“I hope I’m not intruding.”
“Not at all,” Penelope answered quickly. “Josie actually had to step away for a few minutes and I was hoping to grab a shower. Would you mind watching Ari’el for a few minutes?”
“Mind?” Acadia chuckled. “It would be an honor.”
“Oh, you’re a lifesaver.” Penelope tugged the baby’s little pants into place over her diaper. “She’s dry and fed, so you’ll get some playtime.”
Playtime with a seven-week-old was exactly what Acadia looked forward to. These days, Ari’el was staying awake a bit longer, her eyes wide as she took in her surroundings, every now and then a smile forming.
“Go,” Acadia urged. “And take your time. We’ll be fine until you’re finished.”
“Thank you so much.”
No thanks were needed, but Acadia figured Penelope knew that. As it was, Acadia longed for any minute she could spend with Ari’el. It was the closest she would ever get to having one of her own, and she was hopeful all the angels in the mansion would produce offspring, simply so she could get these rare moments to spend with them.
“Don’t you look pretty,” Acadia cooed as she carefully lifted Ari’el from her crib. “Mommy dresses you so sweetly. It’s probably a good thing Daddy doesn’t pick out your clothes, huh? He tends to favor dark colors for his wardrobe. Not that you’d look bad in them, but you definitely look like an angel in pink.”
Ari’el’s eyes remained on her face as she spoke. Acadia made sure to smile. Not that Ari’el necessarily knew the difference between a smile and a frown, but Acadia wanted only to bring joy to the infant.
After settling into the white rocking chair in the corner, she got the baby situated in her arms so she could continue to talk to her.
“So where did we leave off, hmm? We were talking about Asmia the last time we were together, weren’t we?”
Acadia set the chair in motion, just a gentle forward-and-back movement.
“Well, I still remember the day she came to the mansion. She’s the youngest of us, you know. So young. Which probably begs the question, how did she come about? To be honest, I have no idea. She doesn’t know, either, which is the most bewildering part, I think. But there she was, on our doorstep, eager and willing to be part of our world. I learned later that Michael sent her to us, but where he found her is anyone’s guess. You’ll learn that about him. He doesn’t share secrets often.”
Acadia continued to rock.
“Regardless of where she came from or how she got here, Asmia provided a radiant light that we all were drawn to. A sweet female with an enormous heart. And Taayin took to her right away.” She smiled at the memory. “He never truly believed she was hisamsouelot, but that was because Fae do not have a predestined mate. Not anymore. We belong solely to thefiestreighat this point. But that doesn’t mean we can’t find love. I happen to know this firsthand.”
Her thoughts drifted to Kaj, to their recent encounters. Though they were still on rocky ground, she couldn’t help but think their path had shifted directions once again.
“But that’s been rectified. Your daddy made sure to take care of Asmia, protecting her. We haven’t found her yet, but I have to believe she’s still out there and we will find her. We will bring her back. As for Taayin, I can’t wait for the day he gets to see her again, when his heart is no longer broken. I wish I could foretell the future, but it’s not for me to do.” Acadia brushed her finger over Ari’el’s downy-soft hair. “They will both love you.”
She had to wonder if perhaps they should allow Taayin in to see the baby. Perhaps Ari’el could renew his faith, bring him a bit of hope in what had become such a dark and dreary world for him.
“I’m going to visit him after this,” she admitted to the baby. “I go down every day, sit with him. It’s the least I can do. If I could bring her back myself, I would. Unfortunately, it’s out of my hands.”
As Ari’el’s eyes began to droop, Acadia began to hum softly, urging the sweet child to rest. And while she did, Acadia gave herself a moment to pretend she would one day become a mother, one day have her own babe to hold in her arms like this. It was all she could do not to give in to the pain of reality. As much as she wanted to believe they’d paid their dues, atoned for the sins of their ancestors, that God was forgiving, she knew better than to hold her breath.
In the same regard, she had never thought she would truly know love. And while she was hesitant to believe there might be a future with Kaj, Acadia couldn’t deny that she loved him, and she believed he felt the same for her. Considering she’d never thought a male would love her, it was more than she’d had before.
And yes, miracles did happen. She had to believe that Asmia was one of them. Otherwise, how would the female exist? The Fae had been infertile for centuries, which would make her conception impossible. Yet she was Fae, because Acadia sensed it from the moment she came to the mansion. Plus Asmia had provided life to the angels over the decades. Had she been something else, it wouldn’t have been possible.
Acadia had never thought to question any of it aloud, never mentioned it to Obsidian. She wasn’t even sure the male was aware of the history of her species, of how they’d met their demise. If he was, he hadn’t learned it from her. She’d told no one other than Kaj about what she knew.
Truly, she’d never trusted anyone fully.
Not before Kaj.
“Times are changing,” she whispered to the sweet child. “Let’s just hope it’s for the better.”
Chapter Seven
Friday, January 12, 2018
“I’ve been here for how many weeksnow?”
