A Guardian and an Angel (Victorian Virture & DearestMine)

[dearestmine]

Blood. It holds secrets, magic, and bonds. For mortals it shows them DNA, RNA, data beyond measure, though measure they try. For those who live among the supernatural, it is the strongest magic there is. Blood oaths are much more meaningful between demons and Others than they are to mortals, though foolish ones do try to mimic the ceremony. But what could an accidental exchange create? How could one happen?

As one insightful mortal declared, What Can Go Wrong, Will Go Wrong
--

Was it the rain? The wine with dinner? The argument? Maybe a combination of all that and more, but no one had ever pinpointed what cause the accident that sent the Harper family Jeep into a roll-over that cold December evening. Mrs. Harper swore she saw something in the road—shining eyes that could have been a deer or a bear or anything in between that startled with their brightness in the moonless night. Their young daughter in the back seat had not been property harnessed. In addition to being pelted with their belongings pinballing about the vehicle as they tumbled, she suffered internal bruising bleeding and bruised ribs.

It all happened too quickly for Aliana’s 4-year-old mind to process. One moment she was watching her parents bicker, stuffed giraffe clutched to her chest, the next she was sputtering out rain water and blood from her mouth while stuck in her car seat. She knew the taste of blood. By 4, she’d bitten her tongue and busted her lip plenty of times as she learned to navigate her ever-changing form. This time it was different; it tasted less tinny and more smoky… but maybe that had to do with the smoke coming from the engine of the car.

Everything was everywhere. Her giraffe was nowhere to be seen, her backseat amusements like crayons and puzzlebooks were scattered about, including her tiny suitcase. The leftovers from dinner at grandma’s were all over the windshield… The Jeep was laying on the passenger side, all the windows smashed out and the glass shining like ice in the wet grass under in the flickering lights. Flickering lights? The engine was on fire. The engine was on fire! She blinked hard and realized that father wasn’t in the driver's seat.

“Mommy! Daddy!” She screamed, then coughed as she tried to take a deep breath. Where was this blood coming from? She wiped her face furiously, as only angry children did, and cried out in pain as injuries started to register. Her arms were cut, her ribs hurt, breathing hurt. Coughing was worse! She struggled to get her wet, clumsy fingers around the buckle of her 3-point harness and whimpered as she tried and tried to get it open. It took forever, by her count, but she finally got it and fell against the window, gravity taking her harshly into the glass-strewn grass, making the small child cry out. Her mother still didn’t budge. With effort, Aliana climbed the seats and tapped her mother’s face, begging her to wake up, to help her, to find Daddy. Nothing worked. Aliana couldn’t see out of the car, it was facing the woods. She eyed the car phone and doubt filled her. She wasn’t allowed to use it. But she was told that in an emergency to call 9-1-1. Which was the right choice? She couldn’t ask permission because Mom was sleeping, but if Mom couldn’t wake up she couldn’t tell her what the right thing to do was. Aliana reasoned with herself that Grandma had given her some money; a $20 bill! That was a lot of money. She could pay the phone bill if Daddy got mad. He couldn’t get mad if she was calling for help.

“9-1-1 what’s your emergency?”

“Mommy crashed the car and won’t wake up. I can’t find Daddy. There’s fire and we all have booboos.”

It took a lot of careful instruction and questioning from the dispatcher before Mrs. Harper came-to and got her daughter out of the car and into the rainy roadside to meet the paramedics.

What the Harpers did not know was that Mrs. Harper did not imagine glowing eyes by the side of the road, and the owner of those glowing eyes would have their life changed forever by that accident.

--

Once the fear of her Mom sleeping and never waking up was gone and she was on a gurney in the back of an ambulance on the way to the hospital. She wanted to be yowling in pain, but it hurt to breathe, let alone scream. Her injuries were deadly if left untreated, but the hospital wasn’t far from the crash site. Her healing would be long, but she would heal fully. The EMTs told her mother so, and Aliana believed them, because people in uniforms were there to help, always.


@Victorian_Virtue

face grabs

Lucas Harper

Stephanie Harper

Aliana-Marie Harper Medium

Aliana-Marie Harper Older

 

[dearestmine]

"We have to go, Stephanie. We have to."

"Lucas, you're not making any sense! Go where? Why!"

"Daddy? Why I didn't stay with Grandma? It's Easter tomorrow and the bun-- "

"I FUCKED UP, STEPH! There's no time to explain we just have to GO!"

"Stop screaming in front of the baby. You're scaring her," Stephanie admonished. "You're scaring me," she said softer, eyes on the road ahead. She addressed their daughter in a conciliatory tone, "Don't worry baby. The bunny can find us no matter where we go. It's how the magic works." She turned her attention back to her husband. "It's too bad out to be driving so wrecklessly. It's 4-wheel-drive not 4-wheel-stop. Slow down," she urged.

"We can't slow down! They'll catch up!"

"WHO," Stephanie screamed, and never found out.

Bright eyes, an "Oh Shit" from Lucas and her daughter's terrified scream were the last thing Stephanie remembered before waking up to EMTs dragging her and her battered and bleeding four year old from the wreckage, her husband nowhere to be found.

--

Shock and fear. There was no pain as Lucas blinked the fuzziness out of his vision and looked around the car. Stephanie was knocked out, but she was breathing. Okay. Aliana.

"Ali! Aliana-Marie!" he called out, his mind reeling. Had he seen the demon in the road? Surely it was his imagination. Maybe a deer? A bear, even! He was held to his seat by the safety belt, and with effort he reached for the rearview mirror to check on the baby. She was slumped against the side of her seat. The car was sideways, he realized at the same time he realized his toddler wasn't breathing. "NO!" he screamed and struggled with his seatbelt, in a panic over losing his child. He couldn't-- SHE couldn't! She was too young, too good! And the demon... He wanted her. And if she died... He stopped struggling. If she died he couldn't have her! But if he couldn't have her, what would he take instead? He owed. He owed so much. He looked back again and a fear he'd never imagined was realized. The demon was in their car. He was... what the hell was he doing? Was he eating the child?! But no, suddenly Aliana was breathing. It was labored but she was breathing. Oh God. I can't!

One would hope that when choosing between themself or their child, they'd choose their child. Lucas Harper wasn't one of those people. He tried to reason with himself, thinking that Stephanie would protect her. That Aliana was too pure a soul to be in danger from a demon. He could come back for them once he figured things out. He could... Well, the honest answer was that he couldn't face the thought of hell. Of the demon that looked him in the eye as he lapped blood off his daughter's face and breathed life back into her. He didn't think the actions through; he unbuckled his seatbelt and scrambled out of the broken windshield and ran through the woods, no destination except away. Far away. He couldn't save Aliana. He couldn't save Stephanie. He'd failed, and the only thing he knew to do was fun from it.

--

"Mommy..."

Aliana's voice was weak. One of her lungs was punctured, but somehow not deflated. It didn't stop her chest cavity from filling with air, putting pressure on her uninjured lung. Every bump and turn the ambulance took sent pain through her small body. Every breath was hard. Her fear was a metallic taste in her mouth. She whined as they EMTs tried to put an oxygen mask on her face. She didn't know what it did or what it was for, she didn't want it. She wanted her Mom. She wanted her Dad. He always kissed the booboos and she had so many!

"We need your permission to place a chest tube. We don't have time to wait for pain killers to kick in. You'll need to hold her down," the Paramedic spoke to Stephanie in a level but urgent tone.

"It'll hurt her," Stephanie asked stupidly, holding her daughter's hands down so the EMT could put the oxygen mask on her. The child was strapped in at the shoulders, hips, and forehead to keep her from moving, a neck brace on the delicate column to keep her safe. Nothing they did consoled the child, in spite of her understanding that the medics were there to help. She knew they wanted to heal her, that they wanted to make it all better, but it hurt so much!

"No more!" she cried out, and whimpered as the pressure from her her ribs to get her words out was unbearable.

"Shhh, baby. Just a pinch. Like the shots at the doctors, remember? We're brave for shots, right?" Stephanie soothed her daughter, moving so her face was close to the child's, blocking her view of the medics cutting her shirt away, counting her ribs, and spreading iodine on the space between two of them. "It's just like a shot, baby. It'll help you breathe..."

Aliana felt it, and it certainly wasn't a shot. At first she choked on her scream, but as negative pressure left her chest cavity and she regained used of both her lungs, she made it known. The scream that tore through her was unlike any sound the child had made before.

The EMTs didn't want to sedate her as long as she wasn't kicking and protesting. They were worried about head trauma. She had no been secured properly in her seat, the chest clip for her harness positioned too low, damaging her internal organs. Her head was cushioned by the sides of the seat, but there had been suitcases and other projectiles in the car that had the potential to inflict damage. She had blood all over her head, though they never found a cut.

At the hospital Stephanie was separate from her child, and it was only then that she realized Lucas was gone.

 

[dearestmine]

Stephanie examined her daughter thoroughly. Her long dark hair was a knotted mess, her normally olive skin was pale and bruised in may places. She looked so tiny in the hospital bed... Aliana had a neat, thin red scar across her stomach from fixing her internal injuries. One of the resident plastic surgeons on staff had stepped in to make sure the scar wouldn't be too bad when word got to him about the little girl in emergency surgery. The chest tube scar would heal just as well, though she may be stuck with some scarring on her arms if she picked at the scabs, as children tended to do. In regards to the hospital staff, was well taken care of. Her lack of head injuries baffled the doctors, but no one questioned it, attributing the lack head trauma to the safety of her car seat. While her abdominal and chest injuries were caused by improper seatbelt adjustments, the installation of the seat had done its job, as far as they were concerned. The cuts on her arms from broken safety glass were minor, and she had a few bumps and bruises from their hastily packed belongings bouncing around in the rollover, but over-all she was much more well-off than they had expected after seeing the wreckage.

Stephanie had a concussion and some bruising from her seatbelt but she was unscathed compared to her daughter, who lie asleep, post surgery, in a light blue hospital room in the children's wing of the hospital. She'd been moved quickly from the ICU, the resilient child stabilizing miraculously fast after her operation. The nurses had allowed the mother to sponge-bathe her daughter and dressed her in a light pink hospital gown. Stephanie was glad that Aliana was sedated, because she couldn't stand to cry so freely in front of the little girl. While it could have been so much worse, Stephanie couldn't help but feel heartbroken that her child was so hurt, and she'd wake up to her father being off in the wind.

Stephanie couldn't imagine what had her husband so distraught. The police informed her that her husband had incurred some gambling debt, which wasn't a surprise to her. Lucas had told her he had it under control, that he was paying it back and working hard to fix his habit... Had he not? If he was running from loan sharks, why not say so? He might have destroyed his credit, but it wasn't like filing for bankruptcy was the end of the world... So many thoughts went through her head and she had to fight them off to figure out how to explain her father's absence to her. Should she claim he'd died? They hadn't found a body, though they did have dogs tracing him in the woods. They wouldn't have a lot of luck with all the rain... but he had to turn up sometime, right?

--

Lucas never showed up. They never found hide or hair of him, and Stephanie had comforted Aliana-Marie with stories of how he was with the Angels now and how he was watching over her from heaven and he would be proud of her for being strong and doing good in school. The weeks during Aliana's recovery were the hardest for Stephanie because she had to try and fend off the loan sharks, the questioning cops, her friends and family, all while making sure her daughter healed properly and wasn't traumatized. She realized quickly that she wasn't just boosting her daughter's morale when she said she had the strongest little girl on the planet. Aliana bounced back easily, and was ready to start first grade right on time. Well, 5 was a year early for most kids, but Aliana was skipping kindergarten at Stephanie's behest. Stephanie was a kindergarten teacher, so knew quite well that Kindergarten had nothing to offer her daughter. After a spring of healing and a summer of physical therapy with hardly a complaint(She hadn't even complained about missing out on her Easter eggs), Aliana had made a full recovery.

Being sudden widow was certainly hard on anyone, and losing a parent was tough for any kid, but Stephanie began to worry about her daughter as the little girl insisted she had a guardian angel. The first incident hadn't struck a nerve, but it was Aliana's response that did. Stephanie played into it, claiming it was her husband watching over her, but then her daughter said "No, Mommy. It's not Daddy. I would know if it was Daddy. He's not that strong, and he always kissed my boo-boos." Aliana told her that she'd been riding her bike down snake hill -- a back road that was banned from commercial traffic -- on a dare, and couldn't stop at the bottom. She went flying over the curve, but landed in the grass when she should have went right into the gravel. And it hadn't hurt a bit! None of the other kids had seen her fall, but she'd gotten major cool-points for it.

Later on, other incidents came up, but as Stephanie brushed them off Aliana stopped reporting them. Missing the trampoline after jumping way to high, and somehow not breaking her neck... The mean dog down the street gunning for her and then suddenly changing its mind... Missing the top step on the way down and the feeling of arms around her to keep her from going straight down to the landing... It wasn't like Aliana was particularly accident prone, it wasn't like she never got hurt. Skinned knees, bumps, bruises, they were bound to happen! But somehow she never got seriously injured after the car accident.

Aliana tried to talk to her invisible guardian, but they never spoke back. She was sure it had to be a guy-- did angels have genders? -- since they were so strong and protective but didn't stop her from getting minor boo-boos. Her father had been that way, while her Mom had seemingly wanted to wrap her in bubblewrap. One of the few memories she'd held onto of her father was him yelling rub some dirt in it when she had gotten a scrape. She tried to bargain and plead, and sometimes she got so frustrated she cried about it, threw a fit, but those were crocodile tears. She was testing limits, as children do. It wasn't until she was 11 that she finally felt genuine torment over the lack of identity for her guardian.

--
It hadn't been as hard as it could have been, righting the messes that Lucas had left behind, but it had taken its toll. While the surprise of bonds and stocks she didn't know he'd invested in, the lucky scratch-off ticket here and there, and random deposits she couldn't be sure were him, they'd stayed afloat. They didn't live lavishly, but Aliana wanted for nothing, and that was the most important thing to Stephanie.


7 years was long enough after losing your spouse to date, Stephanie decided. She'd set up a profile on Match, POF, and OKCupid, and hoped for the best. She had had quite a few duds, but recently she'd found herself someone that she genuinely thought might have some staying power. So much so, that she was considering introducing him to Aliana. He didn't seem put off that her daughter had an imaginary friend at 11, or that she was a single mom. She worked as a school teacher and had gotten her real estate license as way to make money on the side, and he respected her work ethic. It was refreshing. Stephanie planned on bringing up coming back home with him after their date this evening. She had sent Aliana to go play with her friends, but Aliana knew how to let herself in the house and lock up behind her if she ended her playdate early. Stephanie didn't worry about the little girl; nothing bad ever happened to her.

--

Home alone, hungry and grumpy, Aliana sat in her room at her little desk where she normally did her homework. It was well-passed dinnertime. She was supposed to eat at her friend Derek's house, but she was too upset to be good company so she'd beat her mother home. Right after school, she'd nearly been hit by a car. She was playing man hunt with the neighborhood and to keep from being tagged It she had run for it without looking both ways. She'd been yanked bodily out of the way at the last moment, and she knew that her guardian had done it. She wanted to know who it was! Talk to them! Ask them why they were there for her, but not her father so long ago! But there was nothing but silence. She had spent some time with Derek's parents and siblings, letting them know she was fine, and no, they didn't need to call her mom, and eventually went home, feeling genuine heartache for the first time in her life, as only a tween could. Why would her guardian care about her physical well-being but not her mental? She had so many emotions she could hardly process them sometimes. She was in middle school now, and she knew all about emo kids who hurt themselves to spite their parents or to feel like they were in control, and the idea struck her.

"I'll hurt myself," she said, her tone surprised. Then she said it again with conviction. "I'll hurt myself if you don't talk to me," she threatened. She looked a round her room. What could she use? She didn't want to hurt herself. Not really. She never got hurt often so she really didn't have much of a pain tolerance. She took some hairties out of her desk and put them on her wrists, and snapped them against her skin harshly. It hurt. A lot more than she anticipated. But she got no response.

"Hey!" she yelped, indignant and scared. What if this didn't work? What if she didn't have it in her to back up her threat? How much would it take? "You can't just do that! Talk to me! Why do you even care!"

Nothing... Aliana started to feel desperate. She kicked her desk. Hard. Tears stung her eyes from the pain of it and she growled through her teeth and tugged at the ends of her long wavy hair. Her eyes were bright green and furious in the light from her desk. There had to be way to get them to talk to her! She went through her desk drawer and dug around. She tossed out a journal, a bag of candy, a coloring book, uno cards...There! The sissors. She wasn't allowed to use her mom's good sissors and she'd taken them a while ago for a project and hadnt' had the guts to put them back. They were Fiskars; sewing shears that were ridiculously sharp. She the sharp end of it over her hand threateningly and screamed, "TALK TO ME!"

 

[dearestmine]

Delicious; that was the best description for the suit he wore. She'd felt like she'd gone all-out with her outfit choice, but she was sure her entire outfit wasn't worth two pieces of his suit. She had on a black Calvin Klein buckled sheath dress she'd gotten on sale at Macy's, finding it a steal at under $100. It had a split neckline, cap sleeves, and a small, tasteful slit on the side so she could walk comfortably. The dress hit at mid-thigh length. She wore a pair of red jimmy choo pumps she'd bought used on ebay. She couldn't spend more than $600 on a new pair, but $300 on a used pair with no scuffs in her size? She couldn't resist! Her hair was curled perfectly in flowing soft waves. Her daughter hadn't developed the same waves in her hair, yet, but Stephanie had the feeling she would. The single mother kept her makeup minimal. She concentrated more on skincare than on correcting with makeup, and it worked well in her favor. She used some eyeliner, mascara, and lipstick, a hint of blush.. none of that contouring or baking or whatever the celebrities were pushing these days. She didn't want to misrepresent herself by wearing too much, even if it might have made her feel more confident to hide behind a mask.

Stephanie had forgotten any nerves when her date showed up with roses and dressed to the nines. She let him know that Aliana was off with friends and that she'd be home when they returned to meet up. She didn't tell Aliana she planned to introduce them, just in case either of them changed their mind. She had thought she would be more anxious about introducing her date to her daughter, but it seemed like he had more nerves that her. She was definitely the rip-off-the-band-aid type when it came to situations she was dreading, but she hoped that wasn't how he saw the situation. When they hardly had their apps and he was trying to rush them to her house, she felt some nerves. What was the rush? Was he excited? Nervous? She didn't dare ask him. Did she really want to look a gift horse in the mouth? He was so poised. He was dark, but to her it was more of a hot chocolate kind of dark, not sinister. She coudn't bring someone she felt was sinister around her baby. Well, 11 was hardly a baby. Sometimes the last 11 years felt like a blink.

When they got to the house, she felt a lot more nervous. He had driven like it was a race, and she swore he would have taken her keys and opened the door for her if he didn't think better of it. She forgot all about his odd behavior when she heard screaming from the third floor of the house.

"TALK TO ME!"

No no no! Not tonight you crazy, tragic, beautiful little shit!' Stephanie thought bitterly and started up the stairs. She wasn't too worried about her daughter; she wasn't destructive. But this imaginary friend thing was getting out of hand. She was 11! She was too young to be schitzophrenic, as far as Stephanie knew, but maybe there were exceptions?

"I have a way with kids, do you mind if I talk to her?"

Stephanie was shocked by his offer. He wasn't freaked out? Put off? Concerned? He looked so... calm. And composed. His dark eyes drew her in and distracted her for only a second, then Aliana was screaming more demands. "Go ahead," she said on a sigh, stepping aside so he could lead the way to her screaming child. "I told you about her imaginary friend... but in reality she thinks it's a guardian angel who refuses who talk to her. Sometimes she gets like this... upset about it, I mean. I know I should probably get her some help, but I fear they'll try to medicate her or something and she's not crazy," Stephanie said as they made their way from the first floor landing to the third.

--

Aliana heard a knock on her door and froze. Mom? she thought and hid the sissors behind her back as she went for her door quickly, not wanting to get in further trouble. She'd surely be upset by her screaming. Being met with a set of the darkest eyes she'd ever seen, Aliana took a step back from the doorway as a strange man knelt down to her level. Was this Mom's date? Why was he here? She looked to her mother, standing behind him, wide-eyed when he reached around her and took the sissors she wasn't allowed to have. She didnt' catch her mother's reaction because he started talking. His voice was smooth and soothing, but his eyes... That's what had her paying attention.

“I am your mother’s friend and I heard you crying. She says you have a guardian angel and I think if your angel wants to talk to you, you should write him a letter and give it to me.”

Aliana wanted to ask him why she could give it to him. Who was he, of all people? Did he know any angels? Had he ever talked to one before? Her mother would have told her if she had a friend who could talk to guardian angels, right? She looked up to Stephanie for guidance, confirmation, encouragement. Aliana was disturbed when she realized her Mom had tears in her eyes as she watched their exchange. Maybe he wasn't bullshitting her?

"just understand he is always here for you and you don’t want to upset your mother too much. She needs you to be strong. If you like I can send messages to your angel and I can reply for him.”

"How do you know it's a he," Aliana asked. She had meant it to sound like a challenge; he said she needed to be strong, and she was! She sounded more unsure than demanding of answers, though. His proposal made her think of the Santa letters she gave her mother as a kid, and the notes that would be left by the empty cookie plate Christmas day. It had only been a year since she'd figured out that lie. What if this was the same?

 

[dearestmine]

Aliana was standing with her hands at he sides, her fingers fidgeting nervously. She wanted to cross her arms, but her mother taught her that that was not lady-like, and a confrontational posture. Ali didn't want to be rude in front of her mother, but when he repeated her question and leaned in, petting her hair, she wanted to be a little rude. She didn't know why, though. She was mad at her guardian, not this strange man. She forgot her anger and blinked in surprise when he pulled a coin from behind her ear. Where had it come from?!

"it is magic and I am a magician. It takes a magician to talk to Angels. I have talked to him and he says you are going to be a great lady some day if you listen to your mother, you study hard and take life very seriously.”

Aliana examined the coin he placed in her hand carefully, finding the man on the face of the coin to be funny-looking, almost like a Disney character with his big weird beard. The deer-looking animal on the back was cute, though, and she wondered what kind of deer it was. Did they have deer in Africa? She remembered the word Antelope from the Lion King movie, and wondered if that was what it was. She looked back up at him when he spoke again and tilted her head to the side as he said he planned to be around for a long time. She opened her mouth to question, but he was already standing and going out in the hall, her mother coming in and ushering her to get to bed without so much as brushing her teeth.

Stephanie picked out a pair of PJs for her daughter and while the young girl changed, she picked up the tossed-about belongings. Stephanie wondered where Aliana had gotten the candy, but didn't question it as her daughter crawled into bed agreeably, holding the coin she'd been given close to her chest.

"You haven't used this Journal yet," Stephanie observed aloud. "Why don't you use this to write back and forth with your Angel," she suggested, placing it on the top of the desk after she had the rest of Aliana's things back in the drawers.

"That's a good idea," Aliana said, stifling a yawn. There had been way too much excitement that afternoon, and now that she'd lain down, it was like all the adrenaline left her and all that was left was sleepies.

"Goodnight, Sleeptight. Don't let the bed bugs bite. Sweet dreams, I love you, I miss you, *mwah*" The two said their good-nights in unison and kissed cheeks.

"Mommy, do you like him," Aliana asked as she snuggled down into her covers and pillows.

Stephanie smiled and said, "I do," and thought quietly A lot more after tonight, too, which I didn't think possible. "What about you?" Stephanie asked.

Aliana nodded and yawned again, closing her eyes as she mumbled, "I'll let you know after I get my letters."

Stephanie laughed softly and said goonight again, shutting the lights in her daughter's room on her way out the door, closing it firmly behind her.

--

Sex was the furthest thing from Stephanie's mind as she lead her date down the hall, thinking they'd stop in the kitchen and have a drink and talk about what just happened. She was taken entirely by surprise when she was suddenly posted up against the wall, but did not hesitate to submit to the kiss. While she had no had not been in any state of mind for physical intimiacy, she was more than willing to push the drama of her life out of her mind for a while. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this turned on this quickly, and she'd certainly never been kissed so fiercely. A small, needy sound escaped her as she pressed into his touch and the hardness of his erection pressed into her sent a hot streak of desire through her.

Stephanie was a beautiful woman, with no shortage of suiters vying for her attention, but James was set apart from them all. It wasn't just his obvious wealth and poise, but the fact that he showed concern for her life, and her daughter's. That was why she'd been willing to introduce him to her daughter after a few weeks of dating. And tonight, the quick thinking and calm demeanor he had with her, how quickly he seemed to calm her confusion... it was nearly enough to overshadow his physical attractiveness as she felt a connection with him on a much deeper level. But, as he kissed her firecely against the wall, there was no ignoring it. She broke the kiss and his name passed her lips in a breathy gasp.

 

[dearestmine]

If Stephanie was surprised by the kiss, she was more surprised that it ended. Just like that, he just seemed to turn it off. Was he self conscious about there being a kid in the house? Had he simply been trying to comfort her? She supposed that was normal for people who weren't parents to not exactly feel a romantic vibe with a tween around, but it definitely left her a little disappointed. She pushed back those feelings and worked on being understanding and grateful, though, as he spoke.

"No, of course not. I'm grateful," she assured him, her hands on his arms. She squeezed them gently and nodded when he proposed they have a drink and chat. She showed him into her kitchen to pour them some wine and set up a plate of crackers, cheese, salami, hummus, and carrots. They'd skipped out on dinner and Aliana had taken up their time. After all the emotional ups and downs she definitely needed some food in her stomach to go with the wine. "I've been struggling with her imaginary friends business since her father passed away. I think it's how she's coping. Survivor's guilt or something. I'm not sure," she explained. "I never would have thought of pulling the pen pals thing, and I'm glad I didn't, because last year she recognized my hand writing on her Thank You note from Santa and I think she's still suspicious of anything I say now," she told him with a small laugh.

Stephanie lead James into the living room, placing the tray with snacks and wine on the coffee table before sitting down on the sofa. She toed out of her heels and sat with her feet tucked against her, facing him instead of ahead. She rested her weight on her arm over the back of the sofa, and kept her wine in her other hand as he asked his questions. She explained that Aliana never had any troubles; kids liked her, because or in spite of her quirks, she wasn't sure. Stephanie explained that Lucas had gone missing after a car accident when Aliana was four. She told James how Lucas had gone crazy that night, claiming someone was after them. She'd assume loan sharks, but none had come to their door after Lucas' passing. "We don't have any proof of death, but we had a funeral for him for Ali's sake," she told him. "It helped me get some closure, as well,' she admitted, "even though I don't think he's died." She shrugged it off and brought the conversation back to her daughter, explaining the more typical traits of her not-so-typical child; How her favorite ice cream flavor changed every time she tried a new one, and how she wasn't afraid of anything or anything and seemed indestructible at times. She circled back to the imaginary friends concerns as she mentioned how Aliana had given up gymnastics, claiming it was too much work for her Guardian Angel to keep up with her. "I'm pretty sure she just didn't like that the sport actually hurt a bit," she said with an endearing expression on her face. "She landed right on her ribs doing a flip on the balance beam and called it quits. Honestly, for a kid who is so fearless, she had no pain tolerance." Stephanie had been a gymnast from the age of three to 23. "She's playing volley ball now, and I think she likes it. She still likes to do flips and tricks she learned at the gym. I hope she'll get back into it before she hits 13," she said, thinking how puberty ruins gymnasts. She herself had taken a break during her teenage rebellion and it had influenced her ability as an athlete. She loved her curves as an adult, but she didn't think of her daughter as someone who would care about that some day.

When James opened up about himself, she listened with avid interest. She wanted to know so much more about him. How he'd grown up, where he wanted his future to go, what his interests outside of finances were... but he abruptly had to go. She didn't realize how much time had passed until she saw the wine bottle nearly empty and good dent in the small plate she'd set out. His invitation for her and her daughter to breakfast warmed her heart, and she readily agreed. Stephanie couldn't help but notice the difference in the kiss as he said goodbye, but told herself not to be in a rush to get physical as it was unbecoming of a woman her age. Not that 38 was old, but she was a Mom and a businesswoman, not some cougar party girl.

Stephanie went through the motions of her nightly routine; makeup removal, face wash, teeth whitener, moisturiser, etc. She dressed herself in a blue babydoll nighty and took her phone into her kingsized bed with her, setting about detailing the evening to her best friend.

--

The next morning Aliana was woken up early by her mother ushering her into the shower. Aliana's bedroom was much too far from the living room to hear anything the night before. She'd slept so soundly that it felt like she'd only blinked when she was startled awake in the morning.

"Whyyyy," Aliana groaned as she shuffled into the bathroom, her mother starting the hot water for her.

"James is taking us to breakfast," Stephanie explained.

"Who?"

"My friend from last night," Stephanie explained as she loaded up a toothbrush with toothpaste for her daughter.

"Oh." Aliana seemed to wake up more when her mother said who they were meeting with. That was worth missing out on some valued weekend sleeping in.

She didn't understand Mom's new friend. His eyes were so dark, they made her think of the time her pen broke in her pocket and covered her hand so complete in ink she swore it looked like she had a hole in her hand. He didn't feel like a stranger, which was also weird, because she definitely didn't know him. She really hoped he wasn't trying to get one over on her with the whole penpal thing. She really liked the idea, but it seemed too good to be true. She decided she'd have to come up with good questions to prove that he could really talk with/for her Guardian Angel.

"You know it would be a lot easier if you didn't have to play telephone through some guy that wants to kiss my Mom," Aliana to the empty room as her mother left to pick her out something to wear for their breakfast date.

--

By the time James arrived at the Harper house the two were dressed and ready to go. Stephanie had on a blush colored wrap dress with purple flower prints on it. The dress had a deep v-cut neckline and a sash in the same print at the waist to give it the look of a wrap dress, cap sleeves, and a flowing high-low skirt that was just above her knees in the front, and down to her ankles in the back. She wore a pair of apricot strapped heels and a matching purse, her usual cross pendant around her neck and simple diamond stud earrings. Her makeup was minimal, and her hair was blow-dried into soft waves. She'd dressed her daughter in a dark blue striped romper that had short sleeves and a belted waist, a pair of tan gladiator sandals matching the thin brown belt. Stephanie was a little concerned about the child's bruised foot and healing skinned knees, but the outfit was adorable and she wasn't going to make her change. She'd allowed Aliana to wear the barest pink tinged lip gloss and had tamed her long brown hair into a fishtail braid that crossed the back of her head and hung over her shoulder.

Aliana and Stephanie greeted James at the door, Stephanie more enthusiastic than her daughter. Aliana was wary of the new man, but excited at the prospect of getting to talk to her guardian. She waved and said a quiet hello, standing behind her mother but off to the side enough to see the tall man that their door. He didn't look intimidating, but she felt the need to be respectful to anyone, as he mother had taught her to be.

Stephanie, by contrast, was fighting the urge to eyefuck the man. He looked great, as always, and she hoped he appreciated her outfit. When given the choice on picking where they'd like to go, Stephanie knew that Aliana wouldn't say it, but would want IHOP. They were dressed much to nicely for that venue, though, so Stephanie requested the brunch spot in downtown. She'd gone there with her girlfriends a few times and loved the place. It had even gotten featured in a buzzfeed article for their phenomenal french toast. She knew her daughter well enough that she'd enjoy the place, and she was sure she could ask the waiter to put a smiley face in whipped cream on her plate just like they would at IHOP.

"Are we taking his car or our car?" Aliana asked suddenly from behind her mother, looking past James to the street, thinking that she wouldn't have to use the booster seat if they weren't in her Mom's car. She wasn't going to lug it around just for a quick trip across town. She looked up at James with a carefully hopeful expression. Their Honda Accord wasn't more than 3 years old and it was a cozy ride, but it was always fun to see what other people drove around in.

 

[dearestmine]

“do you have a letter for our mutual friend?”

It had taken Stephanie no time at all to get her daughter ready for the day, but her own skin and hair care routine was much longer than her tween daughter's. In the time that it took her mother to get ready this morning, Aliana had gotten questions together for her guardian, and for James. She'd used the Journal she'd unearthed in her rage the night before to carefully ask her questions for her guardian, writing as neat as her small hand would allow. One day she wanted to write as beautifully as her mother, who had the most old-time beautiful cursive she'd ever seen. For now it was bubbly print and the occasional cursive letter when it flowed. For James, she used a torn out page from her composition book that was generally used for Math class.

When James asked her if she had a letter for her guardian, she turned her shoulder so her little brown purse would tuck behind her. The small bag had the lip gloss her mother had loaned her for the day, $10, and mostly importantly the note paper and journal.

"How do I know you're not just gonna make stuff up or ask my Mom for the answers," she asked cautiously, but doing her best not to sound rude. "If you can talk to him why can't we just talk? Why does it have to be notes?

"Do you remember everything that is said to you, word for word," Stephanie challenged Aliana gently, making the young girl blush self consciously.

"No but--"she started, then paused as she realized that her mother hated that kind of talk.

“well, our friend likes written notes, but I did talk to him last night and I can probably answer………………SOME of your questions.”

Aliana brightened up with James spoke again and she opened her mouth to ask, "Does he hav--" She was cut off by her mother.

"Why don't we wait until we've had some food before we start the questions game, okay baby," Stephanie suggested, making Aliana deflate with a huff at her barely contained question. The single mother smiled warmly as James kissed her cheek and both the Harper girls perked up when he suggested they take his car.

"Sweet!" Aliana cheered, rushing over to the car and vaulting over the side into the back seat.

"Aliana-Marie!" Stephanie admonished, afraid the little girl would stomp on the seat when she landed. Her worry was in vain as the agile tween landed her butt on the seat and her feet on the floorboards, no scuffs to be had.

Aliana, properly chastised from her mother's sharp tone, sat still as James buckled her in and then took too examining the interior of the car that she could see from the rear passenger side. Stephanie was much less inquisitive. She opened her bag and took out a hairtie, softly securing her hair for the short ride so it wouldn't end up all over the place as she silently thanked her good sense in braiding her daughter's hair this morning. She didn't miss the grazing touch from James as he buckled her in and she warmed at the sweet subtlety of it. She slipped her sunglasses out of her bag and put them on as James drove through town, enjoying the breeze as Aliana chattered from the backseat about how she'd learned from a rerun of mythbuster's how the aerodynamics of convertable cars worked, and how driving fast in the rain wouldn't keep them dry, and anything else she could think of about the style of car that came to mind.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Aliana looked a little dejected at the line of people there were. Her mother wasn't going to let her ask questions before they had breakfast! She stood by her mother and glared at the crowd, as if that would make them move faster as her mother assrued James they'd hold his spot in line. She assumed he needed the bathroom or something. Both mother and daughter were surprised when a staff member came asking for Aliana by name. They followed him in and Aliana looked around curiously as they were lead to their table. It was a pretty place, for sure, but it didn't look as kid-friendly as IHOP. It made her feel kind of grown up to be there, especially with the purpose of the date. This was business!

Stephanie gratefully sipped the coffee once they were seated and requested an orange juice for Aliana. It was a testament to how much she wanted to speak with James because the little girl didn't ask for Hot Cocoa with her breakfast, as was her customary request at any restaurant. Stephanie watched with interest as Aliana pulled the torn composition book paper from her little bag and carefully flattened it in front of her. The little girl almost looked like an HR Rep about to interview a prospective employee as she put on a serious expression, her bright green eyes a stark contrast to the coal depths of the older man before her.

"How come you can talk Angels? Are you magic?" Aliana began.

On her paper, the questions read as follows:
1) Are you Magic?
2) What's their name?
3) Can you see them/him? What can you tell me about them/him?
4) Are you dating my mom? Like, Facebook Officially?
5) Why should I trust you?
6) Tell me something that only my Angel would know to prove you really talked to him

 

[dearestmine]

Stephanie watched the exchange between James and Aliana with interest. Aliana was generally soft-spoken and respectful around adults. She was interested in seeing how her child behaved with her date, since he was trying to relate to her on a level that Stephanie never had. She really wanted it to work, to bring her daughter some comfort. The whole situation worried her, really, but she felt some of that tension unknot as James's legs slid against hers and he took Ali's list to read it.

Aliana looked a bit put off when he took her paper. She had wanted to ask the questions herself, rather than him read off the less-than-neat list. In her head, she was approaching it like an interview on a TV show, or even an interrogation. When he took the paper from her, it put her back in her place as a child at a complete disadvantage. She listened to him, but he was going through everything very quickly, she had trouble keeping up. His comments about being able to do magic made her unsure. Her friend's grandpa could do the coin trick with quarters and silver dollars. Did that mean he could see angels, too? They attended the same church that she and her mother went to on Easter and Christmas. Maybe her grandpa was even more magic because they went to church a lot more often. Aliana had to stop her wandering mind when he moved on to names. She recognized the name Ursula from The Little Mermaid, which made her frown. Wasn't she a bad person? Why would an angel be named the same thing? Jamus. She had to remember that. Jamus. Okay. Chosen One? Like Harry Potter? This was just getting too silly, now. And suddenly he was on the topic of dating her mother, and she saw her Mom blush and look away, and then she gave James a look that Aliana didn't entirely understand, but it looked like she was happy and sad at the same time, and then Stephanie was nodding along with his comments about trust.


“when you were little and in a car accident your father died. You went to his funeral and had a brown teddy bear in your hand and you were dressed in a black dress with black socks. And another time you fell off a trampoline and were very hurt.”

Stephanie had a genuine look of shock on her face at hearing his bold proclimation, and put her hand to her chest and gasped, glancing at her daughter. Stephanie had been genuinely startled when he brought up Lucas and the accident, but sold it a bit more for Aliana's sake, wanting her to be convinced. The young girl was not, and she didn't get a chance to voice her concerns as James suddenly excused himself.

"Mommy, everyone knows that Daddy died in the crash. Is there pictures on Facebook from the funeral? What if he saw them and that's why he knows about the bear," she said, knowing that even if pictures from the memorial itself hadn't been online, surely the bear that had been gifted to her for the occasion was. "And I didn't get hurt on the Trampoline; Jamus caught me an--"

Aliana was cut off as Stephanie shushed her and said gently, "Ali-bear, if you're already calling him Jamus, I think you believe him." Her daughter's shocked expression made Stephanie smile. "Take a little bit to think on it, okay? And have a little faith. And orange juice," she added, looking pointedly at her daughter's cup.

The little girl huffed and sucked on the straw in her glass, looking around the room to see where James had disappeared to. Stephanie turned in her chair to grab her lipstick, wanting to refresh it since she was halfway through her meal and James had left, but she paused as she made eye-contact with an old woman being wheeled passed them.

“He has the mark of the beast.”

Stephanie flinched back from the woman; a small movement that Aliana didn't catch since she'd caught sight of James making his way back across the restaurant. Stephanie didn't realize he was back until the sound of his chair sliding back broke her concentration on the old woman. She looked back at James as he asked Aliana if she was satisfied with his answers, then looked back behind her to find the old woman gone.

"I have a bazillion more questions," Aliana said gracelessly, earning a glare from her mother who then chimed in.

"And a plate full of food that's getting cold," Stephanie added, giving her daughter that Mom Look that made the tween pout and pick up her fork.

With Aliana's concentration on her food, Stephanie's hand moved under the table and gently squeezed James' thigh. Nothing suggestive, just a way to get his attention without her daughter noticing. 'thank you' she mouthed to him and gave him a genuine smile before she brought her hands above the table and worked on her half-finished portion as she brought the topic to a lighter subject, pushing the strange old woman and her daughter's imaginary friend out of her mind. "You know that big house by the beach with the lion-shaped gargoyles on the front gates," Stephanie asked them both.

Aliana immediately perked up and nodded. She and her friends had tried to climb the gates but were always sabotaged in one way or another. They wanted pictures with the impressive statues.

"Well, guess who got the contract to sell it?"

"No way! That's awesome Mom! Does that mean I can see the inside?" Aliana was ridiculously thrilled at the idea of the place being empty. She could finally get a photo with the lions! She couldn't wait to tell Derek.

 

[dearestmine]

Stephanie gave him a scornful expression and said, "It's not unsellable," she contested. "Between urban myth enthusiasts and historical preservation investors I've already received plenty of interest on the property. And if all else fails, someone will is bound to want to tear it down. There's been talk of the town buying it for the land alone. It's so close to the beach it's perfect for a business. Honestly, I think someone is going to take it and fix it up to make a high-end AirB&B out of it." She sighed and continued, "Which would be damn shame the place is beautiful. I've got a cleaning crew going in on Monday to get it spruced up for photos. I have to get it posted up on MLS within the week. We're planning an open house next month, sometime before Thanksgiving."

Already, Aliana's mind was turning in circles about how to get herself there to see the place. She knew that her mother wouldn't let her in before the place was clean and inspected for safety. With how long it had been empty, Ali was sure that it wasn't up to snuff for her mother. The mention of Halloween had her inspired, though. She was going trick or treating with Derek and his older siblings-- no parents. They usually went trick or treating at the condos near the beach since the well-off homeowners generally had the best candy. She and Derek could sneak off and get the photos and be back before anyone noticed! Aliana wouldn't go inside, she reasoned with herself, for safety's sake. But climbing the 8 foot pillars to get to the statues wasn't dangerous, not in her mind, anyway.

Stephanie addressed her daughter as she said, "If you're good, and want to be helpful, you can come to the open house. You can help me pass out flyers and then explore the property with the prospective buyers. I don't want you there before we figure out how study the place it. It seems well-built, but you can never be too careful, baby girl."

Aliana was more excited about getting the photo with Derek than she was to see the inside of house; she was sure she would get some cool points with her friends if she had a picture of her on top of the lions. She had been dying to get a picture of herself sitting stride the one to the left from the street, her own face in a cheer of victory above the lion's whose ferocious fangs were bared in a roar. She contemplated what the best plan would be for her and her friends to get their photos ops done and made quick work of her pancake toppings.

Aliana loved fresh fruit covered in maple syrup and whipped cream. The portion was much too big for her to finish in one sitting, so she ate the best parts first. She did mange to eat one whole pancake, but she'd pretty much filled up on fruit. Stephanie noticed and tried not to be bothered by it. She was mindful of Aliana's dietary needs, and realized acutely that her child didn't eat nearly enough meat or dairy. Maybe she should have ordered milk instead of juice...

"Need anything else?"

"Everything has been lovely, thank you," Stephanie said to the waiter with a smile. She looked to Aliana, who shook her head and said thank you to the waiter and then she looked to James and said, "I'm happy to finish up my coffee and free up the table for the people waiting if you are."