In Stone

36: "Who are you?"

36: “Who are you?”

There was one good thing about finding herself back in her world. Caia used the word 'good' very loosely, but at least it was something. Back in her own world, she could take a definitive pregnancy test that told her she was indeed expecting Then she could take that test to the doctor to get him to confirm that the baby was healthy and growing nicely.

It was with a freshly printed sonogram picture that Caia left the hospital. She assured the doctor that the father was indeed in the picture. She didn't lie when she said that he was out of town. She didn't know if he believed her though.

Not that it mattered, because McKenzie was there to admire her little embryo with her. They both cooed the little dot in her black and white womb together. When they left, Caia was still tracing her fingers over the proof of her and Caspian's love.

“Isn't it great?” she asked McKenzie as they crossed the parking lot.

“If you're into tiny parasites.”

“Which you are,” Caia grinned.

McKenzie grinned back. “It's the most adorable parasite ever. And it's only going to get bigger becoming a large parasite. Then one day it will rip itself from your body with a bunch of blood and screaming in a display of primal pain that echoes through the ages,” She sighed delightedly. “Isn't the miracle of life beautiful?”

“I can't wait to show Caspian,” Caia hugged the picture to her breast. “He's going to love it. He was so excited at the prospect of having children.”

“So, are any of your kids going to be like you?”

“Enchantresses, you mean?” Caia shook her head. “No. It's not inheritable. Which is good. I don't want my kids to lose their minds like me.”

“I don't know if I'd call it losing your mind. It sounds more like the goddess lady takes it from you then gives it back later. Like your mind is a book checked out at a library. You become more violent, sure, but you always come back.”

“Rowan didn't,” Caia frowned.

“Alright, so there are exceptions to the rule. Maybe she's legitimately crazy. Point is, you're still the same Caia I remember, so you can't be too insane.”

The two of them came to McKenzie's car and climbed inside.

They had been living together for about four days now. As promised, Caia had left her mother's house that very night. It surprised her when she was packing because she realized that everything in the house was hers that she had bought with her own money. From the pots in the kitchen to her clothes in the closet, it was all of it hers.

In packing up every piece of her life, Caia realized just how well she had done for herself. It occurred to her then as it hadn't any time before that maybe Caspian was right about her. She could care for herself, she could live on her own. She didn't need someone to withhold their affections until payment was made. She didn't even need someone to care for her.

What she needed was to care for someone else. The love that she had in her heart had been bottled up and denied so long that she didn't realize that she was so eager to bestow it on someone. Now she had a husband and a child. Now she had what she needed.

All she had to do was find her way back to them.

“So, I've been doing some snooping,” McKenzie started as they drove down the highway. “Did you know that Simone has officially been declared missing by her husband?”

“Huh? Really?” Caia blinked, surprised. She had been so focused on so many other things these last four days that she hadn't given any thought for Rowan. Truth be told, she had kind of forgotten about her since she and Caspian had agreed to move on.