A Life Unexpected: Holly Nather Book One (Holly Nather Series) (41 page)

In a stern, fatherly voice, my dad says, “Explain.”

I look at Luke for encouragement but he’s got nothing. I take a deep breath and let it out. I explain everything. I tell them about when I first met Luke, the Poyen chasing us, about Lana, and about me and Luke getting married. I tell them about me getting pissed at Luke and running away for a few days. I tell them about the war and about my Versipellis abilities. Lastly, I tell them about Gaia and my run-in with an alternate reality. I leave out the being pregnant part…
for now
.

My parents hadn’t moved an inch the whole time I was talking, but now they are looking at each other with weird expressions displayed on both their faces.

My mom sighs. “Holly, there is something we need to tell you.”

Luke whispers in my ear. “This is most likely what I was going to tell you the night before we woke up in different realities.” I totally forgot about that. Luke was about to tell me something that night, and I had told him to wait. I forgot to ask him what he was going to tell me. Oh hell… What now?

“Holly, your mother and I have kept a huge secret from you. We never wanted to tell you, because we knew you would make the right decision when the time came. You were adopted.”

My dad’s eyes are filled with regret, but he seems to have had a weight lifted from his shoulders. I look at him, eagerly waiting to hear what else he has conveniently withheld. “You were born in Gaia. Before you ask, yes, we know of the other worlds that exist. Somehow your Fae parents found your mother and me. They asked us to take care of you. They said at the age of twenty, you would have a decision to make. A choice between two realities.”

Luke interrupts my dad, looks at me and says, “You do realize your twentieth birthday was at midnight the day you woke up in Gaia and I woke up to find out you were dead, right?”

“No, my twentieth birthday is not until next month. Dad, I’m confused!” I say while running my fingers through my hair.

“We made that birthday up.” My mom confesses.

“Your Fae parents said you would have to make a choice between two different realities. I see you have made your choice.” My dad says while smiling at Luke.

Turning to Luke, I ask, “How did you know my
real
birthday?”

“Remember when I told you I saw you in a vision the day you were born?” I sink lower into the couch. I
do
remember. I nod my head, and Luke continues. “I wanted to tell you this that night and never got to. Fae from Gaia kept trying to take you. They didn’t agree with your fate. When Jett told me you were dead I thought you either died, or you had made your decision, and it wasn’t me.”

My head is spinning from the sudden news. Not that it really surprises me… Drama is the new norm for my life. I look at my “human parents” and say, “Well if it is okay with everyone I’m going to put all of that behind me. I think it is clear that I chose my reality and don’t want to dwell on what could have been. I am more than ready to move forward with my life.” Everyone sighs in relief. Including me. I am thankful I have come to terms with my abnormal life.

“Holly, isn’t there something else you would like to tell your parents?” Luke says with raised eyebrows and a proud smile.

I smile and grab Luke’s hand. I look at my parents and say, “I’m pregnant.” Luke gives my hand a squeeze, and I smile at him.

After a lot of hugs and congratulations Luke and I decide it’s time to get back to Terre. My parents and I made plans to visit each other on a monthly basis. They told me they would tell Max everything so he wasn’t out of the loop. After saying goodbye at least a thousand times, we head back to Terre.

Once we are back in the castle, Luke wraps me in his arms and kisses me. I look into his eyes and ask, “So what do we do now?”

“We live happily ever after.”

I roll my eyes. “Luke, that was
extremely
cheesy. Be serious!”

“I am being serious. Anyway, I have something for you.” Luke starts rummaging through a closet. Once he finds what he is looking for he walks back over to me.

He hands me a tattered book that has
Visions
handwritten across the front of it. I look at him and ask, “What is this?”

Smiling he says, “It is the only thing I had left of you during our time apart. Read it. It will explain things about your life you never knew. It will also help you understand how truly and deeply I care for you.”

“Thank you.” Luke is in a trance, and I know he is having a vision. I put his journal down and wait for him to come back from la-la land.

Smiling, he says, “I need to make one last entry.”

“Why not just tell me about it?”

“I know what gender our child will be.” He is smiling so big that I’m genuinely afraid his face may get stuck like that forever.

“Tell me!” He shakes his head and picks up the journal and finds a pen. He starts writing, and I try to peak over his shoulder, but he keeps scooting further away from me.

He finishes writing and hands me the journal. “Seriously? It would be easier for you to just tell me!!”

He kisses me on the cheek. “But not as fun.”

“Luke!”

Laughing, he says, “I have to go re-schedule all the meetings I canceled. I’m taking you out for dinner tonight. See you around seven o’clock.”

I shake my head and laugh. He is such a nerd. I sit down on the chair next to the window. I run my fingers over the journal that holds so many personal thoughts of Luke’s as well as secrets of my past and future. My hands tremble as I open it and begin to read.

March 16
^th
, 1997

Sometimes, being able to live so long and time moving the way it does in my world, seems to be more of a curse than a blessing. Who doesn’t want to live and never die? Most would say I’m crazy, maybe I am, but living for as many years as I have is not as great as it may appear to be.

I decided to start this journal because of visions I’ve been having. My whole entire life has been altered by the vision I had last night. Normally, my visions are
strange, but this is stranger than strange.

In my first vision appeared a baby girl. She was born in Gaia but quickly taken to Earth. Her tiny eyes were glowing green, and she had a head full of black hair. She has the distinct features of a Fae, and my suspicions were confirmed when I saw her parents.

I wished at that moment I could jump into my vision and ask why they were fleeing to Earth, but then I saw the reason behind their insanity. My mind quickly changed, and no longer did I consider these Fae insane for giving up their precious child.

They quickly explained to a young married couple where they were from. They said this child was prophesied to live two lives; only one would eventually have to come to an end. They said this has never happened before and were promptly instructed after her birth to bring the child to the couple with the last name Nather on Earth. They called her Holly and said she would have to choose which reality she would stay in at the age of 20. That day, Holly became human but would also live a double life in Gaia as a Fae.

My vision came to an end at that point. It was a long time before I had another, today as a matter of fact, and she is now 6 years old. The vision today was short and caught me off guard. I thought since a long time has passed, I would not have any more visions of this child. Holly was running and playing. Her mortal form has brown hair and brown eyes. I wonder if anyone has explained to her, her destiny of having to choose between two realities.

June 9
^th
, 1997

What is the point of these visions and this child? This time it was her bedtime, and her mother was reading her a story. Her mother finished and turned out the light after telling her goodnight. When her mother left the room, Holly started screaming for her mother. She was afraid of monsters in her closet. I couldn’t help but laugh, because there is no such thing as monsters, but her mother checked the closet anyway. She then turned on a night light and convinced Holly that monsters are not real. It wasn’t long and Holly, such a beautiful child, was fast asleep.

Absurd, silly, nonsensical... That is how I feel about these visions. Why am I seeing this child? They have overtaken my visions, and I’ve not had visions of anything else. I haven’t written them all down because, honestly, I can’t keep up. There are far too many. I would be writing all day, every day. I only write when I have the time.

August 23
^rd
, 1997

I saw Holly again, just moments ago. She was sitting at her desk at school and was pouting with her small arms crossed over her chest. Her teacher was standing over her, talking to her about being quiet during the lesson. Holly was rolling her eyes as her teacher spoke and then was sent to the principal’s office. Holly, so small, and so full of attitude, stomped her little feet all the way to the office. She sat outside on a bench with her head in her hands, dangling her tiny feet, because they could not touch the floor. The principal came out, knelt down in front of her, and told her to go back to class and to behave or he would have to call her mother. Then the vision was over. Insignificant—that single word sums up the entire vision. I should have just written INSIGNIFICANT across the whole page.