dinner. Rae was growing
so quickly, Lizzie thought with a pang. She knew it happened, it was supposed
to happen, but you never actually noticed it until it hit you like a blow. She
was still only slightly bigger than other babies her age, but she was babbling
now, mainly “mama,” which she said to both Diandra and Lizbeth. She called
Eamon “On” and Adrian was “Ian.” Not quite seven months old, she was already
cruising holding on to furniture, and could keep her balance to turn and reach
for the coffee table from the couch, or vice versa. They’d have even less time
to enjoy childhood with her than most parents had with their kids, and Lizbeth
hated Jonah for that. He’d robbed this beautiful baby of a normal childhood,
and wherever he was, Lizzie hoped he was suffering an eternity of torment. He
deserved nothing less for his multitude of sins.
“What put that look on your face?” Diandra asked- curiosity
and worry tinged her voice as she watched Lizzie’s expression. She was seated
on the floor, back against the loveseat as she sipped from a glass of wine and
nibbled popcorn. Some ridiculous horror movie from the sixties was on, and she
was always amused by the difference in special effects back then as compared to
those from modern movies. And yet, at the time, these movies were cutting-edge.
She often pondered what RaeLynn’s generation’s opinion would be of the movies
Dia grew up with when the time came. Would all their technology be as obsolete
as those from the movie she now watched? More than likely, she thought
ruefully, chuckling over the big bad monster’s ridiculously bad loping gait as
he chased some idiotic blonde down the streets of suburbia.
Lizbeth shook her head before folding herself into the pale
pink armchair and throwing her legs across one overstuffed arm. “Jonah,” she
said, and Diandra looked over at Rae, nodding in understanding. “Dia,” Lizzie
started, but she was cut off.
“No,” Diandra said gently. “Don’t apologize. I know you did
what you felt was best. You did the only right thing in a situation full of
wrongs. I didn’t understand at the time, but now I think I do. I’m sorry you
were forced into a situation like that.”
Lizbeth looked down, folding her arms around herself as if
cold. “It was just like what I went through. I know the pain he caused her- he
did it to me, remember? I couldn’t let him win any more than you did with me.
He couldn’t kill her- she didn’t deserve to die on my behalf. I had to save
her, don’t you see?” Lizbeth pleaded. “I had to turn her, because she couldn’t
die, and he couldn’t win.” Tears rolled down her pale cheeks as she turned
those eerie blue eyes on her lover.
Diandra got up then and went to her. “I do, baby. I do
understand, and I’m not angry. You did the right thing. She asked you to save
her, and so you did. You did the right thing,” she repeated again, stroking her
hand over Lizbeth’s dark hair, holding her close and trying to soothe her.
Adrian got up silently, scooping RaeLynn up into his arms
and carrying her upstairs. It was time for the baby’s bath, and then it would
be bedtime. He would handle it tonight, and let the women work through their
battered feelings. All those emotions rained down on him, choked him, as he
soaked up the feelings and tension in the parlor. Rather than force himself to
handle it, he fled. On his way up the stairs he ran into Sandra leaving the
guest room. He gasped, drawing back a moment as he noticed that her eyes seemed
to glow, a deep overwhelming green. Recovering, he shook his head. “Sandra, you
may want to give them a few minutes. Right now they’re discussing a few things.
Why don’t you come with me while I bathe RaeLynn? I’d really like to chat a
bit.”
Sandra cocked her head to the side and narrowed those creepy
eyes. “As you wish,” she murmured, following him into the bathroom. He didn’t
see her eyes take on a savage glint as she
so quickly, Lizzie thought with a pang. She knew it happened, it was supposed
to happen, but you never actually noticed it until it hit you like a blow. She
was still only slightly bigger than other babies her age, but she was babbling
now, mainly “mama,” which she said to both Diandra and Lizbeth. She called
Eamon “On” and Adrian was “Ian.” Not quite seven months old, she was already
cruising holding on to furniture, and could keep her balance to turn and reach
for the coffee table from the couch, or vice versa. They’d have even less time
to enjoy childhood with her than most parents had with their kids, and Lizbeth
hated Jonah for that. He’d robbed this beautiful baby of a normal childhood,
and wherever he was, Lizzie hoped he was suffering an eternity of torment. He
deserved nothing less for his multitude of sins.
“What put that look on your face?” Diandra asked- curiosity
and worry tinged her voice as she watched Lizzie’s expression. She was seated
on the floor, back against the loveseat as she sipped from a glass of wine and
nibbled popcorn. Some ridiculous horror movie from the sixties was on, and she
was always amused by the difference in special effects back then as compared to
those from modern movies. And yet, at the time, these movies were cutting-edge.
She often pondered what RaeLynn’s generation’s opinion would be of the movies
Dia grew up with when the time came. Would all their technology be as obsolete
as those from the movie she now watched? More than likely, she thought
ruefully, chuckling over the big bad monster’s ridiculously bad loping gait as
he chased some idiotic blonde down the streets of suburbia.
Lizbeth shook her head before folding herself into the pale
pink armchair and throwing her legs across one overstuffed arm. “Jonah,” she
said, and Diandra looked over at Rae, nodding in understanding. “Dia,” Lizzie
started, but she was cut off.
“No,” Diandra said gently. “Don’t apologize. I know you did
what you felt was best. You did the only right thing in a situation full of
wrongs. I didn’t understand at the time, but now I think I do. I’m sorry you
were forced into a situation like that.”
Lizbeth looked down, folding her arms around herself as if
cold. “It was just like what I went through. I know the pain he caused her- he
did it to me, remember? I couldn’t let him win any more than you did with me.
He couldn’t kill her- she didn’t deserve to die on my behalf. I had to save
her, don’t you see?” Lizbeth pleaded. “I had to turn her, because she couldn’t
die, and he couldn’t win.” Tears rolled down her pale cheeks as she turned
those eerie blue eyes on her lover.
Diandra got up then and went to her. “I do, baby. I do
understand, and I’m not angry. You did the right thing. She asked you to save
her, and so you did. You did the right thing,” she repeated again, stroking her
hand over Lizbeth’s dark hair, holding her close and trying to soothe her.
Adrian got up silently, scooping RaeLynn up into his arms
and carrying her upstairs. It was time for the baby’s bath, and then it would
be bedtime. He would handle it tonight, and let the women work through their
battered feelings. All those emotions rained down on him, choked him, as he
soaked up the feelings and tension in the parlor. Rather than force himself to
handle it, he fled. On his way up the stairs he ran into Sandra leaving the
guest room. He gasped, drawing back a moment as he noticed that her eyes seemed
to glow, a deep overwhelming green. Recovering, he shook his head. “Sandra, you
may want to give them a few minutes. Right now they’re discussing a few things.
Why don’t you come with me while I bathe RaeLynn? I’d really like to chat a
bit.”
Sandra cocked her head to the side and narrowed those creepy
eyes. “As you wish,” she murmured, following him into the bathroom. He didn’t
see her eyes take on a savage glint as she
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