Chapter 4
I woke up to the proof that there is such a thing as a God. Will's bare back were magnificent, like someone cheswalwd in all the muscles and created a master piece.I was urged to touch it, to run my fingers across his muscles. Like I expected Will jolted away from me.
"Jesus, Neeks." He turned around, his eyes still closed.He cupped my hands and led them to his mouth to kiss them."Your hands are so so cold."
I wanted to stay in this moment forever. But I made plans for the day, and staying in bed was not part of it.
"Nuh. Stay." Will wrapped his hands around me so I couldn't move.
"I have to go."
"But it's my day off." Will slowly opened his eyes and smiled at me, "You look beautiful."
"I have to see Jason before his lecture." I kissed Will, "Don't forget, we have cake tasting in the afternoon. And remember to send out invitations."
Will laid on his back, looking at me with his blue eyes. It took everything in my being not to jump him right then.
"I could make you breakfast in bed. Want anything?"
"You."
I rolled my eyes, "You're getting scrambled eggs, mister."
Hazel was asleep on the couch, her laptop on the floor. I picked up her laptop and gently placed it on a table. I covered sleeping Hazel with a blanket. Hazel and I shared the apartment for few years now. Will moved in after we got engaged. Will and I are planning to move out and move into our own house after the wedding. I made breakfast for Will and I, and Will decided he was ready to get out of bed. We talked a little about our plans for the day. Will asked about the ghostly visions, but I told him even I can't make sense of it.
I met Jason outside the college campus, where he teaches. His glasses were in his hair, he was drinking coffee and trying to read a newspaper. He looked ridiculous.
"Jason." Jason looked up at me squinting. I tapped my head. Jason looked up and touched up his glasses. He put on his glasses and greeted me with a grin.
"I'm guessing you're not just here to see my pretty face."
"I need you to tell me what this is." I showed him the symbol.
"For once I would like you to stop by without some ghost mystery on your hands." Jason took the piece of paper and examined my drawing.
Jason and I met few years ago when I needed help deciphering some clues about cultural beliefs when I was dealing with strange ghosts. All those questions I had back then were "hypothetical", and my excuse at the time was that I was researching for a book. Few months after we met I noticed a ghost hanging around him. It turned out it was his biological mother, and she wanted to reunite him with his sister. It was hard to explain that situation with a hypothetical story, so I told him about my ability.
"It's some kind of a rune." He put the drawing in his coat poket. "I'll call you when I find out more."
"Thank you."
"So, have you thought about who's your best man going to be?"
"I picked Hazel for the job." I watched Jason trying to hide his disappointment.
"Oh. I could still throw you a bachelor party?"
"Valdez already offered, but since you know me better. Sure why not." I had a feeling I would regret this.
Jason grinned from ear to ear, "You won't regret this di Angelo."
Frank waited for me in front of my locked store. He had two to go cups, one in each hand. When I opened the store, Frank slipped in.
"I got you coffee." He handed me a cup.
"Uhm. Thanks." I took a sip just to be polite. "Listen, Frank, I will leave you alone to manage the store for a while. Will and I are having cake tasting around 2. Hazel might stop by to help."
Frank's face turned red once I mentioned Hazel. He shyly nodded. I got a feeling he had a crush on Hazel, but I liked the kid, he is nice. Polite, hard working, Frank is a sweet kid. I'm rooting for him. Few customers showed up, and before I noticed it was time for me to meet Will at the bakery.
At the bakery Will was chatting with an employee there and our wedding planner. With Will's job as a paramedic, and my ghost issues, we don't have a lot of time planing our wedding so we hired Piper to handle all the planing. Piper was highly recommended.
"There's my groom." Piper ushered me into conversation.
Will put his hand around my waist. I had no idea what was going on, but it seemed like they were all naming flavours for the cake. To be honest I didn't care what flavour the cake we get. Piper ordered few flavours that we might like. Will and Piper were commenting on cakes with each bite. Will tried to get me to talk, but I only responded with a nod or a shrug. I had no idea what I was supposed to say about cakes. They all tasted good. Will had hard time choosing his favourite as well. It all came down to two choices, raspberry cake that Will loved, and lemon cake that Will loved. Basically I had to pick by using eenie meenie miney mo tactics. I chose lemon cake, it suited us better. Will seemed pretty pleased with my pick.
Piper and Will then discussed how many layers for the cake, how to decorate it. I wanted plain cake, no decorations what so ever. Will on the other hand had plenty ideas for decorations. Most of Will's ideas were just to commemorate our relationship, like the camp beads we wore to symbolise how we met, to our years apart when I had to travel with my dad around the world, to when we shared our first kiss. It was so sweet, I almost backed down from my plain cake. Piper, being an amazing wedding planner, created a perfect compromise. Only decoration on the cake would be flowers, yellow and orange ones, and black and grey ones. And of course on top a figurines to represent Will and me.
Jason called me just when Piper was going over the cost of the cake with us.
"So that rune you showed me this morning... Are you with Piper?"
"Yes. And Will. About the rune?"
"Yes. So the rune is Fehu, the rune of...Can you say hi to her for me."
"Jason. The rune."
"Is that Jason? Can you say hi to him for me?" Piper said from the other side. I ignored her.
"Right, so the rune stands for wealth. It was also the rune of Norse gods Frey and Freya, gods of fertility, wealth, beauty...all that fun stuff. Rune is also the symbol of cattle, measure of wealth in ancient times; now days it would be money and possessions." Jason explained, "It also stood for energy and hard work that can lead to wealth. In ancient times it was believed it can reverse poverty, health problems, bad luck."
"Thanks, Jason."
"Any time." I hung up the phone. Piper looked at me like a kicked puppy.
"He was in a hurry, but you should call him." I had no intentions of being the messenger of the living. When they die they can use me to say hi to anyone of their choosing. It may sound a little harsh, but if they can see and hear each other, they don't need me to pass the note like we're in 3rd grade. What Jason told me about the rune only opened more questions than it gave me answers about the ghost.