Avery
“Is anything wrong?”
At the kitchen stove, Jacy jumped a full foot, I swear, before whipping her face over her shoulder. Her smile quavered.
“No, everything’s fine.”
“Are you sure? You seem a bit – distracted.”
“Of course,” she said. “It’s all good.”
I wasn’t so certain about that. Ever since I’d returned from the office, I’d observed Jacy’s tension. She startled at any small noise, gave a small yip, of fear? Maybe? Max shoved his nose into her butt. Spinning on the poor dog, I thought at first she intended to scold him. Instead, she rubbed his ears and hugged him in something akin to relief.
“Daaad.”
Declan frowned heavily from his seat at the kitchen table. “You’re not listening.”
“Er, sorry.” I tore my attention from Jacy to Declan and his opened book. “I am now.”
“Jacy taught me to read,” he announced proudly. “I can spell ‘quick’. Q-U-I-C-K.”
I clapped my hands. “Bravo. That’s great, little man. I’m proud of you.”
“Want to see what else I can read?”
“I sure do.” I scraped my chair from the table. “Come sit on my lap and show me.”
Declan happily climbed into my lap with his book, busy showing me the words he’d learned. With half my attention on him, I still watched Jacy as she busily cooked our supper. A bean casserole from the delicious smells. I also noticed she didn’t smile upon hearing Declan enthusiastically praise her teaching skills, nor did she take any part in the discussion.
I grew concerned as I watched her pick at the incredibly good casserole she’d fixed. “Jacy, are you sure you’re all right?”
I received a distracted smile in reply. “Yep.”
“Why aren’t you eating? This is fantastic. You’re an awesome cook.”
“I’m just not hungry.”
At bedtime, Declan hugged her goodnight, then took my hand as I walked with him up the stairs to his bedroom. As I tucked him in, turned on his Scooby-Doo nightlight, I asked casually, “Did anything happen today, little man?”
Declan regarded me with wide eyes. “We went to the library.”
“I know. Besides that.”
“No.”
“Okay.” I bent to kiss his brow. “Night, night.”
Standing, I walked to his door and snapped off the light.
“A man looked at her funny.”
I turned. “What man?”
“I dunno. A man. In a car. He looked at Jacy and then she went all weird.”
“You’re sure?”
“Uh, huh.”
“Okay, go to sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Night, Dad.”
“Night, baby.”
When I returned downstairs, I discovered Jacy had gone to her room and shut the door. Obviously, she wanted no interaction with me. After Declan’s comment, my worry over her increased. What man would look at her “funny”? Yeah, she’s a beauty with great legs she showed off in those tiny Daisy Dukes. But why would a dude ogling her bother her this much? Surely she’s long used to dickwads ogling her.
I sat heavily on the couch, unsure if I should pursue the incident or just let it go. An action movie played across my flatscreen TV, but I hardly noticed it. Wishing I knew her well enough to tap on her door and insist she confide in me, I knew damn well I couldn’t.
You’re her boss. Her employer. You can’t just butt into her business. Especially since she all but told you to butt out.
I felt the urge to fly.
My emotions swirling inside my head like a tornado, I needed the calm of the night sky, the feel of the wind beneath my wings. Once Elsa left us, I couldn’t leave Declan home alone in order to indulge my needs. On the rare opportunity of getting a babysitter, I’d indulge to my heart’s content. Yet, until Jacy arrived, those opportunities were rare indeed.
After a quick glance up the stairs, I listened for any sounds. I couldn’t tell if Jacy was asleep, but if she wasn’t, it wouldn’t matter. I eased the front door open, then quietly shut it behind me. I stepped down from the porch and looked up at my house.
A faint light appeared in Jacy’s window.
I won’t be gone long.
The sweet night air invigorated me. I strode down the street amid the streetlights, only a few lights on in neighbors’ windows. For the most part, the small town slept.
Two blocks down was a wide empty field. Weeds grew amid the broken glass and gravel, shredded plastic bags stuck to some of them and rustled in the light breeze. I looked around for any possible witnesses and saw none. The single most important of our laws, the very first on the list, was to never let humans see us in our other forms.
I broke that law three years ago.
Shifting, I spread my wings and leaped skyward.
Flying was nearly as important as breathing. And as necessary. I beat my way toward the stars, passing a few wisps of cloud. I climbed higher, rejoicing in the simple feel of the breeze under my wings. I soared. I folded my wings across my back and dropped like a stone, gravity sucking me toward the land faster than a peregrine falcon stooped upon its prey.
A hundred feet from the very hard earth, I snapped my wings out.
I locked the scream of joy in my throat as I coasted effortlessly over the landscape before climbing skyward again. I circled as I flew high, observing the lights of the town, the headlights of cars on the freeway stabbing the darkness. Up here, my troubles, my worries, all fell to the ground below.
Busy practicing a few backward loops, I failed to see another of my kind until she flew past me at roughly the speed of sound. Caught in her wake, I fumbled, dropped a hundred yards before catching myself and regaining my balance plus flying ability. She banked back toward me, her jaws wide in silent laughter.
Nor could I be angry at her joke.
“You’re hilarious,” I called to her. “Nice flying, by the way.”
“Thanks,” she replied. “You’re a handsome devil. I just had to say hi.”
I eyed her as she flew beside me. “I don’t suppose you’re single?”
She laughed. “Nope. Married with kids. Nor do I cheat.”
“Oh, well. It’s still nice to have a companion to fly with once in a while.”
“I totally get it,” she replied. “My mate is terrified of being discovered by humans so he doesn’t fly much, even at night as we are. The law, you know.”
“I’m Avery. Nice to meet you.”
“Sasha. And ditto.”
It’d been far too long since I’d spent any real time with another of my species. Reveling in flying with Sasha, I danced the dance of wings and air and sky with her. And she was easy on the eyes, too. Her scales were a golden red shade, her eyes as green as Jacy’s. I breathed deeply as I watched Sasha fly with the ease of long experience. Contented with simply having a friend to fly with, I spent two glorious hours laughing, comparing flying skills, and, of course, showing off.
“You know what you’re doing,” Sasha commented. “Your abilities are amazing.”
“Until lately, I haven’t been able to fly much. Kid at home, you know.”
“I certainly dig that,” she said. “You have a babysitter tonight?”
“Live in nanny. A good one, too. She totally adores my son.”
“That’s awesome. You know what they say, you can’t find good help these days.”
I chuckled. “Sometimes you get lucky. I’d better get home. Might we do this again?”
“I hope so. But I’m like you, I can’t always get away. The hubby worries I’ll break the law and get into trouble with the council.”
Like I did. And now I’m on the run from the consequences. “I hear you, Sasha,” I said slowly. “Take care, all right? I had fun.”
Sasha laughed. “I did, too, Avery. Stay safe.”
We parted ways, flying in opposite directions. I flew toward home, craving what I may never ever find. A mate to fly with. A female with whom I can share the glory of being what we are, creatures born to dance through the sky like eagles.
***
Jacy’s light was out when I walked back from the field.
I let myself into my silent house, thinking I’d have only a few hours’ sleep before needing to rise for work. In the kitchen, I poured myself a glass of wine and sipped it, leaning against the counter.
On the table, my phone beeped. I had an e-mail. Who’d send me an e-mail at this ungodly hour? At first, I thought to ignore it as I dealt with business e-mails during business hours. This was my time off. I should ignore it until I get to the office. Still, I reached for it with a heavy sigh and opened my account.
I blinked.
At first, I didn’t recognize the address.
Then, cold consciousness flooded me and sent my stomach into tying itself into knots.
“Well, well,” I muttered, clicking on the message. “What do you know.”
Avery, Elsa had typed with no dear before my name. Why would I expect one? I’ve met someone. We’re still married, technically, so I need a divorce asap. I know you won’t deny it’s over, so don’t be a dick about it. I’ll send you the papers over the internet. You have full custody of the kid, I’m not challenging that. You’ll keep everything. Any questions, call me.
She wrote her number at the end of the note with no farewell.
I shut my phone down while absently sipping my wine. Not that I’d deny her the divorce she craved. As she’d pointed out, it was long over between us. I confessed I’d never given a divorce a second thought. Happy in my bachelorhood, I hadn’t planned on needing a divorce from Elsa.
It seems she did.
“You go, girl,” I whispered. “I hope he’s what you want. Since I wasn’t.”
I stared into the dark kitchen, pondering what we once had meant to each other. Elsa’s bitterness screamed at me from her note. She didn’t know what she was marrying. I can’t blame her. But she could have let the love she had for Declan work for her. Instead, she bolted.
“Like a frightened deer,” I muttered into the near darkness. “She never said goodbye to him. Just – left.”
Too young to understand, Declan cried for his absent mother. As I’d held him, rocked him, he, a bewildered two-year-old, cried for his mommy. The mommy who’d abandoned him, departed for parts unknown, left him as she wouldn’t have left a puppy in a field. My anger rose.
“Damn you,” I hissed in the dark. “Now you think you can come back and make demands. You whiney bitch.”
I’d sign her divorce papers and be happy to. Elsa wouldn’t contest me for custody of our son. Nor should she. She had no right after walking out on us as she had. As I stood, late in the night, thinking of Elsa as I once thought of her – beautiful and sexy and utterly loved – I realized one important matter.
A small part of me still loved her.