Page 30 of Spirit Island
“Positively?”
“Positively.They mentioned the gold digger aspect, but then I told them thatyou had no idea who I was and certainly hadn’t come to me duringyour pregnancy or afterward.”
“Yeah, Icouldn’t find you, and then, he was here, and it didn’t reallymatter.” She looked at their son as he looked between them and madehis fascinated noise.
“What isthat?”
“When he justgoes ‘ooooo’? He’s fascinated and thinks it’s neat. To be honest,he does the same thing with airplanes.”
Tenec grinned.“I will take it. Shall we go now?”
“Sure.”
He stood up.“Step in and hold tight.”
“Holding tightis your job,” she muttered. His arm wrapped around her, and sheheld him across Terro and the other arm around his back.
The world spunaround her and then settled. He kept her close to him, and she feltthe pressure of his lips on her temple. Terro squirmed, and theybacked away.
“Andreux! Arethese they?” The woman’s voice was excited. There was a heavinessin her accent that seemed familiar.
Andreux openedhis arms, and Jane stepped away. Terro launched at her, and shewore her sleepy boy around her neck.
The woman hadgold hair and bright blue eyes, looking to be in her mid-fifties.She paused and waited for Tenec to answer her, but when Terrolooked at her, she gasped.
“Oh, baby. Cometo Grandmama.”
Terro turnedand buried his face in Jane’s shoulder. “He’s just waking up from anap. He will be running around like a loon in just a few minutes. Iwill introduce you then.”
Andreux said,“Mother, this is Jane. Jane, this is Monique. My mother has beenvery excited about Terro. I believe seeing him has eased hermind.”
“Right. Isthere a yard or a beach for him to run?”
Andreux nodded.“My mother’s gardens are this way. It’s enclosed.”
Monique heardthem and nodded, walking along a path and opening a large woodendoor in a stone wall. Terro saw the bright colours and flowers, andhe squirmed down and began to run along the crushed gravel,giggling madly.
Jane sighed.When he paused to squat, she waited until the behaviour wasfinished for a minute and then waved her hand, and he paused andthen ran away giggling again.
Andreux asked,“What did you do?”
“Changed hisdiaper on the run. I didn’t think to grab the bag, but myadaptation as a sea witch lets me take what I need. In this case, Itake it from the hotel room, and the diaper is in a disposal systemdesigned by nature”
“So, you movethings.”
“Yes. I don’tcreate out of nothing. I transport. I have very fine control.”
Terro thuddedinto her and grinned up with his baby teeth gleaming. “Mommy,run?”
“Oh, shoot.”She glanced at Andreux and Monique. “He wants to play tag with me,but I don’t want it misconstrued as flirting.”
Monique smiled.“I am sure my son has self-control. He has gotten a child off you,and his interest is slaked.”
Andreuxsnorted. “Mom, you don’t know what you are talking about.”
Terro waspushing hard. Jane picked up the edge of her skirt and darted intothe gardens with a giggle following her. Jane skidded on the graveland looked at her little one barreling toward her. She darted downanother path and then switched back around and around until she waslost with Terro’s footsteps silent. “Mama?”
“Yes,baby.”