Good Gods

Chapter 3

Having decided to go to the New Olympian's meeting, I spend the morning of the big event working in my greenhouse. Since the night of the fire, Roman and I haven't spoken. He was correct, a storm that meteorologists hadn't seen forming, sprang-up and dosed the blaze—A fire that, according to the news started under suspicious conditions. None of the new gods have claimed to be the savior of countless homes and lives. But everyone knows it had to be one of them—er, us. As for the tension in my own home, it's still an inferno with no chance of precipitation.

Some of my seedlings are sprouting, fast even with it being spring. I smile and raise one of the cups so I can show a giggling Quin. I planted the seeds only a week past, and here one of the marigolds already has a bright yellow flower. I let Quin touch the soft petals with her chubby fingers. Gardening is the only thing that's going well since my return. I'm putting the green back into greenhouse and it's fun. I've got crazy beautiful plants dripping with vivid blooms. The place smells like ripe earth and holds the hint of my many different species of lavender. I've always been a great gardener, and it's good to see my plants flourishing under my ministrations. So unlike my marriage.

Creb is sprawled across the threshold of the greenhouse door. He's upside down with his paws in the air and his large tongue rolling out to the side to create a river of drool down the walk. Guard dog, humph. The best he would do today is to force an intruder to step-over him.

I'm pretty sure our dog suffers from multiple personality syndrome. Just saying. One day he's all aggressive foaming out the mouth like he'll tear ones arm off, example the other day with Lance. Then he switches and turns all happy jumpy to meet you puppy, or he turns into what I call "the glacier dog". Like now, where all he does is seek cold places, lies around, and only moves a few feet a year—get it, like a glacier. Anyway, I think our dog's personality disorder is the result of living with Roman, I know that man has driven me crazy on multiple levels.

I study my flowers and contemplate cutting some of the blooms to bringing a bouquet into the house. Might brighten the space even if the mood is pitch black. I tap my good pruners on the side of the greenhouse sink. Rip's coming over anytime now to care for Quin, as I don't know if I can count on Roman being home.

Again, I haven't spoken to my husband. It's Saturday and he was gone before I got up. I could have asked my mom to babysit, she'd have loved it. But I decided having her in the house would only be throwing propellant on my marital issues.

I feel guilty about asking Rip. Like Roman said, I think the guy has been working long hours. Last time I saw him, he had bags under his well-exfoliated skin, and his shirt actually had a wrinkle in it. Spoke volumes for Rip. I didn't feel like I had a choice, taking Quin to this meeting wasn't going to happen and, well, Roman has a problem with letting anyone know we have a child.

Okay, I know, the man has strange rules for our house. One of the bigger ones is the Quin-doesn't-exist-outside-of-us rule. Don't get me wrong, Roman loves being a Dad, and he was ecstatic when I got pregnant, and that's kind of an understatement. He just keeps our baby hidden. Even had her last name on her birth certificate be my maiden name. Seriously, sometimes I think I married a man from the mob.

Roman has brothers, and sisters, not sure about them, I've only met his two brothers each once. He hates everyone in his family. No surprise, Roman's people-he-likes list is short, like count on one hand short. Possibly, count of four fingers short. I use to think of myself as blessed to be on his short-short list of those he liked... Anyway, he hardly talks about his family and when he does that vein on his neck pops-out.

They have a family side-business, from what I understand. Again, this is where I think the mob ties come into play. They keep contacting him, or his brothers do, and from what I get off Roman, he wants to keep me, and especially Quin, far away from their dealings.