Chapter 1
"Victor, can you hand me some extra juice to throw in the beach bag?" I asked my significant other.
"Give me a minute Jenna, can't you see I'm a little busy right now?"
My heart tugged a little at his tone. Today was supposed to be a fun day. We were finally home again with our children after completing a rather difficult task in the Middle East. Victor had been on edge since our return and I felt a slight unease because of his odd behavior. Each assignment lately seemed to take a greater toll on him than the other protectors. I had been meaning to talk to Haniel about it, but never seemed to get the chance. Haniel's visits have been sporadic lately and I missed talking to him.
Shaking off my unease, I left the half-packed beach bag on the table and walked up behind Victor and placed my hands on his shoulders. He jumped slightly at my touch as he closed down the computer. I could feel the tension and mixed emotions that had been swirling around him since our return the previous night.
I had hoped that the mixed emotions would disappear once we returned home and got to see Harmony and Mark again, but after a brief reunion with them, he had closed himself up in his office.
"What's wrong with daddy?" Mark had asked, confused at his father's standoffish attitude.
"Daddy's just a little sad after our last job," I said, trying to ease his confusion.
"Will you fix him?" He asked as I tucked him into bed after blowing raspberries on his belly, making him giggle in the sweet way I loved so much.
"Yes, mommy will fix him and tomorrow we will go to the beach and see all our friends," I said, amazed that even at the tender age of three, Mark somewhat understood the uniqueness of our bonds.
"Krista?" Mark asked, distracted about the promised beach trip.
"Yes my sweet, you will see Krista there," I said returning his smile. I did not resent his attachment to my dear friend's little girl. It was the way it should be. One day they would grow up and they would marry each other. They would spend their youth as the best of friends until they reached their teenage years where they would discover the far deeper love they felt for each other, just as Harmony would with Mason. It was what we were created for.
"Now go to sleep and have the sweet dreams I know you will have," I said kissing his chubby cheeks one last time.
But I didn't have the chance to "fix" Victor by the time both kids had been put to bed. He had already retired for the night.
To my dismay, Victor's mood was not much better the next morning. Trying to ease his tension, I massaged his shoulders gently, mustering a small bit of peace and tranquility together inside me and prepared to send it his way. Before I could cast it toward him though, he stood up and pulled me in his arms.
"I'm okay. Don't waste any more of your emotions. You need to recoup," he said, finally sounding like the man who held the key to my heart. "I'm working through it and will be fine," he added, reassuring me with a quick kiss on my lips. I tightened my arms around his neck, aching to deepen the kiss. It had been weeks since we had any significant alone time and I craved his touch.
"Momma, I can't find my Spiderman swim frunks." Mark said plaintively behind me. "And Harmony's swimsuit is broken, I fink," he added, making me smile. I just adored his lisp, it was so cute. Pulling away from Victor reluctantly, I turned around to assist my two adorable munchkins.
I had to laugh when I saw that Harmony's swimsuit did indeed look broken with the way Mark had tried to put it on her. He had looped one of the armholes around her neck leaving a missing armhole for her tiny left arm.
"Let mommy fix that," I said, kneeling down in front of the little bundle of sunshine in front of me. Harmony smiled at me in her usual way and waited patiently while I righted her swimsuit. I brushed her long locks of golden hair off her narrow shoulders so the strap wouldn’t get tangled in it.
"There, all fixed," I said, still hunkering down in front of her. "You ready to go play in the sand?" I asked her.
"Sand," she said, her bright blue eyes shining.
"Yes, sand, my silly honeysuckle girl." Harmony's fascination with the sand on the beach was one that had kept all of us entertained. She would play in the sand for hours, sifting it though her tiny little fingers and watching it cascade down. She had no use for the vast ocean, but the sand on the beach was by far her favorite destination.
"Are you ready to go, Jenna?" Victor asked coming down the hallway with an oddly sullen Mark trailing behind him.
"Yep, just about. What's the matter sweetie?" I asked Mark.
"Daddy said I don't need my Spiderman frunks," he said with uncharacteristic tears welling up in his eyes.
"Why not?" I asked a little confused.
"Because the plaid ones are fine and he needs to start learning that he can't have everything he wants. He also needs to learn to curb his tears," Victor said in a harsh voice that shocked me.
"Of course he can wear his Spiderman trunks," I said intervening. "I know exactly where they are and there's no reason he should go without." We had never argued about the kids before. Raising the next generation of guides and protectors was an honor; the fact that they were all good-natured and happy made the job all the easier.
"You're right," Victor said, switching gears. "I just couldn't find them and was a little frustrated. I'll go load up the car," he added, leaving the room abruptly.
The panic and misgivings I had been trying to keep at bay reared its ugly head as I blinked away sudden tears. I was going to have to talk to Haniel; something was clearly wrong.