Chapter 5 #2
“It’s dark outside, Angelle!” Daniel said, pointing toward the window.
“Yes, it is,” Angelle said.
“Oh, you’re home!” Avaleigh said, walking into the living room with her hair wrapped in a towel, and wearing her bathrobe.
“Just got here,” Angelle said.
“Did you have a nice time?” Avaleigh asked.
“I did. Yes,” Angelle answered, smiling dreamily.
“Aren’t you going to say something about how long she’s been gone?” Daniel asked.
Avaleigh looked over at Daniel, then at Angelle, then back at Daniel. “No. Am I supposed to?”
“She’s been gone all day long!” Daniel said.
“Yes. She has. To the creek on our property. Where she goes often — all day long. Sometimes overnight. Why is today any different?”
“Because she wasn’t alone,” Daniel said, keeping his tone measured and calm.
“All that means is that she was even safer than she usually is,” Avaleigh said.
Daniel shook his head as he watched Avaleigh dare him to take it too far, then he simply flopped into his recliner.
“So, what did you two do all day?” Avaleigh asked.
“We fished. I won, I caught more,” Angelle said, laughing.
“Didn’t tell him about the bologna?” Avaleigh asked laughingly.
“Not until later. And we talked, and talked, and talked.”
“I remember when your father and I were first together, we couldn’t manage to talk fast enough. It’s an amazing thing to find someone who’s interested in every little thing about you, and every little thought you have.”
“That’s true,” Angelle said. “I kept thinking that he’d get bored and ready to come back, but every time I gave him the opportunity, a different subject came up.”
“I’m happy for you, baby. I know you’ve wondered for a long time if you would find someone or not.
And now to find someone that not only shares a lot of the same interests and outlooks on life, but to find out that he’s actually your mate…
I can’t wait to watch you get to experience that bond,” Avaleigh said.
“Thank you, Mom. It’s a little overwhelming, but it’s also a good thing, you know?”
“Oh, yeah. I know.”
“You don’t have to rush into anything,” Daniel said.
“Will you even be happy for me?” Angelle asked quietly, looking Daniel right in the eyes.
“How could you think I wouldn’t?” Daniel asked.
“Because all you’ve done is make negative comments and make it seem like I’m not smart enough to make a correct decision on what’s best for me.”
Daniel stood up quickly. “That is not at all what I’ve done.”
“Sure seems like it,” Angelle said.
Daniel sighed and scrubbed his hands down his face before he focused on Angelle again.
“Over here,” he said, extending his right hand, “is the shy, quiet, afraid little angel that I protected and sheltered since the day she walked into our lives. Over here,” he said, holding out his left hand, “is the beautiful, intelligent, capable, still a little afraid, young woman I still feel the instinct to protect and shelter. All of your life I’ve known you were stronger than you ever knew you were, but all of your life it’s been my responsibility, my honor to watch over you.
To give you a safe world to explore at your leisure, when the timing was right for you.
I always hoped that you’d fall in love. And I even prayed for you to have a mate because then he’d love you and feel the same protective instincts that I do.
And it appears that you have that, but he can’t possibly build a life here.
So, I know what that means. And it happened so fast. Just yesterday you were curled up on the sofa with a book, while you watched Gargoyles cartoons. Now you’re considering mating one.”
“He’s a good male,” Angelle said.
Daniel nodded reluctantly. “I know that. I do.”
“I want to go to meet his people. I want to see how they live. See what it would be like to live there.”
“It’s not like it’s right across the street,” Daniel said.
“You didn’t even like having to go to school. You said it was too far,” Avaleigh reminded her.
“I know. But I didn’t have Boon at my side,” Angelle said.
“What happens if you get there and you want to come home?” Avaleigh asked.
“Then I come home.”
“What if you want to stay there?” Daniel asked.
“Then I’ll be happy, and you’ll be happy for me,” Angelle said, looking at both of them.
“I’m guessing you talked about this today,” Avaleigh said.
Angelle smiled, her happiness almost contagious. “We talked about everything. Everything!” she exclaimed. “I don’t know if I’ve ever talked so much in my life.”
Avaleigh walked over to her and hugged her. “Then I’m happy for you. So very happy, my girl.”
Angelle hugged her back, then looked at Daniel when Avaleigh let her go. “Daddy?”
“I’m happy for you, too,” Daniel said. “I just want to be able to see where you’re going be living, meet the people, see what your life is going to be like before you move in there forever.”
“Daddy, I’m not moving yet. I’m just going to see. I may like it, I may not. But I know I like him.”
Daniel walked over to Angelle and swept her up into a hug, actually lifting her feet off the ground as she laughed like she always used to when she was little and he’d do the same thing.
“So, it’s okay if I go for a visit?” she asked, still grinning when Daniel put her down.
“Of course, it is. You don’t have to ask permission,” Daniel said. “But I appreciate that you did.”
“When are you going?” Avaleigh asked.
“I don’t know. I mean, tomorrow, the next day. With Tempest, or Mrs. Lily taking us there, it’s only a matter of seconds — I think. That’s how it works, isn’t it?” Angelle asked.
“It is some strong magic either way,” Avaleigh said with a sage nod.
“I guess I’ll talk to Boon tomorrow and figure out when he wants to leave. I’m so excited,” she said, doing a little shimmy as she looked back at them and grinned again as she left the room.
Daniel stood where he’d been standing when he’d hugged Angelle, and simply watched the place he’d last seen her as she headed toward her room.
“You alright?” Avaleigh asked.
He shook his head. “I was wrong,” he said.
“About what?” Avaleigh asked.
“About trying to keep her home to keep you from having to let her go. It was me I was trying to protect. My little girl is leaving. She doesn’t need me anymore,” he said, turning to look at Avaleigh.
Avaleigh hurried right to his side and wrapped her arms around him. “It’s going to be okay.”
“I know. I do know that. But damn I’m not ready for this.”
“She’s twenty, Daniel. How long did you think we could keep her here?”
“Forty at least,” he said, trying to sound lighthearted.
Avaleigh laughed. “Look at it this way… we raised two very capable, very opinionated adults, who are finding their way, striking out on their own to build their lives. It’s something to be proud of.”
“Do you think they’d let us move in, too?” Daniel asked.
Avaleigh hugged him again. “You and I both know we’re not going anywhere. A visit? A long term visit, even. Yes, of course, we’re going to do that. But I can’t imagine us actually leaving our home and our family.”
“Maybe she’ll hate it there,” Daniel said.
“She might. But do you really hope she hates it there?”
“No, I want her to be deliriously happy there. I want her to never question her life or her happiness and I want her surrounded by love and joy all the time. And if she could manage to make him want to live here, that’d be great, too.”
“That isn’t going to happen. He can’t blend in with humans, and you just as much said so. For his safety, and hers, and her kids if she ever has them, they need to live with his people.”
“Maybe we can get a vacation home there,” Daniel said.
“Now that is a good idea!” Avaleigh agreed.