Please join us for the baptism of
Lucas Matthew Knight
Noon, Sunday, July 21st
Monk’s Hill Chapel
Reception immediately following at Valentine’s restaurant
Polina arrived early to Monk’s Hill Chapel. The only other soul in the place was an older man she didn’t recognize praying near the front of the church. He didn’t turn around when she came in. Just as well. She wanted to be alone.
The dress Polina chose to wear to Lucas’s christening was a few centuries out of style. Ankle-length green linen, it boasted gold embroidery around the hem and a scooped neckline. A belt in the same Celtic pattern hung low on her hips. It was solid gold and matched the setting of her emerald necklace. She couldn’t remember when or where she’d purchased the dress. It was similar to one she’d worn in the seventeenth century, but the fabric and stitching were in far too good of shape for it to be authentic. No. She supposed this was one of the many replicas she’d purchased over the years. Comfort clothing.
Shoed in saddle-colored leather flats, she shuffled across the stone floor and slid into a pew. The polished wood smelled of lemon oil. Homey.
“You look like a Disney princess,” Logan said. He took a seat beside her, blocking her exit.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Your dress. It looks like you bought it at the Bippity Boopity boutique. This is the second time you’ve reminded me of a fairy-tale character. Do you always dress like you ride unicorns for a living, or is this just for special occasions?”
She narrowed her eyes at him, a flush warming her cheeks. “I prefer this clothing. It is comfortable to me. What’s so special about this ensemble?” She motioned from his dress shirt to his shoes. “You look like Costco was having a sale.”
He chuckled through a lopsided grin. “You’ve been to Costco?”
She rolled her eyes. “Of course I have.”
“It’s just… I’m having trouble picturing it. You, dressed like a medieval princess, buying ten-gallon vats of eye of newt?”
Her mouth twitched of its own accord, and she pretended to cough to hide her laugh. “Shows what you know. Witches buy eye of newt in bulk by the pound. Trouble is, they tend to roll off the scooper before you can get them into the baggie.”
“Thank you for that. There will be rolling eyeballs in my nightmares tonight.” He leaned back in the pew, mouth twisting in distaste.
Polina chuckled. “Honestly, who started that rumor anyway about witches using eye of newt in everything? Do you know what a newt is? It’s an amphibian. Looks like a lizard. Who has time to be plucking the eyes out of the little buggers? And why on earth would they have magical properties?”
“Not to mention, who fashions the canes for all the blind newts?”
She turned to face him, stifling a laugh, only to let it out when he pantomimed a newt using a guide cane for the blind. The man praying near the front of the chapel cast a harsh glance her way, and she covered her mouth with her fingers.
“Why are you here, Logan?” she asked, smoothing her dress.
“To see Lucas get baptized.”
“Why are you here so early?”
“I like to be early. I’m a punctual person. Why are you here so early?”
She blinked at him. “Why would anyone purposefully be late?”
“I don’t know.” Their eyes met. Logan looked away first.
“Actually, I’m glad I ran into you. I need to ask you something.”
“What could you possibly need to ask me?” She tipped her head and shook it gently.
“I’m going to let that obviously patronizing and offensive commentary pass and just come out with it. My dead mother says you did the hocus-pocus on me when I crashed my bike.”
Polina frowned. “She just comes to you with these things? Out of the blue? On any given Sunday? A spiritual tattletale?”
“Then it’s true?”
Polina sighed and looked toward the front of the church. Another family had arrived and was taking a seat. “Yes. It is true. I found you on the side of the road in my territory. You were dying. I healed you as much as I could, then made it so your soul wouldn’t pass over on its own. I gave your body extra time, so the humans could heal you the rest of the way.”
Logan’s mouth fell open. “What the hell, lady?”
“Shhh,” Polina said, apologizing to the older man who’d turned to stare. “Keep it down.”
“Do you know how close I came to haunting Grateful’s attic for all eternity?”
She pursed her lips. “It was an honest mistake. I thought your soul would go to my room of reflection and that I’d be responsible for sorting you. How was I to know that they would take your body home and your soul would follow to that realm? Grateful’s realm.” She shrugged. “I honestly didn’t know what happened to you. I assumed you’d died. Do you know, that first night I met you at Grateful’s, I didn’t realize who you were right away? You were terribly familiar, but I couldn’t place it.”
Rubbing his chin, Logan scrutinized her. “When did you realize who I was?”
“When I rescued you from the water witch. Once I saw you passed out on the beach, it came back to me.”
He slapped his thighs, eliciting more intense glares from the gathering guests. “Why the hell didn’t you say anything?” Logan whispered.
Polina spread her hands. “It didn’t seem important. Now that you know, if you’d like to say thank you, I’m all ears.”
His face reddened and he rolled his eyes. “Thank you for almost causing my soul to wander the earth for eternity.”
She straightened in her seat, ignoring his sarcasm. “You’re welcome.”
A piano began to play and Polina joined the other guests in standing as Rick and Grateful walked to the baptismal font with baby Lucas. Logan stood too, shuffling closer to make room for another couple who entered the pew. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate you saving my life,” Logan whispered.
“Twice.”
“Twice. It’s just that I would think you’d be a little more empathetic about the unexpected results. It’s also not something a person keeps from another person.”
She turned to him as the minister began the ceremony. Neither of them were listening. “I am sorry that saving your life inconvenienced you and that I did not immediately inform you of the unselfish thing I did for you.”
“Glad we got it out in the open,” Logan said.
Polina turned back to the front and engaged in the ceremony. The babe was truly adorable in his white baptismal suit. He lay quietly in the crook of Grateful’s arm as she and Rick answered questions for the minister. Polina had never been Christian, not even in her old human days, but she tried to follow along. There were prayers and promises and then the minister scooped water out of a basin and poured it over the child’s forehead. Only, he missed. He tried again, and this time the water hit its mark.
“Did you see that?” Logan asked.
“Yes.” Polina cleared her throat and narrowed her eyes. “The minister missed the babe’s head.”
Logan smirked. “Missed? It looked like the water curved out of the way.”
She elbowed him in the side of the arm and shook her head. “Shhh.”
“We are not done talking about my accident,” he whispered in her ear.
With a sigh, she gave him a reluctant nod. So be it. It was best if he knew the truth anyway.