The early morning sunlight shown through a nearby window and spilt across the bed and into Lucy's eyes, pulling her from her sleep. At first, she squinted, trying to avoid the rays of sunshine that seemed determined to deny her any further rest. Finally, resigned to the fact that she could no longer avoid getting up, she stretched, slipped into her morning gown and quietly left the bedroom to go downstairs, trying to avoid waking her husband who was still sound asleep. As she walked down the hall to go downstairs, she glanced over into Steven's bedroom to see if he had left yet, and was surprised to find that the bed did not look slept in at all. Lucy distinctly remembered him making the bed before he had left the day before, and yet it looked exactly as it had then, including the pile of clothes that she had placed on it last night.
Probably left early to go to the park and be with his "faerie" love, she thought sadly as she descended the stairs and walked down the hallway towards the kitchen where she turned on the coffee machine. Doctor Godlewski had been correct; Steven had obviously become delusional, unwilling to accept Jennifer's death and finding this fantasy of a faerie to use as a crutch to keep him from putting her behind him. As far as she was concerned, it all made sense. The late night returns home, the talk about faeries to Robert early yesterday morning, even notes she had found downstairs in the basement by his computer. Steven had obviously spent time searching online for information about faeries, and from what she had read, he was thoroughly convinced of their existence. This only proved that he needed help, and Doctor Godlewski's visit tomorrow would hopefully be the start of Steven's recovery.
A part of Lucy hated going behind her husband's back on this issue. She knew how much Robert hated psychology and psychiatry. He considered it "messing with people's minds" and would immediately get very angry if the issue was even brought up casually. It was simply one of the things in their lives where she and her husband had chosen to agree to disagree, and no manner of explaining would convince him otherwise. Which was why she hated what she had to do to help Steven.
As the coffee machine trickled the dark liquid into the pot, Lucy sat down and gazed out over the backyard and into the forest behind their house. Faeries simply didn't exist, she thought to herself. They were a figment of some poor soul's imagination, carried down the centuries as fanciful tales to amuse children, and more recently, to make money off of people willing to pay to see movies about them, or read books about them. She'd never seen a faerie before, so why should she believe? When she was a little child, she would make-believe that the world was full of faeries, dancing and playing, flittering from tree to tree. Age and maturity had shown her the folly of her girlish dreams. No, no faerie had ever appeared to her, nor to anyone else she knew. So as she grew older, Lucy simply decided that faeries must not be true, and moved on with her life.
The sound of floorboards creaking upstairs announced to her that her husband must be getting out of bed. Lucy got up and walked over to the coffee machine, which had finished its task, poured a cup for herself, added some cream and sugar, and sat back down to await Robert's appearance. A few minutes later, her husband came down the stairs and entered the kitchen, his eyes still adjusting to the sunlight coming through the sliding glass doorway.
"Did you sleep well?" she asked casually as Robert poured himself a cup of coffee.
"Not bad," he replied. "I guess Steven has already left for the park?"
"Actually, he never came home," she answered, "I found the clothes I'd left on his bed still lying where I'd placed them last night."
Robert shrugged casually as he placed the coffee filters back into the cabinet, perhaps a little too casually, Lucy thought. "Well, I'm sure he's all right."
"I'm sure he is," she responded in a tone that made Robert glance at her for a moment before turning back to his coffee. "Honey, tell me something . . . ?"
Her husband looked over at her quizzically, "Ok, what do you want to know?"
Steeling herself for what she felt she had to do, Lucy asked, "Who is Lia?" She watched as Robert's shoulders twitched and she knew she'd struck a nerve.
Glancing over his shoulder at her, he replied, "Just a friend of Steven's, that's all. Someone he met a few days ago."
Lucy noticed that her husband was trying hard not to turn towards her. Instead, he looked outside, "Looks like it might rain soon. They're calling for thunderstorms tomorrow."
"You're changing the subject, Bobbie," Lucy said calmly, "I know about the conversation you and Steven had early Saturday morning."
At this point, Robert turned towards her, and she knew she'd gotten his attention. "You heard?"
Lucy nodded, "Yes, I did. Honey, I think we need to talk."
Steven awoke to the sounds of a bird happily singing in one of the branches of the oak tree where he and Lia slept. It's song brought a smile to his face, something he'd been doing more often since meeting Lia. Thanks to her, Steven had finally learned to live again, and last night, Lia had shown him how to love again as well. They'd spent hours in each other's arms, and Steven would have sworn that she was as much a woman as any human woman could ever be. Their lovemaking was a pleasant surprise for both of them, gentle and sweet, filled with an innocence that made their first fumbling attempts at passion all the more enjoyable. As the night progressed, their love had deepened, and all thought of embarrassment fled as they lay entwined in each other's arms until sleep came. It was a love unlike any that Steven could have ever imagined himself being fortunate to find, and in his heart, he knew he never wanted to leave her.
*Good morning, love.*
Steven blinked and looked down at Lia, whose face slowly curled into a smile, even though her eyes were still shut. Although she had not spoken, Steven was sure he'd heard Lia's voice.
*You did,* she replied to his unspoken thought, *just not out loud.*
"What . . .?"
Lia opened her eyes, but did not move, her eyes twinkling with amusement, *You can do it too, if you try. In fact, you did, you just didn't know it.*
For a moment, Steven sat beside her with a confused look. *Is this . . . telepathy?* he thought to her, slowly getting the hang of it.
Lia thought for a moment, *I don't know what the word 'telepathy' means, but if it has to do with our ability to communicate without speaking, yes; I suppose it is.* Reaching up, Lia wrapped her arms around Steven's neck and pulled him down so she could kiss him.
"Mmmm," Lia moaned softly, speaking aloud, "did you sleep well, love?"
*The best night's sleep I've had in a long time,* he thought to her as he ran his hands down her back, careful to avoid her wings. *Is this ability to think to each other another one of those things we'll have to ask your father about today? Or does this have to do with something else?*
*Actually, it is a common result of a union of love amongst faeries, allowing each other to talk on a more intimate level with their partner. It allows them to be able to communicate over long distances as well.*
"So, if I wanted to speak to you tonight, all I'd have to do is think to you?" Steven asked, forgetting to 'think' his response.
Lia giggled, "Yes, that way we will be able to be together, even while we're apart."
"Which won't be long, I can assure you that."
"What do you mean?" Lia asked with a mixture of surprise and confusion.
Steven smiled, "Because I'm going to tell them that I'm leaving. Unless you don't think it's the right time for me to come live with you."
Lia gasped and hugged him fiercely, "You mean it?!?" Steven nodded and she cried out in joy, "Oh Steven, I'm so glad you've decided to stay."
"I know, Lia. Me too." Steven thought for a moment, "Say, do you think we could take a swim before your father arrives? At least long enough to clean up? I wouldn't want to meet him without look my best."
With a grin, Lia arose and stretched, her wings arching out as she flexed her shoulders. She reached out to Steven and he slipped his hand in hers, standing up and collecting their tunics as he followed her outside. Once outside, Steven could feel a soft breeze was blowing across the thicket, helping to push the morning fog away. Lia looked up at the sky and frowned.
"The weather is changing, there is a storm approaching."
To Steven, the sky looked relatively clear, with only a few high wispy clouds, "When will it arrive? Not today, I hope?"
Lia shook her head. "Tonight maybe, tomorrow more likely," she commented absently as she approached the edge of the branch.
Steven backed up, causing Lia to turn and smile, "You don't trust me?"
"It's not that, love. I'm just still getting used to being small and being so high up in the air. You're the one who has wings, not me."
Lia giggled and stepped behind Steven, wrapping her arms around his waist, "Yes, I do. They let me do this!" With that, Lia leaned forward and leapt into the air, lifting Steven with her. For a moment, Steven cried out and tensed as he watched the ground approach with frightening speed, then as Lia spread her wings, the ground fell away and they glided towards the forest.
"You could have warned me," he said in a half serious tone, slowly getting used to feeling Lia pressed against him as they flew through the trees.
"And where would the fun be in that?" she smiled. Steven shook his head and couldn't help but grin with her. After a few minutes of riding the currents in Lia's arms, Steven could see the pool ahead. As they flew over the pool, Steven felt Lia release him and he plunged into the cool water with a tremendous splash. Surfacing a moment later, Steven looked around and saw Lia land on the bank in front of him and sit down, watching him with a smile. "Are you clean yet?" she asked, her eyes dancing in merriment.
"I'm glad I'm only three inches tall. If I'd fallen in at my regular size, I would have hit my head on the bottom." Rolling over on his back, Steven swam towards the shore.
"What you humans would consider a small pond is a lake to faeries. Food that would barely whet your appetite would be enough to feed a family of faeries, "she replied, "Just some of the advantages of being so small."
"But what about other things?" Steven asked as he climbed out of the water and sat beside her on the shore. "You say that creatures of the forest won't hurt you, because of what you are, yet you hide anyway."
"We hide because we fear humans," she answered, an embarrassed look crossing her face.
"But humans can't see you," he replied, "you told me that early on."
Lia nodded, "Most humans are unable see us, but sometimes, when we're not careful, our magic fails to completely hide our presence and then we are at risk."
"Like with me?" he asked.
"No," Lia shook her head, "with you, it was something else that I hope father can determine, just for our own interest. We faeries can be seen if we are not careful, and if we are seen by the wrong people, it could be very dangerous."
Reaching over, Steven picked up his tunic and slipped it over his head as he responded, "Is that why the rest of your folk left these woods? Because it was so close to where we humans dwell in large numbers?"
Lia nodded, "They felt that the risk was too great for us to remain here, but I stayed to watch over the forest."
"Where did they go?" Steven inquired.
Lia's eyes looked off at some far away place that Steven couldn't see, "Far away to the north and west of here, where they would not be found. Perhaps to the mountain forests where your kind does not dwell in such numbers."
"Sounds like West Virginia or maybe further," he commented.
"Where we are now is not for humans to know," a voice called out from behind them, causing them to turn around quickly.
"Father!" Lia leapt to her feet and ran over to a tall, silver-haired faerie cloaked in a garment that looked to be made of some sort of leather. Although he looked very old, he carried himself with a bearing of dignity. Lia hugged him tightly and kissed him, smiling all the while. "We did not know when you would arrive; how did you find us?"
Her father smiled back, "Your intentions were clearly sensed at the great oak. I simply followed you here."
Lia smiled, "Father, it is so good to see you. Please, let me introduce you to Steven. Steven, this is Nimor, my . . ." Lia stopped as she looked back. Steven had gotten to his feet, but his expression was one of confusion and shock. He stared at her father in disbelief, his mouth slightly agape.
"Steven?" Lia asked in concern, "What is wrong?"
Steven's eyes darted from Lia back again to Nimor, who stood beside her, clearly unsure what was troubling Lia's guest. "I . . . I've seen him before," Steven replied emphatically. "I know you."