CURSE OF THE MOON REBORN

“Yes, we did.” Solara was about to kiss her again when Scarlet pulled Kayla away and hugged her.

“How does it feel to be a Mrs.?” Scarlet asked excitedly.

“I don’t know how, but I feel different.”

“I know right. Congrats honey.”

“May I please hug my daughter?” Iris stepped in between them.

“Sure Momma.” She walked into her mother’s arms.

“What is going on here?” Dick called out.

The little crowd that had formed quickly turned to the source of the angry voice.

“Oh no. I forgot about that.” Iris moaned.

“Can someone answer me, what is going on here?” Dick made his way through Solara and Stephan and stood beside Kayla and Iris.

“What does it look like? I thought you were here for the ceremony?” Iris retorted irritated.

“Why didn’t anyone tell me you were getting married? Kayla?” he turned to face his daughter. “Why am I just finding out about this?”

“Why? You weren’t interested in your sick mother, so I assumed you wouldn’t care that your only child is getting married.”

“But I would have wanted to know.”

“I invited you didn’t I. You were here you watched, you didn’t miss a thing.”

“But I am your father Kayla.”

“Really? Lately, you have only been concerned with your wife. Speaking of where is my stepmom.” Her voice thick with sarcasm.

“At the spa.” Iris put in.

“Anyway, can I meet your husband?” Dick asked.

“Sure, babe.” Kayla stretched out her hand to Solara. “This is Dick Cooper my father when it suits him. This is my husband Solara Gomez.”

“Nice to meet you, sir,” Solara said respectfully.

“Nice to meet you too. Where did you and my daughter meet?”

“Too late for the grilling dad, we are already married. I need to get back to Nana.” Kayla walked away pulling Solara behind her.

“That wasn’t fair Iris,” Dick argued once he was left alone with his ex-wife. “Did you ever think that I wanted to give away my daughter?”

“Her grandmother suggested that but she shut it down. If I were you I would go make peace with your mother, then maybe Kayla will give you a chance.” Iris walked away leaving him alone with his guilt.

Kayla sat at the table with Scarlet and her grandmother, as their husbands and friends familiarized themselves with Kayla’s family.

“Did you talk to your father?” Nana asked.

“Not so much talking, but yes we did have a conversation.”

“If you can call it that.” Scarlet put in.

“Kayla you are very impatient.” Nana didn’t have to ask Scarlet what she meant, she already knew.

“He just annoys me.”

“You need to be patient with him. And here he comes, be polite Kayla.”

Kayla looked up and saw her father approaching them. She stood up and moved to another seat so that he could sit close to his mother.

“How are you mother? You look strong, I knew Iris was exaggerating.” Dick said as he looked her over.

“Are you serious?” Kayla snipped.

“Kayla, let your father speak.”

“I was just distracted with work that was why I couldn’t come sooner.” Kayla sneered as he lied, the truth was clear to her.

“I can’t sit here and listen to this rubbish anymore. Scarlet let’s go demand a dance from our husbands.” She took Scarlet’s hand and walked away from the table.

“She is mad at me.” Kayla heard her father say to Nana.

“Hello, beautiful.” Solara pulled her into his arms and began spinning her around the small dance floor.

“Hey.” She returned his beaming smile with a weak one.

“What now?”

“It’s nothing. I just hope that Dick makes peace with Nana. She does need her son with her right now.”

“What about you? Are you going to make peace with your father?”

“That depends on how their conversation ends. Anyway, he didn’t bring his wife with him, so he has earned one brownie point.”

“How about, we only think about us for now.” He nibbled her ear, making her giggle.

“Sure why not, husband.” She let the last word roll off her tongue.

“I love the way that sounds wife. I never thought that I would be married at the age of eighty-three.”

“Excuse me?” Kayla looked at him stunned. “You are what?” At this point, there was an endearing, yet distancing silence as the two looked at each other. As childish as it sounds, this was not the like usual pastime joking.

“Didn’t I tell you, I was born in 1927?”

“1927? That’s a lifetime ago.”

“Old? Old she says, Stephan is so old he lost count. He is over three hundred years old.” He tried to down-play the fifty-seven years he had on her.

“Three hundred! Three hundred! Sweetheart you are an infant compared to that. I guess Scar and I just like older men.”

“I hope the feeling you have for me is more than like.” He leaned towards her neck.

“There must be a reason why I married you.”

“Oh yeah.” kiss “And why is that?” kiss

“I love you and there is nothing you can do to get rid of me.” Kayla was dissolving at his touch.

“I like the sound of that.” Solara’s lips brushed from her neck to her lips. Hungrily he feasted on them, pulling her closer and closer to his chest.

“My grandmother has a weak heart. How about we keep the p.d.a to a minimum. We don’t want to give her a heart attack.” She gasped.

“It’s your loss.” He pulled back and stared at her face, “Thank you.”

“What for?” Kayla was struggling to control her hormones.

“For saying yes. For not hating me when I took your life away. For accepting my world with such ease. For being you.”

“You are welcome, baby.” She weaved her fingers in his hair; she liked how his hair tickled her fingers.

“So how is the happy couple?” Stephan slid over close to them, Scarlet in his arms.

“Great. I love being married.” Solara put in.

“K, did you get a chance to talk to your dad?”

“No Scar, I’ll do that once this song is over.”

“Help!”

It was the terror in the voice that got to them first. They turned towards the scream. Kayla dropped Solara’s arms and ran in the direction of her grandmother. She wasn’t sure if the panic concerned her but she wasn’t taking any chances.

“Nana!” Kayla froze; Inches away from where her grandmother lay unconscious.

Scarlet, Stephan, and Solara stood behind her, their eyes fixed on the old lady on the ground.

Iris was at her side in an instant, as Dick stood over her. “What happened? Dick what happened.”

“I...I don’t know. She was fine one minute and the next...” Dick was staggering over his words.