Governor Eleanor York promised herself she'd become president before she turned forty. Age Forty-three York had settled for keeping half promises and picking the easy battles so she could stay likable in the public eye. Agreeable and friendly sickened York's mind and stomach so began secretly going to therapy. She picked a doctor through her church crowd. There were days York truly hated Dr. Raf Morningstar for being too young, pretty, and had annoyingly strict moral convictions. York found the relationship to be an addictive flavor she didn't like but couldn't spit out.
Dr. Morningstar had recently taken a leave of absence from her practice in court-appointed family therapy. Governor York insisted they continue to meet in open spaces and casual lunches. Dr. Morningstar asked to meet Governor York in a park on a sunny day.
Governor York groaned as she watched the blonde jog up to bench.
"All the bouncing might loosen your baby." Governor York said looking at Dr. Morningstar's pudge-belly.
"It's good for us that I don't change my routine." Dr. Morningstar said stretching her arms. "I like what you've done with the park so far."
"'So far' is your passive way of saying I'm not moving fast enough with the community garden I promised back in June." Governor York stated.
"Eleanor, I've been paying attention to the news and how you gave to the northeast public schools and the construction on the roads." D. Morningstar said as she reached down to her sneakers.
"BS, you think I'm a sell-out so scared of being called 'bossy' that I've dropped my goals." Governor York said, crossing her arms over her polo shirt.
Dr. Morningstar sat down next to Governor York and said, "You are tough, ethical and never lash out at the critics. I'm proud to vote for you every time."
The respect in the big-blue eyes was real and Governor York made her queasy with hope. "So you're not taking back your donation?"
"I'll donate more if you help me with something." Dr. Morningstar said with a smile.
"Are you bribing me?" Governor York asked calmly while stroking her silver-dyed hair. She never took a bribe before but seeing little-miss-no-tan-lines act shady was a nice change of pace.
"Goodness, no, it's an offer for good publicity and to help the people." Dr. Morningstar said. "With an extra donation you could start that community garden. The only condition is I'd like to see it before Christmas."
"Eff that, December is five months away!"
"It's also my due-date and I want to show baby a growing carrot. I believe in you, Eleanor. " Dr. Morningstar said putting a finger to the governor's nose.
Dr. Morningstar had a successful practice, which lead to funds to support any charity she chose. She also had an unscrupulous successful lawyer-husband who helped fund every charity Dr. Morningstar chose.
Sulfus Morningstar loved a generous amount of crime and mayhem in his city; it was good for his business. He also loved his wife very much and would support her causes with his blood money. Sulfus saw the evil and darkness in every human soul and found it honest to act out on impulses. He saw minuscule evil in his kind wife, which amazed him, and liked how even in the futile effort for peace and prosperity she would use whatever she had to get her way.
Over lunch Dr. Morningstar was simply Raf to her husband. Before her sabbatical he would stop by her office but with her open time she dropped in on him.
"I'd still vote for my old client Dexter MacKillican. Dude knew how to party." Sulfus said cutting his very rare steak.
Raf rolled her eyes and poured tobasco-drenched humming-bird cake. "Politics aside, though MacKillican was a douche and I pray he succeeds in rehab or falls in a lake, we should talk about the eventual move."
Sulfus gave her confused look. "Raf, we've got time."
Raf pointed to her round torso, "Not really. (she whispers) He won't be safe for anyone until he's older."
"She will just be a bag of goo we can protect until I find us a better location. We can cover the horns with bows."
"If she has a halo that might be harder to conceal in daycare. I'm thinking we should head somewhere rural-"
"You mean undead-"
"Until he or she can handle being around people." Raf countered.
"The city has to more offer her and us. You'd hate life in the sticks more than me." Sulfus said, taking his wife's hand across the table.
"Sulfus, can you imagine the reaction other people will have if she began to flap her tiny little wings and float over the other kids in daycare? She won't be able to control herself." Raf found the image horrifying but he put on a goofy smile.
"I just imagined my kid's tiny wings. Do you remember your first time going cloud high?" Sulfus asked.
Against her better judgment she smiled his goofy smile and said, "Sometimes I can't believe I ever come down, the air is sweeter and the breeze over my back…"
They didn't say how much they missed their wings exposed and free every day. Saying that would remind them of the bigger sacrifices they made in order to be together. Their marriage had few regrets but sometimes their choice in pretending to be human waned on their souls.
"I didn't learn to transform into a terrestrial until I hit eighty. I'm not caging our kid." Sulfus said with a growl in his eyes.
Raf put a hand on her belly, "I call it protecting her. I don't care where we go as along as we're all there."
Sulfus sighed, "Raf, we-"
He stopped speaking when he caught the glint of a Devil woman's glasses in the sunlight. She was unseen to the humans of the rest of the restaurant but Sulfus saw her clear.
"Raf, we've got to get home." Sulfus said standing up and throwing a few bills on the table of his half eaten meal. He walked behind Raf and pulled out her chair.
"What are you do-"
"We're getting a visit from someone in the old life." Sulfus whispered in her ear. Raf felt a chill, grabbed some more bills from her purse and placed them under her glass, and then took her husband's arm to leave.
The Devil woman was gone by the time Raf turned around but the couple knew she knew where they lived if she appeared so close already.
"Well look what crawled from the depths of the earth." Sulfus said as they entered their living room and saw the Devil woman.
"Monstrous as ever, you were always my worse student." Professor Temptel said, her blue lips smirking.
"Hello, professor, nice to see you again." Raf said politely.
"And courteous as always," Temptel said disappointingly, "I'll cut through the chatter, Gas sends his hate and I'm calling first dibs on the new hell spawn coming to the block."
Sulfus couldn't pick which statement upset him more; knowing his old friend was still the sex-slave of his evil teacher or hearing his evil teacher wanted his child.
"To the Devil with that idea." Sulfus said, stepping in front of his pregnant wife.
Temptel stood up, her posture and dress-touching-the-floor as straight as her horns. "You would deny me an opportunity to confuse and curse a child that may share your potential?"
"You want to teach an angel child how to be cool and wicked? Someone's dreaming." Sulfus said.
"Devil genes conquer all, besides you don't want to see your offspring stunted as a human." Temptel said, Sulfus may have disappointed her before but she saw his hidden horns.
Raf walked around Sulfus to say, "Professor, we can't decide where to send him to school right now. Honestly I'd prefer we wait until he decides where he wants to go in the Golden School. If he wants to take after his father then I'm sure he'll be eager to show you up in class."
"You're saying this now because you're hoping he'll choose to follow your goody-two-shoes." Temptel said with her eyes half closed.
"Well yeah, it'd be easier for me to understand that life. But that's his or her choice for years ahead, you're way too early." Raf said with a shrug.
"You fear your child will scare the other kids at daycare. In that act as a devil they'll be top of their class. If you foolishly hope to try to convert a devil into an angel-"
"Our child is not for you to claim, Prof." Sulfus growled and stood next to Raf. "Go make your own babies to eat."
Temptel cracked another smirk, "All of what you could've been haunts me, Sulfus. That is your best curse yet. There's not much time left between now and the future. Your spawn will find its destiny and you know my number."
"Six-Six-Six, yeah, that's everyone number." Sulfus said pointing to the door.
Temptel nodded at Raf before catching into a blaze of fire. She disappeared but left a burnt crater in their rug.
"Dammit, that rug tied the room together!" Sulfus said with annoyance, he looked down at Raf, "How are you?"
Raf sighed, "Temptel out the way, we should expect Arkhan over any minute now."
There was a ring at the door.
"I'll handle this." Raf said walking to the door. Her husband grabbed her hand.
"We'll handle this." Sulfus said, his eyes committed to being around for better or worse.
Raf walked closer to him and pecked a kiss on his cheek. "Please wait here and I'll bring him."
Sulfus waited in the room. He groaned when Raf hugged her old teacher and brought him through their home.
"You look well, Raf. All things considered." Professor Arkhan said, purposely avoiding looking at Raf's devilish husband.
"Professor, it's very nice to see you." Raf stated sincerely.
"It's a pleasure to see you in such good health, and I've kept up with the good you do with the Earthly Ones. You continue to astound."
"You are a dear, Professor, but we cannot promise to place our child in your classroom." Raf said, taking Suflus' hand. "It has to be their choice."
"Raf, your light shined brighter than any angel I'd seen before. If even an ounce of that grace makes it through to your child-"
"If I'm honest I certainly hope not. When others discovered the might of the Prism Fly I was toyed with and used like a weapon. " Raf admitted with some anger growing in her tone. "The High Spheres could barely raise a halo in my defense, I had to fight for myself."
"You rebelled against us, not just for this (he points to Raf's husband) but for your own agenda, whatever your whim. Heaven forbid someone corrects you when you're wrong!"
Sulfus grinned and stepped back as Raf clenched her fist.
"Were you correct to lie to me for hundreds of years? Your censored my life, drove me into insanity and every single time I had a question you didn't like you'd shut me down! I do not need a lecture, Professor!" Raf stated, she didn't yell but leveled her voice. "I ask you please leave my home."
"This is not how I wanted to present my request, Raf. I am near if you ever need me." Professor Arkhan said, some regret in his voice.
Raf kept her eyes locked on him until the Angel man glowed a soft light and evaporated out of the room. Raf let her face fall into her hands. Sulfus approached her and covered her hand with his.
"We'll do whatever we must to keep our family away from that life." Sulfus said, he wished he could embrace her but knew she needed space to breathe.
"What if they're right? One, the other or neither at all….We may ruin our child's life." Raf spoke her fears out loud.
"You're the shrink, you know all parents ruin their kids' lives." Sulfus said.
"We're both too stubborn." Raf said, holding both his hands against her face.
"Nu-uh." Sulfus defiantly said.
"Am I really a righteous troublemaker?" Raf asked, devils lied but he rarely did with her.
"Oh yeah, absolutely, are you kidding? It's crazy hott." Sulfus said with mischievous, hungry eyes. He kissed his wife with light kisses all over her head.
Raf smiled, "Temptel is wrong about you, you're very sweet when you want to be. I'll find a way to block them from coming near us again."
"Don't over do it, love, we can just ignore the idiots." Sulfus said, he looked at her face then he looked at her belly.
Sulfus hoped the child would become an ordinary, if not very beautiful and clever, immortal like himself instead of the extra-special immortal that was Raf. He loved her as she was but she wasn't exaggerating about the danger having too much magical power to attract crazies.
