?”
Amaris
shook her head at her father as tears streamed down her cheeks. Eran pulled her into his arms, unable to
comfort her any other way.
“When will
you be back?” her mother asked. She too
was weeping.
“I…I don’t
know. It may be a long time.” She pulled away from Eran and knelt before
her mother. “That’s why we’re here
today. I couldn’t leave without saying
good-bye.”
The women
embraced, weeping copiously. Eran and
Johnson stared at each other, and the angel saw a tick appear in the older
man’s jaw. He couldn’t stay silent as he
sensed the man’s troubled emotions. “I
will take care of her. I promise.”
“You said
you were in security?”
Eran
nodded.
“You have a
military look about you. Were you in the
service?”
Thinking of
all the battles he’d fought over the millennia, Eran smiled. “Yes, sir.
It was my career for a very long time.
You could say I’m in the reserves now.”
Johnson
seemed to relax a little. “Then you do know how to take care of yourself. You’re not some night-school paper graduate
in security. That makes a difference.”
“Yes, it
does.”
“But why do
you have to leave now?” Janice broke in with a wail. “What about the wedding? How can you go away together if you aren’t
married yet?”
Amaris
rolled her eyes again. “Mother. For someone who’d make Dear Abby blush, you are missing the obvious. We don’t need to be married to be
together. That will come in time.”
Janice’s
lips firmed. “So you’re going to try it
out first? You know that doesn’t work. Remember, a man won’t buy a cow if he already
gets milk for free.”
Eran wanted
to laugh again at the incredulous look on Amaris’ face. She couldn’t be more embarrassed if she
tried, but she tried again to explain.
“We don’t
have a choice, Mom. We…leave
tomorrow. No time for a wedding even if
we wanted one so soon.”
“Well, I
don’t like this.” Janice glared at her
daughter then her dark green eyes pinned Eran to his seat. “But it looks like I don’t have a choice.”
“No,
ma’am,” he answered gently. “It is as it
has to be.”
“Then
answer me one question before you go.”
“Anything.” Other than spilling Jehovah’s secret’s, Eran
would share whatever it took to make Amaris’ mother feel better. “Ask away.”
“Do you
love each other?”
~~~~***~~~~
Ooops. There's a question that will make everyone blink. Not something they were expecting, I'll bet. But check back next Sunday and see how Amaris and Erin answer such a loaded question!
Have a great week!
Hugs,
CJ England
Follow Your Dreams
http://cjengland.com/luckbealady/luckbealady.htm
1 comment:
Good one Mom! lol Thanks CJ!
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