I’m sure, with all that’s going on, I’ll overlook something vital.” I headed up to my bedroom, leaving Angel to finish making dinner. Mr. Rumblebutt followed me and I scooped him up in my arms, snuggling his belly with my nose. “Mr. Rumblebutt, you’ll still love me, even if things get weird, won’t you?”
Being a cat, Mr. Rumblebutt said nothing.
I dressed in a blue sundress and pulled my hair into a high ponytail to keep it out of the way. As I finished the last touches of my makeup, I paused, glancing around the room. In a year, would I still be here? Would Herne even consider moving into my house? Or would I be living at his place, leaving the house to Angel? It hurt to think of losing her as a roommate. We were best friends, and I loved living with her.
Things have to change, a voice whispered inside me. You can’t expect them to stay the same forever. Life doesn’t work like that. If life doesn’t evolve, it stagnates, and the last thing you need is stagnation.
“I know,” I whispered to myself in the mirror. “But change can be frightening.”
It can also be exhilarating, the voice answered before falling silent.
By the time I headed downstairs back to the kitchen, Angel had set the table, including a beautiful bouquet of peach-colored roses with rust tips. The roses came from our garden and their fragrance filled the room. I inhaled deeply, holding their scent in my lungs.
The doorbell rang ten minutes later and I answered it. Morgana could easily have just appeared inside the house, but she was always polite, never breaking etiquette. I welcomed her, then led her into the kitchen.
“Angel has dinner ready. I hope you like clam chowder and peach pie,” I said, motioning to one of the place settings at the table. “If you would sit there…”
Morgana took her seat. When she crossed over from Annwn, she took on a more human form—although I had never seen her not look human. But she kept herself size proportionate. The gods could—and did—at times, change size, particularly in height and weight. Some had the ability to alter the rest of their looks too.
She stood about five-nine today, with willowy limbs and hair that flowed down to her ass. She had bound it up into an intricate chignon, with a ponytail coming out of the topknot. The hair style reminded me of the main character on an old TV series—I Dream Of Jeannie. Morgana was wearing a pale blue linen pantsuit, with a gray shirt that was buttoned to just above her bra. Her eyes were frosty, and she had a perpetual air of glamour and etherealness about her that made it seem like she could just slip away like a wisp of smoke at any time.
“Angel, this looks marvelous,” she said as she sat down in the chair I offered her. “Tell me you haven’t been cooking all day just for me.” Morgana gave Angel a winning smile. She wasn’t being polite—she truly meant it. Morgana might have discerning tastes, but she was willing to eat a hot dog with the rest of the gang if that was what was on the grill.
“Only part of the afternoon, and you know I love to cook, so don’t sweat it.” Angel ladled out the soup and took her seat. I passed Morgana the parmesan bread after taking a piece and placing it on the saucer next to my soup bowl.
“Well, I certainly appreciate it, and the invitation.” Morgana paused while Angel filled her bowl, then glanced over at me. “Why do I have the feeling that you have something to tell me?” she added, pointing to my left ring finger. “Out with it, my girl.”
I cursed lightly under my breath. I’d meant to take off my ring until I told her, but I had totally forgotten. It felt natural, as though it had always been on my finger.
Angel laughed. “She caught you,” she said, breaking the ice.
“I decided to accept Herne’s proposal. He proposed some weeks back, but I needed to think things through first. I was going to ask for your advice tonight, but yesterday I jumped the gun and just decided to say yes.” I paused, staring at Morgana. “There’s more, though. A lot more.”
“I see,” Morgana said. She didn’t look angry. In fact, I suspected she was trying to suppress a smile. “Are you sure you want this? Because I will tell you this: once you