\u201cLate?\u00a0 What does that mean?\u00a0 Late for\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
Matt elbowed Thordin hard in the side.\u00a0 Christ, will you shut up?<\/i>\u00a0 \u201cMar, why is the prospect so terrifying?\u201d<\/p>\n
She blew out a breath and looked away.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re not ready.\u00a0 We\u2019re not ready for Tala\u2019s baby, we\u2019re not ready for Neve\u2019s, and we\u2019re sure as hell not ready for mine and Thom\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n
Did he actually tell her about those dreams?\u00a0 Those visions of his?<\/i>\u00a0 Matt frowned.\u00a0 \u201cWould it be that terrible?\u201d<\/p>\n
Marin looked at him, tears glittering at the corners of her eyes.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not sure, Matty.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know.\u00a0 I mean\u2026I just don\u2019t know.\u201d\u00a0 She dropped her basket and was suddenly hugging him, her face buried against his shoulder.\u00a0 After the barest hesitation, Matt slowly wrapped his arms around his sister, holding her tight, fingers lacing through her dark hair.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s okay, Mar,\u201d he murmured quietly.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019ll be okay.\u00a0 Whether you are or you aren\u2019t doesn\u2019t matter.\u00a0 Everything\u2019s going to be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo it won\u2019t,\u201d she said, her voice muffled by his jacket.\u00a0 \u201cHaving our son starts a timer.\u00a0 We won\u2019t be here when he grows up to be a man.\u201d<\/p>\n
A shiver shot through Matt and his jaw tightened.\u00a0 What the hell has <\/i>she seen, too?\u00a0 Where does it intersect with what Thom\u2019s seen\u2014and where does all of that intersect with reality?<\/i><\/p>\n
At some point, he was going to find out, and he was still dreading the day he did.<\/p>\n
Just pray you don\u2019t find out the hard way or the painful way.<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cNothing is written in stone,\u201d Phelan said, expression a mix of pain and concern.\u00a0 \u201cYou have to remember that, Marin.\u00a0 Nothing<\/i> is written in stone.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was something like despair in his eyes, though, and Matt suppressed a shudder.\u00a0 He held his sister a little tighter.\u00a0 Nothing is written in stone, but apparently some things are more likely than others.\u00a0 This must be one of them.<\/i>\u00a0 He frowned and rested his chin against Marin\u2019s head.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhatever happens, you\u2019re stuck with me,\u201d he murmured into her hair.\u00a0 \u201cMe and your husband and the rest of this crazy band of yahoos.\u00a0 Whatever happens.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marin sucked in a shaky breath and hugged him harder.\u00a0 \u201cI know,\u201d she whispered.\u00a0 \u201cBelieve me, Matty, I know it.\u00a0 I wish knowing that helped, but it doesn\u2019t.\u201d\u00a0 She let go of him and straightened slightly, turning toward Phelan.\u00a0 Her eyes were rimed with red from her short-lived tears, her brow furrowed.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s gone?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor now,\u201d Phelan said.\u00a0 \u201cI doubt she\u2019s gone far, but for now, you don\u2019t have to see or listen to her.\u201d\u00a0 He frowned.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve never seen you react like that to something.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never had occasion to,\u201d Marin said quietly.\u00a0 She bent down to pick up her dropped basket, crouching to gather up the scattered holly boughs that had bounced free when she\u2019d dropped their container.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, you\u2019ve had occasion,\u201d Phelan said, frowning.\u00a0 \u201cUnless there\u2019s something you\u2019re not saying.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not talking about it.\u201d\u00a0 She straightened, basket in hand.\u00a0 \u201cSo you can stop asking about it and forget about it, or you can just stop asking.\u00a0 It\u2019s up to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Phelan stared at her for a moment, then glanced toward J.T. and then Matt.\u00a0 He sighed and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cAll right.\u00a0 I\u2019ll leave well enough alone.\u00a0 Every power that is or was know by now that I should know when to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not going to be easy.\u201d \u00a0Thordin said, grinning ruefully.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u00a0 No, it\u2019s not.\u201d\u00a0 Phelan stared at Marin.\u00a0 \u201cBut I\u2019ll figure it out.\u00a0 Everyone keeps telling me I need to.\u00a0 Maybe it\u2019s time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marin gave him a grateful smile.\u00a0 \u201cThank you, Phelan.\u201d<\/p>\n
He shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cIf I can\u2019t do it for family, who can I do it for?\u201d<\/p>\n
Matt put his arm around Marin\u2019s shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cTruer words were never spoken.\u00a0 Come on.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go see of Thom\u2019s done negotiating.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSomething tells me it\u2019s not going well,\u201d J.T. said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen we\u2019ll just sit back and wish we had popcorn.\u201d\u00a0 Matt smiled, trying to ignore the churning of his stomach.\u00a0 \u201cCome on.\u201d\u00a0 Anything to distract me at this point\u2014anything.<\/i><\/p>\n
Watching my brother-in-law get yelled at?\u00a0 I suppose that\u2019s as good as anything else.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cLate?\u00a0 What does that mean?\u00a0 Late for\u2014\u201d Matt elbowed Thordin hard in the side.\u00a0 Christ, will you shut up?\u00a0 \u201cMar, why is the prospect so terrifying?\u201d She blew out a breath and looked away.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re not ready.\u00a0 We\u2019re not ready … Continue reading