Salty
“What is your favorite memory of the last six years? Since Egan’s been born?”
His question startled her, and she frowned at the way it made. it her think. Tapping her finger atop the table as he lifted his wineglass to his lips, she pondered it.
“I think,” she admitted quietly, “it was a few months before. Egan’s fourth birthday, and he woke up incredibly happy. He was cuddled up next to me and he asked me what his brother’s name was. I’d never mentioned him having a brother. He was only three, so he wasn’t drawing intricate pictures of anything other than scribbles and stuff, so I hadn’t realized he was dreaming of Roan yet. I lost him when I was fourteen weeks. pregnant, so it never dawned on me Roan was a spirit. Then he said his brother asked him what his name was. At first, I thought it was simply a dream, and it didn’t mean anything but then he said it wasn’t my fault I fell down the stairs and how his brother really missed me. To know Egan was connecting me to him,” she let out a shaky breath, “it was life changing for me. Egan and I talked a long time about what name to give his brother and we agreed to call him Roan. The day after I got my tattoo of their names, Egan said Roan loved his name and he loved me too. I was still thinking it was surreal, a bit of an oddity. Then a week or so later, Egan gave me a message saying my Dad was cutting wood with a knife and to tell me I needed to learn to shoot.”
“Learn to shoot?” Kiefer’s voice was strangely hoarse.
Genesis noted the watery eyes, and he understood his feelings.
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house, and he wanted me to know how to fire one. I was only six. I remember my mom was yelling and Dad was very calm, sitting in his rocking chair, whittling, and said after the party he was taking me to learn to shoot. When Egan gave me the message from my father, I knew then something special was happening. I talked to Astra who reached out to a friend of hers. Her friend
came and talked to Egan. She coached me on what I should and shouldn’t do but,” she gave an honest smile, “having the connection to them means everything to me. I felt Egan’s gift was mine as well.”
“I thought it was bogus until he told you about the horse and you pulled the one out of your bag. Freaked me the fuck out. Dad said my granny who was gifted like Egan.”
“Really? I find it very fascinating.”
“Do you ever feel compelled to sit Egan down and quiz him for answers?”
“In the beginning it was really hard to not ask questions but the medium we talked with made it clear not to put pressure on him. They said if Egan has a message from anyone on the other side, he’ll share it with me in his time but for his peace of mind, to let him come to me.”
“Why?”
“Because, the medium said right now, he’s only talking to people who want to pass along messages to me. If we open it up and send Egan into his dreams asking for information which inadvertently opens others to communicate with Egan it could be detrimental and draining on him.”
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“But if Roan doesn’t have the answer and goes in search of it and brings something back, it’s a problem. A straightforward. question I pose to you might not be as straightforward to a little boy of four, five, six and until Egan is older, until he is able to meet with other mediums with similar gifts who can help him control the way spirits impact him, I can’t risk it. I won’t risk the living for questions and answers from the dead.”
“How often do you get messages?”
“For me it’s never often enough but usually once a month or every six weeks. Egan said before Roan finds it draining to his spirit to relay messages. It uses energy. They communicate telepathically to play but when it’s a message meant for me, Egan says Roan speaks to him out loud. The same with my Dad.”
“What’s the weirdest or best message from your father, aside from him telling you to shoot, which is weird by the way.”
“I think he was telling me to learn to protect myself,” she gave him a pointed glance and Kiefer nodded. “The weirdest one was a name Egan mentioned less than a year ago. I never did. figure out what the name was referring to, but Egan said my Dad repeated it many times over several dreams. Then he stopped.”
“Do you remember the name?”
“I do. Makari. I tried to google it but honestly, the only thing I could figure out was a skin care regimen.” She gave a laugh, “I never figured it out.”
“What about from Roan?”
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“That’s harder. Every message from Roan feels special. I live for each of them. I think when Egan told me Roan hears me when I speak to him. The medium helped me learn how to meditate. I can’t connect or feel them myself but according to Egan when I meditate and tell Roan I love him and I never forget him, he hears me. He’s my angel and I know he watches.”
They were interrupted as their appetizers arrived and Genesis gave a bland smile and looked at Kiefer. She leaned forward when the server left, “I told you we’re going home hungry.”
He chuckled, “Genesis, it’s only the appetizer.”
“It’s a cracker with a weird mousse and a couple fish eggs. One. Not even a couple of them. Just one.”
“Do you want mine?”
‘No because you’ll not get enough calories and go into some kind of hypoglycemic episode, and I’ll have to carry your heavy
ass out of here.”
He laughed heartily now, “you’re killing me.”
“I’m not wrong!” She avoided her wine. “When this dinner is done, we’re probably going to have to go home and raid the cupboards for snacks. Can’t even drink my wine because I’m going to get tanked having alcohol on an empty stomach.”
Kiefer was hugging his ribs as he laughed at her complaints. She shoved her entire cracker in her mouth and covered her mouth while she chewed crankily. After she swallowed, he lifted his from his plate and leaned across the table. “Open up.”
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“No, it’s yours. I can’t eat yours.”
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“You can, come on. You’ll need your energy tomorrow to chase a six–year–old.”
She opened her mouth, and he popped it into past her teeth, his thumb dragging along the edge of her mouth to wipe the crumbs.
“You’re beautiful, Gen.”
“Thanks.” She looked away as she chewed the mouthful of
cracker.
“Is it good?”
“It tastes salty.”
“Like oyster and shellfish salty or a mouthful of jizz salty.”
She kicked him under the table as she tried not to laugh at his words. “Whose jizz have you been tasting to find out it’s salty?”
“Don’t you remember the time we made out in the elevator in New York?”
She blinked at his question, “no.”
“Yes, you do, little liar. Remember how the elevator got stuck between floors and the maintenance crew called to say it would be at least twenty to thirty minutes. To distract you, I put you on your knees. I’d just filled your mouth, and it was dripping. down your chin and the elevator started to move again ahead of schedule.”
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meeting room they were heading for, he’d whispered the word salty in his car.
“Kiefer,” she was certain her face was red.
“I’ve never been so glad to get trapped in an elevator in my life.”
“Where is the rest of the food?” she tried to change the topic.
“It’s coming,” he promised. “Speaking of coming,” at her annoyed gaze, “how did you sleep last night?”
“I slept well, thank you.”
“Did he make you
“No!” she cut him off.
“Why not?”
“Because my bedroom is for sleep only.”
“What?”
“Lorcan said having to satisfy the needs of three men, I’ll need my own sanctuary where sex is off the table. My bed is mine for rest. If I want to be held, I can ask for cuddles but no sex in
room.”
“He didn’t try anything?”
my
“He did kiss me good morning,” she thought of the way his lips were soft and teasing when she first woke, “however he told me. to go back to sleep and he left.”
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“And you slept well with him?”
She nodded.
“Why?”
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“I felt safe with him there, Kiefer. I’ve been sleeping with one eye open in the house, afraid of who might come in. You and Tadgh have been crossing boundaries without my consent, cuddling up in bed with me and it makes me unsettled. Having Lorcan there made me feel I could close my eyes and know there won’t be anyone touching me in a way I didn’t want.”
“Genesis, you should know we wouldn’t force you.”
“No but you’re both taking liberties you shouldn’t have.”
He nodded, “I apologize. You’re right. Tadgh and I were both of the opinion the best way to make you feel how much we love you was to inundate you with our presence. We were wrong. I really fucking hate the old man is reading this situation better than the two of us together, but he is.”
She couldn’t help but laugh at his words. “He is a smooth talker, I’ll give him that and he definitely reads me a lot better than the two of you do.”
“We will do better Gen. I promise.”
“I’m scared of you Kiefer.”
“I know, a ghrá, and I cannot tell you the guilt I have because your love was the best gift I ever received in my life, and I squandered it. I squandered it like a fool. I should have kept you
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pleas for me to give you more of me. You are afraid I’m going to
break your heart again. As long as I’m alive, if I’m nothing else. for you, Genesis, I will be the one who keeps you safe.”
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