Relics (35 page)

“How's my boy?” I asked, returning his hug.

With the suddenness of a child, he broke into sobs. I picked him up and carried him to a nearby chair, rocking him slightly and kissing his soft brown hair. He clung to me with a fierceness that brought tears to my own eyes.

I knew what it was like to lose a parent as a child, and my heart went out to him. We sat there for a long while. Ally, Brent and Thulu had followed and sat nearby. Finally his tears started to slow, and Thulu brought me a damp cloth and a box of tissues. I gently patted Carter's face and offered him tissues. He took several and promptly wadded them up and held them to his nose. I took one and held it to his nose, telling him to blow.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

He nodded, sniffling a bit. “Mommy is bad.”

I took a deep breath. I hadn't quite expected that. Loss yes, blame, no.

“Sweetie, your mommy was confused is all. She was sad.”

He shook his little head sadly and looked at me with such wise eyes for a three year old.

“No, she doesn't like you. She was bad to you and Uncle Thulu. She was bad to fambly. Not good. Not good at all.” He shook his head as he looked up at me. “But I like you. I love you.” He hugged me again. “I can be your boy now. I can live with you. I'll be good. You always say I'm your boy, right?” His big brown eyes still leaked slow tears.

I looked at Thulu, startled, then back at Carter. “Well, of course you're my boy. Always have been, always will be. But your Mommy wanted you to live with Aunt Ally and Uncle Brent.”

Carter gave a huge sigh. “That means back to babysitters again.”

I'd never understood why Lynda-Jean didn't allow one of the stay-at-home moms in our family to watch Carter. I looked helplessly at Ally, since I had no idea what they had planned. I doubted keeping him at the clinic would be ideal, and I didn't see Ally or Brent staying home.

Ally looked back at me thoughtfully. I tried and failed to read her mind. Part of me was leaping for joy, saying, yes, please yes, I want him. And part of me was saying, no way I can have him. Lynda-Jean had left explicit instructions, I was sure, and I wouldn't be surprised if she had specifically said to keep him away from evil me.

I heard an inhuman shriek and knew Lynda-Jean was back. I wished I knew Jones's banishing trick.

“Nooooo –” she wailed. “You cannot have him!”

She materialized next to me and reached for Carter. Of course, she passed right through him. He sat up and frowned at her.

“No, Mommy. Go away.” He pointed somewhere vaguely. “You be dead now and you go away to the Light.” He clung to me again.

She glared at me malevolently. “I hate you, you bitch.”

I sighed, feigning boredom. “Yes, yes, Lynda-Jean, you've made that abundantly clear.” I looked at her steadily and smiled a nasty smile. “But I do promise I'll get you banished for good if you don't stop haunting me and my family.”

She stopped a moment, looking shocked. “I'm not haunting you,” she said in protest.

“You're dead. You're not wanted here, yet here you are. This dark spirit hovering over us. What the hell else do you call it?”

Her mouth opened and shut several times. I honestly don't think she'd thought of it in those terms.

“I just want to make sure my son is all right,” she said defensively. She knelt down to be on a level with Carter. “You know Mommy just wants to be sure you are fine.”

Carter met her eyes unflinchingly. He nodded, slowly.

“And you know I love you, right, Carter?  You know that.”

He gave another of his sighs, “Yeah.” She once again reached for him, but drew her hand back. I wanted to feel sorry for her, but her part in the death of the others just didn't let me go there. Maybe I'm a bad person, but I couldn't scrape together much sympathy for her.

Carter made a sudden pushing motion at her again, accusation in his childish voice. “But you never believe me. Maybe
you
just 'maginary, Mommy. Maybe I make you up, too.”

Lynda-Jean gasped. “No, no, honey, I'm real. I do believe you.”

Carter rolled his eyes in exasperation and put one small hand on his hip as he looked at his mother with a look far beyond his years. “Oh, sure,
now
you believe me.” He buried his head against my chest as I stifled the urge to laugh. I wondered which television show he had borrowed that line from.

He lifted his head and gave her the punch line, “Too late.”

Lynda-Jean's mouth formed a perfect “O” as she sat back on her heels. Reap what you sow, I thought.

“You go now, Mommy.” Carter stared steadily at his mother.

The hurt on Lynda-Jean's face was real, and I scraped together a few grains of pity for her.

“I want you to be happy, Carter. I want to watch you grow and be happy.”

“No, you don't watch. Ghosts go to the Light. You go now.” I could feel Carter tensing up.

“Honey, ghosts don't always have to go to the Light. They can stay here and watch over those they love.”

Carter shook his head in denial, upset once more, his voice became insistent. “Bad ghosts go to the Light to be good again. You go be good again.” I wondered where he had gotten that from. Perhaps one of the dead.

Mama Deb glided over. The other dead had come in at the same time as Lynda-Jean. Thulu had followed a lot of this, and Ally and Brent had heard Carter's side.

Mama Deb spoke to Lynda-Jean gently, “LJ, you have been a part of this family for many years, but you betrayed us. Staying here only prolongs your own pain and makes everyone else uncomfortable. Listen to your son and go. He'll be well cared for and loved more than you can imagine. He has so much to offer this new world of ours. Leave the child in peace.”

Lynda-Jean looked at her with silvery tears in her eyes. “But he wants to live with
her
.” Her fear and hatred of me was unabated. Carter looked up and hugged me. He looked at his mother.

“I think that's actually a wonderful idea. La Fi and Thulu are perfectly suited to raising a gifted child. Ally and Brent also love and cherish Carter, but they do work long hours, and Carter would often be with the rest of the family. Of course, it's your choice and your wishes will be honored.”

I looked at Thulu. He had followed enough to know what his mother had said. I saw my own hope reflected in his eyes. We gave each other a slight nod. Carter's head swiveled around as he tried to follow everything.

Thulu took a deep breath and spoke to Lynda-Jean, Ally and Brent. “I know you already made arrangements, but no one thought Lynda-Jean would die so young. Also, Carter's gift hadn't manifested itself yet. You know La Fi and I can't have our own kids. We love Carter, and we'd be happy to take him.”

I didn't dare speak. I knew Lynda-Jean hated me, but I hoped she loved Carter enough to see that we would be the best choice for him.

Ally spoke up, “It's your choice, LJ. We adore Carter, but he does seem to want to go to Thulu and La Fi. You know the entire family will be here for him and them.”

Lynda-Jean looked around at the rest, uncertainty in every line of her body. She looked at Carter.

“Honey, do you understand what we're talking about?”

He nodded, paused, then shook his head no.

“I wanted you to live with Aunt Ally and Uncle Brent, but Uncle Thulu and Aunt Fi,” she stumbled over my name a bit, “they want you to live with them, too.” She steadied herself and took a deep breath. “You are one lucky boy to have so many people love and want you, Carter.”

“I know,” he said in typical child confidence.

“So if you got to pick, who would you want to live with?” I knew how much those words cost her and gave her a quick look of acknowledgment

Carter looked at her. “I get to pick?”

There was a long pause while we all waited. Lynda-Jean didn't answer him for a long time. She just looked longingly at the child she loved so much. Finally she nodded. Apparently she loved him more than she hated me.

Carter looked around seriously before looking back at his mother again. “You go and become good again?”

Silvery tears coursed down her face, “Yes, honey, I'll go when I know you are settled.”

“Okay, I settled then. I pick Aunt Fi and Uncle Thulu, but I go see Aunt Ally and Uncle Brent, too.” My heart soared. Thulu grabbed me and pulled me up, Carter and all.

Ally came over and hugged me and Carter. Parker and Jenna hooted and swooped around the room.

Jenna shrieked, “O-M-G, O-M-G, I have another brother.”

Carter laughed, and the rest of the family came in to see what all the noise was about. We were sure there wouldn't be any legal issues, since we were keeping Carter in the family.

Finally everyone settled down a bit, but Carter spoke clearly, “Now, Mommy, before you forget.”

I surprised myself and spoke up, “Carter, do you understand that if your Mommy goes into the Light, you will never see her again?”

He looked at me from Thulu's arms and said, “I know. They told me.” I didn't need to ask who “they” were. I caught Parker and Evan exchange a glance. When they saw me they suddenly looked very innocent. I suspected that they had been having chats with Carter.

Everyone had stopped and looked at me and Carter. “But she needs to be good again. She'll feel better, too.” I hoped he was right about that part.

Lynda-Jean looked around the room. She seemed defeated, and I added another couple of grains of pity for her.

The pulsing Light of the portal started small and quickly grew larger. I knew that only the dead, Thulu, Carter and I could see it, though.

Lynda-Jean looked around at the family that had taken her in and spoke to the few who could understand her. “I'm sorry I caused your deaths. I'm sorry for everything.”

She turned to her son. “I'll always love you, Carter.” She looked around at the portal and let it gently pull her forward. It reminded me a bit of what had happened to the Light Ones the night before. I could feel the force of the pull on Lynda-Jean, but she went to it peacefully and as she got closer, I saw a look of wonder light up her face. She stepped through and was gone. The portal winked out immediately after.

I looked over at my three dead family members and Parker and Jenna. They looked back at me and smiled.

“Tempted to follow?” I asked.

They looked at each other and shook their heads, smiling.

“With everything going on here?  All the magic?  I'm not leaving,” said Parker in disbelief that I'd even ask.

“And magical people,” added Nana Fae.

“I'm needed for financial issues more than ever.”  That from Evan.

Mama Deb said, “You are going to be so busy with raising a child, you definitely need help with the agency now.”

I looked around at my beloved family as Thulu's arm tightened around me. He held Carter in his other arm.

There was still a lot to do. We'd have to hold a memorial service, but it would celebrate the lives of those who had died. With the help of the elves and other off-worlders, Earth would settle down soon, and there was a lot we could do in the area of portal relations.

I wasn't sure how we could keep our gifts a secret, but I was ready to face whatever came next. I let the love and warmth of my family – living and dead – wash over me as I disappeared into their midst.

THE END