When She Comes

Chapter 45 - Daddy

The repetitive thump of her heart pounding in her ears deafened all other sound, including her high pitch scream that all but corralled the local strays.

Lost inside her head, Sabine attempted to register who the man was before her.

His arrival was too unexpected.

"F U C K! You could have called! Scaring the living daylights outta me! What the hell is wrong with you?" Sabine was pissed and had no qualms letting him know.

Herod gave Sabine a hand out of the hammock bringing the two toe to toe as Herod voiced a most heartfelt apology.

"I'm so sorry Sabine. Your grandmother has been calling for days but you haven't been answering and finally after lunch today she ask me to get going and come for you."

Sabine tried to settle her heart that was still pounding out of her chest but now it started to accelerate for a different reason, a flaring anger that it wasn't Prince who sent for her.

Herod did his best to calm by giving a hug, something new to their relationship.

"Why are you here? You should be with abuela not here with me. I've been getting along just fine." Able to exchange her anger for concern once she realized abuela was in Minneapolis without her husband.

"No no...the reverse is true, you should be with us. Pack your bag. If we aren't on that plane within the next hour, Valeria de Vries is gonna set my hair on fire."

"I'm sorry Herod but I will not watch Prince single handedly destroy himself out on a European tour."

"But he's not going Sabine."

"Ohhh no! I heard him loud and clear." Adding in a sing songy voice. "...traveling to six or eight cities and then wrapping it up."

"Nooo. He did that to..."

"To what exactly?"

Herod couldn't help but laugh. "Let's just say it was his own dysfunction talkin." Walking into the house, Herod popped the refrigerator grabbing a bottle of water and a slice of the mango already cut in the refrigerator.

"No to what...Look he said he never planned on going. Your abuela will be able to explain better than I."

"And yet he let me leave?" She wanted answers that Herod was not prepared or able to provide.

"Saaaaaabine...go...go pack your bag...don't give this another thought and have me get in trouble with your abuela. The plane is getting gassed up, you are going home...pack...your...things. We are leav'in in an hour."

As his footsteps trailed to Valeria and his bedroom she heard the shower start.

"You want me to make you something?" From the hallway she hollered wondering if making him something would buy her some time.

"No..." Knowing full well she was procrastinating. "Stop stalling!" In that moment he was sounding very much like an abuelo, a little more gruff than she liked.

"Shit!" She exhaled wishing she had more time to sort through her feelings. "Actions speak louder than words they say...and look where you are Prince."

Barely audible she slumped in the Adirondack chair that Prince typically sat in and gazed out on the water. "Was there a view she was missing? Am I supposed to chase you? Is that how this works? Is that how you work?"

"You better be ready!" Hurriedly, Herod closed up the house and then took her hand heading for the door. It was time Herod got back to abuela, that she knew for sure.

The entire flight back to Minneapolis Sabine felt like something was out of place. Her anxiety was so high that her spirit guides had major difficulties infiltrating her dreams which ultimately made them unable to connect.