Gabe chewed his lip. “Goddess, with all due respect, if Misty is helping thousands of parents to take care of their children, how will she take care of ours?”
Mother Nature folded her arms and looked annoyed. “Do you think I would saddle her with a job that would overwhelm her and make her just one more of the many parents she’s trying to help?”
Gabe shrugged.
Mother Nature heaved a sigh. “Look, it’s not very complicated. She’ll be trained by another muse before she’s expected to do anything. Here are some of the particulars that might help you understand. First, a muse is a minor goddess who can manipulate time a bit. Second, she can travel in the blink of an eye. She won’t miss a trick at home.”
“So, travel is involved?” Misty asked.
“Only if you wish to be close enough to intervene, although your involvement will be limited. You would have to stand outside the scene in a spot called the ether. It’s neither here nor there, just sort of a cool fog between physical and spiritual worlds. And you can take your baby with you, if necessary. Neither of you can be seen, because popping out of thin air in front of a human wouldn’t cause any suspicion at all.” Mother Nature rolled her eyes and snorted at her own sarcasm.
“Would it help if you tell her there are a couple of muses she knows already?” Gabe asked.
Gaia tilted her head. “Probably. Why don’t you tell her?”
Misty gazed at Gabe. He said, “Jayce’s wife, Kristine. And Ryan’s wife, Chloe. They’re both modern muses now. Kristine is the muse of wireless communication, like cell phones and walkie-talkies and stuff. And Chloe is the modern muse of fire safety.”
“She would take care of telling parents when their children are playing with matches. We try to avoid overlap,” Gaia added.
“Two of my sisters-in-law are muses? And you didn’t tell me, Gabe?”
“I didn’t know if I could. It’s drummed into our heads that humans can’t handle any knowledge of a paranormal world. We’re not supposed to tell anyone mortal about paranormal beings, powers, or any of it.”
Misty glanced at Mother Nature. “But it’s okay if he tells me everything now, isn’t it? I mean, you’re here offering to make me…a what? Minor goddess? Would I be paranormal?”
Gaia smirked. “Well, modern muses aren’t exactly normal, are they?”
Misty sighed. Then it suddenly occurred to her that as a paranormal being, she might have the enhanced health and recuperative powers she had heard about. She sat bolt upright. “If I become a modern muse, would I still have MS?”
Gaia looked at the sky and muttered, “At last, she gets it.”
Misty turned excitedly toward Gabe and grabbed his hands. “Do you know what this means? I can be healthy again. We don’t have to worry about how to take care of our baby and me too if you’re at work for a few nights.”
“I wouldn’t rush it, honey. In fact, Gaia already said you’re going to need to think about it.”
Misty practically bounced in her seat. “What’s to think about? I can be cured!”
Mother Nature rose. “Well, I have to turn my attention to an earthquake that just hit Asia, so I’d suggest you talk to your sisters-in-law and see what they think of my offer. I’ll drop by later.”
With that, the all-powerful goddess disappeared, and the noise and activity of the busy café resumed.
“Oh! She forgot her hat!”
“Keep it,” the goddess’s voice answered.
“Did you hear that?” Misty asked Gabe.
“Hear what?”
She sighed. That must have been a demonstration of the “inner voice” she was told about. If she accepted the job, she could be that voice for others. Misty plopped Mother Nature’s floppy hat onto her head. “That was…something.”
The waiter set the little bowls of gelato in front of them. “Enjoy.” His complete unawareness of everyone’s temporary inanimate state, including his own, blew Misty’s mind.
She picked up her spoon. She’d half expected her gelato to be melted by now, but apparently interrupting the law of physics extended to food too.
Gabe lifted her free hand and kissed her fingers. “So, what do you want to do?”
“Right now?” She shrugged. “I want to eat this gelato.” She dug into it with her spoon and enjoyed the cold, chocolate taste as it melted on her tongue.
