We sprinted to the adjacent store, Concierto Jewelers, and I pulled Luna inside. After darting behind a display case, we waited a few seconds, then peeked out around the edge.

“There she is.” I pointed to Addison who stood by the food court, head swiveling left and right.

“Do you think she’s worried?” Luna asked in a concerned tone.

“Nah. It’s not the first time we’ve —”

A tap on my shoulder caused me to lurch forward, dragging Luna with me. I turned around. A copper-haired child crouched, arms around her knees, an apologetic expression on her face.

“Hi, I’m Jamie. I didn’t mean to startle you.” Then, in a lilting voice, she asked, “Can I help you with something?”

We stepped forward, ensuring Addison couldn’t see us, and came face to face with the big-eyed girl. Even crouched, she exceeded Luna’s height by an inch or two. I usually avoided children at all costs, but this one, though she couldn’t have been older than eight or nine, seemed considerate.

“Hi, Jamie. My name’s Ash, and this is my wife Luna.”

Her slate blue eyes widened. “You’re married?”

“Yup. See?” Luna offered her left hand, showing her engagement ring and wedding band.

“That’s amazing.” She reached for my wife, then hesitated.

“Go ahead.” Luna encouraged.

Jamie clasped Luna’s hand between a thumb and two fingers, rubbing in circles as if more amazed by my wife than the rings. “You’re so little. How old are you?”

Luna giggled. “We’re both twenty-three.”

“Wow. You’re as small as a boy.” She spoke quickly. “We have four boys at my school: Tyler, Jaden, Michael, and Dakota. We never get to see them because they attend a special class.

“One day, I had to go to the bathroom during class. On the way back, I saw Tyler in the hallway. I tried to shake hands with him, but he ran away from me.” She released Luna, then turned to me. “Why would he do that?”

Did she expect an answer from me? I’d hated both elementary and middle school. Every year, I was the only boy in a class of over twenty children. I sat beside the teacher for protection, never attended recess, and suffered embarrassment or injury on a regular basis. Most girls weren’t mean, at least not intentionally, but they underestimated their own strength.

“He was probably just shy.” I explained in the nicest possible way. “You’re pretty big to us. Next time try talking more, and touching less.”

“Oh.” Her eyes dropped. “I’m one of the smaller girls in my grade.”

“You can shake my hand...if you want.” I extended my arm.

She looked up, smiled, then engulfed my hand and wrist in her warm grip. When she shook, my entire arm moved up and down. I normally latched onto someone’s finger, but thankfully, she didn’t squeeze hard.

“I work with my mom on Saturdays.” She let go of my arm. “Would you like to see what we sell?”

“Sure!” Luna spoke before I could respond.

“Hmm.” She bit her lip, then turned around, hands positioned palm up like steps against her navy t-shirt. “Hop onto my shoulders.”

“Luna, we have to go.”

“Please, Ash.” She climbed onto Jamie’s broad shoulders, then leaned forward as her ride rose to well over eight feet in height. “It’ll only take a minute or two.”

“You’re so light. I can barely feel you.” Jamie touched the small ankles and feet that hung down the sides of her chest. “Where would you like to begin?”

“Necklaces, please.”

“Right away, ma’am.” She took off with careful strides, and I followed behind.

As we walked toward the back of the store, a red-haired woman in a business suit intercepted us. “Jamie, put that woman down this instant. She’s not a toy.”

“But Mom, she wanted to see the necklaces. Her name’s Luna.”

“It’s ok, really,” Luna said. “I couldn’t see over the display case, so your daughter offered to give me a lift. My husband and I rarely get to look at jewelry.”

“Oh.” The woman appeared flustered, tugging at her collar. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you’d given her permission to carry you. Still, how about I just sit you on top of the display case? That way —”

“Mom!” Jamie stomped her foot, clearly unwilling to relinquish her passenger.

Luna laughed. “I’m fine here. Your daughter’s been very helpful.”

“Please, call me Vera.” She smiled and covered her mouth. Then, she reached for her phone. “This is just too cute. Do you mind if I take a picture?”

“Not at all,” Luna said.

After Vera snapped a photo, I stepped out from behind Jamie’s legs.

“Oh!” She nearly dropped her phone. “This must be your husband. I didn’t realize he was here with you.”

“Hi, Vera. My name’s Ash. Our Guardians expect us to return in a few minutes, so we don’t have much time.”

“Certainly. Jamie, unlock the display case, and show Luna what we have.”

After Jamie left, Vera knelt in front of me. Like her daughter, light freckles dotted her cheeks, nose, and forehead. However, thick-rimmed glasses framed her amber eyes, eyes that seemed transfixed on me. “Would you also like to see the merchandise?”

“Sure.”

Without delay, she lifted me into the air, and held me close to her chest. Her hand supported my butt, my head faced over her shoulder, and my arms wrapped around her neck.

Over the years, I’d learned to glean personality traits from the way someone carried me. I determined Vera communicated through physical contact, a trait she shared with her daughter. Then again, the same could be said for most women.

Her free hand rubbed my back as she walked. “You’re just the most precious thing I’ve ever seen.” Then she stopped, presumably after arriving at her destination. “Luna, you’re husband is the cutest thing in the world. Can I keep him?”

Luna giggled.

“Mom, you’re interrupting us. I’m showing her the pink diamond necklace.”

“Oh, that’s an excellent choice,” Vera said, continuing her back rub.

“Can I see?” I asked.

“Absolutely.” She sat me on the display case, though she didn’t stop touching. Her fingers combed through my hair, an idle gesture, as if she wasn’t aware of her own actions. Typical Ascended behavior. It would have been more unusual if she had ignored me.

“Pink is my favorite color.” Luna, still riding on Jamie’s shoulders, stared at the heart shaped necklace in her hands.

“You have good taste.” Vera’s thumb and forefinger massaged the back of my neck, tempting me to nod off. “That one’s on sale this month. It’s only forty-five thousand.”

“Oh.” Luna’s smile diminished, and she looked at me. “Ash, that sounds like a lot.”

“We’re just looking, honey.” She never asked for anything, but she wanted this necklace. With her birthday around the corner, I needed to speak with Regan. As our Guardian, she handled all of our finances, and made the final decisions on what we could or couldn’t buy.

“How about this one?” Jamie pulled out a silver necklace with a red pendant. “It’s less expensive.”

Vera took the heart necklace and returned it to the display case while Jamie handed the red one to Luna.

“I like this one,” Luna said.

“That’s a red ruby in fourteen karat white gold,” Vera said. “Only thirty thousand.”

Luna turned the pendant over in her hands, but her eyes lacked the same look of entrancement. After a few seconds, she handed it back to Jamie.

“Well, is there anything else you want to see?” Jamie asked.

Luna scanned the display case. She smiled and pointed. “That one.”

Jamie reached for a necklace with a light blue stone.

“No,” Luna said. “The pink one. The one that’s shaped like a heart.”

“This one?” Jamie asked, confused.

“Yes.” Luna nodded, beaming.

“But, we just looked at it.” Jamie laughed.

“We did?” Luna’s brow furrowed.

“Yes, sweetie,” Vera said. “Remember. It was forty-five thousand.”

“I don’t…” Luna’s eyes met mine, a pained expression on her face. She looked as if she was about to cry.

“What’s wrong, honey?” I stood up.

“Ash, I don’t feel good.”

“Oh, sweetie,” Divesting me of her attention, Vera reached into her pocket and pulled out a tissue. “Your nose is bleeding.” She swabbed at Luna’s upper lip.

I’d never seen my wife look so frightened. With a waver in my voice, I said, “We need to find Regan.”

As if on command, Addison appeared and lifted Luna from her perch.

“Addison!” I couldn’t contain my nerves. “We have to get to a hospital. Luna, she’s —”

“Get on.” Addison’s expression, impassive as always, demanded obedience. I sat on her left arm and wrapped my arms around her neck, my legs on either side of her waist. Luna did the same on the other arm, though she held one hand to her nose with the tissue she’d taken from Vera.

“This is your Guardian?” Vera asked as Addison walked away with us.

I turned my head back. “Yes, one of them. Sorry we couldn’t stay longer.”

“It’s ok.” Vera held her hand to her chest. “Please come back soon.”

“Bye, Ash. Bye, Luna.” Jamie followed us to the exit, waving. “I hope you feel better.”

I caressed Luna’s arm as we were whisked along. Her eyes focused on me, reflecting my own trepidation. Regan would be upset, but I couldn’t dwell on that.

I just wanted to know what was wrong with my wife.

***

I sat on a dusty chair between Regan and Addison. After reuniting in the mall, we’d headed straight for Pleks Hospital. Neither of them had spoken to me in the last thirty minutes.

Only one other person, an older lady with gray hair and a teal uniform, occupied the waiting room. She sat at the front desk, and appeared to be working on a crossword puzzle.

College basketball played on the flat screen television. Women, twelve to thirteen feet in height, ran up and down the court, taking shots at a hoop hovering twenty feet above the ground.

The sound was off, but I didn’t care. Thoughts of Luna, not basketball, filled my mind. She’d fallen asleep on the way here, and was currently receiving an MRI.

I scooted forward in my seat so that my shoes hung off the edge.

“Sit still.” Regan spoke in a harsh tone.

I craned my neck to look at her face, and she met my gaze with a threatening glare. “I wanted to go ask the lady when Luna would be —”

“The doctor will come out to get us.”

After a long pause, I looked down and mumbled, “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry’s not good enough, Ash. You lied to me.”

“Well, you lied to me.” I faced her again. “You said we could go alone, but Addison followed us.”

“Yes. And do you know why she did?”

I paused. “To protect us.”

“Exactly. Look at what happens when you disobey. Don’t you care about Luna?”

“Yes.” I turned away. Tears welled in my eyes and my voice cracked. “I — I love her more than anything. This was all my fault. She could die —”

Regan’s voice softened. “She’s not going to die.”

I wiped my cheeks, unable to respond.

Regan lifted me up and moved me onto her left thigh. Then, she hugged me, my head sandwiched between her hand and chest. “She’s not going to die, Ash. It’s probably nothing too serious.”

“You really think so?” I asked after she released my head.

“I really do.” She smiled a little and thumbed the tears from my face. “Just promise me you’ll never pull something like that again.”

“I promise.” I really meant it. My defiance had endangered my wife. What if Addison hadn’t appeared?

Regan lifted my left leg and squeezed my calf between her fingers. “We’re still getting a tracker implanted right here. That way, if someone abducts you, we’ll be able to find you.”

“Ok.” I’d agree to anything at this point. Anything to atone for my transgression. Anything to bring Luna back, healthy and happy.

Happiness. I knew something that would make her happy. 

“Regan, how much money do I have?”

“You?” She shrugged. “I don’t know. I gave you fifty dollars last weekend.”

“I mean the money from my job.”

Her eyes narrowed. “That’s none of your business. I handle that money. If you want something outside of the allowance I give you, we’ll have to talk about it.”

“I know. I just...what if I wanted to buy something expensive?”

“How expensive?”

“I don’t know. Maybe...forty-five thousand dollars?”

“No.”

I swallowed the painful lump in my throat, looked down, and spoke in a resigned tone. “Ok.”

“Hey.” With a finger, Regan lifted my chin, but I shifted my eyes so I wouldn’t have to look at her. “What could you possibly want that costs forty-five thousand dollars?”

I took a deep, ragged breath, then shook my head.

“Ash, that’s not an optional question.”

I didn’t have any energy to resist her. “Luna...she really liked the pink heart necklace. I just...”

I couldn’t finish the sentence and Regan didn’t say anything for several seconds. When she spoke, her tone was different. “You wanted to buy it for her?”

I nodded and cast a quick glance up. Her eyes glistened, but she didn’t appear upset.

Then, she pulled me into a tight hug. “Oh my. Ash, that’s the sweetest thing. I love you so much.”

I wrapped my arms around as much of her as I could and hugged, letting the stress and tension flow out. I didn’t expect this reaction from her, but it was what I needed. Eventually, she pulled me away.

“You’ve got to stop crying. You’re worse than a baby.” She laughed, wiped her own eyes, then wiped mine.  “Listen, Ash. I don’t know exactly how much you have saved, but if you can afford it, I may approve that purchase.”

“You will?” I couldn’t stop myself from grinning.

“They may have a payment plan. I’ll have to look into it. And you can’t tell Luna. That would ruin the surprise.”

“I was hoping to give it to her for her birthday.”

“That’s next Friday!”

“I know.”

Regan sighed. “I’ll look into it.”

“Thank you, Regan. I don’t tell you and Addison enough, but thank you both for everything.”

Upon hearing her name, Addison switched to the adjacent chair, leaned over, and kissed me on the forehead.

Regan smiled. “You’re welcome, Ash.”