Waves of Love

SIX

45 years old

The funeral had been a grave day for the kingdom. Aquafina could only console the children in the one way she knew how. Evan brought his oldest to his side and talked to him one on one. "Your mother may have left our side but she will always be with us in the night sky. So don't let your grief hold you back from taking on the mantel she has handed you. When it is your turn to guide this country I want you to do it in the name of the goddess Aquafina, and with the pride of your mother."

It was a mournful day but an encouraging one still. Aquafina happily adopted the four children as her own, renaming them with names of the gods. "River," the oldest and the crown prince. "Marine," the oldest daughter and an aspiring writer. "Coral," a cheerful girl who loved parties and anything to do with shopping. "And my little adventurer, Horizon," Aquafina finished.

On the day of the renaming ceremony Aquafina made a small announcement. "I would also like to introduce the name of the sixth edition to our family," she touched her stomach. "Aquaria." The room froze. The sound of the clock ticking was far more evident in the shocked silence. Coral was the first to burst from her seat in excitement. Evan sat deathly still in his chair. His face was red and puffed with pride. Rain stared at his mother's stomach in awe, "I'm gonna be an older brother."

The rainbow that danced in the sky told Aquafina her family was also cheering with her. She giggled and walked over to Evan. "You ready for one more?" He nodded with such intensity she felt the need to still his face with her hands. She kissed his forehead laughed as he tapped his ear to her stomach. He jumped back when he felt a small kick. "Aquafina," he looked up to her. "Thank you for loving me," his eyes watered. She shook head at his silly antics. "I'm the one who is pregnant why are you so emotional." He laughed, "I can't help it."

•••

"You're officially an adult Rain," Aquafina stared proudly up to her son as she leaned against the table. A large cake decorated in fruit and icing stood tall at the center of the table. Fifteen candles glimmered with a small flame. "Does this mean you will finally start teaching me how to be water god?" His blue eyes peered over the bright yellow candles. She huffed, "I've already been teaching you how to use water magic. You can control storms and make rainbows, what more do you need?"

He frowned, "I want my own disciple." Aquafina chuckled, "you mean a prophet? We will talk about that later. First blow out your candles. Wax is getting all over your cake." Rain closed his eyes and made a small wish before blowing out the candles. Aquafina felt her chest warm as she heard the small prayer he had made. "You want Horizon to be your prophet?" Rain sheepishly nodded.

She smiled brightly and hugged her son, "you've got five more years before you can make a contract, but I'm sure he will love the idea."

Aquafina smiled as the two quietly ate the cake together. She liked giving him a small birthday party just the two of them, like they had done years ago. "When we go back up to heaven will we be able to see papa and Horizon again." Aquafina nodded and smiled. "Yes because they are our prophets. And when prophets die they become angels. We will see them so often you might grow tired of them." Rain smiled and nodded as he nibbled his cake.

The once small boy had grown up so much over the years. His white hair was wavy and long like his fathers. His lean face had filled in with healthy weight and muscle. He was a looker like his mother but a gentleman like his father, a perfect combination.

"What about Marine, Coral, and River? What will happen to them?" Aquafina processed the question. "Well even if they can't become our prophets they can become prophets of other gods. The goddess of love has many children who would love a kind prophet like Coral. The goddess of spring might like Marine. And I'm sure Law would love to have River as his prophet. I can bring it up to him the next time we talk."

"Do you and this Law god talk often?" A familiar voice rang through the soft atmosphere. Aquafina smiled and lifted her head up. Evan walked behind her and kissed her forehead. "Anyone I should be worried about?" His eyebrow was raised in a skeptical arch but his smile twitched with amusement. Aquafina snickered and looked back down to her son. "Tell your father to stop joking and to wish his son a happy birthday?"

Rain looked between his parents then paused on his father. "Papa, mom said to-." Evan laughed, "I heard her, I heard her." He walked to the white haired boy and hugged him. "Happy birthday Rain."

•••

50 years old

River was king.

At the proud age of twenty four he stepped into her fathers place and wore the crown with pride. Law had come down to congratulate his new prophet by offering blessings to the nobles who came to the coronation.

Temples fiddled the cities and guarded the kingdom. River's kingdom was a well respected country for its intimate relationship with the gods.

Evan and Aquafina sat proudly on their thrones. They watched as the new king danced with the blushing nobles girl and joked with the business men. "He will make a great king," Evan smiled. Aquafina eyed the crowd of woman with an observing gaze. "And a great father if he were to finally get married," she huffed.

Evan chuckled and reached for his wife's hand. "Give it time. He wasn't as lucky as I was." Aquafina rolled her eyes, "he is lucky enough. He has me as his mother, you as his father, and Law as his god. He has plenty of luck in my opinion. He just needs a wife and he is all set."

Evan snickered, "well we promised to let him choose someone he loves." Aquafina shrugged, "yes but love isn't always something you just wait till it finds you. Sometimes you have to search for it. Really yearn for it and then it will come to you." Evan raised any eyebrow, "is that why you came to me that day? Because you knew I needed someone to love?"

Aquafina shrugged, "well at the time you just looked like you needed a friend." He leaned against the throne and stared at her. The adoration in his eyes made her shift in her seat nervously. "What? Is there something on my face?"

He didn't answer, he just stared. "Thank you for being the biggest blessing in my life." She sent him a toothy grin, "back at you."

She had grown to love the small wrinkles that creased at his eyes. The grey hairs that matched her own. He was aging as humans do. They shrink and shrivel and decay while gods grow more magnificent and beautiful. It was a cruel fate. But she loved him all the same.

•••

They spent their free time sailing. He showed her the world she had loved from up above from within. Sometimes Horizon and Rain also joined them on their adventures, but majority of the time they were off on their own. They crossed the continents and the worlds together as water god and prophet.

Aquafina melted into the waves and carried Evan through the ocean. He stayed in a small bubble as they explored the deep blue. Then she carried him through the rain. They flew up and up till they hovered over the clouds.

Then there was Aquaria. Their pride and joy. Her white hair had brown roots and her blue eyes swirled with a bright green. She had weaker powers than Rain but she still loved to learn. She was as curious as raven but as smart as an eagle. She was constantly asking questions but Evan always had an answer. "If I swim to the bottom of the ocean what will I see?" She pointed to the small waves over the boat. Evan tapped his chin and pretended to seriously think over the question. "Probably nothing. It's really dark down there," he grinned.

She happily bobbed her head waddled over to her mother. "Momma what is heaven in like?" Aquafina was basking in the sunlight on a long white beach chair. She chuckled at the puffed cheeks of the impatient little girl beside her. Aquafina picked up her daughter and held her in her arms.

"You see those clouds up there?" She pointed to the sky. Aquaria looked up and up until all she saw was an endless sea of clouds. Aquafina tapped her check to the girls cheek. "Heaven is like an city of clouds that you can walk on for days. There are homes and building filled with super cool gods like your uncle Law."

Aquaria gasped, "a city of clouds." Aquafina nodded. "A city of clouds."