Home Sweet Home - Ch.56 - Potential Portents

"I'm sorry tonight was such a waste of time," I commented as Jenna and I settled together into the big pillow-pile in our bedroom.

"Maybe I was wrong about Miss Underwood," I added with a sigh. "I really thought she'd listen to us. I thought she'd take your warnings seriously."

My girlfriend cuddled up close against my side, although she was also clutching her big plush pink pony to her other side. I had to admit that was kind of adorable. Like the way she sometimes clung to that big plushie made her look a little vulnerable, like a lost child. It was another reminder that despite her incredible age she'd only really had the opportunity to start growing up into her own person after I met her.

For now Jenna just nodded slowly rather than respond, while she stared at the ceiling with a sort of uneasy frown on her face.

After another few seconds I leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek then whispered, "I'm very proud of you by the way. I know how anxious you are about the demon goddess girl, but you did a great job facing those fears today love. Even if it didn't get us anywhere."

My girlfriend remained quiet, in fact she barely even reacted at all to my words or the kiss.

So after another little pause I gave her a gentle squeeze and asked, "Jenna? Are you ok? I'm here for you if something's bothering you."

"Sorry Vikki," she finally replied with a little pout. She continued in a whisper, "Pinky was just reminding me of something. You know how we figured that guy was spying on me? And the demon goddess girl basically said the same thing, that he could see all kinds of stuff?"

Jenna raised her voice to a half-shout directed upwards at our ceiling as she added, "Which he better not be doing while I'm in bed with my girlfriend! Because that's really hecking creepy! You hear that, Mr. Pervy Cave Entity? Do not spy on my girlfriend and I in our bedroom! Or our bathroom either, you weirdo!"

She looked back at me again, and with her voice in a whisper she continued, "Anyways Pinkie was just saying how the demon goddess girl actually mentioned that twice. Remember? She kind of said it in passing right when we started talking to her and her demon girlfriend? Then she brought it up again at the end of the conversation, just before the waitress came with our food. She said something about how he was probably keeping track of all the genies, since he knew what happened to the other two that were freed."

"I remember," I nodded slowly. Then I frowned, "Wait, demon girlfriend? I thought Kaylee was a kitsune?"

My girlfriend shook her head, "She looks like a kitsune but she's actually a demon. A five-tailed demon foxgirl, I guess?"

"Unless maybe all kitsune are really demons?" she added with a puzzled frown. "I don't actually know about that, I've never meet another kitsune before. But Kaylee is definitely a demon, I know that for sure."

I smiled and gave her a kiss then apologized, "Thanks for clearing that up love. And sorry for the distraction. You were telling me about Pinkie? Did she have something important to say?"

Jenna kissed me back then whispered in my ear. "Pinkie says maybe the impossible demon goddess girl was warning us? Maybe she actually understood what we were trying to tell her after all, but she couldn't say it out loud. Because she knows creepy cave guy is watching us."

"Both her and me I mean," she added just as softly.

I did my best not to look too surprised as that revelation sank in. I held my girlfriend a little tighter and exchanged a few more kisses with her, before responding just as softly. "That pink pony of yours is a lot smarter and craftier than I thought."

Jenna smiled as she returned the kisses, "Pinkie's a clever pony. She likes to make jokes and act silly and impulsive, but that doesn't mean she's not smart. Or that she doesn't notice stuff."

• • • • •

The following morning things were more or less back to normal for both Jenna and I. The two of us agreed to try and forget about strange primordial cave beings and chaos goddesses, at least for now. Then my girlfriend set off for school with the pictures she took on Saturday, while I headed into the office to begin another busy week at work. And there was more than enough going on there to keep my mind off the supernatural stuff.

I picked up a few more clients over the next couple days, including another estate sale that came through Jessie Vaughan. I also had an open house to arrange for the following weekend, which meant I was busier than usual by Friday morning, trying to take care of all the final arrangements.

It was still a very welcome surprise though when my boss and her wife dropped by around mid-morning for a surprise visit, so they could introduce Jay and I to their new daughter.

"Oh my goddess she's so adorable!" my feline coworker squealed quietly as the two of us gathered around to admire the tiny girl cradled in Erin's arms.

Sherry looked every bit the proud parent when she agreed, "She really is."

"I still have to pinch myself a couple times a day just to make sure this is real," she added with a wide smile. "Our lives are almost too perfect, you know? Erin and I are young, healthy, head over heels in love with each other, and now we've brought this wonderful amazing little bundle of joy into the world together..."

Her voice trailed off at that point like she was about to get misty-eyed. And for that matter Erin seemed almost the same. She was smiling happily though, and I could almost feel the love and joy radiating off the pair of them.

As for the baby herself, Emily looked like she was half asleep. Her eyes were open and she seemed to be paying attention to Jay and I, but she was quiet and seemed content.

"You're looking great Erin," I commented as I looked her over. "Hard to believe you just gave birth less than a week ago."

My boss continued to smile as she replied, "Thanks Vikki. Like I said, it was quite the experience. But absolutely worth it. And I suppose I've been very lucky to have bounced back so quickly after all that."

"Awww!" Jay suddenly squeed again as the baby yawned. "I can't get over how beautiful she is."

Erin and her wife exchanged a knowing look then our boss asked my coworker, "Would you like to hold her Jay?"

The catkin's eyes widened and their ears folded back, while their tail drooped down against the back of their skirt. "Um, are you sure? I don't have a lot of experience around babies. I've never held one before."

"You'll do fine," Sherry insisted. She demonstrated, "Just hold your arms like this, make sure to support her head along with the rest of her."

Jay raised their arms the way they were shown, then Erin gently turned Emily over to them.

"Oh wow," my coworker whispered. "She's so precious."

Erin nodded in agreement, "She really is."

After another second or two a gentle rumbling noise started to emanate from my coworker's chest. At the same time their tail slowly rose up until it was standing straight up behind them, while their ears remained focused down on the little bundle cradled in their arms. Then Emily yawned again, before closing her eyes like she was comfy enough to fall asleep in the catkin's arms.

Jay's purring only got louder at that point, and they bit their lip as the continued staring at the tiny baby. Meanwhile Erin and Sherry exchanged another glance. My boss was still smiling happily, but the expression on her wife's face seemed a little more mischievous.

"Have you and Layla ever thought about having kids?" Sherry asked my coworker.

"Not really," the catkin sighed. Their ears drooped and their tail dipped as they added quietly, "The subject came up once back when we were together the first time around. Neither of us were ready though. Layla was interested, but I was way too immature."

Erin pointed out, "That was years ago Jay. What about now? You seem like a natural, the way you're holding Emily there. And she certainly looks comfortable in your arms."

"Maybe," my coworker sighed again. "Except now Layla and I are both... I mean, I'm not equipped to... I guess we could look into adoption? Or um..."

Their expression shifted to a confused frown as they finally took their eyes off the sleeping baby and looked at our boss instead. "Sorry if this is personal, but how'd you and Sherry...?"

Erin's cheeks turned a light shake of pink as she glanced at her wife, who suddenly had a sly smile on her face.

"People say this town's magical," Sherry commented with a shrug. "Seems like just about anything's possible here."

Jay's eyes widened as their cheeks warmed up as well, "Right. I suppose me and Layla should talk it over first. Then maybe we could uh, pray or something? Considering the Goddess of Chaos came by the office last week and introduced Herself..."

Our boss's eyebrows shot upwards as she gave Sherry an anxious look. Then she gently took Emily back into her arms before turning to ask me, "Is that true?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "You remember my very first sale, to a strange teen girl called Cassandra Underwood? She came by again last Friday. And she told Jay and I she's the Goddess of Chaos."

Erin seemed almost confused, "She actually told you she's a goddess? She came right out and said it?"

Jay smiled proudly, "She sure did! She actually greeted me by name even though we'd never met before! It turns out She's the one who made those enchanted plushies Layla and I used. And Jessie Vaughan. And thousands of other people around the world."

Sherry slipped an arm around our boss's shoulders as she asked, "So what did this goddess want?"

I grimaced, "She wanted to buy another property. She's looking for an old disused church, if you can believe it?"

"We went through MLS but we couldn't find anything in the area that met all of her requirements," I added. "So I promised I'd keep looking, and let her know if anything turned up."

It was clear from Erin's expression that she was having some very mixed feelings about the situation. Like on the one hand she obviously knew some supernaturals were the good kind, she definitely didn't have a problem with Jenna. But on the other hand she had a lifetime of being wary of them, and I hadn't forgotten her 'rule' about never letting supernatural clients know that we knew about them. Except that kind of went out the window when those customers straight up told us exactly what they were.

Then Sherry surprised both Erin and I when she said, "There's a big old church just east of Camilla that's been empty for at least the past ten years. It's about five or six kilometres north-east of town, where First Line and the sideroad meet? I don't remember seeing a for-sale sign out front so it's probably not listed, but if you can track down whoever owns the property they might be interested in selling?"

I couldn't help smiling, "Wow Sherry, thanks for the tip. I haven't been through that area in a while, but I might make a point of checking it out over the weekend. If it looks like it'll meet Miss Underwood's requirements I'll try and dig up the current owners."

"We should probably get going now I think?" Erin suggested. "I'm sure you two are busy."

Jay shook their head and insisted, "We've always got time for you Erin. And Sherry. And your adorable little girl."

I agreed, "Thank you both for dropping in. It was good to see you two, and it was great to meet Emily. Like Jay said, she's absolutely adorable."

That left the two new moms smiling again as they headed back out to the parking lot together. Jay and I followed as far as the door, then the pair of us stood and watched as Erin and Sherry got the baby safely settled into her infant car seat. Finally Sherry slipped behind the wheel of the luxury SUV while Erin took the passenger seat. The two of them waved when they spotted us, before pulling out and heading away for home.

"Emily sure is a cutie," Jay commented quietly as we finally turned away from the door.

"She really is," I agreed. Then I couldn't help teasing, "You started purring pretty loudly when you were holding her. I hope you're not planning on disappearing for a year of maternity leave too? I don't think I can cover for both you and Erin at the same time."

My coworker's cheeks went bright red as they coughed and sputtered a bit. They continued blushing as they quietly admitted, "Holding Emily may have inspired some maternal... paternal... parental thoughts... I'm going to talk with Layla about it anyways, and see how she feels about the idea."

"Although," they added as their expression shifted to a thoughtful frown, "Now you mention it, I can't help wondering. If we did have kids, would they be part cat as well? That's something I've honestly never considered, up until right now."

That thought left me grimacing again, "Good point. Maybe something to ask Miss Underwood about, next time she comes by?"

Jay nodded slowly, "Yeah. I'll do that."

** This chapter is brought to you courtesy of Meg, who commissioned it! **