The end of July brought the arrival of Saerwen, Faeron and Shi's baby daughter. She was like her father in overall appearance, but had her mother's black hair. Her big brown eyes took in everything around her, and she was, in general, a very content little baby. Shi had taken right to being a mother and although she was tired, she basked in the loving contentment that she'd found with her newly made family. Their apartment renovations had been completed before the arrival of the baby, and it was almost always where Vesper could find her friend if she wanted to visit with her and her daughter.
Elarinya had become Vesper's almost constant companion while her mother slowly worked through the torment of what had happened to her during her captivity. Mr. Hughes had not first understood why she was still in so much pain, nor had her brother, but Vesper had reminded them that she was only able to truly heal physical pain. Mental anguish could be soothed, but not truly put out by her gift. Natasha would need to come to terms with what happened to her in her own time.
Natasha had been able to slowly emerge from her protective shell in some ways during the time she'd spent at the spa. She would seek out Vesper for companionship, and the two women and the little girl would take walks around the property. They would talk about their lives, past, present, and future, and Vesper found that she could be completely honest with her new friend and not worry about being judged or told that her relationship with the fallen angel was a lost cause. Natasha had fallen in love with a unicorn, she would chuckle, stranger things have happened.
Elarinya was gaining confidence, as well. She had begun to feel more at ease around the other employees, though she was kept strictly away from all of the business transactions at the spa. Her time was spent either in Shi's apartment, the third floor rooms of either Vesper or her mother, or wherever the two women took her on the property. The little girl was intelligent and eager to learn, a trait her mother said that she'd had since birth. Vesper taught her about the plants that grew in the woods and she told the little girl about her climb up the mountains to see the satyrs. Elarinya had wanted to meet the large beasts, and Vesper had promised that she would one day, and hoped they might have something to cover their usually quite naked bodies with so that the little girl wasn't exposed to anything she ought not to see. Natasha had said that elves were quite modest most of the time, as her father's people had been, as well.
The little dark haired elf hybrid was still seeking Vesper out at night sometimes, usually starting off with her mother and then crossing the hall to climb into bed with either Vesper or Mr. Hughes when her mother began to have nightmares. The first morning that Vesper had woken and found Mr. Hughes staring down at the sleeping face of the child, his hand smoothing over her dark hair as she rested comfortably by his side had pulled quite a few strings in her heart. The angel might not have the equipment to make a child, but he certainly had the capacity to love and care for one.
August arrived and brought with it many humid, high temperature days. Vesper was pleased with the progress that had been made on her little house, and nearing the end of the month, the frame was up and the walls were in place. In a few days, she knew that the cedar siding was going to start being installed and the inside walls were already taking shape, as well. It was exciting to think that this would be her home soon. She was already starting to think about the things that she wanted to use to decorate it. Vesper had told Mr. Hughes that she wanted to go into Toronto to look at furniture and bedding and he had been very against the idea, worried that she would be outed as a nonhuman by the people there.
Vesper had tried to reassure him that she could hide her wings, as she had done all through her life before coming to the spa, and that her ears could be hidden within her hair, but he had refused to listen to reason and would not take her into town. She was furious that he didn't trust her to take care of herself, and she'd spent the next hour sulking as she sat in the meadow on a blanket with Elarinya.
"What are you two doing?" A smiling Samir walked up from behind her and Vesper craned her neck up a little to see him.
"Elarinya is teaching me to play a game." Vesper told him and patted at the blanket next to her.
Samir sat down without preamble and smiled at the shy little girl who was looking at him with her big brown eyes.
"It's so hot out here, I'm surprised you wouldn't rather be inside with the air conditioning." He arched a brow at her as he picked up one of the many stones that Elarinya had collected to use as part of her game.
"I think it's nice to feel warm once in a while, it's cold for such a long part of the year up here." Vesper shrugged, picking up a rock and moving it across the line of sticks that Elarinya had carefully placed in patterns on the blanket. The little girl's giggle made her smile warmly, she was quite fond of the child.
"Your house is gonna be done in no time. You'll have to start borrowing Shi's catalogs." Samir looked over at the structure, they could hear the hammers and saws from where they sat, the sounds echoed throughout the meadow.
"Yes, I suppose. I would have liked to actually go and pick a few things out, but Arc thinks someone will spot me." She frowned softly, looking in the same direction as the giant.
"He forgets that you lived your whole life among humans."
"He does."
"If you need a ride, I actually do own a truck and I could take you. We could go to a furniture store and order some stuff." He offered and she looked at him with a smile.
"You would take me to town?" Vesper asked, if Mr. Hughes didn't want to take her, it wouldn't really hurt for Samir to do it.
"Sure, I've got the morning off. As long as we were back a little after lunch, it should be okay." He stood back up and then helped her to her feet.
"Elarinya, I'm going to take you back to your mother. We can play again this afternoon." Vesper assured the little girl and the three of them walked back to the house.
~*~*~*~
Mr. Hughes was standing on the front porch when they returned shortly before two in the afternoon. His hands were folded together behind his back, and he had a sour look on his face as Vesper stepped out of the truck that Samir had pulled to the front of the house. They'd made several purchases on their trip and he was going to pull around later and store them in one of the sheds until her house was ready. She walked over to Mr. Hughes with Samir slightly behind her and smiled up at the surly looking angel.
"Where the hell have you been, Vesper? I texted you." He was angry, and she frowned, he really couldn't possibly believe that he could boss her into staying at the spa.
"I went shopping with Samir. We were careful and no one saw my wings. I'm quite used to walking among people in public." Vesper reminded him as she tightened her grip on the small clutch that she'd taken with her.
"And your phone?"
"I left it in my room, I think. I didn't mean to. I wasn't trying to scare you." She told him.
"You should have told me that you were going. I would have given you funds." She bit the inside of her cheek, this was him trying to be understanding despite the fact that she knew he disapproved of what she had done, it was something, "Come, there are people here that would like to meet you."
"People? Who?" Vesper asked as he turned and opened the door.
"One of Natasha's brothers has come," Mr. Hughes frowned at Samir who had instantly turned pale, "he has come to take her home."
"What?" Vesper gasped as she walked into the foyer, she hadn't considered the idea of Natasha leaving any time soon.
"So he can force her into a life she doesn't want, most likely." Samir grumbled and followed them inside.
"Samir, if you cannot behave yourself among the wood elves, you will need to stay away."
"This is my home, I'll go where I damned well want to." Samir said gruffly to his boss and followed them down the hall to a sitting room on the eastern side of the spa.
