Julien Gregg's Hopper

 Chapter 8 

We took finals and then we went home. Randy asked how we did on them. I told him we aced them. He high fived us for that. On the twenty-third we went to Harris and spent the night with Adam and Mary. We had Christmas presents for everyone. We slept in the twins' room. Peter told us no funny stuff with him in the room. We promised that we could control ourselves. I ran into Mom at the grocery store that day as I went and got some stuff for the desert I planned to make.

"So, you're spending your billions at the grocery store?" she said in a snide tone.

"No," I said. "I bought my sister a house and a car," I said. "I bought by boyfriend a truck. I got a truck and clothes. Oh, and I bought Denise a daycare facility. That's the extent of what I've spent my billions on, Mother. I invested a lot of money."

"The stock market is dangerous," she said. "I thought you'd know better."

"I know what I'm doing," I said.

"Well, don't let me keep you," she said.

I walked off with my cart and paid for my purchases. Then I went back to Adam and Mary's house and put together fluffy delight. It was tropical fruit cocktail mango orange gelatin, mandarin oranges, and whipped cream. I added cottage cheese to give it some more substance. I put it together and stirred it thoroughly. Then I put it in the bottom of the fridge for tomorrow. Mary thought it was amazing. She had tasted it. I told her it would be better when it was set up. That would happen over night.

We sat with them to watch Christmas specials on television. Then we went to bed. We slept in each other's arms, but we did nothing more than hold each other with Peter in the room. He had a girlfriend coming tomorrow, and we were looking forward to meeting her. Her name was Missy Abernathy. He said she was beautiful and she loved him. I was happy for him. Paul was, too. They were fraternal twins, so it wasn't like she'd mistake Paul for Peter.

The next morning we were up by seven. We had breakfast with Adam and Mary. Then we went to the living room to open presents. I had gotten Mary a mother's ring with Peter and Paul's birth stone and her's and Adam's in it. She asked where my birth stone was, and I told her to open the second box. It was a necklace with spots for grandchildren. Mine and Paul and Peter's stones were at the top. I told her it was a grandmother's cross. She looked at us funny for a moment.

"We're not having children today," I said. "But eventually we will, and you can have their stones added."

"Oh, that's wonderful," she said, smiling. "When are you getting married?"

"After college," Paul said. "You have time to plan and plot."

"Thank you," she said. "Where do you want to get married?"

"The church will do," he said.

"Oh that's wonderful," she said as Missy and Peter came in the door. We handed them presents.

"Thank you," Peter said. "Guys, this is Missy."

"Hello, Missy," said Paul. "I'm the better looking twin."

"You wish," said Peter. I laughed.

"I'm Nicolas, but you can call me Nick," I said. "I'm Paul's boyfriend."

"Our honorary son," Mary said with a smile.

I had a necklace and earrings for her. They were real pearls. She adored them. For Adam I had a fishing rod complete with sonar and all kinds of perks. He loved it. Peter got a handheld electronic organizer and a watch. Paul got a necklace with a pendant with our initials on it. N and P. The N was made out of my birth stone and the N was made out of his. He loved it. For me he'd gotten a watch just like the one I'd had in my last lifetime. I loved it. Mary and Adam gave us all the same thing, it was monogrammed towels and wash clothes. Ours said Nick and Paul on them. I smiled at these and thanked them. We also got stocking stuffers. It was chocolate and cookies, and candy.

We had Christmas Dinner with them which was a ham with all of the fixing. This time I had homemade noodles because I made them. Then we were getting ready to leave for Osage. Mary cried when we were getting ready. We hugged her and promised to visit during the summer. She told us that she would plan our wedding for the June after graduation. We told her we'd be ready. She hugged us again. Then we drove off for Osage. It was two hours on the road. We talked about how much he missed his family. I told him that we could visit for Spring Break. He thought that was a good idea.

We pulled into Osage a little more than two hours later. Traffic had been horrendous. Denise and Randy were happy to see us. We brought in our presents and put them in our room. Then we had dinner with them. It was just soup and sandwiches. We loved it, though. She asked if I was making homemade noodles, and I said I would if she wanted me to. I had just made a huge batch at Mary and Adam's. She asked me to please make them. I got up in the morning and we had Christmas. She got us matching necklaces with a pendant on them that had pentagrams on them. I got her a new handheld electronic organizer. She loved it. For Randy I got a laptop. His was broken. He thanked me up and down for it. He could track his employees progress with it. He was now a supervisor at the GE plant. Paul and I had already given each other our gifts. So, I got on making noodles again.

Denise and I cooked in the kitchen. She had a roaster filled with ham. I made noodles and a bunch of different kinds of pudding pies. She made a pumpkin an apple and a cherry pie. Then we were making cookies. She'd been making them since yesterday, but she loved cookies. We sat down to eat around noon. The ham was good. The noodles were good. She had green bean casserole, and yams with marsh mellows and cinnamon, she had mashed potatoes and gravy. There was also macaroni and cheese. Randy had made that. We ate until we were stuffed. Then let the food settle before we attacked the pies. Afterward we sat and watched the football game on television while munching cookies. Once again our stockings were stuffed full of chocolate and candy. We had enough candy and chocolate for months.

Saguaro was playing Arizona State on television. We rooted for Saguaro. They didn't win, but it was a close game and a very eventful one. We had a good time. Dinner was just Christmas Dinner reheated. We enjoyed it a second time. Then she did dishes while I dried them and put them away. We had a dishwasher but she insisted. This way we could talk. She asked when Paul and I were getting married. I told her that his mother was already planning the wedding, and we'd get married the June after graduation. She thought that was a good idea. She asked if we were going to have children, and I told her after we'd been married for a while. I wanted to do some traveling, and I also wanted to open a business of my own. She asked about it, and I told her we'd help problem companies get back on their feet. She thought that was a good idea. I told her that we'd buy a house of our own after graduation and the wedding. She said that was up to us. She then told me she was expecting. She and Randy were going to the justice of the peace in the morning to get married. I felt cheated that I couldn't pay for her wedding. She told me she didn't want frills. She just wanted to marry Randy before the baby came. I hugged her and shook Randy's hand.

On New Year's Eve we played cards and had a good night. Randy drank beer, but Denise drank soda. Paul and I drank soda, too. Randy told us to live a little and gave us both a beer. We drank those and went back to soda. He said he had hoped to see us drunk. I told him we had no interest in getting drunk. We played until midnight then he kissed Denise and I kissed Paul. It was now twenty-one forty-one. We went to bed after the ball dropped on television.

We got up the next morning, but Randy slept on. She said he'd gotten a little drunk last night, so we were quiet. We ate breakfast which was ham and eggs with hash browns and toast. We had orange juice with it. Randy got up around noon as we were frying more ham for lunch. We had ham sandwiches and fries. We had soda with it. Randy took headache pills and drank black coffee until he felt better. Then he had a ham sandwich and the rest of the fries. He sat in front of the television all day. We hung out with the teams that day. We went to the bar and had drinks. Everyone paid for themselves because we hadn't played a game. They were going to start Volleyball again and we said we'd play.

Two weeks later on a Saturday, we played Volleyball and lost. We paid for drinks and food at the bar that night. We did it again the next Saturday. This time we won and they paid for drinks and food. We didn't play for a few weeks. Everyone was getting used to the new semester. The frat house was having another round of trials, and the fraternity brothers were all busy. We hung out at home. We studied and wrote papers. We took quizzes and did assignments. I had a computer course this semester and a lot of it was just setting up code for this or that. I wasn't majoring in computers, but I needed two classes for my degree. I got the first one that semester. At Mid Term I did really well. So did Paul.

"So tell me more about this business you want to start," Randy said one night at dinner.

"Well, say a company is losing money or what have you," I said. He nodded. "We would come in and find the reason behind the money loss or whatever problem they're having. Then we'd help them solve the problem. They'd pay us a fee for our services and we'd leave for the next company."

"That sounds cool," he said. "What are you going to call it?"

"Patterson Business Solutions," I said.

"That sounds catchy," he said with a smile. "You have to carry on the Patterson name. She's a Peterson now."

"I'm planning to have at least two children," I said. "We'll find a surrogate and have mine and Paul's. That way they'll be related."

"That sounds good," he said. "At least you'll have one Patterson."

"Oh, I'm changing my last name to Patterson when we get married," Paul said. "The children will both be Pattersons."

"What will your mom and dad say about that?" Denise asked.

"They know it already," he said. "I told them when we were there. They're fine with it. Peter can carry on the Tanzy name."

"Okay," she said with a smile.

"I discovered a new power," I said, smiling.

"You did?" she asked. "What is it?"

"Get a candle," I said with another smile.

She put a three wick candle on the table in front of me. I looked at it and thought about lighting it. The wicks lit. She gasped. Randy cursed, and Paul laughed. I pulled the fire back and they went out. They smoked. I lit them again.

"That's amazing," she said. "When did you learn that you could do this?"

"While we were in Harris," I said. "I did it by accident. I lit all of the candles. No one noticed. I was asked to light them. I just did it."

"Can you burn anything else?" she asked.

"Probably," I said. "I'm not trying to burn much of anything else, though."

"Well, it's amazing," she said. "Can you still move things with your mind?"

"Yes," I said, moving the salt and pepper shakers to her.

"Wow," said Randy. "You're powerful."

"Well, our grandmother was a Moreau Witch. They're among the most powerful witches in the world," I said. "There's a Moreau Witch in classes with me. We're related, and she knows it. She's the one who told me I'd discover new powers as I got older. She said I need to be initiated. She and her brothers are going to initiate me so I'll be more powerful and have better control."

"Damn," said Randy. "What else can you do?"

"I can move things with my mind," I said. "I can burn things with my mind, I have prophetic dreams, and I can communicate with the dead."

"Can you cast spells?" Randy asked.

"Yes," I said. "I can cast a lot of different kinds of spells."

I got up and went to the bedroom. I came back with my Book of Shadows. I placed it on the table. I opened it to spells. He looked at it for a few minutes and cursed again. He slid it back to me. I told him that Denise had one, too. He said he'd seen hers but never looked at it. She'd told him it was private. I told him that I didn't mind if he wanted to look through mine. It had passages in it that I had written about what happened in my life, power spells and chants, my favorite runes, and tarot cards were in there, too.

"That's amazing," he said. "You're a powerful witch. So is your sister. She can read minds."

"It doesn't always work," she said. "I can read surface thoughts mostly. But I can really communicate with children with my mind. It's why I run a daycare."

"That's amazing," Randy said. "I'm married to a witch. It's like that old show."

"You mean 'Bewitched'?" she asked with a smile.

"Yes," he said. "The one were that guy marries a witch and all kinds of things happen."

"Right," she said. "I'm no Samantha."

"That was her name," he laughed.

"Paul, what do you think of having a witch for a boyfriend?" Denise asked.

"I'm a witch, too," he said. "I can communicate with the dead. I can move things with my mind as well."

"Well, isn't that just dandy?" Randy asked with a smile. "Three witches. I'm the only non witch in the house."

"We won't cast spells on you without your permission," I said with a smile.

"Why would I give you permission?" he asked.

"If the spell helps you," I said.

"Oh," he said. "Can you get rid of a hangover?"

"I can make a potion for that," I said. "I have an herb garden in the window in the bedroom. I spell the herbs to make them grow. I can use certain ones and add things to it to make a potion that you can drink that will stop a hangover."

"Next time I get drunk, make that potion and feed it to me the next morning," he said. "My hangovers are epic."

"You shouldn't drink so much," Denise said.

"You've been known to tie one on, too," he said, smiling at her.

"That was before I was pregnant," she said.

"I forget from time to time that you're witches," Randy said. "Paul, I didn't even know you were a witch."

"My whole family are witches," he said. "Even my mother. My father married a Moreau Witch."

"So, you're just as powerful as these two," he said, shaking his head. "It's a good thing you all like me."

"We love you," I said. "We'd never use magic to hurt you. That would be the very definition of dark magic. We don't do that."

"Do you cast spells at school?" Randy asked.

"No," I said. "We're just good with school."

"Okay," he said. "Would that be dark magic, too?"

"It would depend on the spell we cast," Paul said. "We won't cast dark spells. Well, in a way we would. We'd cast a dark spell to kill cancer. There's a little dark in the light and a little light in the dark. We just try not to cast dark spells."

"Okay, I think I understand what you're saying," he said. "Denise, do you want to be initiated?"

"I can't be until the baby is born," she said. "No magic while pregnant. It would go wrong anyway."

"I didn't know that," he said. "What about you, Paul?"

"I'm going to be initiated the same night that they initiate Nick," he said.

"They want to hold circles, too," I said. "I'm looking forward to those, but we'll need sweet food afterward to help with the energy drag."

"I'll make cookies those days," Denise said. "I know about the energy drag. I went to a few circles for Starspun in Harris."

"Starspun is in Harris?" I asked. "When did they arrive?"

"It's a branch of the original coven," she said. "Are you guys forming a coven with the Moreau Witches?"

"A coven of sorts," I said. "We'll come together on Saturday nights to hold a circle, but we're not in cooperation with them. Their goals don't always match ours."

"Okay," she said. "Do they know that?"

"They know that we're only interested in the circles," I said. "They don't like it, but it is what it is."

"When are the two of you being initiated?" she asked.

"Saturday night," I said with a smile. "They're doing a basic initiation for solitary witches. It's great that they've decided to do this."

"Yes, it is," she said. "Tell them I'd like to do it, too after the baby is born."

"Okay," I said. "They'll be over here Saturday."

"I'd like to meet them," she said with a smile. "They're cousins, right?"

"Yes," I said.

"Who's the Heir or Heiress to the Legacy?" she asked.

"Laura Moreau," I said. "She's dark, so a lot of witches have left Moonlight Bay, California and struck out on their own. There are branches of the Moreau Witches all over the country now."

"That's ominous," she said. "A dark witch as Heiress?"

"There's nothing they can do about her," I said. "She can kill with her mind. She's using the life forces of Moreaus without magic to extend her life."

"The Goddess might have something to say about that sooner or later," she said.

"She should," I said.

"You believe in a Goddess?" Randy asked.

"Our power comes from Aset," she said. "She's the Goddess of the moon, magic, and creation. Her son, Ra is the God of the Dead and Lord of the Underworld."

"Who is Aset?" he asked.

"The world calls her Isis," she said. "She's the Egyptian Goddess of the Moon, Magic, and Creation. Her husband, is also a God of the dead. Ra is also a God of the Sun."

"Mythology gets things wrong?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. "Notoriously."

"Well, I'll be damned," he said. "Is Aset my Goddess, too?"

"No, you're a child of the Christian God," I said. "We're children of Aset."

"Well isn't that something," he said. "There are different Gods than the Christian God?"

"Yes, but that God is a selfish God," Denise said. "You have to have no other Gods to be a child of the Christian God."

"Well, I believe you about the Gods, but if I'm just a child of the Christian God, then that's what I'll be," he said.

"You have no choice," she said. "It is decided when our souls are born."

"Right," I said. There was no reason to correct her. The power to hop was a witch power. It came from Aset, too. It was decided when our souls were created, not born. That was just a shell for the soul. Even the witches were notorious for what they didn't know about Aset and how souls were created.

"So, what are you guys doing now?" Randy asked me and Paul.

"We're supposed to be studying for quizzes," Paul said. "But we have those in the bag."

"You're both super smart?" Randy asked.

"Yes," Paul laughed. "We use it for school, and not for people unless we're in the right setting."

"Okay," he said. "I admit, I was intimidated by Nick for a long time. I thought that I couldn't talk to him, because he'd use words I didn't understand. I was wrong about him. It seems I was wrong about you, too. I'm sorry for what I thought."

"No worries," Paul said. "You talk to us now. We're just happy to know you. Everyone is important."

"I'm glad you feel that way," he said.

We did study a bit. You could never be too prepared for a quiz. We put the books away when it was time. Then we ate. We had a lively discussion about school while we ate. Paul admitted that he loved his classes. He liked that we'd pieced together majors and it was working. Randy wanted to know what our majors were, and we told them it was a mixture of accounting and business. There were some finance classes in there, too. It was a hodge podge of a major. He said he thought he understood. Denise smiled at him.

The next day we had the quizzes in two classes. I had a file to work on for Accounting. I had to find the problems in the tax returns and fix them. It took me a while to spot them and fix them. Then I put the books away. Denise put dinner on the table, and Randy was with us. He loved his job at GE and he was making money hand over fist. Denise was doing well with the daycare. She said she'd had to hire two new girls, because of the influx of children from the families of GE employees. Randy told her that he had recommended her daycare at GE. She thanked him and kissed him.

Saturday, three Moreau Witches were in the house. They were thrilled that Denise was pregnant, but they agreed that she couldn't be initiated until the baby was born. They'd be on hand to do that for her. The baby was due August. They'd be back at school by then. Plus they lived in Osage year round. They were trying to start a coven in Osage. They told me and Paul that they wished we'd just join them. I told them I was sorry, but we wanted to be solitary witches. They said they understood. We cleaned out and took the ritual bath. We then strained the tub and emptied it. Randy was concerned that the herbs would go down the drain. I told him we were better than that.

We went to an empty part of the desert and called the corners and cast the circle. Then we were initiated. I felt much more powerful. Paul said he did, too. Denise had cookies and cake for all of us when it was over. Andy Moreau stayed with us late that night. He told us that we were cousins, and even if we didn't join the coven, they would be around. We were family. I liked that. Paul liked it. Denise asked if Paul and I were related. Andy told her that in the Moreau family that didn't matter much. She smiled at that.

Randy liked the witches on sight. He told me that they were down to Earth and he liked that about them. They liked him, too. They called him a mundane. He wasn't sure what that meant. I told him it meant those without magic. It was just a term that witches used for people who weren't witches. He said he'd accept it. We moved on. On Monday I was in classes with two of the Moreau Witches. They sat with me and we went through the lecture and then studied with all four of them that night. We were headed to Mid Term again, so we took over the library and studied all we could. We tracked down facts and articles to site for papers, and we studied for the tests.

When the tests were administered we did very well on them. I aced mine. Paul said he did, too. Our grades were stellar. The witches were amazed. Theirs were good, but ours were better. They told us that they'd study with us all of the time. We hung out with them at school, and we hung out with them at home. They invited us to circles, and we went to them and participated. It was fun being a witch. Denise always had chocolate cookies for us and little cakes. She had sweet hot chocolate, and we gobbled them up and drank the hot chocolate on Saturday nights.

The semester moved, and before I knew it we were headed for finals. We took over the library again. People watched us and commented on the fact that we seemed to be study machines. We ignored them for the most part. We just tracked down facts and articles to study, we quizzed each other, and we helped each other find this and that. We went to the Taco Shack for food most of the time, but we also went to the cafeteria and ate. Had to use those meal cards we'd paid for.

When we took finals we were prepared. Our cousins told us that they had gotten better grades on the exams, because they had studied so much with us. We told them we do this for all tests. They liked that. The school year ended. Classes were over. We hung out with each other, went to the Taco Shack, and other restaurants, and took over video stores. We rented and bought movies to sit in my room and watch. Some were on the floor, one was at my desk with the chair turned toward the television, and the others were in the bed, sitting up and watching. We had movies about witches that they got all wrong. We had movies about vampires that they got all wrong.

I told the Moreau Witches about my idea for a company and they were on board. They changed majors and pieced theirs together to match mine and Paul's. That would happen in our Sophomore Year. We had the summer. We went to Harris and stayed with Adam and Mary for a week. They loved having us with them. She told me that she had booked the church, and she was looking at flowers, but she didn't know our colors. I told her sea green and lavender. She loved that.

We told them that we were hanging out with Moreau Witches and that they were cousins. Mary said that they were Paul's cousins, too. We were probably related in some way. I told her it didn't matter. We were in love. She said that was how it was. I laughed. She hugged me. I saw my mother and father around town, but they never spoke to me. Dad was working for a rival company in a just higher than entry level position. They'd moved out of the mansion and were living in a one bedroom house on the other side of Harris. I had the mansion cleaned and thought about what to do with it. When I got back to Osage I talked to the witches about it. They asked if they could live there and move the coven to Harris. I told them it was fine with me. I gave them the keys.

We went back to hanging out with them. I told them I would miss them when they were in Harris. I planned to stay in Osage. They said that they'd think it over. They handed back the keys a week later and said they were staying in Osage. The coven was already here. There were ten witches in the coven. None of them understood why Paul and I were just friends of the coven instead of members. We told them that we wanted to be solitary witches. There were perks to being solitary. There were perks to being in a coven, too. This way we got those perks without being members of the coven. We went to their circles, and we led circles from time to time.

Paul and I were now twenty years old. We didn't celebrate our birthdays anymore. We celebrated the birth of Denise's daughter in late July. She was born on July twenty-sixth at six in the morning. Denise named her Emalynne and she was a beautiful child. She smiled a lot, but Denise said that was gas. I told her it was a smile. I went nuts buying things for her. I bought her a brand new baby bed, a bassinet, stuffed animals, bottles, pacifiers, and rattles. She was a happy baby that rarely cried. Denise and Randy were happy. I told her that we might move out to let her family be with each other. She asked me not to be so hasty. She said to stay until we graduated and got married. Then we could go.

We started our second year at Saguaro. This year we had more classes that were centered on our pieced together major. Our advisers told us that we were covering classes from three different majors. I told him that's what we wanted to do. I presented him with a business plan for Patterson Business Solutions. He said it was well researched and very thought out. He commended me on it and finally understood our major. I told him that there were twelve of us doing this major. He said he knew that. We were all related in some way. I told him that four of them were our cousins. He nodded at this.

Classes went on. I had finance classes, and business classes, I had another accounting class, and an elective. I had fun in classes. We took over the library to study for quizzes and tests. We did very well in our field of study. The professors were all happy with us. We had circles on Saturday nights, and we hung out with the coven a lot. Denise was initiated as a solitary witch as well. Her power got stronger and she had better control over it.

That was the reason that we were initiated to begin with. We wanted more control over our power. Of course, the power boost was nice, too. There was a power sync not far from Osage in the desert. It was activated, too. We moved our circles to the power sync and they were exponentially more powerful. Of course, the drain on our energy was twice as bad. Denise was now coming to the circles. She told me that she was baking non stop for the circles most of the time. Randy liked it, because he could enjoy the spoils. I told him he was gaining weight. He joined a gym. He asked why we weren't gaining weight. I told him that magic keeps you in shape. It was physically demanding. He thought that was amazing.

Mid Term happened again, and the semester moved. We were a power house of studying. Other students now tried to join us, but we paid them no mind. Several wanted to join the coven, but the coven was set already. They had enough members for now. They told them to keep checking and maybe they'd allow them to be initiated. They were told that though they weren't natural witches, they could cast spells and make potions and poultices. They liked that. In the end, they initiated five new people into the coven. The witches helped them study for a year and a day and then they initiated them. Their spells got more powerful. The loved being witches.

Of course, they thought Denise, Paul, and I should be members of the coven, but we all three remained solitary witches. I told them that we just weren't coven material. They nodded at this and continued to hang out with us. We were a force on campus. People knew that we were Moondance. They had t-shirts printed with Moondance on them with arrows around the letter o's. People asked what it meant and they told them. They asked why we never wore those shirts, and I told them we weren't members. They were confused because we were with them all of the time. I told them we were friends of the coven. They asked how that happened. I told them the Moreau kids were our cousins. They nodded and went about their way.

Winter Break was approaching fast. We had final exams that we took over the library to study for. Denise said time was flying. Emalynne was crawling now. We took finals and then we were out for Winter Break. That just meant slightly cooler temperatures for Osage and Harris. We stayed home. The witches had Christmas, but we were in Harris for Christmas day. We'd spent Christmas Eve with Denise and the coven. Mary and Adam were happy to have us. We told them that they had formed a coven, but we were just friends of the coven. She said that was as it should be. She said there were advantages to being members of a coven, but there were more advantages to being solitary witches. I agreed.

Mary told me that they were going to move when they found a place. I gave them the keys to the mansion. She hugged me and asked if I was sure. I told her it would just be empty if they didn't move into it. They moved after the New Year. My mother and father were angry about it, but they couldn't do anything about it. I had the estate. The Mansion was mine. I let Mary, Adam, and Peter move in. Peter had married his girlfriend. He was working at Metrics and moving up in the ranks rather quickly. My cousin Frank Patterson was at the head of it. He knew not to hire my father. The whole family had turned their backs on my parents. I thought that was fitting.

Back in Osage, life went on. For New Year's we had a circle with the coven. We had fun. Of course, we had cookies and cake and hot chocolate after the circle. Denise and two from the coven provided. That gave Denise a break from baking so much. She was happy. I told her that I'd let Mary and Adam move into the mansion. She thought that was a good idea. Paul and I decided to get married early. So that summer in June we were in Harris for the wedding. I noticed that my mother and father were in the back. I said nothing about this. Mary had done a great job decorating the church. Denise had helped her. I invited the entire family to the wedding. Paul's family invited friends to witness the nuptials.

We had written our vows once again, and we said them to each other. The Priest blessed us and prayed over us. We were allowed to show our love and an hour later he pronounced us married. We filled out the marriage certificate, and the name change paperwork. Then we had the reception at the civic center. Mom and Dad had even bought us a gift. I was shocked. Mom came up to me and told me that they wanted to reconcile with me and Denise. Denise walked up to us.

"What's changed?" Denise asked. "You didn't want anything to do with us before."

"We have a grandchild," she said. "We'd like to know her."

"I'll give you a shot," I said. "But understand that the only thing we need in our lives is love and respect. If you can't give us those things then don't bother. We live in Osage. You'll have to travel to visit. We won't come here to visit you."

"You put Mary and Adam in the mansion," she said. "You visit them."

"If you talk to Mary and Adam they might let you come when we visit," I said. "We're here for Christmas Eve one year and Christmas Day the next. Paul and I will be buying a house in Osage, and when we graduate we'll open a business there. You can visit us in Osage any time you want."

"We'll be there," my father said. "We do love you both so very much."

"You had a funny way of showing it," Denise said.

"We want to make amends," Mom said. "Please don't continue to shut us out."

"We won't," I said. "Your granddaughter is here. You can see her."

"Thank you," she said.

When I saw her again, she had Emalynne in her arms. She and Dad were playing with her. I was shocked. Of course, Denise watched them like a hawk. When the reception was over they left. We spent the night in the mansion and went back to Osage in the morning. We weren't taking a honeymoon. We did buy a house. It was a big house as houses in Osage went. It was four bedrooms with a formal dining room, mud room, an office, and a living room on the first floor with a half bath off the kitchen. Upstairs were three standard bedrooms and a bathroom. Of course, the master suite was at the back with two walk in closets. The bathroom was large and between the two closets. On the other side of them were linen closets.

The house had white stucco siding and a terra cotta roof. There was a two-car garage and we parked our trucks in there. We went and bought furniture, and we moved in. Denise said she missed us in the house. Randy had no one to talk to. We had them over for dinner a lot. The coven was in and out of our house a lot, too. We went back to school in August. Now we were really into our major. Classes were fine, though. We were prepared. We took over the library and studied this and that all of the time. We shined on quizzes and tests. We were the cream of the crop in school. We had dinner parties all of the time at the house. Denise and Randy were expecting again. I laughed when she told me this.

Mom and Dad came on Sunday that week. They sat in my dining room and ate food that I had prepared. Denise, Randy, and Emalynne were there. Mom spent some time holding Emalynne, but she wanted down to crawl around with her toys. She was eating baby cereal with fruit in it now. Denis was big and pregnant again. Mom remarked on it. She smiled when Denise told her she was having a boy. This would be her last. She was having her tubes tied.

"I had two," Mom said. "Well, I had three, but one didn't survive."

"I know," I said. "I see his ghost all of the time," I said.

"That's remarkable," she said. "Your father doesn't have that power. He just sees a bit into the future."

"Well, it's a nice power to have," I said. "I light fire with my mind, move things with my mind, communicate with the dead, and have prophetic dreams."

"You're initiated, right?" she asked.

"All three of us are," I said. "We were initiated by Moreau Witches."

"Are you part of their coven?" she asked.

"No," I said. "We're solitary witches, but they'll come to our aid if we need them."

"That's good," she said. "I'm so sorry for the way we were when you were growing up. We've had a lot of time to think about how wrong we were to treat the two of you like that."

"Time teaches," Denise said.

"Yes, it does," she said. "The family has turned their backs on us."

"That's not our fault," I said. "We didn't tell them to."

"I know that," she said. "It's our fault for being nasty people for so long. It is my hope that we can have a real relationship now. I'm not asking for money. I just want to be a part of your lives."

"You are," I said. "This is your chance. Don't blow it."

"We won't, said my father. "How are the two of you doing in school?"

"We're at the top of our class," I said.

"That's great," he said. "You're studying business?"

"We pieced together a major, but business is a big part of it," I said.

"Are you going to work at Metrics?" he asked.

"No," I said. "I'm starting a business when I graduate," I said.

"What kind of business?" he asked.

"Patterson Business Solutions," I said. "We'll step in when a company is in distress. We'll assess the problem and solve it for a fee."

"That's laudible," he said. "I'm sorry that I got so angry when you didn't want to be a part of Metrics."

"Metrics is running without me," I said. "Frank is doing a stellar job at the helm."

"Yes," he said. "I read about it in the paper. I'm working for Kentworth now."

"Yes, I know," I said. "I've kept track of the two of you just to know how you were doing."

"We moved into a smaller house, because the upkeep of the mansion was so expensive. Without the job at Metrics, I couldn't afford it. Your mother has had to take a job, too. She's a secretary at Kentworth."

"Do you like it?" I asked.

"I like it fine," she said. "I'd like to have more time off to visit with my granddaughter, but the bills have to be paid."

If this was a sales pitch for money they were failing miserably. I'd give them money if they asked for it. Just not yet. They had to prove to me that they were in it for the right reasons. They asked Paul about his parents and told him that they never speak to them. I told them that they will now. They nodded. Denise said the baby was kicking up a storm. I felt her belly and felt him kicking. I told her he was going to be a soccer player. She laughed. She let Mom feel her belly, and Mom smiled really big as the baby continued to kick.

Mom and Dad left just after dinner to drive back to Harris. They both had to work in the morning. I told them they could come next Sunday for dinner again. They thanked me. Mom hugged me, which was awkward, but I allowed it. Then they were gone and it was just the family that I had been with since I moved out of the mansion. Denise said she thought they were trying, but she'd wait until they proved to her that they really wanted to be a part of her life.

"I'm doing the same thing," I said. "I'll give them money once they prove that there in this for the right reasons."

"I figured," she said. "Well, we should get Emalynne home. She's getting tired."

"Well, you know you can come over any time you want," I said.

"It's getting hard to move around so much with this baby kicking my ribs all of the time," she said with a smile.

"Well, why don't we have Sunday dinner at your house next week?" I asked. "I'll come cook for you."

"That would be awesome," she said. "You call Mom and Dad later in the week and tell them where and when."

"I will," I said. I kissed her cheek before they left. Randy shook our hands.

Then it was just me and Paul. We cleaned up the supper dishes and then hung out in the living room watching television. He asked about children, and I told him I was waiting until we were out of school and ready to take care of them. He said he'd stay home with them if I wanted him to. I said I might stay home with them this time. I didn't know what was going to happen. I had to find a surrogate first. He said I could find one of those any time.

We had hot fudge sundaes for a snack. We ate them in the kitchen. Then we just watched television and cuddled up on the couch. When the nightly news was over we went up to bed. The next day it was classes for both of us. The witches were in and out of the house all day, too. We had a good day. I called Mom and told her that Denise was having trouble moving around so much, so dinner would be at her house next week. She asked for the address. I gave it to her, and she said they'd be there.

All week long I had to study. We were having tests in three of my classes that Friday. I would have no classes. I'd just go and take tests. It was the same for Paul. Then there was the circle on Saturday and dinner at Denise and Randy's on Sunday. She was ready to pop with that baby. I hoped she'd be there this weekend. By Friday we'd studied all that we could. I took the tests and came home. Denise called and said she was looking forward to Sunday. She'd been to the doctor and he told her she could deliver any day. I told her that I'd spell her if she wanted so that it wouldn't be so hard on her. She said she'd welcome that.

At the circle on Saturday I asked for an easy birth for my sister. They chanted about it. Then they asked for protection and prosperity. The circle came to a close and we had store bought cookies and cake this time. We had hot chocolate and we were fine. We went home and showered and changed into t-shirts and shorts. Denise called and asked me to come and spell her. She thought she was in labor. It turned out to be Braxton Hicks. She lost her mucus plug on Saturday night so it wouldn't be long. The next day I went over to her house and made chicken and rice. She stayed in the kitchen but in a chair. Randy was under foot a lot, checking on his wife. Mom and Dad arrived. I spelled Denise, and we had dinner. We were just finishing when her water broke. Mom went to the hospital with her. We followed behind them. We were in the waiting room. It was fast as labor went. Her son, Eric was born at seven thirty that night. Then we went to see her and the baby. She was radiant. She was so happy.

"Well, now you have your girl and boy," I said to her with a smile.

"And my tubes are tied," she said with a smile of her own. "There will be no more babies."

"Now it's my turn," I said, looking at Paul.

"Don't look at me," he said. "You're the one who said not until after school."

"That's sensible," said Randy. "You guys would be in classes all day and the kid would be where?"

"Yeah, yeah," he said, waving him off.

We left and went back to the house. We had snacks and watched movies. Mom and Dad came and sat with us for a while. We talked about the new baby. Mom called him sweet. Dad said he looked like Randy. I thought so, too. Mom asked me when we would give them grandchildren. I said after graduation and the company was up and running. I'd stay home with the kids while Paul worked. It had already been decided. Mom thought that was sensible.

"You'll have to find an egg donor and a surrogate, won't you?" she asked.

"Hopefully they'll be one in the same," I said. "I'm going to ask one of the Moreau Witches to do it for me."

"What do you think they'll say?" she asked.

"I don't know," I said. "If they say yes, then it's a go. If they say no, the search continues."

"You can post an add at clinics," she said.

"I could," I said. "But I don't want to do that. I want the kids to be witches like us."

They got on the road back to Harris. They both hugged us before they left. I was shocked again. Paul just shook his head. He wasn't so ready to trust them. In truth, I wasn't either. I was giving them enough rope to hang themselves with. So far they were doing all right. I didn't know what to think of them. We went to bed after calling Denise and telling her goodnight and asking her to kiss that baby for us. The next day we were up and ready for the day. Randy brought us Emalynne for the day so he could be with his wife. We took her and she played with her toys while she was there. He came back around lunch time to feed her and check her diaper. I told him we'd been diligent. She'd had a teething biscuit already. He thanked us and took her with him. She was going to see her new brother.

We hung out with the witches. I asked them if one of them would conceive and carry children for us when we were ready. Andra said she would. She said she was a lesbian and didn't want children, but it would be cool to be their Aunt Andra. So that was taken care of. Paul and I were happy. Andra asked what she was in for. I told her they would harvest eggs and fertilize them and then implant them in her uterus in the hopes that at least one would take. She asked what would happen if more than one took. I told her that we'd just have more than one baby and she wouldn't have to do it again.

Classes again, and then we were studying for quizzes and tests again. We were referred to as the study machine. We liked that. We did well on the quizzes and tests. Semester finals were next. We had study sessions off and on all the time now. When it was time to take finals we were prepared. We did exceedingly well on the final exams. Classes were over for summer. Then it was just circles on Saturdy and dinner with Mom and Dad on Sunday.

We spent a week in Harris with Mary and Adam. We visited with Mom and Dad while we were there, too. Then we came back to Osage and had them for Sunday Dinner. Mary and Adam started to come for those, too. Denise got the kids ready every Sunday and she and Randy came to our house for dinner. Then we were back in school. This, our third year was moving fast. It does that when you're happy. Before I knew it finals were upon us and then it was Winter Break again.

This year we didn't go to Harris for any part of Christmas. Harris came to us. Adam and Mary came. Peter and Missy came. Mom and Dad came. I gave them fifty thousand dollars to help them with bills. Mom cried. Dad hugged me. He told me he'd see me on Sunday for dinner. I told him we'd be here. Then it was just hanging out with the witches and watching movies and playing video games. We had the circle on Saturday, and Mom and Dad came for dinner on Sunday. Of course we had that at Denise and Randy's. It was just too much for Denise to get the kids ready and all. We didn't mind. I cooked for the dinner. I made meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, and corn. I even made a chocolate pie for desert. Mom and Dad were thrilled with dinner.

"Is this your last year of school?" Mom asked me.

"No, I have one more year," I said. "But we bought the lot where the company headquarters will be located. The witches are all going to work there."

"That's great," she said. "It's a family thing then?"

"Mostly," I said. "There will be a Patterson at the head of it. It just won't be me."

"You're not going to work there?" she asked.

"I will at first, but when the children are born I'm staying home with them," I said. "We've decided."

"Well, that's a noble cause," she said, smiling. "I can't wait for you two to have children. Will you both have children, or will they be yours?"

"We'll both have children and all of them will be ours," I said. "They'll be brothers and sisters because we're using one surrogate and egg donor."

"Oh, you found one?" she asked, looking excited.

"Andra Moreau is going to do it for us," I said. "We want two children. If she has more than one we'll do it one more time so that Paul can have a child, too."

"Okay," she said. "That sounds good."

"We weren't supposed to get married until after graduation, but Mary insisted," I said with a smile.

"She told me," she said. "It was really great spending Christmas with you and Denise."

"I'm glad you're here," I said. "I'm really liking the relationship that we have now."

"I am, too," she said. "I kick myself when I think of what kind of mother I was."

"Don't do that to yourself," I said. "You're better now."

"Well, I love you both so much," she said. "I even love Paul."

"We love you, too," I said.

"Well, we have to get on the road," Dad said. "Give me a hug, Nick."

I hugged him and then kissed Mom's cheek. She smiled at me. Then they were gone. Mom had done the dishes, so that was done. We hugged my sister and shook Randy's hand. Then we hugged and kissed the kids. We left for home. When we got there we encountered Andra and Andy Moreau. They came in the house and told us that Laura was dead and a new Heir had been found. I thought that was amazing. I asked how she died. They said they didn't know, they just knew that there was a new Heir and that Laura was dead from the website.

"Are you going back to Moonlight Bay?" I asked.

"We might after I have those children for you guys," Andra said. "I take my promises seriously."

"Thank you," I said.

"Did you know that there are Immortalis in Moonlight Bay?" Andy asked me.

"I've never met an Immortalis," I said.

"Well, there are some in the family now," he said. "You're a hopper, aren't you?"

"Both of us are," I said.

"Wouldn't you just like to live forever in the bodies you have now?" he asked.

"Of course we would," I said. "But that isn't likely to happen."

"I have Damon Arcola's phone number," he said. "I could call him and ask him to come to Osage to talk to you and Paul about becoming Immortalis."

"Won't that stop us from being witches?" I asked.

"No," he said. "The witches in the family that are Immortalis are still witches."

"Okay," I said. "Give him a call."

"I will, but after you have the children," he said. "Because once you have the children you'll need immortality."

He laughed at himself. I laughed with him. We had another year of school to get through. We went back to classes for the second semester of our Junior Year and life went back to normal. It was always in the back of my mind that Andy was going to call Damon Arcola. I was of two minds about becoming an Immortalis. For one, I liked hopping. For another, I already had a measure of immortality. Paul was all for it, though. I decided that to be with him for eternity without death and finding new bodies was worth it.

I was still of two minds about it. Damon called me and I told him I hadn't made up my mind. He asked me to describe what a Hopper was. I told him that we hopped from body to body inside our own bloodline. Sometimes it took generations before one would fall and we could hop in and take over that life. He said that was a form of immortality already. I told him that both me and Paul were Hoppers. We'd hopped through several generations. He asked why we would want to give up what we had for another form of immortality. He asked me what would happen if we became Immortalis and a body that we were destined to hop into died without ever having lived. I told him that I saw his point. I told him I would call him back.

Paul and I had many conversations about it. I put to him the same question that Damon had put to me about Hopping. He said he saw it. We decided we were not going to become Immortalis. I called Damon back and gave him our decision. He said he respected it and thought we'd made the right one. I didn't know if we had or not. He said we could always change our minds at a later date. I told him that I might be in contact with him again one day. He welcomed it.