Chapter 23

Chapter 23

At the sight of her best friend, Violet put her hand on her belly for strength.  As she felt the tiny nudger, she took a deep breath and calmed down.  Jayde looked flustered.  And annoyed.  Suddenly, Violet felt a sense of dread.  Was she going to have to tell another lie to someone she was close to?  She already had to fib a little bit about the due date to her parents, she didn't want to have to lie to Jayde as well.  But she knew that look on her face.  And she also knew that she was going to have to tread lightly.  Mystic ran ahead and distracted Jayde while Violet and Lucina trailed behind, letting him work his magic so the angry cloud above her head could disipate before what was about to happen.
"what are you doing here?" Violet asked Jayde, trying to sound nonchalant and failing miserably.
"That's kind of like a 'welcome back' but not," Jayde replied, flipping her hair back and resting her hand on her hip.  Looking Lucina up and down, she smiled a fake smile while trying to pull Violet away.  "Who is this bitch?" Jayde whispered in Violet's ear, but not very well.  Violet was taken aback.  "This is Lucina, my midwife," she explained.  "Ditch her," Jayde answered, rather rudely.
"Umm, no, that's not going to happen," Violet said.
"Look, I know that I left a huge hole in your life when I left to go on tour, but I have to question your taste," Jayde said with a tinge of arrogance about her. Molly suddenly panicked. All she knew was that Violet had missed her friend and she wanted to do anything in her power to get Jayde over here.  Had she known it was going to be like this, however...
She felt an instant calm when she felt her mom's hand rub her stomach again.  She nudged back, their little secret for now.

"Look.  I don't know what's going on.  You text me 2 weeks ago to tell me you just found out you're pregnant and then I cancel 5 shows to get here and you look like you're 4 months along and carting around a new best friend."

"She's a new friend.  And there's a lot I have to explain to you still that I can't out here," Violet said, keeping her hand on her belly and trying so badly to keep calm.

"Oh?  Like what?" Jayde pressed, loving the attention the crowded street was giving them.  She could imagine the papers now, "Superstar and recording artist Jayde cancels 5 shows to come back to hometown to find out best friend has been lying to her, big fight ensues.  Jayde leaving in tears, big dramatic scene, cheered up by fans, goes on without childhood friend to be biggest star ever."

Violet's face dropped.  She could feel the energy rising in the crowd, the whispers and the air feeling electric.  She had only told a handful of people about this, and she would have to come clean once Molly was out.  But there was no way of knowing when that would be, and Lucina was her best bet at a safe and happy delivery.  Looking at her oldest and best friend, she could see how fame had changed her.  The old Jayde wouldn't be like this.  The old Jayde wouldn't have accepted the paparazzi snapping pictures of this very delicate and extremely private conversation.  Mystic was even getting nervous, pacing back and forth between the two girls, trying to get them both away from all of these people.  There were strangers trying to snap pictures and they were starting to grab at his fur.

Violet couldn't take anymore of this.  "If you really want to know what's going on, you'll leave the cameras behind." With that she opened the gate, allowing only Mystic and Lucina to follow her.  She took a long hard look at Jayde, staring into her eyes and not breaking contact for at least 20 seconds before walking away.  She had no idea if she would follow her but frankly... if things were going to be this way, she didn't really care anymore.  As she opened the door and got to the safety of her building, she breathed a sigh of relief.  She thought she heard the gate creak behind her but she didn't want to be too hopeful so she kept her eyes firmly in place, locked forward, until she had to find her keys to get into her apartment.
Upon closing the door, she felt her heart break a little.  She knew that Jayde had worked hard to get to where she was.  As kids, Jayde was always looking up to the big singers of the day, mimicking them at talent shows and always putting on big productions.  She really did have the talent to be a star.  When she got her first record deal at 16, Violet was the first person she called.  They went out and celebrated at a sushi buffet because it was all they could afford at the time.  But through the years, even with all the journals they sent back and forth, the last few were mostly all about Jayde and very little about their friendship.  Even when Violet texted Jayde to let her know she was pregnant, she didn't get the response she had hoped for.  Just a little smiley face.  And that was literally the last time she had heard from her until now.
Lucina was already consoling Mystic, who was still wimpering from all of the commotion that was still going on outside.  Violet was about to join them when she heard a tiny knock on the door. At first she thought it was her imagination until she felt a nudge in her stomach at the exact same moment a slightly louder knock sounded.  She checked the peep hole and sure enough, there was a slightly embarrassed, humbled version of her best friend standing in front of the door.  Violet wanted so badly to open the door but she felt so tempted to make her wait just a little bit longer before opening it.
"Come on, I can see your feet moving," Jayde said through the door, a bit exasberated.  "Alright fine, but check that attitude of yours before you walk in," Violet answered.  Jayde clucked her teeth at this and rolled her eyes, but after an extremely long pause and a sigh she answered, "Alright fine, attitude is checked.  Now can I please come in?"
Violet counted to 5 before opening the door. She looked around to see no entourage, no paps, no screaming fans surrounding her.  It was just her, the bitchy persona dropped, waiting to be let in and told the big mysterious secret that even her parents didn't know yet.  Violet felt another nudge and suddenly the coldness in her heart that was starting to build up melted away, and she wrapped her arms around her friend.  Molly knew that she had to keep still for this part, she didn't want to spill the beans and have Jayde hear the news before she was ready.  And she'd definitely raise an eyebrow if she felt a nudging this early.  "So... aren't you going to let me in?" Jayde said after they were finished with their tearful reunion.
Violet finally moved aside to let Jayde in.  Closing the door behind her, she knew whatever was spoken inside that apartment would never leave it. She wouldn't have let Jayde in if she hadn't of dropped the diva act beforehand.  She had her best friend back and she wasn't going to waste the moment.  She kept her hand on her stomach, bracing herself for what was to come.  "So... I have some news for you..."

Chapter 22

chapter 22:
"I'm Violet," she said, holding out her hand.  The woman in white shook her hand firmly and introduced herself as Lucina.  "And who is this?" She asked, casting her eyes upon the dog who clung to Violet's side.  "This is my familiar, Mystic," she said.  As she said Mystic's name, he walked curiously over to the woman in white, sat down and sniffed her hand.  She scratched his head and he started to drool.  "Nice to meet you, Mystic," she said sweetly.  He lifted a paw for her to shake and continued allowing her to scratch his head.
Lucina scratched his head for a few more moments before turning her attention back to Violet.  The two women just looked at each other for a while before speaking.  Violet felt a tiny nudge in her stomach, letting her know that it was okay, she was safe.  "So, you were the woman I was supposed to meet," Lucina stated.
"You were supposed to be here today?" Violet asked, events suddenly clicking in her mind.  "That's why my dog was so obnoxious this morning," she said.  Mystic gave her a sheepish look before coming back over to her and laying on the ground at her feet underneath the table. "I see there is someone else I am supposed to meet," Lucina said quietly.  Violet looked around the room.  The cops had come and gone, statements had been made, everyone had helped clean up.  But now there was hardly anyone in the place.  The woman had been picked up to go to the hospital and since then everyone who was involved had gone on with their lives.  Only a few stragglers remained, the rest were fresh faces.  Violet remained hesitant, unsure of what else she should say.  She felt another nudge and instinctively put her hand on her stomach and rubbed slowly.
"It's okay, you can tell me," Lucina said.  Violet looked in the woman's eyes for a second, unsure of herself for a moment.  But when she could find no judgment, only love and acceptance, she cleared her throat.  "This is Molly," she said, rubbing her stomach again.
"Ahhh.  And how far along are you?" The woman asked.
Violet looked down before answering.  This was the part she dreaded.  "I have no idea," she whispered.  Lucina looked across the table at this woman.  It was obvious she looked to be in about her 4th month.  Logically, this is what should have come out of the woman's mouth.  But that wasn't the answer the woman gave.  How could she not know how far along she was?  It seemed kind of silly, but instead of passing judgment, she decided to just go with it.  She could tell Violet wasn't lying, and she was also very protective of her unborn child.  "It's okay, you can tell me," she said.
"My husband and I conceieved about a month ago," Violet said, "but there is something about this baby that's a little different than most babies."  How many times had Lucina heard that statement?  She knew not to insult this woman by rolling her eyes, so instead she asked her what she meant.  To her surprise, Violet slowly got out of her seat and walked up to Lucina, still sitting down.  She reached for a hand and pressed it against her belly.  "What do you feel?" Violet asked.  Lucina sat in shock for a moment before really letting the images sink in.  She could feel a nudging, but she couldn't shake the feeling of something else.  Continuing to hold her hand in place, she closed her eyes and saw in her mind the images of angel's wings.  At first they were pink and new, like a baby bird.  But as this girl grew up, so did these wings.  They were as much a part of her as anything else, and she did use them. She used them to fly, to shield herself from wind, and to hug people.  Opening her eyes, she was startled as she felt tears she didn't even know were there start to fall down her cheeks.  Looking up at Violet, she suddenly understood why she was sent here.  She wanted so badly to bring this baby into the world, in a safe and happy environment away from people who would most likely try and kill that baby before or shortly after she was born. She saw that this baby was more than human and she felt as if it was her duty to make sure she was healthy and made it safely into this world.  Violet dropped her hand and the images faded.  She sat back down in her own chair, careful not to let her lightheadedness get the best of her.  "I would be honored if you'd let me see you through this birth," Lucina said, awe on her lips. Violet's eyes filled with tears.  She hadn't even asked for it but somehow she knew that the woman's words were true and she would be safe in her care.  "thank you," she said, tears falling. "you don't know how much that means to me.  I have no idea when Molly's coming and I can't go back to someone who is going to call me the devil and try to abort this baby.  I love her."
"And she loves you back," Lucina said knowingly.  Violet rubbed her stomach some more, feeling the nudge come from within.  "Come on then, let's set up a plan," the woman in white said, grabbing what was left of her drink and throwing it in the garbage before holding the door open for Violet and Mystic to walk through.  The three of them walked over to Violet's apartment, enjoying the view of the leaves in the trees changing colors and falling everywhere.  Violet let out a silent thank you as they walked, talking along the way.
They were almost to the complex before they both saw the limo.  Violet's heart nearly lept out of her chest as she saw who was standing in front of her fence, surrounded by all her favorite gays who were trying to take pics and get autographs.  It was her best friend in the whole world, Jayde.  Who didn't exactly know she was carrying an angel baby. Who looked completely shocked as she saw Violet being flanked by a dog and a complete stranger, looking like she had been pregnant for a while, coming down the street.

Chapter 21

Chapter 21:
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The next day, the search was on for someone a little bit more understanding of her situation than a doctor. Violet didn't know the specifics of this birth, but she was already showing as if she was in her second trimester and not even barely a month along, which she was. For all she knew, her baby could come within 3 months if she continued to grow at this accelerated pace. Violet decided that she was going to take a personal day, because from the way everything turned out to all the worries on her mind plus feeling extremely drained, she just didn't have it in her to teach her class.

Her husband had already left for work, telling her to take it easy and he'd be home for dinner. He gave her a kiss and left her all snuggled with Mystic in their bed. Mystic was itching for a walk. He had been let out for a morning pee but he hadn't had his walk yet. As much as he loved snuggling up with his mom, he couldn't sit still and kept poking her with his nose. "ugh, not now!!" Violet said with a sigh of annoyance. Normally Mystic would give up at this point, give into the warmth of the covers and settle back down. But this was different.
After 10 more minutes of Mystic's best whining performance ever, his persistence paid off. He licked Violet's face in victory as she reluctantly climbed out of the bed, muttering something about a kennel the whole time.
But even with as drained as she felt, she could feel herself gaining more energy as she stretched and put on some real
clothes. She hadn't taken Mystic to her Starbucks in a very long time, so she decided that that's what she would do. She grabbed a book as she figured she could catch up on some reading while Mystic just sat there and looked cute as he waited for strangers to pat his head.
She didn't feel up for a shower, so people would just have to do with seeing her hair a little bit greasy. She found her comfiest sweat pants and a long sleeved shirt to wear as it was early Autumn in Chicago.
After what felt like years of waiting, Mystic was finally on his leash, ready to walk. Violet soaked in the October sun, its morning rays giving off the illusion that it would be a warm day. It wasn't too bad though, she could still get away with not wearing a real jacket and her sandals kept her feet warm enough. She smiled to herself, feeling grateful to her dog for insisting that she come outside now to enjoy this weather while she could. Pretty soon it would be snow boots, hats, scarves, winter coats, ear muffs, and people driving like assholes in the snow. She reminded herself that now would be a great time to look for a house in the suburbs. Of West Palm Beach. She chuckled out loud at the thought, causing another nudging sensation in her belly.
"good morning, my little angel. Guess you're awake," she said, patting her stomach. She instantly felt the inside of her belly rise and fall and, as always, was both incredibly awed and a little freaked at the same time. Even though she knew her situation was extraordinary, how was she going to explain it to her friends? Not to mention her mother, who was great but a bit old fashioned. She had just found out one day ago that her baby had wings. Who would believe that? Maybe she'd text Jayde later. Jayde was her best friend since childhood, living her dream of being a rock star. They checked in every week and texted constantly, but it had been a few days since Violet had texted her friend. Jayde was on tour right now, making her way around the US yet again.
 She always sent Violet her tour journals, which consisted of poems and lyrics, pictures, and whatever else she thought of to put in there. Violet's journals weren't half as cool, but it was a pact they both had made to show each other their lives in the times when they were apart.

Violet longed for her best friend at that moment. The feeling was so strong that even Molly could feel how much her mom missed her, and vowed to do something about it. But it had taken all of her energy to get her mom up and to the Starbucks. There was someone very important that she would be meeting today, someone who was going to be very beneficial to this whole scenario. The woman who was going to deliver her into this world. And she was there now.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The woman dressed in white sat in the back of the Starbucks, nursing a white chocolate mocha and watching the door. Her cards had brought her here today, telling her there was someone she was going to meet. She just didn't know who.
A woman strolled in with a baby strapped to her front like a kangaroo. "nope, not her," she sighed as she took another sip of her drink. A couple came in, and at once the woman's hairs on her arms and neck stood up. The woman was listening intently to the man drone on about something, laughing in all the appropriate places. But it was obvious that it was nervous laughter. The woman glanced around the room, continuing this charade, when she locked eyes with the woman in the back. Although every alarm bell was sounding off inside her head, she merely placed her card underneath her palm and glanced down at it, as if signaling to the woman that this was her chance. The woman gave the barista her order and then told the man she was going to the bathroom.
The woman in the back watched as the man's eyes followed her possessively all the way back to the bathroom. There was a break in his glare when the barista asked him if he wanted whipped cream, and that was when she slipped her card into the woman's back pocket, never taking her eyes off the man.
She knew that that wasn't her girl, but she was still in trouble, and she couldn't just sit there and do nothing. And then she felt it.
A beautiful woman with dark hair and beautiful eyes walked in with what appeared to be an Alaskan malamute. At first she was stunned that anyone would be so brazen as to bring a dog into a place of business with a sign on the door clearly stating 'no pets allowed.' but then she saw the barista's reaction to the dog and smiled to herself. The barista had broken into a huge smile, finishing up the man's drink and running around the counter so he could pet the dog, who was rapidly wagging his tail.
The woman herself was a vision. She could see that the woman was clearly pregnant, although she was failing to understand how she was that far along already, or appeared to look that way. She could see that the woman's belly was protruding, but she could sense a hesitation.
 The woman who had been in the bathroom had texted her while she was in there. Just one word, "help." Coming out of the bathroom, the scene suddenly changed. The dog saw the woman coming out of the bathroom and went over to say hello to her. The man who was waiting for her, obviously pissed that a dog had been allowed into the place, yelled at her not to touch the dog. She didn't listen and reached down to pet him anyway. The man, who had been holding two hot coffees in his hand, threw one at his partner. Coffee spilled everywhere, the woman screamed as the drink she ordered burned her skin, and everyone in the place was either calling the police, recording the scene with their phones, or helping to clean the woman and the floor up.
The man obviously didn't think anything of this. Just as he was about to get ready to throw his other drink (after taking a sip and ringing the bell, of course), his hand got caught on something. Violet had grabbed him. "you have two options. You can let go of the drink in your hand slowly and carefully and you won't get hurt, or you can try and burn me and see what happens." the man's face faltered a bit, but he didn't skip a beat as he snarled through clenched teeth, "look here, bitch. You let go of my arm right now or I'm going to call the police and have you arrested."
Violet snorted. "you know, that's a good idea. Can somebody call 911 and tell them that there's a crazy pregnant lady trying to stop a guy from throwing hot coffee on his wife? Oh wait... You can just tell them when they get here."
The man wiggled his drink out of his hands, trying to make it fall onto Violet's head. Instead, she stepped to the side and it only got her legs as it splashed to the floor. "better me than that poor lady again," she thought as she put his arm down, still holding on to it. "now, I'm going to hold onto you until the police get here."
"A little bitch like you is going to hold onto me until the cops get here? Are you delusional?" He tried to haul off and smack her, until Mystic, his fur smelling like coffee and sticky, showed up, teeth barred. "now, look at what you did to my dog. I had just given him a bath."
"I don't give a shit, if he comes near me I'm suing you."
"Good luck with that," Violet scoffed as she let go of the man. Someone had already locked the door and was standing in front of it so she wasn't afraid of him getting away. Plus, Mystic was the best guard dog ever. She knew that everyone was safe from this guy now, especially his soon-to-be ex wife (she hoped). "now, before the police get here, you are going to clean this place up. You are going to apologize to your wife for throwing coffee at her, and then you're going to give my dog a bath." "like FUCK I am!!" the man screamed belligerently, lifting his arm to hit her. She calmly looked him in the eyes as her dog growled severely at him, causing him to rethink his desire to smack her in the face. "are you finished with that? You don't have a lot of time left," she stated as she could hear the sirens in the background.
He took one last hard look at her, contemplating what he could get away with, before deciding that she and that stupid dog of hers weren't worth it. "come on Kathryn, let's go," he said sternly as the sirens got closer.
"No."
Everyone looked nervously from the woman to her husband as the tension in the room hit an all-time high. "what did you say?" he asked through clenched teeth.
"I said no," the woman said calmly, only her flushed cheeks giving away any emotion. The woman in the back of the room and Violet silently cheered for this girl, both not even realizing the shield they were building together to keep this creep from her.
"You are going to come here now or I am coming over there."
"Like hell you are."
"Don't say I didn't warn you, you little bitch," he said venomously as he took a step towards her. The whole Starbucks was now on this wavelength of silently pleading for the man to stop in his tracks. As soon as he got close enough to brush her skin, there was a knock on the door.

"police, open up!!" an officer shouted. Whoever had been standing near the entrance of the door unlocked it and 5 officers stepped in looking like they had all stepped off a Hollywood movie lot. But the heat they were all packing brought reality back in. "what seems to be the problem here?" one of the officers asked Violet, who was attempting to wipe the remains of the second hot coffee off her legs. Mystic was attempting to help but she had to make him stop due to the 1st degree burns that had made their way to her skin. "well... If you shift your attention to the middle of the room, you might see something," she answered, not caring about formalities at the moment. The officer scoffed a little bit, reluctantly listening as his eyes shifted to the middle of the room where a woman stood with an army of people behind her, obviously burned pretty badly. Off to the side he noticed a guy standing all by himself, an arrogant and yet slightly afraid look on his face. He knew by instinct alone that this was the asshole who had caused this mess. He and Violet shared a glance as he sauntered over to where the guy was standing, quickly read him his rights, and cuffed him, not even bothering to utter another word besides asking his partner to please dump this piece of garbage into the back of his car. There was a drunken homeless guy in the backseat already, gleefully singing show tunes while taking turns between barfing and peeing on himself. The officer didn't even care about the clean up afterwards as long as that asshole had to sit in that backseat for as long as it took to take care of his soon-to-be ex-wife (he hoped).

He was surprised that this woman was still standing. She hadn't uttered a word and he wondered if she was going into shock. Quickly he went over to her and definitely felt something around her. Being a cop he was taught to be practical, but he was still very intuitive and had a gift for feeling things out. This made him very good at his job and while he sometimes got flack for his "hocus pocus," his partners stayed with him because he never lead them astray. He didn't understand how he knew things, but he certainly was grateful that he had this gift and did not take it for granted.
The woman looked at him now, her eyes wide. She cleared her throat to speak, her voice a little shakier than it had been before. "need... Help... Sitting... Down," she said, her feet faltering. The officer watched as everyone in the place stood around her, not saying a word. He was almost going to ask why no one was helping when he felt a sensation he could not describe. As he gave this woman his hand, he felt an incredible warmth radiating off of her. Although she was getting exhausted, she was still standing up. The officer understood now what was happening.
As he gently took hold of her to move her so she could be more comfortable until the paramedics arrived, he saw the group mind at work. No one was talking, no one was even moving a muscle. They were all concentrating intently on this woman, still in protective mode even after the immediate danger was removed. But he could move within the circle, could help this woman get comfortable.
He checked her shoulders and back for burns before wrapping his arm around her. The back wasn't nearly as bad as the front of her was, especially the arms. But she didn't complain as he moved her to a comfortable seat. As he moved her he could feel all of the love these people were sending this woman. The energy seemed to move with her, as if she were surrounded by it. It was only as she was being put in the chair, a sweater being wrapped around her shoulders that the people in the room started acting normal again.

People blinked and looked around, as if being awakened from a dream. Aside from Violet and the woman in the back of the room, no one had even realized what they had participated in. Everyone was so protective of this woman that they had all sent their energies out, creating a barrier between her and whoever wanted to harm her. But now everyone was back to talking, taking orders, and going on with their lives. But Violet couldn't shake the nagging feeling she was getting. So without even thinking, she walked right back to where the woman was sitting, sat down and introduced herself. (you already read this for group on 6/8/2013)

Chapter 20

Chapter 20:
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She woke up to the sound of the front door closing. Taking a minute to gather her bearings, she realized she had slept through the rest of the afternoon. She was pretty sure she was supposed to go back to the yoga studio after her appointment, but couldn't remember if she called them first before passing out. She hadn't even bothered turning on any of the lights so the apartment was completely dark by the time John got home.
She saw he was turning all the lights on before getting to the bedroom. She reached around and found her cell phone, which said it was close to 8pm. She had 7 missed calls and a few missed texts. Shit.
"Babe? You in here?" he peeked his head in the bedroom and saw his wife laying down in the darkness, Mystic at her side. He knew Violet well enough to know that this wasn't normal behavior for her.
"I'm here, I'm awake," she said softly. Her throat felt dry and swollen. "can you get me some water please?"
"of course," John said. As he turned the bathroom light on, Violet instantly got a headache from the light. Had she cried herself to sleep?
John went to turn the bedroom light on but Violet insisted that he just leave the bathroom light on. That was all she could handle for now. "something is wrong," he said out loud as he sat next to the bed and handed her the glass of water. She drank the whole thing in record time and asked for another glass before opening her mouth.

"we are going to have a baby," she said finally. "is it healthy?" John asked, a look of concern on his face. "yep, and there's something else, too..." John watched as his wife's face transformed from almost sick to overjoyed as she rubbed her stomach. "do you remember when we held hands and saw a little angel with wings flying around?" John did remember. In fact, it was all his dreams had been about for the past 3 weeks. He had seen this little girl at various stages of life. In one dream he was even walking her down the aisle.
Violet saw him trying to make the connection. She wanted to wait until she had his full attention before saying anything more. After about a minute, John left his daydreams and held onto his wife's hand. She responded by setting his hand on her abdomen. "I need you to do something for me." John looked confused but knew not to question his wife. He readjusted his hand on her belly, took a deep breath, and said, "okay." "I need you to think about the word 'nudge'."
"'nudge'?"
"yep."
"ummm.... Okay...."

John felt a little bit stupid as he closed his eyes. He knew Violet was pregnant, why couldn't she just tell him so? But he knew something was up so he took another breath and thought the word 'nudge' in his mind. He felt something move underneath his hand. He didn't know a lot about babies, but he did know that they weren't supposed to move after 3 weeks. He tried again. "nudge," he thought with his mind. Molly pressed her palm towards her mom's belly button. She instantly felt the warmth and connection she had felt with Violet, and knew that John had felt it, too.
"What in the world?"
"meet Molly, your daughter," Violet said. As soon as she said the words, she instantly felt 10 times better. She asked John if he could turn the light on. Once he did, he took in the sight of his wife. Her eyes were red and puffy, but she was smiling. "what's wrong? Why were you crying?"
"we have to find another doctor."
"why...?"

This is the part that Violet had prepared herself for. The part where she had to tell her husband everything. She knew he'd understand about the miracle part, but she also knew that once she told him what the doctor had said and called her, she'd have to keep him from going to the hospital himself and kicking that doctor's ass.
"before I tell you the rest, you have to promise me something," she started.
'uh oh, this can't be good,' he thought. Out loud he said, "just tell me."
Violet took a deep breath and sighed. "we conceived about 3 weeks ago, but this baby is 8 weeks in development. Also, she has wings."
"ummm.... What?"
"wings."
"you mean like what birds have? Is our child part bird?"
Violet chuckled at her husband.
"no, not part bird. Angel."
"I already know she's our angel," John said, clearly not getting it.
"no, she's an actual angel. For some reason she picked us as parents and I'm going to be giving birth to her as a human, but she is an actual angel."

For a split second John didn't believe her. He wanted to scream that she was crazy. But he had seen the visions. Could not stop the dreams from coming. And had felt the very distinct nudging. He wrapped his arms around Violet and gave her a huge hug. "we will raise her as if she's just like anybody else. We will teach her how to use her wings.  No one will look at her in any sort of negative way or they will have me to deal with."
"I'm so glad to hear you say that."
"so what's with all the crying?"
"well... The doctor seems to think I was having a demon baby and chased me out of the examination room with a scalpel."
John's face suddenly went red. That was only a part of it and suddenly Violet knew that that was all he could handle.
"what's his name? I'm going to kick his ass!"
"no, you aren't."
"what do you mean, no I'm not?"
"because I'm going to need to have this baby delivered by a professional. And although no doctor has ever seen this before, I'm sure there's someone out there who won't pitch a fit."

John knew Violet was right. If he beat up one doctor, he'd create more media attention than was needed. He didn't need his wife's life being a media circus before she even had one full day to process that she was carrying his baby. He would keep his eyes open for a doctor that was more open minded.

"okay, I won't kick the guy's ass. But if he threatens you outside the office, I'm going to have to do what I can to protect you."
"fair enough."

Violet knew the road ahead was not going to be easy. She was going to have to tell people soon. But what was she going to tell them? She had no idea when Molly was going to come along. But she needed support and lots of it. She prayed a silent prayer that the people she told about this would understand and just be happy for her, rather than act all crazy like that doctor. Her answer came in the form of a little nudge. She instantly felt better and also a little bit hungry. "come on, let's make some dinner," she said as she kissed her husband and finally got out of bed.

Chapter 19

Chapter 19:
~~~~~~~~~~~
Violet felt the nudging again as she rode in the passenger's seat of Robert's car. She knew something was going on that she couldn't explain, but yet her logical mind kept trying to fight what she was trying to figure out.
She knew in the back of her brain that it was only a few weeks ago that she and John conceived, and yet somehow she was already showing like she had been pregnant for a while.
She kept trying to think of possible explanations and yet nothing came to mind. She didn't have any strange dreams, no frames of time she couldn't place, no weird marks on her body. She knew John wouldn't sell her to the devil. She had to quit thinking that something was going on other than she was just pregnant. She held her hand to her stomach again and her heart fluttered as she felt the nudging again.
 As scared as she was that the doctor might find something wrong or try and say John wasn't the father or something equally crazy, she felt like she was in good hands. She had an amazing husband, a best friend that would ditch work for her, and now she was carrying a little person inside of her. No matter what she knew that she was blessed. As Robert drove, she finally relaxed and looked out the window as she closed her eyes still rubbing her stomach.

It wasn't long before they arrived at the hospital, and as she sat in the waiting room filling out paperwork she felt electrical. In just a little while she was going to hear her baby's heartbeat and maybe have her first ultrasound picture.

"Violet Loomis," the nurse called. Both Violet and Robert got up together. A short bleach blonde girl about 18 with French manicured nails and lipstick on her teeth gave Robert a once over. With a tiny smirk she asked, "is this your husband?" Violet could sense the woman's obviously thin veiled attempt at making a joke. Robert was gorgeous, but he was obviously gay. There was nothing conservative about him. Although they both lived in a place where he could let his freak flag fly, there were still people who cracked jokes at his expense or were just plain ignorant. Violet gave "Jennifer", from the name on her tag, a steady gaze. "nope, he's my gay boyfriend."
Jennifer snorted condescendingly.
"I'm sorry, only family allowed beyond this point."
"Robert is family," Violet said with conviction as she took Robert's hand and gave it a squeeze. "suit yourself," Jennifer said with an eye roll. "oh, I will," Violet said as she and Robert followed her into room number 1 to wait for the doctor.

Violet was told to strip and put on a scratchy paper gown, open side up. Robert said he could wait outside but Violet insisted that he stay in the room with her. The closer she was to her examination, the more urgent she felt about not wanting to be alone. "is everything okay?" Robert asked. He already knew what the doctor would eventually find out, but he didn't want to freak Violet out. "I just feel like I can't be alone while I'm in here. It's the strangest feeling, but I feel like I need you to be here through everything today."
Robert went over to the table where Violet was sitting. He looked her in the eyes and put his hands on her face. With a slight whisper he stated, "no matter what happens today, I'm not going anywhere." and with that, he gave her a kiss on the mouth, winked at her, and sat back down in his chair.
It was at that moment that her entire world changed. As soon as Robert sat down, the doctor came in. His name was Dr Winchester, and he looked as if he came out of a commercial for men's jeans. Although he was gorgeous, there was a coldness about him that she couldn't explain. She felt safer having Robert in the room, but she couldn't account for the panic she was starting to feel. He had already begun asking her questions and had to repeat them as her inner monologue drowned out everything he had just said. "I asked, what brings you in here today?"
Violet blushed at the question. She cleared her throat and said, "I am pretty sure I'm pregnant." she told him the date of her last period and the symptoms she'd been having. He said he wanted to take a blood test to be sure, and then see if they could get an ultrasound.

At the sight of the needle she panicked a little. Robert came over and squeezed her hand as the nurse attempted to find a vein. "this your husband?" nurse Jackie asked. This one didn't seem like she was being smart by asking, she just wanted to know. "nope, he's my gay boyfriend."
"awww, cute!! Well, we are almost done here. Good luck," and with that, she took all the blood she needed, took out the needle, and bandaged Violet up before she had a chance to feel anything.

"So, it appears as if you are knocked up," dr Winchester told Violet a few minutes later. Violet could feel her face beaming. She looked at Robert who gave her a reassuring smile. "From the looks of things, you might be a little farther along than you had originally thought. Almost 5 weeks farther. But we will determine exact conception date from the ultrasound."
Violet swallowed. This news should have reassured her. But she knew in her heart that something wasn't right. The doctor was giving off some very strange vibes, and she felt like grabbing her clothes and heading for the door. But more than anything she just wanted to see her baby. She could hold on a little while longer, as long as Robert was still there. She also knew the true conception date. But something in the back of her mind told her to keep her mouth shut.
"now, you can leave the room if you'd like," the doctor told Robert. "and miss this? Are you kidding?" Robert answered back. He took his spot right by Violet's side.
The doctor said nothing more as he put some jelly on Violet's abdomen. She was watching the screen looking for her baby when she saw it. Or rather, saw them. Her brain had not prepared her for this moment. Her baby was still in there, that she could plainly see, but there was something wrong with the sac around it. Well, not wrong exactly, just different. Robert was still holding her hand as they all sat in silence for a couple minutes.
The doctor was the first to speak. "umm... Just like I thought, you're already close to being in your 2nd trimester. And congratulations, you are having a baby girl."
Violet would have jumped for joy and cried and kissed everybody if the doctor hadn't of said it in such a mechanical way. "umm, doctor? What's wrong?"
As soon as she asked the question, she knew she shouldn't have. The doctor abruptly stopped the ultrasound before taking any pictures. "nothing's wrong. You're having a baby girl. A demon baby girl." As he said that, his face seemed to change. His smile turned into something crazy. She couldn't even describe what she was feeling as he started chanting something in Latin and telling her that she was going to give birth to a demon baby and calling her a sinner and if she got an abortion and repented, God would still save her. Then he started shouting bible verses at her. No verses she recognized. These were all about casting out the demons.
If it hadn't of been for Robert holding onto her and steering her out of the room where the doctor was still demanding she get an abortion, she wasn't quite sure if she would be able to get out. She knew she had been in danger, she could feel it in the air, but she had no idea this guy was a fundamentalist crazy bible thumper. She was afraid for her life, especially when she saw the scalpel in his hand as he was coming towards her still shouting, and yet she couldn't make herself leave. She went from incredible joy in finding out she was having a baby girl to extreme shock and horror at this doctor who basically called her every name in the book, literally. Everything from whore to Mary Magdeline to even some modern names that reflect badly on women. She almost forgot her stuff in the mad dash out the door. She didn't even bother putting any of her clothes back on, not until she was in the safety of Robert's car.

They didn't speak until they were a very safe distance from that hospital. She tried to talk but every time she opened her mouth, no sound came out. She waited until she was in her favorite Starbucks surrounded by people that loved her that she finally found the words.

"am I carrying a demon baby?" she looked up at Robert, who hadn't left her side since getting her a caramel apple spice. "you saw the ultrasound. Could he be right? Am I carrying a demon?" Robert decided now would be as good a time as any to speak up and finally say the truth.
"violet, look at me." she picked her head up, crocodile tears falling down her cheeks. "you are not carrying a demon." "how do you know? You saw the screen. What were those things? Wings?"
Robert felt Molly's presence just then, encouraging him to speak up. He drew in a breath and let it out before speaking again. "I know it's not a demon baby because she has come to me. She chose you and John to be her parents. Her name is Molly and she is a real angel from heaven. Like with wings and everything." "angel wings..." Violet finally connected all the dots. The dreams of her and John, the visions they both had of a little girl with angel wings flying and smiling. "angel wings," she said again, before her world became very small as she closed her eyes and proceeded to faint in her chair.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She came to from the sound of screaming and commotion around her, and yet she was nothing but peaceful. She found Robert's hand and squeezed it hard before looking around and seeing everyone else looking down at her in a circle. It was then that she found out that she fell out of her chair and onto the floor. Oops. "are you okay?" Robert asked, his eyes filled with concern. "are you mad at me?"
That snapped her out of it. With an effort she sat up straight. "of course not. Why would I be mad?"
"well, because I knew there was a secret about Molly and didn't tell you..."
"wait... What?"
"I knew a secret..."
"no, the name part?"
"oh, Molly. Her name is Molly."

Molly... Molly... Her baby had angel wings and a name that fit her so well. All Violet could do was get up the rest of the way with the help of her friends who were still surrounding her and walk over to her best friend. "as long as I live, I will never ever be mad at you. You really saved my ass today, and that trumps pretty much everything else."
Robert's face lit up as he rubbed Violet's tummy and then gave her a huge hug. "let's get you out of here. I bet you are exhausted."
"and anxious to let John know what's going on."
"well, that too," Robert said. Violet waved to everyone and assured them that she was fine, just needed some rest. She hugged her favorite barista who looked as if he had just found out that his best friend died. She was carrying an angel inside of her. With angel wings. A real miracle. But not if she didn't get home and get some much needed sleep. Too much stress was definitely not a good thing. Oh and she was going to have to find a new doctor, maybe one who was a little more open minded than this one. And it was then that she decided she was having her baby at home so there was no chance of something happening to her or her baby. But all that could wait. First... Sleep.

Chapter 18

Chapter 18:
~~~~~~~~~~
Violet barely had time to get dressed and head out the door so she wouldn't be late to her yoga class. She called the doctor on her way to the studio, setting up an appointment for 2:30pm. She immediately texted Robert, who said he'd be outside waiting. She thought of calling John to tell him the news, but something inside her told her not to yet. She had no idea why, she just felt like everything had to be okay first before telling him the good news. She texted him her usual hello as she got to the studio. It was a ritual they had started up not too long after they reunited. They always let each other know they were safely to and from work when they weren't together. They weren't psycho about the texting, but she felt a distinct ache when he wasn't around and letting him know she was safe and hearing from him made her feel a lot better. With a deep cleansing breath she put her ringer on silent, slipped her phone into her purse, and entered the familiar building.

-------------

"hello, Miss Violet," the receptionist greeted her. Violet smiled at Jenny, who was 22 years old and had way too much chaotic energy to be working at a place that was supposed to promote peace and tranquility. But somehow she pulled it off with her charming, musical voice and friendly smile. Violet loved the way Jenny's eyes seemed to sparkle whenever she smiled. She also noticed the way Jenny had done a once-over, stopping slightly around her chest area and her middle, before giving her a wink. Violet put a finger to her lips and Jenny nodded, her smile slightly fading but understanding Violet's wishes for not everyone to know she was knocked up yet.

Finally getting into her studio, she took a moment to center herself before her clients started piling in. She had about 5 minutes to herself and she planned to use them well. Standing and facing the mirrored wall, she finally gave herself enough time to study herself. She noticed that her breasts were already slightly larger than normal and she thought it was strange that John never said anything or that she hadn't even noticed until right that very minute. Then she pulled up her shirt, exposing her stomach. Robert was right. She knew what 3 weeks was supposed to look like and from the looks of it, she looked closer to being in her second trimester. A belly that must have popped up overnight was staring back at her. She thought back on the last few weeks, wondering how she could have missed this. She hadn't been having morning sickness, her breasts, although a bit larger, weren't at all tender, and her stomach which she could have sworn was flat 2 days ago was clearly protruding today. Plus she wasn't even feeling sick when she woke up that morning. She just woke up knowing she was pregnant and the test confirmed that.
Something like alarm bells were ringing in the back of her mind, but she pushed them down. She hadn't noticed anything because she mostly wore comfortable yoga pants or sweat pants, so she hadn't noticed herself getting bigger. And her tops were normally either tunics or dresses that she could pull off wearing with pants. So she just hadn't taken the time to notice her growing belly. Maybe she was farther along than 3 weeks. Maybe they had conceived as far back as 2 months ago and she was just noticing it now.
But how could she go that long without noticing something? How could she have already neglected the growing child inside of her?

Molly felt her mother panic from deep within. She knew her mother was trying to make sense of her accelerated gestation period. She would be ready in at least 20 weeks as opposed to the usual 40. She knew her mom knew the exact date of conception. But she was having a hard time with the absence of symptoms. At that moment Molly felt her mother's guilt. She had no reason to feel guilty!! She had not put Molly in any danger by not doing the usual prenatal vitamins and so on, she already ate healthy enough and exercised every day. She also didn't carry around as much baggage as a lot of other humans so her aura was a lot lighter. Molly wished she could tell her mom that everything was going to be okay. She'd shown both her parents a peek into their future, wings and all. But she was still just a little tiny winged fetus. All she could do was flutter around in a huge bubble with some sort of string attached to it. She was thinking of a way to let her mom know everything was going to be okay when she suddenly realized.. "I have arms!! And hands!! They are tiny but I can move them around." She wasn't exactly sure what to do with them at first, there was so much stuff in the way, blocking her from moving too much. She was already getting so big, she had no idea how she was going to survive however long she was stuck in this big bubble. She gently moved her arms around, feeling where it was safe to touch. She found that if she moved gently, her bubble could move around as well. She already knew that pressing on an internal organ was not the best idea. What she wanted was closer to the surface. She moved gently along until a little piece of light caught her eye. Violet's belly button. Moving towards the light, she stretched out her arm until her hand made contact with the light. She could feel the skin stretch and then pull back. She had made the inside of her mother's belly move by pressing it. Instantly the light was gone as she felt something press into the place she had just pressed into. She could hear her mom's thoughts coming at her from within her mind. "come on, little one. Do it again." it was harder to see, given it was probably her mom's hand that was resting on top of her belly button, waiting for Molly to nudge her in the same spot. Somehow she found a spot close enough to where she had been before, and pushed a little harder this time. She instantly felt a rush of warmth as her tiny hand touched her mom's hand from within the womb. Again she heard her Mother's voice inside her mind. "hello there, precious baby. I know you are special and I promise to love and take care of you. You just keep nudging me." Molly nudged her mom again. Violet thought the word "nudge" again and Molly responded with a nudge. Violet would have kept this game up forever if her clients hadn't of interrupted, forcing her back into reality and to take her hand away from her stomach and put her shirt down. She definitely felt a nudge. She had felt it after she thought it in her mind. She never wanted to take her hand away from her stomach again.

With all her concentration, Violet's morning classes came and went. By 2:00pm she was done with work and ready to get to the doctor's office. She couldn't wait to tell Robert about her little discovery but she wanted to wait until after they got home to reveal everything. As soon as she got out of the studio she hopped in his car and they were on their way. Their lives (along with John's, of course), would be forever changed by this doctor visit.

Chapter 17

Chapter 17
1996
.
It had been exactly one year since Violet and John met again in the yoga studio. They were engaged after 6 months, and married after 8. They had the ceremony in the backyard of the apartment complex, and the whole neighborhood was invited, along with their closest family and friends.
Molly watched from Robert's point of view as Violet's man of honor as they held hands, exchanged vows, and had their first kiss as man and wife. She looked down to see Mystic, who was the official ring bearer, looked at her curiously. She gave him a wink and a pat on the head and he seemed to calm down. Internally she thanked Robert, she knew that Mystic still made him a little uncomfortable. But Mystic didn't seem to mind him, even though he did sense when Molly was around.

Three months after that, Molly was officially in the works. Violet didn't know it yet, but she was about 3 weeks along, although Molly was already at least a couple of months along, already developing quite nicely.  She had been laying in bed that morning, knowing her alarm was going to wake her up soon. John had already left for work, and Mystic hadn't moved from her side.
He gave her a nudge with his nose as if to say, "something's up! Figure it out!" All she seemed to sense, though, was that he wanted a cuddle. She looked at her alarm clock, she still had a good 15 minutes before she had to get out of bed. She wrapped her arms around her dog and was just snuggling into his warmth when she felt something in her abdomen. At first she decided to ignore it, chalking it up to something she ate for dinner last night.
She tried settling down again, but this time the movement in her abdomen was unmistakable... Something like a fluttering of wings. Of course it could have been nerves, or at least gas. But deep down, Molly knew that it was something more than that. While still laying down snuggling with Mystic, she laid her hand on her stomach. Then Mystic turned around so that he was facing her. With his doggie eyes he looked right at her as he put his paw on her stomach and then proceeded to lick her all over her face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The morning went by quickly after that. She shot up seconds before her alarm went off and pressed the off button, gave her dog a giant hug and lots of kisses, and hurried up to get into the shower. Just to be sure, she would take a pregnancy test before getting into the shower and then check it after she got out.
She turned the water on first, not wanting to prolong the agony of waiting. She peed into a plastic cup and set the test in for 5 seconds like the box said to do. Then she flipped it over so she couldn't see it. She stripped down, waiting for the mirror to steam before setting foot into the shower.
She didn't even have to look at the test to know for sure that she was carrying a miracle inside of her. All throughout her shower she pictured in her mind a beautiful baby girl with John's chocolate brown hair, her green eyes, and something else she couldn't quite put her finger on. But no matter, she stood facing the water and rubbed her stomach gently as she let the water cascade down her body. She was imagining the water washing away the life she lived before this moment. She was washing away her old life, the one she had lived in shame and fear. She had a new life here. She had fabulous friends, a great and rewarding job, and a man who she knew in her heart was the one for her. While lost in her thoughts, she absentmindedly rubbed her stomach. That was when she felt it.
It was slight, the movement, but She definitely felt it. Of course it was impossible to feel anything at this stage, she and John had JUST conceived, but as she stopped rubbing her stomach she kept her hand frozen and willed her baby to move again. And that's exactly what happened.
Without even bothering to turn the water off or grab a towel she jumped out of the shower and lunged for the test. And sure enough, her hunch was validated. In the pregnancy test window, no doubt about it, was a huge plus sign. Not anything faint or questioning about it. There it was, she was definitely with child.

As quickly as she could, she turned the now freezing cold water off, wrapped her hair in a towel and dried herself off before putting on a Terry cloth robe. She had to tell someone about this and she couldn't wait for John to get home. She grabbed the test and dashed out of her apartment, leaving the door open for Mystic to follow excitedly behind her. "Robert, you better be awake," she thought as she knocked on the door of his apartment. After what seemed like hours later (but was really only about 20 seconds), a disheveled Robert answered the door. "girl, you better have some news like Brad Pitt fell into your apartment or I'm going to smack you," he said sarcastically but almost meaning it. "now, now. That's no way to treat a pregnant lady," Violet said, as nonchalantly as possible. "wait.... What?"
"here," violet answered her friend's question by handing over the test, with a still very prominent plus sign proudly marked in the window. Robert studied it for a minute, his still extremely exhausted brain taking a minute to believe what he was seeing. Then it hit him. "ohmigosh!! We're going to have a baby!!" Molly, he thought secretly. His heart skipped a beat as he realized just how special this moment was. Violet had no idea just what kind of miracle she was carrying. For a minute he wanted to tell her, but all he could think of to say was, "congratulations on your tiny miracle." before he could berate himself for being so lame, he felt compelled to touch her stomach. "oh, Robert, you really can't feel anything---" she started to say as it happened again. "how far along are you?" Robert asked, trying to pretend like what he had just felt was his imagination and not the fluttering of teeny tiny angel wings. "umm... I have no idea, but I'm pretty sure it hasn't been that long."
"you sure? You look at least 2 months," Robert said, eyeing her.
"gee, thanks, like you really know what a woman is supposed to look like at 2 months," Violet said. "no, I didn't mean it in a bad way. I mean look... Your hair is shinier, your skin looks healthier, and let me look at your stomach." he parted the robe modestly around Violet's midsection to validate his observation. "you definitely have a belly. Although I don't remember you looking this way a month ago."
"I wasn't pregnant  a month ago."
"that you know of."
"look. All I know is, I remember one night about 2 or 3 weeks ago that could have been the time. Because I have felt different for about that long."
"hmmm... I would recommend going to the doctor, just to see."
Suddenly, Violet got the weirdest sensation. She knew what Robert said made sense, but for some reason the thought of going to the doctor made alarm bells go off in her mind.
"umm, you okay, Vi?" Robert asked. He hoped he hadn't said anything to offend her.
"yes, of course I am. It's just silly."
"what's silly?"
"when you said the word 'doctor,' I panicked a little."
"really?"
"yes."
"well, I can come with you if you want."
"oh, Robert, don't be silly."
"no, I insist.  Let me go with you."
"I have to make an appointment first," Violet said, suddenly shaky. The thought of going to the doctor didn't sit well with her, although she couldn't put her finger on why.
Robert knew why. He knew that one look at that ultrasound would reveal a baby who was growing at a rate too fast for the timeline Violet had described. He knew that Molly was well on her way to getting here, although he was unsure of when she'd actually get here, he could tell just by looking at Violet that she was going to get here a lot quicker than any other baby, and she wouldn't even be premature.
The most pressing reason he needed to go with was because he knew what the ultrasound would reveal. He would be glad when he didn't have to keep this secret from her, but he also knew that he couldn't let her go to the hospital on her own. He had a feeling that the doctors would not agree to a birth of a child with wings. But he also knew that Violet wouldn't be talked into anything. She'd fight for her child with every breath she had in her.
Still, Robert felt like Molly would have wanted him to go with Violet. He had not been feeling her presence as strongly lately, not until Violet knocked on the door until he opened it. He knew Molly's energy, could feel her wings fluttering. He knew she picked him because he'd protect Violet from anyone who tried to mess with either one of them.

"hmmm..." Violet was deep in thought. "what's up?" Robert asked.
"I'm trying to think of when a good time would be," Violet said.
"no greater time than the present," Robert answered.
Violet's face lit up with a huge smile. The look of panic had quickly vanished. Another reason Molly picked him, she knew her mother would need his comic relief.
"well... I could take off this afternoon..." she said, her voice trailing off.
"done. Call the doctor and make an appointment and I'll take an extra long lunch. Or just play hooky, I'm late anyway."
Violet looked at the clock. "I'm going to be late as well if I don't get a move on," she stated.
"just text me the time and I'll be there," Robert said.
"I honestly don't know what I'd do without you," Violet stated, pulling her best friend in for a hug.
"you never ever have to find out."

And with another hug and a kiss on each cheek, Violet and Mystic walked the short distance back to her apartment.

Chapter 16

Chapter 16:
~~~~~~~~~~~
Their first date took place a few hours after that first meeting. Christina could barely keep her head straight as she attempted not to mess up the different poses. She found herself having to do them too just to remember the sequence.
John wasn't much better. He felt as if he had lost a part of his soul at that yoga studio and he couldn't function without it. Every hour that passed that it wasn't time to see her yet was misery for him. Until finally they were sitting across from one another at a cute little Mexican place around the corner from Violet's building. The instant John knocked on her door and she opened it, he instantly felt better.
A part of his brain kept wondering where all of this was coming from. He was already envisioning the life they'd have together and they hadn't even ordered their meal yet. He kept trying to think of another time he had felt this strongly about anything and kept coming up empty.
At the other end of the table, Violet just smiled at him. She was just so incredibly happy that things had worked out the way they did. He was the first guy to ever make her ever feel anything other than fear and for once she was willing to stick around.
She had tried to date again after her ex, but always ended up getting too scared to stick around. But she had known John since high school. Aside from getting more gorgeous with age, he was still the same person she had known. She already knew she could trust him, could already sense that he would do anything to protect her. He reached over the table and held out his hand. She looked at him as she put her hand in his. From that instant it felt as if a thread had emerged and tied their hands together. He could see that field again in his mind, could see the wind blowing the trees around, could see the sunflowers reaching for the sky, could see.... White??
As their hands continued to stay intertwined, he could see a figure flying. An angel? What were angels supposed to look like? This one was beautiful. She had a smile that he instantly recognized, hair dark and flowing, and she was so graceful it made him want to reach out to her. Before he knew what was happening, he was reaching out. And she looked down and smiled, swooping down with a landing that would make any olympian jealous. "Daddy! You made it!!" she exclaimed. He looked confused at first. This girl had to have been 7 or 8 years old. She had human clothes on. She had on light pink shorts with flowers on them and a light tank top with holes for her wings to fit through. Wait. Clothes? Wings? She had called him daddy. But she was literally an angel.
Instinctively he looked around. At first he thought he was alone, but upon further inspection he saw someone else. It was Violet. And this little girl was using her legs to run to her. Violet held her arms out, then scooped up the angel and twirled her around. "you did great, honey! Perfect landing!"

John's head started hurting. He didn't want to but he had to stop holding Violet's hand. As soon as their connection was broken, he was back in the restaurant staring at a beautiful but very wide eyed woman. "uhh, what in the hell was that?" Violet asked. "what do you mean?" John asked, still not sure what Violet had seen, if anything. "we were holding hands and then we were in a field and there was a girl but she had angel wings and she called us mommy and daddy."
John stared at Violet in amazement. She had seen exactly what he did. He just couldn't tell if she was happy about this or trying to plan out the quickest escape route. It wasn't that big of a restaurant, two steps and she'd be well on her way out the door.
"yeah, I saw that too," John said, trying to act casual. "what do you think it means?" Violet asked. "I have no idea but if I don't order soon I'm going to pass out." Violet's stomach started grumbling loudly at John's words, as if agreeing with him.
"let's see if we can order some food and then we will worry about this later," John said as he flagged down the waiter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
it was some time later that they had arrived back at her apartment. They ended up having a great dinner, caught up on the past 8 years since they graduated high school and everything in-between. Neither of them brought up the whole vision they had seen while their hands were linked.
At first they were scared to try again. But after a while John couldn't stand it and grabbed Violet's hand. They still felt the connection, but no visions this time. Not until the first kiss.

John was walking Violet home. Molly had been watching their date through the window. She was still an angel so no one could see her unless she revealed herself to them. But she still didn't want to chance it by picking a spot in some random person's lap. She got a perfect view and stayed for the whole thing.
She saw what happened the first time they held hands and knew that they saw her. Not just her but all of them together. She couldn't tell if they were happy or not, they just looked freaked as the vision came to and end and they returned to reality. And for a while it looked as if they were too afraid to touch each other. But then Molly saw John reach for Violet's hand again. "there you go, buddy!! I knew you weren't a coward!" Molly's excitement could hardly be concealed, and for a brief moment, if a person just happened to be looking out the window at that moment, he or she would have seen a small tornado of lightning bug lights twirling around for a brief moment before disappearing.

Now she anticipated what was going to come next. It was the moment they were all waiting for and secretly wondering about, even more now thanks to both of their dreams. Molly kept a safe distance between them as they walked from the restaurant to Violet's apartment. John was stopping at the front entrance. He wasn't going to go any farther tonight. But as they said goodnight, he looked into her eyes and brushed a strand of hair from her face. As soon as their lips touched, they both saw another moment. This time they weren't in a field. They were in a beautiful house. They were older and Molly was about 17 in this vision. She was walking down the stairs, with her wings settled upon her back, while her mom cooked breakfast and her dad sat at the table reading the paper. Molly saw herself pulling back a chair to sit as her mom babbled on about something and everybody laughed. This was before Ashley got put in the hospital. This was before the summer, before Ashley really started pulling away from her. And then she saw her. Ashley came down the stairs next. She looked so healthy, but was complaining of stomach problems. This would be the last time Molly would see this girl for a while, and her intuition had told her nothing. Everyone looked so blissful.
She was snapped back into reality as soon as the kiss ended. She was hungry for more, how much of their lives she would preview before going through it again. She knew she had to be patient, John was a gentleman after all, but a part of her still panicked as she could remember the rest. The summer that Ashley stopped taking her calls. Being sick all the time. The weird excuses. She knew it was already too late to warn her friend, Ashley had already fallen. Her human parents were getting ready to expect her.
Molly wanted to fast forward to her conception. She had to be born to protect her friend, even though they wouldn't meet again until preschool. She had to find her center, to calm herself and remind herself that the plan was already in play. The hard part was over. They had already met, already kissed, and were already in love. All she could do was watch.

Chapter 15

Chapter 15:
~~~~~~~~~~
Violet returned home that night with a huge smile on her face. She instantly recognized John from her dreams, and was happy to learn that he was the guy Robert was talking about. How lucky was it that she'd have dreams about someone, and not only would they be living a block away, but would be taking her yoga class?
She had to find all the strength within herself to regain her composure and teach her class.

She lead her class through the rest of the asanas, leaving some time for deep meditation before letting everyone scamper off into their daily lives. She told everyone to visualize pure bliss. The pictures they got would not be the same. She told them to lay back and enjoy the landscape of whatever was around them, to feel the warmth and beauty of their sacred space.
She couldn't help but keep her eyes focused on John as she kept telling everyone that this was their safe place, this was where nothing could hurt them. She was dying to know what he was envisioning, but the whole point of the exercise was for the individual to see for themselves what their most sacred space was.
She sighed and looked at the clock. It was exactly the right time to sound the gong, to bring everyone back into the present so they could all get on with their day. She watched as John opened his eyes reluctantly, as if he had just seen the face of God and she interrupted him.  She hadn't meant to, but she couldn't very well leave him lying on the floor all day long. She had three more classes to teach that day. How was she going to explain the unconscious man in the front of the room? She chuckled to herself, then blushed immediately as he approached her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All John knew was that the vision was like something he had never felt before in his life. He had never given much thought to his "happy place," even stifling a snicker as Violet lead everyone into a deep meditation to find theirs. He normally didn't do these kinds of things, all he really focused on was work. But after a conversation with his mom that left him annoyed and a little scared, he figured he may as well at least find a yoga class to humor her.
He had always wanted to live in the city. He lived in the suburbs for way too long, commuting every day to and from his office. When an apartment opened up nearby, he jumped at the chance to see it. It was in Boystown, which wasn't his first choice, but after getting to the apartment complex he didn't care so much. His office was close by and there was even a Starbucks along the way. It was right across the street from a yoga studio, which he thought was perfect. So after signing the lease, he walked right over to the studio and signed up for the first class that didn't sound completely over the top. The instructor's name was Violet, which made him instantly think of this girl he knew way back in high school. He was too stupid to make a move but still cared enough about her to remain a close friend. It was just too bad they lost touch after high school. He'd have to find out what she was up to.

A week later he was staring his high school crush in the face, and after remembering some very intimate details of the latest dream he had about her, it took everything he had not to attempt to blend into the background. There was no ring on her finger, but that didn't mean anything. For all he knew she could have a totally awesome boyfriend and he'd forever be just a friend. As tempted as he was to leave and never come back, he knew he'd be a fool if he didn't at least try to reconnect. After the vision he had of the meadow, he had the strangest feeling that he had been there before. And she had something to do with it. Although he had no idea how, yet.

Chapter 14

Chapter 14:
~~~~~~~~~~~
Shortly after that meeting, they became inseparable. Molly watched from Robert's perspective as Violet's behavior changed. She was always a strong woman but had never really seen herself the way everyone else did. She was beautiful inside and out and yet she was so modest, it was impossible to give her even the slightest compliment. And yet, when Robert saw Violet after the first date, he knew she had changed. She was believing in love again.

It started out with just a simple smile. Robert saw Violet taking her dog out for his morning pee. He was dying to know how her date went. She wouldn't give all the details, but Robert could see that her face was flushed and her eyes sparkled. From that moment on, none of the boys in the apartment saw Violet or John by themselves. Three months later, they were engaged.

............
Molly felt electricity throughout her entire body. Her wings could not hold still, and as a result she could not stop flying. She had done it!! She had gotten her parents to meet each other and that was all they needed. She was grateful that Robert was not afraid of angels and had been a gracious host. He would stay up late sometimes and tell her stories about his childhood. He had always known he was gay, but he came from a family where imperfection was unacceptable. If you were a boy, you were expected to grow up into a man, get married and have babies, and keep the family name going. You couldn't get that by having sex with other men. So at 17 he moved out on his own and never looked back. He still talks to his siblings who always supported him. His mother came around shortly after he moved away, but his dad never did. And she never left him. So that was that.
Molly told Robert all about herself. She said how she was an angel and she was to be born by a human and Violet was that human. Robert was amazed that Molly felt like she could trust him, and in turn he allowed her to use him as a vessel to make that happen. He had always loved Violet and wanted to see her happy. When Molly showed him who John was, he knew it was meant to be. He and Molly both watched as Violet and John grew closer, and knew it was right for both of them as Violet's confidence grew and John was spending more and more time in her apartment than his own. There were times when Molly felt like she didn't even need to be there, but she and Robert had grown quite close so she enjoyed popping in every once in a while. Sometimes she would come around while Violet and Robert were in midconversation. She could feel Violet's energy, it was so calming that it reminded Molly of when she would wrap her wings around herself to fall asleep. Her Mother's smile reminded her of a beach, with white sand on her feet and the waves crashing to the shore. She could see the love in Violet's eyes, not just for John but for everyone she met. As Robert, Molly could see Violet as her mom. She could see the two of them sharing a special bond. She knew Violet would fight for her. She could see all the stages of their lives together. She could see herself as a young child, her mother teaching her how to fly. And as a teenager, she could see the moment her best friend would need her the most. And beyond that. And suddenly she felt this aching in the pit of her stomach. She realized that it wasn't just Violet who would be blessed with such a special child, it was Molly who would be blessed. To have a person like Violet in her life, to have someone love her that much, to have someone fight for her and believe in her. She suddenly realized that God was giving her a gift as well, this person as her mother.

Chapter 13

Chapter 13:
~~~~~~~~~~~
She might have lived in Boystown, with all the gated apartment complexes in beautiful brownstone, but her apartment wasn't the least bit glamorous. She was lucky her best friends were gay, otherwise she would have no idea how to style her apartment. It wasn't that she was bad at it, she just had no idea where to shop. These boys knew every designer within a 100 mile radius and were constantly getting her new pieces every few months.
She lived on the first floor, which was convenient because her dog had a fenced in yard to roam around in. She just had to share it with everyone else on that side of the first floor because the whole property was gated. She chose to leash her dog in the mornings though so her neighbors wouldn't have to pick up after her dog because she didn't have time to let him run around visiting everyone. She had to jump in the shower and get straight to work. She was a yoga instructor, and while the pay was good, the hours were strict and people were paying her to learn how to relax. It was kind of impossible to do so when a person refused to shut off her cell phone, but in spite of that she loved her job. She looked at her watch. Despite not wanting to get up, she had a decent amount of time to get ready. Her dog finally found a spot to do his business. After cleaning up after him, she went back inside to where it was nice and warm.

Her apartment was 1f, all the way at the end of the building. Although she loved the corner spot, she understood why no one wanted to live there. It was by far the one that invited all of the noises and smells the city had to offer, including the bad ones. Being so close to the street, if someone was drunk and peeing on a window, it was most likely her window. She learned the hard way never to leave the window closest to the street open, despite the fact that it had iron bars. It prevented anyone from trying to sneak in, but did not prevent any sort of liquid from coming in if the person aimed well enough.
It was because of this that she had scented candles everywhere, and they came in great use on Friday and Saturday nights. But for now she was safe, it was too cold to open up anyways.
Robert came bounding over to her. A very hot but way obvious gay man in his early 30s, Robert was her number one gossip queen. He was the eyes and the ears of the building, quite possibly the entire block. He was about 5'9", wirey, and had the most beautifully piercing green eyes she had ever seen in a human. She could almost swear that there was something other worldly about him, like although he loved to talk, he had a heart of gold and was her absolute best friend, aside from her bff Jayde who was now pursuing a singing career.
"Hellooooo gorgeous!!" he called out to her, stopping to give her kisses on both her cheeks. Mystic eyed him curiously, but Robert was perfectly fine pretending the big dog didn't exist. If he couldn't tuck it under his arm with the latest bling, it wasn't a real dog. He managed to give it a weary pat on the head, to which Mystic gave exactly one half of a tail wag and returned to Violet's side, where he always was.
"have I got some news for you, girl," he said in his sassy "I know something delicious" voice. Violet decided to bite. "I only have a minute, so tell me while you walk me to my door," she said in her "I'm interested but could we hurry this along?" voice. "rumor has it, this guy moved into the apartment building next door, and he is straight." Violet's eyes grew wide as she digested the news. They were almost to her apartment. "oh yeah?" she asked, clearly wanting this story to continue.
"I haven't caught his name yet, but word on the street is that he's single and gorgeous. He has the most beautiful eyes, they're brown but with flecks of green, he has a smile that could light up even the dullest romantic comedy, and he has an ass to die for." while Robert went clamoring on about this guy's different body parts, Violet's mind wandered to the guy she had seen earlier, in her dream. She knew she had seen him before, but was having trouble placing him. Maybe it would come to her later.
"well, this is my spot," violet said. "thanks for the head's up on the cute new guy."
"no problem, beautiful. He might be gorgeous but if he says or does one thing you don't like, let me know."
"how will I do that? How do I know I'm even going to meet this guy?"
"oh, you will. I have a plan. But you will be late for work if you don't hop into that shower right this very second."
"yes sir, toodles," Violet said, kissing him on both cheeks before  leaving Robert. She'd have to take him out for a drink later.
Closing the door behind her, she smiled to herself. Today was going to be a beautiful day, she could feel it.
She got her outfit ready and turned the water on, waiting for it to get warm before jumping in. As she lathered up she kept getting flashbacks in her head of this boy she used to go to school with, John. She remembered his kind eyes, his charming smile, the way they could just talk about everything and how he used to just look at her. They never went out on a date, but she often wondered about him. Suddenly the pictures clicked together. The man of her dreams wasn't a stranger at all. The man she had felt so connected to was someone she had already known and had been friends with for a while. She would have to look him up later to see what he was up to.
Hurrying up, she got out of the shower, dried off, got herself together and out the door with a few minutes to spare before she'd be really late. The day was beginning to warm up and she could see the barista behind the Starbucks counter making her caramel apple spice before she even came blasting through the door.
She paid for her drink, grabbed a sleeve so her fingers didn't burn, left a tip, and disappeared as quickly as she had come in. If a person wasn't paying attention, she might have looked like a blur or an abstract painting. Little did she know, someone was watching and smiling. Everything was going right. He was at yoga class, waiting for the instructor to show up. He had a heavy project at his job (he was an environmental architect), and this was the only time he had to destress. As it was, he was going to have to leave a little bit early so he wouldn't get stuck at work till 10pm again.

At that moment, she blasted through the door with one minute to spare. John couldn't help but stare, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. He felt a slight blush on his face as he took her in. There was something about her he couldn't quite grasp, something his mind couldn't quite grasp. She looked as familiar as if he had known her his whole life, yet the flashbacks of the dreams he'd been having lately came creeping into his mind, and suddenly he found himself thinking up baseball statistics. No need for further embarrassment, he thought to himself.
Finally, the angel spoke.

"hello, everyone. And namaste. I see we have some new faces in here, so allow me to introduce myself. I'm Violet. In today's class, we will be learning..."

John's memory shot through him like a bolt of lightning through an oak tree. Of course she was Violet, his high school friend and crush. And also, the woman he had been having some very provocative dreams about lately. Was it just his imagination, or did her eyes light up a bit when she scanned the room and saw him standing there, awaiting her instruction? Did she falter a bit, was there a slight blushing of her cheeks as she started up the relaxing music and instructed the class to prepare for sun salutation? She had to have recognized him as well, yet she gave no indication of this as her soothing voice and calming energy filled the room. She touched his shoulder as she  made her rounds, looked him right in the eye and winked as she gave the instructions of each step.  After that was over, she walked back to the front of the class and continued the poses she wanted the class to focus on, graciously assisting John as he fumbled and faltered his way through his very first yoga session.
As the class came to a close, Violet instructed everyone to lay down on the floor and relax as she started the calm down. As she spoke, her words were an incantation that mesmerized his soul. Through her words he felt as if his body were floating to another plane of existence, and all he could see were fields of green grass and the bluest sky he had ever seen. Was this heaven? He turned his head to see sunflowers, reaching high as they longed to be as close to the sun as possible. They were as tall as trees. He could see trees in the distance, and was about to walk towards them until he heard the sound of a gong that brought him back into the present.
Whatever he had just felt and seen, he had to have again. His heart immediately broke at the separation of this vision and he hardly understood why. It was just a field, it was just a sky, and they were just sunflowers. And they were just trees. But to him, it was more than that. And he'd be a fool not to attempt to feel that again.
With a deep sigh he got up and walked over to Violet. With palms sweaty and heart pounding he willed his legs to walk right up to her. As she smiled at him, he willed his mouth to open. At first, he resembled a fish out of water. "hey, stupid, say something," his mind was shouting. He smiled back at her, clearing his throat. He tried again. "hello, Violet."
"hello, will you be joining this class?" violet asked, a hint of red in her cheeks although she was trying to remain calm. "I sure am," John said as he smiled and took her hand. "I'm John, by the way," he said. "of course you are!" violet recognized her childhood friend at once and gave him a huge hug, not caring about being polite.

Chapter 12

Chapter 12:
~~~~~~~~~~~
Molly looked down from the cloud she was sitting on. Her wings stretched out on either side of her, as if she could take flight at any moment. She watched the people down below, living their lives. Some were good, some bad, some had beautiful hearts and clean souls, while others reeked of a stench so foul that Lucifer would plug his nose in repulsion. She couldn't  imagine why anyone would give up living up here in heaven.
Heaven was different for everyone. Not everyone got up to it in the same way. Some were already angels, like herself, that were always there. And others were her brothers and sisters coming home from their earthly lives. Some were old, some were young, but once they passed through the light they left whatever baggage they had behind. Molly could feel the energy shift whenever new souls arrived. It was as if there was a forcefield around her body and every new soul was like a little poke to that forcefield. But all she felt was love.
She didn't see their physical bodies as damaged. Whatever happened in the physical world stayed down there. Once the soul left the body it was up to the family how to give it a proper send off.
Molly was drawn to one woman in particular, an old woman named Grace. She had just passed 3 days ago and her body was cremated. Her daughter, Violet, had seen to it personally that her Mother's physical body be returned to a place she loved, not in a box with hundreds of other souls for all eternity.  Molly was attracted to the woman's vivacious attitude, Grace was quite a pistol. Grace didn't have her wings yet, newcomers had to wait until theirs grew in. It was really a sight to see, all the different stages of angel wings. Some older spirits had baby wings, some children had adolescent wings, and every once in a while there was Molly who had full grown angel wings. Hers was really a rarity, so many of her friends had chosen to fall before their wings could fully develop. Her best friend, Ashley, was destined to be one of the rare few who had her wings since birth but she chose to fall before they developed. She was born to a family that wasn't right for her. The woman was kind hearted but weak and that father was, well, there was a spot waiting for him down below.
Ashley didn't even tell Molly her plan. There was no way Molly could have warned her. All Molly knew was that she had to find a way to fall. But she didn't want to forget who she was. She wanted to remain in tact and find a way to get Ashley to safety before it was too late. Thankfully, the things Molly had seen took place 17 years from now so she still had some time, but she couldn't wait forever. She had at least a month before it was too late. She needed to find two people who were perfect for each other and get them together so that she could be born. It was her destiny to go through the physical life experience, but she needed the right vessel to carry her. Someone who would love her for exactly who she was, wings and all. She flew over to Grace and introduced herself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As soon as Molly came towards the old woman, an incredible sense of peace rushed over them both. "hello, my child," the old woman said. "hello, Grace," Molly said back. As soon as she extended her hand for the old woman to shake, she was being pulled in for a hug. Instantly she knew that no matter what she would go through on earth, this woman would be watching out for her. She chuckled thinking it funny that an angel would have a guardian angel watching out for her.
They took a walk among the clouds, Molly's wings resting gently upon her back. She was anxious to know all about the woman who would birth her and the man she would marry. She already knew whoever Grace's daughter would marry would be the only man she would ever truly love and the connection would be instant. There would be no hesitation. And he would fight to protect her. He would be there for his family and the love those two would share would be for a lifetime. Maybe even longer than that. The only problem was, they didn't know how to find each other. They had known each other in high school but lost touch. They were never lovers but had a special bond and thought of each other often. With Grace's permission, Molly could help them find their way back to each other. She listened as the old woman caught her up on what Violet was up to.
"she laid me to rest this morning. There was no church ceremony due to me being more spiritual than religious. But I'm proof that all paths lead to the same place. Violet had me cremated and took my ashes to our favorite spot and scattered them around. I know she could feel my presence there as she said her goodbyes to me. As I said my goodbyes with a kiss on her cheek, I saw this incredible light. As soon as I started walking towards it, the wind started blowing harder than usual. I looked back to see Violet acknowledging the wind and smiling with tears streaming down her face. For a second my heart ached to stay with her but I knew it's not what she would have wanted. She was saying, "it's okay, mom. I love you. Blessed be." as I walked into the light, the wind came to a stop and I could feel her leave our spot.
It wasn't as sad as I thought it would be. Up here I can still feel her, still see how she's doing. I know her heart belongs to a young man she went to high school with, that's why she's 26 and has never even been close to married. I found him--his name is John and they live literally 1 block from each other. Why they've never bumped into each other I have no clue."
Molly's heart skipped a beat at this news. "they live a block apart? What are we doing just standing around for? Let's get to work!!"
"we?!? Oh no honey, I have no part in this except to give you my blessing, which you now have. You must be careful to not interfere with either of their free will. You can give hints but they have to be subtle. They can't know you exist. Not until you're born."
Molly took this advice to heart. She always knew the dangers of an angel being spotted--one crazy human in the lot gets everybody else all riled up. Most of the time when humans say angels "came to them to give them a message", it was to kill innocent people. Those angels were not where she was, surrounded in complete peace and love. Those were the dark angels, the ones who loved creating misery and fear for those who had problems with their beliefs before those incidents happened.

Grace was giving Molly a goodbye hug. If she was going to make sure her parents met each other, she would have to work fast if she was going to be born in 17 years to save her best friend from the devil himself.
If she could get those two to find each other within the next month, it gave them enough time to have a proper bond before conceiving her. The timing had to be perfect so she and Ashley could find each other. She had to think up a plan.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1995

Violet hit the snooze button for the 3rd time that morning. She was having the most wonderful dream about a boy she used to go to school with and she didn't want it to end. She was just drifting back into sleep when her alarm sounded angrily at her. "fine! You win! I'll get up!" she shouted, almost knocking the damn thing over.
Her apartment wasn't very big, but it was all hers. She had moved in to the 1 bedroom, 1 bath in Boystown, Chicago, because it was where she felt safest. She didn't have to worry about the boys ogling her or stalking her or wanting her number while she was just trying to get from her favorite starbucks to her job in one piece. The boys in her apartment complex were loud and at times very lude and crude. But they were her boys. They kept her company while she was doing her laundry, shared all the local gossip with her, and generally looked out for her well-being. She preferred the company of gay men to straight men because her last relationship ended so badly, she had no idea how she was going to repair that damage.
He was a kid with a troubled past and she felt an instant connection with him. They met through her best friend Jayde and talked on the phone before meeting in person. They were inseparable for about 3 years, until she decided she had had enough of him getting drunk and calling her names, the never-ending parties, the drugs, the endless slough of losers that thought of her as mommy so they would never pay their share of anything.
It ended in an all-out fight. He wouldn't let her go, barricading himself in front of the bedroom door. She barely made it out of the apartment and from the time it took her to get in the car, he was already advancing to her. Staring at her with that deranged look that often haunted her in her dreams, he got on top of the hood. She looked right at him, threw the car in reverse, and slammed on the gas. She didn't even have time to laugh about how funny it looked to have him fly off the hood of the car.
She drove to her best friend's house. She felt bad about it being so late, but she couldn't go back to her apartment. Not back to him. It was 2am by the time she got to her friend's house. Jayde looked annoyed at first, then saw the panic in Violet's face as she took in all of her bruises and puffy, swollen eyes.

Violet never looked back. From her friend's apartment, she dialed 911 and told her story. Her boyfriend was arrested, and while he was locked up and after she got out of evidence, she went back to the apartment, packed up as much stuff as she could leaving a lot of stuff behind, and drove back to her parents' house.
She stayed there until the trial was over. He plead not guilty, and she had to testify to every horrible thing he had ever done. All the names he called her (worthless piece of shit seemed to be his favorite), every time he cut her down, made her feel like everything was her fault, the whole thing. It was such a far reach from where they started. It broke her heart to remember falling in love with him and wanting him near all the time. To go from that to the monster he had become was too much for her to bear. She almost lost it in court but her best friend was there and somehow, looking into the faces of her family and friends and the people who had come to support her, she had found the strength to tell her story.
Her ex was sentenced to a year in jail and then an extensive rehab/anger management program. It had been 2 years since the last time she saw him in that court room and she still had no idea how anything went. She knew he had gotten out of jail after 8 months, some garbage about good behavior, and that he went to an AA program while he was in there. But she had an order of protection against him which stated he could have no contact with her of any kind or come within 100 yards of her. His family lived somewhere in New York so she had always thought that's where he ended up.
It helped having boys around that would look out for her. She got lonely sometimes but opening her heart again was something she couldn't face. Not yet.

She yawned and stretched, shivering. When did it get this cold out? Had another season gone by and she missed it? Next to her, on his side of the bed, was her malamute, Mystic. He was the wolf's closest living relative, before the husky. This malamute had a gray mask, covering almost his entire face, except for one white spot on his chin that looked like a tiny heart. She had found him at the pound. Nobody wanted him because he was a bigger dog and looked vicious but when she looked into those big brown eyes, she was hooked.
She reached over to her huge dog, bringing him in for a snuggle. She breathed in his doggie smell of lavender shampoo and his favorite bacon doggie biscuits. "I supposed you'd like to be able to empty your bladder before I leave for work."
Mystic licked her face all over before jumping off the bed and racing for the door. "okay, baby, let me grab my robe at least," she managed to say before realizing she didn't have any socks on. This posed a problem as the floor was about 32 degrees f. When the coldness reached her brain she jumped up and down furiously, trying to remember where her slippers were. "well, I'm awake now," she thought as she found them by the front door. She leashed up her pup and lead them both out into the crisp late autumn/early winter morning so he could relieve himself.