Chapter 35: Chapter 35

The front of Nana Sue’s house was illuminated only by the lamp in the living room when Cutter pulled his mom’s car to a stop out front that evening. After a nice dinner and a game of Gin Rummy, which Ru had never played before, he volunteered to give her a ride home. The snow was lightly falling but it wasn’t too deep. Knowing she’d see him the next day, Ru didn’t make a huge production about telling him goodbye before she slipped out of the car and hurried up to the front porch, even though every time they parted now, it seemed like she was leaving a small part of herself behind.

Warmth radiated from the fireplace as Ru stepped inside. Nana sat knitting in her chair. Looking up, she smiled. “Oh, good. You’re home. I was beginning to wonder. How is the Michaels family?”

Piper rubbed up against Ru’s leg, and once she’d struggled out of her coat, she bent to rub her head. “They’re good,” she replied. “Windy made pot roast for dinner, so I decided to stay.” The aroma of the delicious dish still wafted through her mind as she mentioned it. “Where’s Mom?”

“I’m in here, honey!” Maggie called from the kitchen, which was a straight shot through the living room to the back of the house. “I’ll be right in. Just popping some cookies in the oven.”

Ru couldn’t help but giggle. It seemed there was a lot of baking going on in this house. She hung her coat by the door and wandered into the kitchen to see her mom closing the oven door. At least two dozen other chocolate chip cookies covered the table on cooling racks. “Are we having company?” Ru asked, amused.

“No, I thought I’d take some over to Ribbon’s family tomorrow. Her little girls love sweets, and baking helps… clear my mind.” Maggie took the oven mitts off and set them on the counter near the stove. “How was your day dear? Would you like a cookie?”

Despite having devoured a large slice of apple pie after dinner, the cookies smelled wonderful, and Ru couldn’t resist. “Maybe just one.” She thought about shouting to her grandmother if it was okay if she poured a glass of milk, but then she realized this was her home, too, at least temporarily, and Nana Sue had already told her at least a dozen times that what was hers was Ru’s. She grabbed a glass out of the cabinet and crossed to the refrigerator, filling it about three-fourths of the way to the top with the whole milk her grandmother insisted on buying. It did taste a lot better than the skim Ru usually used.

Maggie handed her a plate with two extra-large cookies on it and smiled. Ru almost mentioned she’d only wanted one, but this was her mother’s way of spoiling her, and in Maggie’s mind, there was a lot of spoiling to make up for. “My day was good. I need to talk to you and Nana about something.” Ru bit into the cookie and warm chocolate spread throughout her mouth. “These are so good,” she managed around the bite.

“Thank you,” Maggie said, though there was something behind her eyes that made Ru know she was a little worried. “It’s Nana’s recipe.”

Ru nodded and lost herself in the rest of the first cookie before she said more, only pausing to wash down the chewy goodness with a few swallows of milk. “Did you go to Ribbon’s house today?” Ru knew her mother had been visiting quite often. It must be difficult to be alone with Nana all day when they’d had such differences the last time Maggie lived here. Every once in a while, Nana would call her Sera, which would immediately be corrected. Most of the time, Nana just referred to her to Ru as “your mom” which solved the issue.

“I did. Her husband is away right now on a mission. I think he’s in Australia or New Zealand. So, it’s just her and her two little girls. Satin is six and Velvet is almost eleven. Such pretty girls, just like their mom.”

Holding back her comment about the unusual names, Ru remembered their mom’s name was Ribbon, after all, and she was one to talk. “Everyone here is pretty.” Ru had to force the last half of the second cookie down as she was not only stuffed but starting to feel the effects of so much sugar. She washed it down with the rest of her milk. “I’m glad you have such a good friend to spend your time with.”

Maggie smiled. “Me, too.” There was a longing in her gaze, like something, or someone was missing. It was always there, but more prominent at some points than others, like now.

“Well, why don’t we go into the living room and I’ll tell you and Nana about my day?”

Maggie nodded, and Ru rinsed her dishes off in the sink quickly before slipping them into the dishwasher. She dried her hands on a towel and followed her mom into the other room. Maggie found a seat on the sofa, and Ru dropped into a chair across from Nana closer to the fire. While her grandmother glanced up and smiled, she didn’t say anything, which gave Ru a moment to collect her thoughts.

She’d spent most of the afternoon and evening trying to figure out what to say to two women who would have very different reactions to learning about what she’d done. The idea of telling them separately had crossed her mind, but this seemed like the easier route. Cutter had offered to come with her, but this was something she decided she needed to do on he own since it was strictly a family matter at this point. Raphael had already approved of her actions, so no other Keepers should be upset. Still, she had a feeling that wouldn’t stop Nana from reacting with frustration and sadness.

“So… today I was working on demonology with Windy, trying to learn who I might have to face at the next portal, and something unusual happened.” She waited a moment to make sure they were both listening. Nana’s knitting went to her lap and her forehead puckered. Her mom’s expression became even more guarded. “A giant black crow came and perched outside of her dining room window.”

Immediately, Maggie’s countenance changed. “A black crow?”

“Yes.”

“And it squawked at you until you went outside?”

“Yes.”

A smile spread across Maggie’s face, but Nana only looked confused. “What did it want?” she asked, as if birds could speak and delivered messages frequently. But then, for all Ru knew, maybe they did.

She took a deep breath. “We followed it—Cutter and I—out of town, up the hills, into the mountains. And it led us to… Larkin.”

Her mother giggled in glee, while Nana’s face somehow managed to become even paler. “Larkin?” the eldest family member asked sharply. “Well, I should hope you turned and went the other direction.”

“Mom—” Maggie began, but Ru raised a hand to stop her.

“Nana, he’s my father. And I absolutely know how you feel about him. Honestly, I don’t blame you. But I’d already spoken to him once, in Turkey, and Mom and I had decided on what to do if I came face-to-face with him. So, I had a plan. He wasn’t hostile at all, Nana. He was nice and apologetic. He said he should’ve done what Mom wanted him to do a long time ago.”

“And what’s that? I’d say for him to run off into the countryside and never look back, but that’s definitely not something your mother would’ve ever suggested. She gave Maggie a sharp look, and Ru could tell her mom was biting her tongue, which was a good thing. Having the two of them start arguing right away would get her off course.

“No, Nana. We decided, if Larkin was willing, I would change him into a man—a full human. Take out his Reaper essence and… dispose of it.”