Naomi was struggling to hold onto a squealing, splashing Lark in the Crick Tub pool when Karleigh found them. She’d clearly run some distance, poor girl, and she bent over, bracing a hand on her knee and holding up a finger while she tried to catch her breath. Naomi didn’t need to hear what she had to say. She met Hades’ gaze, and his senses confirmed what her heart had already told her. With a scrambling splash, she was out of the pool, bundling Lark into a towel and plopping her in Karleigh’s waiting arms. She snatched up her clothes and took off in a precarious, skidding run.
Piper was here.
Naomi had known she was close for days, and the anticipation had been just about more than she could bear. With Hades on her heels, she dashed past the mostly empty soaking pools and the cascading, multi-colored mineral formations. She yanked her clothes on over wet skin as she went, hopping as she jammed on her shoes. Then she ran up the steps Karleigh had just run down. Past the bath house and into the parking lot beyond, where a crowd had gathered, and there, there was her girl.
With an inarticulate cry, Naomi barreled through the onlookers, not stopping until she had Piper wrapped in her arms. Sobbing and laughing, they rocked and swayed together. Naomi pulled back and took Piper’s face in her hands, kissing her forehead, the sweet curves of her cheeks, her eyelids, her darling nose, her laughing mouth. Then, she looked deep into her daughter’s beautiful, teary green eyes.
“Goodbye, travel safe, I love you with all my heart and all the breath in my body,” she said. “And don’t you ever, ever leave without me saying that again!” She hauled Piper back into her arms, rocking her more gently this time. “And welcome home, my baby, my girl, my love.”
“Mama, I missed you so much, so much.” Piper pulled back this time, and taking Naomi’s hands, held her mother’s arms out to her sides. She scrutinized her from head to toe, nodding. “You’ve rounded out some. Looks good on you.” She hugged her again, joyous, exuberant. “Feels good, too – almost like my old, squishy mom.”
“Well, you’re downright scrawny,” Naomi retorted. She wrapped her arm around Piper’s waist, and for the first time, looked around. “Did Jack come with you? Or Ed and Owen?”
“No, Jack stayed behind on the island with his sister and the kids. As for Ed and Owen – oh, my gosh, there’s just so much to tell you, I hardly know where to start.” She wrinkled her nose. “Is now a good time to tell you I married Jack?”
Naomi shut her eyes for a moment. Her only daughter, married. She could safely bet there’d been no fairy-tale wedding day, no perfect white gown, no gorgeous flowers or fancy cake. She sighed deeply, let those things go, and opened her eyes. “Are you happy?”
“So happy, Mom. And get this – Dad gave his blessing. I’ll tell you all about it, but first, you need to meet some people.” She stepped back, and two enormous, heavily-armed men stepped forward. “Adam and Tyler, my dear friends, and the men who were responsible for destroying the helicopters on Fort Carson last summer. They also helped Grace get to us safely, and me get back to you.”
“Well, then.” Naomi brushed right by their rifles and knives, and wrapped her arms around them both in turn, kissing the cheeks they bent to offer her. “Martin told us about the helicopters, so your reputation precedes you. Welcome, and blessings on you both for keeping my girls safe. Plan on being spoiled rotten while you’re on my turf.”
A disturbance in the crowd made her turn. Martin was hurrying towards her with Lark in the crook of his arm, Karleigh trailing behind them. When he saw Piper, his face lit with a brilliant smile. He swooped her into a hug, then pulled back and looked around. “Grace?”
“Safe and sound with Jack. She wanted to make the trip, but we overruled.” Piper reached for his hand, and squeezed it. “Martin, she’s doing so well. She’s healthy, sleeping so much better, and healing by the day. The safety of the island has so much to do with that, so we insisted she stay, this year at least. She didn’t fight us too hard, so we knew it was the right decision. She sent letters – a huge one for you, one for Anne, one for Quinn.” Piper’s eyes landed on the toddler on Martin’s hip, currently squirming to get down. “And one for you, little bean. Gracious me, but you do look like your mama.”
Lark, suddenly shy, dove to hide her face against Martin’s chest. After a moment, she peeked at Piper, then stuck her finger in her mouth and gave her a gooey smile. Her sweetness lasted about ten seconds. Then she was twisting and wiggling to get down again. Martin looked over his shoulder. “Karleigh, can you please watch her for me while I catch up? I’d really appreciate it.”
“Sure, Mr. Ramirez.” She took a ready position. “Go ahead and set her down. I’ll chase her until she wears out.”
Martin set Lark on her feet, and she was off, dark curls bouncing as she ran back towards the pools. Karleigh scooted after her, and Piper looked at Naomi. “Where’s Quinn?”
“Delivering a baby,” Naomi said. She put her arm back around Piper’s waist, squeezed, then began walking towards the buildings so many of them now called home. “We’ve got a lot to tell you, too.”
Most of the travelers from Woodland Park had settled in what was formerly known as the Springs Resort and Spa, spreading out among the old Spring Inn Motel building, the Mountain Suites and the luxurious, 100% geothermal heated, EcoLuxe hotel. The surviving inhabitants of the town, numbering only nineteen, had welcomed them after a period of uncertainty and negotiations, and the two communities had blended with only a few bumps in the road. Most of the original inhabitants had stayed in their own homes, but the Springs Resort grounds had become a central gathering point, much like Jack’s church back in Woodland Park.
Naomi and Martin shared a suite with Quinn and Lark on the ground floor of the EcoLuxe building, with Ethan, Elise and the kids in a nearby suite. Cries of welcome greeted Piper when they entered the building, and she stopped to hug people frequently as they traversed the busy lobby, a popular gathering spot. Martin met Naomi’s eyes and tilted his head at the bar, raising his eyebrows in question. Naomi nodded, grateful, and Martin peeled off with Adam and Tyler in tow.
“How long has it been since either of you had an iced drink? It’s just water – the liquor’s long gone, and we’ve been so busy harnessing geo-thermal forces, we haven’t gotten around to building a still yet. A few folks have tried their hand at brewing beer, but the words ‘horse piss’ come to mind…”
Naomi hurried Piper to their rooms, shooing Hades inside and shutting the door behind them. Hades trotted over to his customary place by the fireplace, settling in with a groan. Naomi gazed at her girl in the sudden peaceful silence, then lifted her hand to touch Piper’s hair. Not quite real, yet, that her baby was here. She wanted to wrap around her and absorb her with all her senses. “You’re letting your hair grow again.”
Piper nodded, and touched Naomi’s braid in return. “So are you. I’ve never seen your hair so long.”
“Or so grey,” Naomi groused, though the complaint was nothing more than an echo from the past. If she was honest, she rather liked her mostly-silver braid. She reached for Piper’s backpack and rifle, taking both and urging her towards the couch. “Sit, and let me fuss. Are you hungry?”
“Mama, even if I wasn’t hungry, I’d want to eat. I dream of your cooking, and wake up all weepy.” Piper sank onto the sofa with a sigh, and looked around. “This sure is different from the cabin,” she said, and Naomi heard the longing in her voice. “It’s almost like before. Luxury living, at its finest.”
“It sounds ungrateful, but I miss home. I miss the familiarity of the cabin, the way your dad always felt so close there, Macy’s grave. I still feel like a hotel guest here – it just doesn’t feel like home yet. In time, I’m sure that will change.” Naomi went to the tiny kitchen and began pulling out food. “Still, the hot springs provide tremendous advantages, and the river is so close, for both fish and power. Alder has been in his glory, creating and installing alternative energy sources. We’ve got it so good I worry others will hear and try to take it for themselves.”
Piper looked up sharply. “The gang? Are they still a threat?”
“Yes and no.” Naomi carried plates out to the living area and set them on the coffee table, then sat down beside Piper. “We heard the old leaders – the ones who tried to take over after the explosion – got overthrown. Then we heard the over-throwers got overthrown, and so on. When you see Gracie, you tell her she ripped the guts right out of those rat bastards.” She held up a plate. “Want a cookie?”
Piper just stared at her for a moment. Then she shook her head and laughed, and tears shone in her eyes. “I missed you so much, Mom. Yes, I would kill or die for one of your cookies right now. So if the gang is dead, who are you worried about?”
“Well, that’s the ‘yes’ part. They’re not dead. They’ve just changed form. Mostly they’ve become nomadic, raiding up and down the front range. They’ve got at least one tank from Fort Carson, but last we heard, fuel was an issue. We’ve got watchers stationed between here and there, people who can communicate with a partner telepathically – that’s how we get our information.” She grinned. “And how weird does that sound?”
“Not nearly as weird as it would have sounded a couple years ago.” Piper spoke around a huge bite of cookie. “So, Grace was able to thwart the gang’s attack plans. I can’t wait to tell her.”
Naomi bent her head. “Well, about that.” She looked up. “They did attack. They didn’t have helicopters, but they managed to get their tank up the pass, and they brought plenty of soldiers as well. Everyone who stayed behind either scattered or was killed.” She knit her fingers together, squeezing hard. “Ignacio is gone. Andrea and Paul, too.”
Piper curled close, pressing into Naomi’s side and slipping her hand into the knot of her mother’s fingers. “I’m so sorry. He was a good man, and your friend. Did you lose any people on your way here, or last winter?”
“Judy, one of our older folks, died on the trail. I think it must have been a relief to her. She saw possible futures, and I think she spent all her time trying not to be terrified.” Naomi sighed deeply. “And Rowan had what we’re pretty sure was a stroke, just this past spring. We kept trying to get her to slow down, but she wouldn’t listen. She survived, but she needs round-the-clock care. Elise is with her now, and the twins help out a lot. Quinn had already been training under her, and you can’t believe how he has stepped up. It breaks my heart, how mature he has had to become. He should be a senior in high school this fall, not the father of a toddler and healer of his community.”
“Oh, Mama, you know better. If we start up with ‘shoulds,’ we’ll never stop.”
“I know.” Naomi attempted a watery smile, but failed. “To Hades’ great joy, Ares did not make the trip with us. I’m not sure if he was still alive or not. I never saw him after we got back from the Springs. But I like to imagine him there, undisputed king of all he surveys. I’ve been romancing a feral cat here, a lovely, sleek black lady I think I’ll call ‘Demeter,’ if I ever win her over.”
“Speaking of Greek goddesses, where’s Persephone?”
“She’s either with Rowan, or with Anne – depends on who needs her the most on any given day. Anne has really struggled with the transition. She misses Grace so much, and the library here just isn’t the one she left behind. Martin and I are both hoping she’ll take a more active role with our kids, but right now, she’s still channeling her queens a lot. I took Lark over there this morning for a new story book, and I think Anne Boleyn helped us find one. She definitely had a saucy gleam in her eye.”
They laughed together softly. Naomi was so grateful to Martin for this time with her girl, for the chance to just soak in her company without distraction or interruption. “Oh, I’ve been so excited to tell you – we’ve had four runners already this summer, all part of the Piper-net. First was a young woman named Lara from Pewaukee. She said she met you last summer, and that she and her mother just barely escaped a group of what she called slavers. Her brother was killed, and her sister was taken. Her mother insisted she make the trip – I take it she’s a pretty bossy soul – and she didn’t linger. She turned right around a few days later and hurried back to her mom.”
“We wondered what had happened to them. It’s not as bad as we thought, but it’s bad enough. Where were the others from?”
“A young man named Timothy all the way from Florida – he said he talked to you on the radio. And cousins from a little town in Iowa –”
“Michaela and Christopher! Is it them? Are they still here?” At Naomi’s nod, Piper clapped her hands like a little girl. “Oh, excellent, I’ll be so happy to see them! Jack will be so tickled to hear about them, too. I think I better start taking notes, so I remember everything when I get home.”
Home. Naomi had to turn her face away for a moment, so Piper wouldn’t see the dark cloud passing over it. Her daughter’s home was thousands of miles away now, in a world where that was a formidable distance indeed. Naomi made an impatient sound, irritated with herself. Dwelling on such thoughts helped her how? She pushed the dark away and turned back to her light. “Tell me about this island – is it really an island? Like in the middle of water?”
Piper laughed. “I know a young man who would have fun teasing you. Before I forget, though, I have to ask – did Loki make it back to you? I haven’t seen him since we were in Iowa.”
“And I haven’t seen him since the day you left Woodland Park. He sent me images in dreams, but I didn’t know what they were until long after the fact. I wish I’d been quicker on the uptake, there.” She was quiet for a moment, and this time, her smile was more determined than watery. “I’m going to imagine him back at the cabin, watching sunsets and irritating the dickens out of Ares by disrupting his hunts. Now. About this island…”
She settled in and just listened to her daughter talk, just watched her familiar gestures, more content than she could ever recall being. Piper had almost brought her tale up to the present day when Martin and the boys returned. Martin walked over to her and leaned to kiss her lightly.
“There’s a big old party gearing up out there to celebrate Piper’s homecoming. You up for that?”
Naomi made a face, but nodded. “I guess, if I have to share her.” She peered around him at Adam and Tyler. “Did Martin get you settled in a room? Good.” She rose, and bustled them towards cushy chairs. “Now sit down here and let me get you something to eat. Cookies, anyone?”
Through the long, festive evening, and through the too-short days that followed, she and Piper were rarely parted. They chased Lark along the river walk and visited Anne in the library. They sat beside Rowan’s bed, filling her in on the happenings around town. They went with Quinn to check on the new baby and her young mother, bringing food and tiny clothes with them. They spoke of Brody and Verity, of journeys and paths. Through it all, people continued to bring their problems to Naomi, looking for advice or resolution. One afternoon, after she’d settled a dispute over a bicycle tire repair kit, Naomi looked up to find Piper watching her, a strange expression on her face.
“You’re the leader here. Not Martin, or anyone else. These people look to you.”
Naomi shrugged, pleased that Piper had noticed, but strangely embarrassed as well. “I suppose I am. It’s not leadership, really. It’s more like common sense. People just need help thinking it through. For example, we’ve got enough clothes to last us a lifetime if we salvage what was left behind. What we need is food and medicine, and that means gardening, fishing and hunting. So why are people wasting their time knitting socks, when they should be weeding the beans?”
Piper laughed and pushed at Naomi’s shoulder playfully. “You used to knit us socks – you made all of us a pair every Christmas. We used to call them the Weasley socks, you know, like Mrs. Weasley and her sweaters in Harry Potter.”
Naomi smiled. “I remember, both the socks and the nickname. And I don’t knit them anymore. I’m too busy making herbal tinctures. Just don’t burst my bubble and tell me you hated them, okay? Leave me that much.”
“You got it.” Then, Piper sobered. She caught Naomi’s hand as they walked along, lacing their fingers together and making Naomi’s heart clutch. Piper had started refusing to hold her mother’s hand when she was eight years old. The easy affection between them these days meant the world to her. “I’m proud of you, Mom. Really proud. I wasn’t always respectful to you while I was growing up, and I didn’t value you, not like I should have. Not like I do now. Then, I wanted to be your opposite in everything. Now, I’m proud to say I’m your daughter.” She grinned at her mom, flickers of Macy and of Scott in her sly smile, and swung their hands. “Although that Suzy Homemaker gene seems to have passed me right on by.”
Naomi laughed, and in her chest, the curled, dormant bud of potential she’d been through all her sheltered years broke free, stretching in the sun of Piper’s regard. The energy of it moved down her spine and spread through her limbs like springtime sap, but it wasn’t a thing of youth. It was maturity and survival, loss and growth. It was gratitude in the face of change she hadn’t chosen.
In a few weeks, Piper would be gone, with no assurance they’d ever see each other again. Naomi didn’t know when she and the boys planned to leave for the return trip, and she didn’t want to know. She didn’t want to count down days or start labeling “lasts.” Last meal. Last hug. Last kiss.
So she looked over at Piper and memorized this moment, the perfection of it. The late afternoon sunlight on her daughter’s golden, softly curling hair. The wind, pushing high clouds across a bright blue sky. The scents of high mountain pine and shy wildlife, filtered to her through Hades’ senses. The soothing mutter of water tumbling over rocks in the river below. It was just a moment, like any other on a summer afternoon, sweet and transient. Not a guarantee in sight. Just life, and the living of it.
###