It’s not that our parents did not love us, but angels operate differently. Our mission is our life, and most angels don’t have children. My sister and I shared a special bond as one of the few sets of siblings to exist. We worked incredibly well together as warriors.
“Miss Tabby might have something to say about that. Hi, Tabitha,” Ava coos at the cat and holds her like a baby after hugging her dad.
The cat meows and nuzzles Ava. I see the many years the cat has experienced. While still intelligent, there’s an obvious difference in her behavior to Midnight and Pom Pom as familiars. She doesn’t have that look in her eyes—the one of knowing and understanding too much.
“Hi, Valen. I’m Larry. Nice to meet ya.” He gives me a strong handshake, and I return it in kind.
“Thank you for having me.”
“So, Valen, what is it that you do? How did you meet our daughter?” Linda scuttles around the kitchen, preparing snacks and pulling out tools I’ve never seen before. She ushers us to the living room to get comfortable while she finishes up.
“Celine introduced us,” Ava replies quickly before I can.
Notuntrue.
“That she did. As for work, I’m between jobs.” I go with the safest answer and see Ava nod in approval.
“Perfectly okay.” Larry waves a dismissive hand through the air. “I went through the same thing a time or two. Sometimes you have to find yourself and figure out where you want to go next before you can dive into another job.”
“How’s your hip, Mom?” Ava cuddles with the cat while Linda brings the assorted snacks to where we’re all seated.
“Oh, it’s all right.” As if summoning the pain, she rubs her hip with a wince. “I’m trying to hold off on a replacement for as long as possible, but your dad said I should get it done and over with. It’ll bring a lot of relief once it’s all healed up.” She sits next to Larry, who wraps an arm around her shoulder and kisses her on the temple. “But I watched a video on how they perform the surgery, and it’s got me shaken up.”
Ava groans, but the sound is tinged with laughter. “Mom, why would you do that?”
“I don’t know.” The older woman sighs, shoulders deflating. “I was a little too curious, I guess.”
Ava shakes her head, her lips curled in adorable amusement.
Glancing between Ava and her parents, I continue to be amazed by the comfort and love that radiates between them. Their auras mingle with a happy shimmer, all three practically merging into one giant aura.
“How’s work for you? I know it’s been different without Celine there,” Larry asks while indulging in some of the food. I politely reach for some of the strange cubed cheese and pieces of bread to be kind.
“Good,” Ava replies, toying with the ends of her hair. “I stay busy, especially with some gnarly cases popping up recently.”
“Where are my manners?” Linda suddenly stands up and grabs Ava’s arm. The cat she holds yowls and runs off. “Comewith me to pour drinks. Is lemonade okay for everyone?” She drags Ava away before we can respond. Ava sends a sheepish look my way before she’s gone from my sight.
Larry shrugs his shoulders at me and makes small talk. I converse with him but can’t help but listen in on the ladies.
I struggle to hold in a chuckle when Linda exclaims how attractive I am.
“Where did you find him? Is he your boyfriend?” Linda prods, and I feel Ava’s frustration mounting.
“He’s very attractive”—I puff up at that comment—“but no, Mom. We’re just friends.” I instantly deflate.
“He’s up for grabs, then?” A light smacking sound follows, and I smile to myself.
I tune out the rest, opting to give Ava some well-deserved privacy with her mom.
Larry and I continue to chat, and I pretend like I know what football is. He’s very passionate about the sport, it seems, but none of the terms make any sense to me. When I ask him if a quarterback is another name for the coin, he gives me a funny look and quiets, focusing on the TV.
“Drinks!” Linda bounces back to the living room and divvies up a yellow liquid I’ve never seen before. Sniffing it, I nearly recoil at the sour smell. Ava catches my eye and shakes her head.
“Ava?” her mom says, getting her attention. “You were asking about your birth parents, so I decided to dig through our paperwork from your adoption, and I came across the name of the adoption agency.”
Ava sits up straighter at the unexpected change of topic.
Her mom pulls a piece of paper from her pocket and hands it to her. “I know it’s not much, but I thought if you reached out, they might be able to tell you more than I can. I don’t know the policies, and they try to keep things hush-hush, butmaybe since you’re the adoptee and older now, they can give you something.”
