said. "You have a lot of layers, and discovering them is fascinating and disconcerting. You thought the spirit of your baby was attached to you. And you were filled with joy when you did. Wanna tell me about that baby of yours?" He looked so concerned, so caring, that Storm had to work not to tear up.
She looked out over the midway at the lights and balloons, couples hand in hand, couples pushing strollers. Happy families. That's what she'd sensed when she pulled into the empty lot last night. Carnivals must set up here regularly.
She looked at Aiden, watching, waiting.
She usually didn't talk about it, but she sensed his will ingness to hear it, and more surprising, she wanted to share it with him.
She sighed. "I was a junior in high school, and 'I got pregnant . ' I knew that I'd be on my own. My father would be no help." She fought her emotion, but Aiden got fuzzy.
He handed her a clean napkin, but she refused to use it. "I wished 'I wasn't pregnant, wished the baby would just go away, you know." She shrugged. "And it did . ' I miscarried."
She rolled her aquamarine ring around her finger. "I was afraid that I'd inadvertently gotten rid of my baby with wishful magick, which would make me worse than my mother."
"Oh, Storm." Aiden gathered her close.
"I can't believe I told you," she said. "I didn't know that I already loved that baby until I lost it. I miss him every day. Not that I'm sure it was a him, but 'I sensed .. . him ... almost the minute 'I started to bleed, like he was saying good-bye."
Aiden nodded his understanding. "That's why your sisters don't take your talk of crying babies seriously." Storm crumpled the napkin. "They think it's grief.”
“Maybe it is."
"I never heard my baby c ry . ' I only sensed his presence. Your baby, 'I hear."
" And other babies, you hear, too, judging by your stunt at the mall."
"That's right," she said, pleased all over again. “As long as we're sharing," she said as the Ferris wheel began pick ing up speed, "do you have any idea who the woman attached to you is?"
"Not my mother. She wasn't attached to me in life. Claudette, I guess, Claudette Langley, an old girlfriend.”
“ You must have had other girlfriends."
"I did, but none of them are dead, that I know of, and Claudette was ... my most recent ... companion."
Dragon's blood, he couldn't even say relationship. "Did Claudette pass away while you were together?"
"No, she dumped me, or 'I assumed she did, because one day, half my closet was empty. No good-bye. No explanation, though we'd had a disagreement earlier."
He shook his head with regret. "A few months after we split, a mutual friend told me that Claudette had died in a car accident."
"She lived with you in your motor home when you were together?"
"On and off for a couple of years. I had a smaller coach then. It was nice, but she wanted a house."
"Attached to the ground. In one place, you mean.”
“ Roots, that's what she said. She wanted roots.”
“Which you can't grow."
"I think 'I must be root challenged." For half a beat, his expression changed. He blamed himself for Claudette's death. Storm knew it as well as she knew his child was out there.
"I'm no better for you, Storm, than I was for Claudette.”
“I'll be the judge of that . ' I take it she couldn't have been pregnant when she left?"
Aiden put an arm around her. "You're amusing com pany, Snapdragon McGee"
Change of subject. She got the message.
"Where to after this?" he asked.
"Merry-go-round, Tilt-A-Whirl," she suggested. "I get the feeling that we can't go back to the coach until well
after dark"
"I mean, where to when we get on the road again?”
“ Who knows? We're on the right track. The sound of the baby is strong. 'I say we try to get in a few hours' driving
before we stop to sleep."
"We'll need to find a campground tonight. Time to hook
up ."
"Star showers later tonight," she said. "Want to watch
them with me?"
"Will you be waving a wand?”
“ No. Will
She looked out over the midway at the lights and balloons, couples hand in hand, couples pushing strollers. Happy families. That's what she'd sensed when she pulled into the empty lot last night. Carnivals must set up here regularly.
She looked at Aiden, watching, waiting.
She usually didn't talk about it, but she sensed his will ingness to hear it, and more surprising, she wanted to share it with him.
She sighed. "I was a junior in high school, and 'I got pregnant . ' I knew that I'd be on my own. My father would be no help." She fought her emotion, but Aiden got fuzzy.
He handed her a clean napkin, but she refused to use it. "I wished 'I wasn't pregnant, wished the baby would just go away, you know." She shrugged. "And it did . ' I miscarried."
She rolled her aquamarine ring around her finger. "I was afraid that I'd inadvertently gotten rid of my baby with wishful magick, which would make me worse than my mother."
"Oh, Storm." Aiden gathered her close.
"I can't believe I told you," she said. "I didn't know that I already loved that baby until I lost it. I miss him every day. Not that I'm sure it was a him, but 'I sensed .. . him ... almost the minute 'I started to bleed, like he was saying good-bye."
Aiden nodded his understanding. "That's why your sisters don't take your talk of crying babies seriously." Storm crumpled the napkin. "They think it's grief.”
“Maybe it is."
"I never heard my baby c ry . ' I only sensed his presence. Your baby, 'I hear."
" And other babies, you hear, too, judging by your stunt at the mall."
"That's right," she said, pleased all over again. “As long as we're sharing," she said as the Ferris wheel began pick ing up speed, "do you have any idea who the woman attached to you is?"
"Not my mother. She wasn't attached to me in life. Claudette, I guess, Claudette Langley, an old girlfriend.”
“ You must have had other girlfriends."
"I did, but none of them are dead, that I know of, and Claudette was ... my most recent ... companion."
Dragon's blood, he couldn't even say relationship. "Did Claudette pass away while you were together?"
"No, she dumped me, or 'I assumed she did, because one day, half my closet was empty. No good-bye. No explanation, though we'd had a disagreement earlier."
He shook his head with regret. "A few months after we split, a mutual friend told me that Claudette had died in a car accident."
"She lived with you in your motor home when you were together?"
"On and off for a couple of years. I had a smaller coach then. It was nice, but she wanted a house."
"Attached to the ground. In one place, you mean.”
“ Roots, that's what she said. She wanted roots.”
“Which you can't grow."
"I think 'I must be root challenged." For half a beat, his expression changed. He blamed himself for Claudette's death. Storm knew it as well as she knew his child was out there.
"I'm no better for you, Storm, than I was for Claudette.”
“I'll be the judge of that . ' I take it she couldn't have been pregnant when she left?"
Aiden put an arm around her. "You're amusing com pany, Snapdragon McGee"
Change of subject. She got the message.
"Where to after this?" he asked.
"Merry-go-round, Tilt-A-Whirl," she suggested. "I get the feeling that we can't go back to the coach until well
after dark"
"I mean, where to when we get on the road again?”
“ Who knows? We're on the right track. The sound of the baby is strong. 'I say we try to get in a few hours' driving
before we stop to sleep."
"We'll need to find a campground tonight. Time to hook
up ."
"Star showers later tonight," she said. "Want to watch
them with me?"
"Will you be waving a wand?”
“ No. Will
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