Chapter 9
As the mists cleared Boon watched Angelle as she looked around. Her grip was still firm on his arm — her balance a little unsteady since Tempest had moved them to Whispers from Avaleigh and Daniel’s living room in less than an instant.
“Ahhh! There you are!” Lily said, stepping forward with her arms out to take Elijah from Tempest’s arms.
“You see that, right? It’s not just me?” Tempest asked, wearing a wry grin as she shook her head.
“Mine don’t even say hello, they just go right for the baby,” Brandt said.
“Well, we’ve seen you all your life,” Lily said. “He’s brand new. I’m sure your parents feel the same,” she said to Brandt.
“Clearly,” Brandt said, chuckling.
“Who do I hear?” Carrik asked, his voice reaching them before he actually entered the room.
“It’s me. I’m delivering Elijah for Mom,” Tempest said.
“And me! And my mate and my in-laws!” Boon said. “Future in-laws,” he corrected.
“Future mate,” Daniel said.
“No, she’s already his mate. Whether or not she accepts the mating is another thing entirely,” Lily said between cooing at Elijah.
Angelle’s gaze had been wandering around the house as she admired Lily and Carrik’s home, but she quickly snapped her attention back to Lily.
“Whether or not?” Boon asked.
“She does have that right,” Lily said. She reached out with one hand and laid it softly on Angelle’s shoulder. “You do have a right to refuse, you know. He’s my brother and I adore him, but that doesn’t mean that you have to.”
Angelle nodded shyly, but at the same time she realized that she felt calmer than she had previously and actually allowed herself to relax a little.
“I am being a terrible hostess. I’m sorry. My first grandchild and all… But I’ve made a jambalaya, and Carrik fried some fish he and my father caught this morning.”
“It’s good, too,” Carrik said, enveloping Tempest in a huge hug.
“Hi, Dad,” she said, melting into his arms for a second.
“Hi, baby,” he said. When he released his daughter, he reached a hand toward Brandt and vigorously shook his hand. “Good to see you, Brandt. I’m glad you’re here.”
“Thanks. I’m looking forward to a few days getting to know everyone and taking advantage of the time we have here,” Brandt said.
“Boon, Angelle, welcome. Mr. And Mrs. GreyStorm, thank you for accepting our invitation,” Carrik said.
“Daniel and Avaleigh,” Daniel said. “And thank you for extending it.”
“Won’t you come into the kitchen and have something to eat?” Lily asked.
“Thank you,” Avaleigh said, falling in step behind Lily as she led the way, still holding Elijah. “I get it, though. I have no doubt I’ll be the same way when one of ours finally gives us our first grandchild,” Avaleigh said.
“I hadn’t even really thought that far ahead, but now I can’t stop thinking about it,” Daniel said, as he took a few quick steps to catch up to her and slid his arm around her waist.
“I’m thrilled that you’re all here. What would you like to drink?” Lily asked. She noticed Boon and Angelle hanging back. “Come on, you too. Come fill your bellies.”
“You want to eat?” Boon asked.
“I’m a little hungry,” Angelle said, giving a slight shrug.
Boon nodded and led her toward the kitchen. They waited for a second while everyone found a place to sit before taking the remaining chairs.
“Here, you hold him while I serve the plates,” Lily said, handing Elijah to Carrik.
“There’s my big boy,” Carrik said, holding him so that they were face to face.
Elijah lifted one of his hands and tried to grab at Carrik’s nose.
Carrik laughed and pretended to bite at Elijah’s hand.
To everyone’s surprise, Elijah growled a tiny baby growl, while slapping at Carrik’s face.
Carrik laughed boisterously and pretended to bite at him again. “He’s a brave little thing!” Carrik exclaimed happily.
Brandt, grinning proudly nodded. “That’s my boy!”
Tempest leaned over and kissed Brandt’s cheek. “You know he’s going to be more powerful than most everybody at home, right?”
“That’s why we have to raise him right,” Brandt said. He reached across the table and tickled Elijah’s ribs. Elijah laughed and squirmed away from his father’s fingers.
“Has he already started to show signs?” Lily asked.
“No, I’m just assuming,” Tempest said.
“I do have one question,” Avaleigh said as Lily put a plate of food in front of her.
“Of course,” Lily said, pausing to allow Avaleigh to ask her question before she went to fill another plate.
“Where are our bags? We did have bags with us when we left,” Avaleigh said.
Daniel’s head swiveled back and forth as he glanced around the kitchen looking for bags he hadn’t realized were missing.
“They’re here in the extra bedroom. I thought I’d go ahead and send them there so you wouldn’t have to worry about them later,” Tempest said.
“Thank you,” Daniel said. “Very thoughtful.”
“You’re welcome. Angelle, yours are at yours and Boon’s house. If you don’t want to stay there I can zap them over here, or to my grandparents’ house,” Tempest offered.
“If I may, I just want to put this out there… you are all welcome to stay with us. I’ve prepared the guest room in case you’d like to stay here. Tempest and Brandt will stay in her old room, but we’ve got plenty of room and can turn the living room into a bedroom, too, if it’s needed.”
“You’re welcome to stay with us, too,” Boon said to Daniel and Avaleigh. “We’ve got plenty of room as well.”
“I’d certainly like to see your house, Boon. Can we wait until later to decide where we’ll stay?” Daniel asked.
Avaleigh shot him a look, staring directly into his eyes.
Daniel stared right back. He knew she wanted to give Angelle and Boon time to speak, time to relax around each other, the freedom to not to have worry about their words being monitored.
“I’ll take you to see the house right after we finish eating. It’ll give me a chance to show you around Whispers a little, too,” Boon said.
“That’d be great,” Daniel said. “I’m anxious to see it all. The way Tempest talks about it, I’m sure it’s beautiful.”
“It is. It’s almost untouched,” Boon said. “We live here, but a lot of us live like they did at the turn of the century. There’s no pollution, it’s quiet. Lots of animals and plants and flowers.”
“Can’t wait to see it,” Daniel said.
Lily made sure that everyone had a filled plate before she sat down and they all enjoyed a meal together. After the regular pleasantries and questions from both, she focused on Angelle. “So, are you excited to be here in Whispers?”
“I haven’t decided yet. I’m a little anxious, to tell you the truth.”
“Whatever for? We’re just people like you and yours,” Lily said.
“Oh, that’s not what bothers me. I’m not the least bit concerned with everyone living here. I’m just not good with large groups of people. I always end up second guessing myself and everything I’ve said or didn’t say. I’m just so awkward,” she finally admitted with a soft laugh.
“I think you’re perfect. There aren’t many people who are as genuine as you. Except Boon. He is more like you than you know,” Lily said.
Angelle glanced over at Boon sitting next to her and smiled at him. “He told me that he was, but now I’m beginning to see it for myself.”
“Good,” Lily said. “And for the record, when we have the party, there will be a lot of people there, but anytime it gets to be too much, feel free to slip away. You’re welcome to a bedroom, or just sneak out the back door and I won’t think a thing about it,” Lily said with a laugh.
“Thank you. I appreciate that,” Angelle said.
“It shouldn’t be too bad. They’ll all be vying for a chance to meet Elijah anyway,” Lily said.
~~~
Less than an hour later, Boon stepped quietly up beside the chair Angelle was sitting in. “Are you anxious to see your home?”
“I’m anxious to see your home,” she countered.
“You know it’s for you.”
“It’s for us, if we can make this work.”
“It’s for us when we make this work.”
Angelle smiled at him, deciding to give in.
“You want to head on over?” he asked.
Angelle glanced around the room; her parents and Boon’s sister and brother-in-law, and Tempest and Brandt, were all deeply involved in conversation as they rehashed the story of Destroy taunting Brandt endlessly as he trekked through Whispers looking for Tempest when she’d left him in the early days of their relationship.
She nodded. “I don’t think they’ll even notice we’re gone. ”
Boon held out his hand.
Angelle placed her hand in his so he could steady her as she stood.
Together they started for the door.
“Y’all leaving?” Daniel asked.
“Thought we’d go and see the house,” Boon said.
Daniel simply looked at them for a second or two, but instead of getting up, he just nodded. “Maybe we’ll get someone to show us over there later. Give y’all a chance to see it alone.”
Boon nodded gratefully. “We’ll see you later, then.”
“We’ll walk them over. You two go on,” Carrik said.
~~~
Boon and Angelle stepped out onto the porch and looked across the clearing Lily’s home was set in.
“It’s really beautiful here,” Angelle said. “It’s so peaceful.”
“It is. It’s a different way of life from what I’ve seen of your world. We live a much slower life. In some ways, a much richer life.”
“How’s that?” Angelle asked.
“Most of the world seems to look everywhere but at each other for satisfaction, for entertainment, for happiness. They watch televisions, or scroll incessantly on their cell phones — watching everyone else’s lives, rather than living their own with the people they chose to build that life with.
We talk to our people. We go for walks. Laugh together.
Read books. Cook dinner together. Our lives are built around each other. ”
“My people spend time together. They built lives they love and treasure. But I won’t tell you that some of the younger generation, mine included, tend to spend more than their fair share of time on their phones or glued to the television when sitting in a room full of people.”