Generation 8 - Chapter 31

Cherish was enjoying a beautiful day in the garden. The sun was warm on her skin. She could hear the buzzing of bees that were busy collecting pollen from the flowering bushes near the porch. 

Her fiancé was nearby, weeding a potato plant.

At this moment in time, Cherish was in Heaven. Nothing could spoil her tranquility. Okay. Almost nothing.

It's easy to become contemplative while doing some tasks. Watering the plants that the incomplete irrigation system didn't quite reach was one of those tasks.

She still couldn't believe so much had happened in such a short amount of time.

She thought about the long, shocked silence that happened after GG told her what was happening in Hidden Springs. Her stomach still twisted at the thought of it. She shook her head, not wanting to think about that now. They were doing as much as they could. And a lot more, as far as GG was concerned. The house she grew up in was almost unrecognizable now.

She moved on to a parched looking lettuce plant. It needed more shade.

Thinking about how the house was changing lead to thoughts about recent events that had occurred there.

It wasn't all that long ago that she and Daric had sat together on the couch. GG Wind had...not rushed, but....encouraged them to move forward with their relationship.

Cherished blushed at the thought of her GG pushing them to live together!

It was about a week after he had asked her. GG was the one that had invited him over, planned a dinner. She apparently still kept in regular contact with him. Even when Cherish was too caught up in her new feelings and worries. The whole night had taken her by surprise.  She thought things were too crazy to talk about something as trivial as whether she should live with her boyfriend or not. But then..

She hadn't expected to get engaged either.

There wasn't a doubt in her mind that the answer was 'YES'! She still felt that swoop of excitement in her belly just thinking about that night. How could such a small, physical gesture of offering her a ring made her so happy? GG said it wasn't the ring, it was all the promises that come with it.

Wind had her packed up and moved in record time. Daric, her ever patient Daric, never once lost his cool and calm manner. It was like he was content to go at whatever pace Cherish, or in some cases Wind, wanted to go no matter what. Her possessions were few and packing and moving barely took half a day. It was Cherish wrapping her head around the whole thing that took the longest. She knew that this is where she was meant to be, but it still took some mental steps to get there.

She blushed as deep red as the tomato she was picking off the vine to think of their first night together. Actually together. It had been such a powerfully emotional night, she couldn't imagine why so many girls she knew would throw themselves at any guy. Throw away the value, and significance. Did they not understand how intense it was to only share it with someone you were deeply in love with?

She suddenly got up and brushed her knees off. She was very grateful that Daric could not read minds. He'd think she was some sort of pervert for how often she thought of him like that and the nights they spent together.

"GG will be over soon. I'm going to head in and clean up."

Daric nodded to indicate he had heard her. It was the new normal. They had only been living together for a few short weeks, but it felt like this was how it had always been. They spent the majority of their day working together on some project. The garden, building a hen house, installing sprinklers, taking care of the animals. One of the things Wind had asked of her when she moved was to take her dog, of course, and the horse. He deserved land to roam and they definitely had that way out here. Their life together was mostly quiet and peaceful. Just the way she liked it. Then they usually had quiet evenings cuddled up to a movie or relaxing in bed with their books.

Once a week GG Wind would visit. They gathered in the tiny living room to watch The One together. Fatima's ambition to be on the show was finally happening and they were sure to watch each episode. Cherish and Daric were busy building their new life together and Wind was even more busy working with Ephraim to support Hidden Springs. But coming together to watch Fatima's show was something that kept them connected with each other. As much as Cherish wished to avoid it, the Vampire war on the Fae was reaching farther and farther into the rest of the world.