Accidental Surrogate

The Goddess’ Light Ella The pool we approach is wide and expansive – more of a large pond, or even a lake, really, shining below the open sky. I tilt my head curiously at I look at it, remembering Cora describing the pool as small and well tucked away in the forest. This one… Well. Maybe it’s different every time, for every child, every pair of godparents. I look up at the moon and smile, thinking fondly of my mother and all the blessings she’s given us. And also how she can sometimes be…a little bit tricky.

“Ready?” Sinclair murmurs.

“Almost,” I quip, stepping close to him and lifting myself up on my toes, tilting my chin up for a kiss. He smiles and bends his head, pressing his mouth briefly to mine.

“Ready now,” I say, grinning at him.

Sinclair takes a moment to look at me in the moonlight, running a hand over the length of my lose hair, and then we step forward to the edge of the pool.

“Goddess,” he murmurs, not bothering to raise his voice – he knows she can hear him. “We bring to you, tonight, this child our nephew Jesse. So that he may begin to know you.” “We wish to show him your light,” I say, repeating the words that Henry taught me as part of the ritual, a little shiver running down my spine as I do. ” And in doing so, let you see him and bring him into the spirit of your grace.” I smile as the light reflecting off the pool grows brighter, insubstantially at first but bolder as the moments pass. Mom – she’s here, and she’s ready to meet Jesse.

swaddling. Then, with the baby safe in my mate’s broad hands, Sinclair and I step forward to hold Jesse out over the pool, basking in

look down at Jesse, as the moonlight pools over him. He kicks his little feet and fusses for a moment, frowning a bit up at the sky before giving a little laugh.

his brother and best friend. “His parents, Cora and Roger, have asked us to bring him here to dedicate him to you. We do so in their name.” I grin, tucking myself close to my mate’s side, a thrill running through me. How many babies have been dedicated to the Goddess with these words,

time to ponder these questions, because as I gaze at the baby something

I breathe, my eyes going wide. And then I take a deep breath, and am swept away in the vision that my mother

pranks. And by his side at almost every moment is another little boy – dark haired, always a little taller, always laughing and shouting at his cousin’s side. Rafe – Rafe! Happy, and healthy, and Jesse’s best friend, as I always dreamed

moment of the vision, to study them each independently, to get the details in full But tears slip down my cheeks as I give in to the experience, knowing that this – like life – will fly by, and if I spend my time trying to hold onto the pieces I’ll miss

I start to realize that next to Jesse and Rafe, in every

cousin at all times, laughing with them, fully engaged with their games and antics – And then a vision comes of the three of them, draped over the pillows of a couch, fully exhausted with their arms and legs thrown over each other like exhausted puppies, sleeping wherever they landed And though there’s no real proof of it, I know she’s mine – the little baby growing in my stomach right now.

hardly able to see through the blurr of my tears but eager to do so because there’s more The three – they’re older now, much older, in their early twenties, all dressed in black and gathered around a fire somewhere, in a room with stone walls that looks out over a dark landscape. They’re chatting and laughing, their cheeks ruddy and healthy, tired but happy. Jesse – he’s so tall and he looks just like Roger, with Cora’s warm brown eyes. He laughs easily, tossing a cashew at Rafe who God, I almost sob to see it – but who looks like Sinclair’s double And our little girl! She’s there too! I shake my head at…at how much she looks like me The three, they’re a team, and wherever they are, they’re there together. I shake my head, not understanding, because they certainly don’t look like they’re at college,