"So…there's a pool in the back," Mr. Collins was explaining. "And these houses are quite luxurious. Every one has a fully updated kitchen, a chef's kitchen, really…"
"Jane doesn't cook," Loki observed.
"Yes I do, honey…just not that often."
"You detest it," and they entered the house in the middle of New Mexico's desert.
A housing plan.
Jane hated housing plans.
They had gotten back from Asgard and immediately began searching for homes in New Mexico. Darcy was pissed…she didn't want to live in New Mexico.
"That's why you aren't moving with us," explained Loki.
"Jane, tell your fiancee that you want me to move with you guys."
"No, Darcy…you need to stay in New York and we'll visit."
"…and there's four bedrooms…"
"We don't need four bedrooms, Loki," Jane whispered to him.
"Thank you, Mr. Collins…I think we've seen enough," and Loki exited, Jane's hand in his.
"But…but…there's air conditioning and…"
"I should hope so," Loki turned, eyeing the man through his dark sunglasses. "This place is dreadfully hot and dry. As my fiancee can tell you, I prefer hot and wet…"
Jane coughed.
Mr. Collins blanched.
"Are you well, Mr. Collins? Desert heat getting to you?" and Loki smiled.
There was a sudden gust of wind, quite rare in the state, at least unannounced, and Loki's and Jane's hair were tousled in the breeze.
"This is odd…" observed the realtor.
"It's not, though," the black-clad man replied. "Everything will make sense in a moment…"
And they disappeared.
And Mr. Collins quite forgot what he was doing there, and hopped back into his car, determined not to skip his second cup of coffee from then on.
"You have got to stop doing that!" Jane yelled as they arrived back in their apartment on Central Park West. "You're gonna make everyone think that they're insane."
"Just a bit of fun…" he replied, sitting on the sofa.
"Fun. Loki…" and she shook her head.
"What?" and he began to take off his sunglasses.
"No…leave them on…suddenly you look so badass…"
"Suddenly?" and he cocked a brow. "I believe I always look, as you say, badass…"
She sat next to him. "I want an older house…but not too old…"
"I can just make one, I've told you."
"Oh, and that won't look suspicious at all. POOF. A house is there…?"
"What? People pay little attention to things here. I daresay there could be a biglesnipe grazing on desert sand, speaking into an iPhone, and no one would bat an eye."
"A what?"
"Never mind…" and this time he took off the glasses. "So…three months until the wedding…"
"Three months," she breathed.
"Yes…and unfortunately, we have little say in how things will go in terms of the ceremony…but the honeymoon…" and he took her hand. "That is a Midgard tradition I am most eager to explore…"
"I bet," and she kissed him. "So…have you any ideas about this honeymoon?"
"I do…I thought that, perhaps…we could spend our first week in Capri at the house I own…"
"We own," she corrected, smiling.
"Just so…and then…I can take you to any Midgard city, or indeed, location, that you've longed to see."
"Anywhere?"
"Anywhere."
And Jane's mind sped…London, Paris, Madrid, Tokyo, Quebec, St. Lucia…."Wow…really?"
"Yes, Jane. Really…" and he laughed.
"Ummm….well, I'd love to see Paris…maybe the Virgin Islands…other than that…"
"Very good," and Loki took out his phone and began to search these destinations.
"Loki?"
"Hmmm…? Jane, which island would you prefer?"
"Ah…St. Lucia?"
He nodded.
"Anyway, Loki?"
"Yes?…now…you wish to say in Paris, or outside of it?"
"Loki."
He looked at her.
"Thank you. Umm…will we be going to Asgard before the actual wedding day?"
A confused look passed over his visage.
"I mean…I guess I'm thinking about the dress? It isn't clear if I'm going to see it prior to the ceremony…what if I hate it? I don't usually like really poofy, ultra girly stuff."
"Ah," and he set down the phone. "Frigga will be coming here to take your requests and such in a few weeks."
"Oh! She's gonna make me the dress? I thought that...I guess I don't know what I thought..."
He nodded.
"And…what about all that other stuff? You know, like flowers and food and music…do I need to worry about any of that?"
"Well, Jane. Weddings on Asgard are a bit different from how you celebrate on Midgard. However, I know that Frigga is taking great pains to research what is involved in your customs here. I imagine she will be talking with you about these things when she visits."
Jane smiled. "What about you? Do you care about this stuff at all?"
"I need to wear my armor, make certain that there is plenty of alcohol, and dance with my bride. Those are my concerns."
"Are you in charge of the booze?"
He smirked. "I am," and he picked up the phone. "What about this for a beach house?" and he pointed it out to her.
And Jane laid her head on his shoulder.
And she thought…I'm gonna wake up…none of this is real…I'm gonna wake up and I'll be late for work.
"Jane."
No response.
"Jane…" she was in the bathroom, Loki was in the kitchen.
Nothing.
"Jane!"
"What?!"
"Stop cleaning and come here."
"What?" her hair was back…strands were falling her face… she had rubber gloves on…a pair of sweats and a flannel shirt.
She looked irresistible, in Loki's opinion.
"I can get all in readiness in less than 2 seconds. Do relax," and he handed her a glass of wine.
"But…"
"Sit."
"I'm nervous, Loki."
"You've met Frigga. You've spent three days in her presence…she likes you."
Jane didn't tell him about the tapestry she knew was headed her way, or that that was the source of her unease. "I know…"
"She's nearly here…" and he looked out of the window, and standing, waved his hand, and the flat was immaculate.
And there she was…materializing in a glow in their sitting room.
Loki smiled and went to her. "Hello, mother."
"It is good to see you, son," and she hugged him. She looked at Jane. "Hello, Jane…are you well?"
Jane went to her, "I am," and she too, hugged the Queen.
"Shall we begin, then?"
Frigga was not one to beat around the bush, it would seem.
"…so, I don't need to wear white?" Jane was asking as Frigga conjured dress after dress.
They all started looking the same to Jane, and Loki was bored.
"Of course not! The only thing you will require is a crown after the ceremony. And of course, there's the apple…"
"Apple?" she looked at Loki.
"Yes, alsking…it will grant you immortality? Have I not mentioned it?"
"I don't remember…ok," and she swallowed. She was gonna be an immortal Princess.
Jesus.
"Well…I kinda like a deep rose color…"
And Frigga conjured a gown in that shade.
And after the gown was selected (Jane tried it on and it looked quite nice), the food was discussed (Jane honestly didn't care, as long as there were some french fries), and music discussed (the Aesir had very specific tunes with regard to the marriage ceremony, and Jane, once more, didn't care)…and the issue of Darcy was discussed (there was no such thing as a bridesmaid or a maid of honor in Asgard, and though Frigga said that an exception could be made, Jane said as long as Darcy sat in the front row, it'd be fine), Frigga told Loki to find something to do.
"Why? Have the two of you got secret matters to discuss?" he accused.
"Yes, and they won't be secret if you don't shoo, so off you go…" Frigga replied.
"But where?"
"Why not take a quick trip to the house in Capri, Loki? Check on things there…" Jane suggested, and noted that it was odd to suggest taking an hour trip to Italy.
He shrugged, and disappeared.
The Queen smiled at Jane. "How are things, dear?"
"Great…we have nearly settled on a place in New Mexico, and Loki has been really sweet and supportive…"
She nodded. "So, you plan on returning to Midgard?"
"Yeah…for a while, anyway. Is that ok?"
"Of course it is. I told you such. I shall insist that you visit, of course."
Jane smiled. "So…you've got the tapestry, then?
Frigga looked at Jane steadily, and waved her hand.
The tapestry appeared on the coffee table in front of them…
And Jane examined it.
There was a lot of green…
And a path wound through a deep wood…it was dark at the bottom of it, but as the path made its way up the fabric, the colors lightened. The wood was quite thick, it seemed to be choking the picture…
As the scene lightened, the wood became less thick, and there was light at the top…a swirl of purples and oranges filled the top in the sky of the tapestry.
There was a vine which adorned the periphery, and in the topmost center of the fabric, the ends touched, causing a frame, and they descended a bit into the picture itself, entwined together.
Jane touched it.
"It's beautiful."
"Thank you."
She looked at Frigga. "What does it mean?"
"Well…this is what I saw, Jane…and you can read what you will…however," and she looked at the art. "I think that the forest gloom represents Loki before he met you…and slowly, after meeting you, his life lightened…and that the vine which is all around it, framing the scene, is the two of you…one."
"Does that mean that…that…?"
"That everything will be fine? No, I don't think so. But I think that it does mean that it can be. Things with my son, Jane, are seldom simply easy. But I believe that whatever he has to offer you will be worth it."
Her pressing question was still not answered. "But…will he leave me for another?"
Frigga shrugged and smiled. "This dewdrop world is a dewdrop world…and yet and yet…"
"Wait. Isn't that a poem?"
"It is."
"What does it mean, Frigga?"
"Would it matter, Jane? This knowledge? Do you not love him?"
She swallowed. "Yes."
"And does he not love you?"
"I believe he does."
"And so, if you knew that he would leave you 500 years from now for another, would you forsake 500 years of love to avoid that?" her eyes were wide.
"I…" and Jane thought about it. And she thought about the tapestry. And she thought about Loki…and dewdrops…"No. No, I wouldn't," for there and then she recalled what she had said to him…I'd rather live a little while loving you than never at all…or something to that affect.
"There, then, is your answer."
"I guess so," and she shrugged. "So…I guess I'll be seeing you soon…"
"You shall indeed.," and Frigga stood.
She then waved her hand, and the tapestry was hung on the wall.
"Oh…you're not keeping it?"
"It is a gift, Jane…" she went to Jane and kissed her cheek. "Tell Loki I said I'll be seeing him soon," and she disappeared.
Jane went over to the tapestry, and touched it carefully. It was Loki. It was Loki…and she, Jane…was she the light?
Maybe, and a warm feeling crept over her.
She was light…
"She wove a tapestry," came his voice from behind her.
Jane turned. "Yeah…for us."
Loki walked over to it to examine it.
He traced his fingers over the path…ebbing then flowing, then absent, then there…all the way to the light at the top, but paying special attention to the vines which met at the top.
"There we are, love."
Jane looked at him…"You see it too?"
"I know Frigga, Jane. And I know how she views me. And I know how she sees us…and there we are."
Jane smiled. "It is an apt depiction, I think…"
He turned toward her. "A tangle of vines…of limbs, mayhap?"
He touched her arm, and pulled her close…
"Loki?"
"Yes?" and he kissed her cheek, her forehead…
"We are gonna be married…"
"That we are."
"And we will have a grand ceremony, and come back here, and we will see Paris…and St Lucia…and live in the desert for a while so that I can study the stars…"
"Excellent summation…" her neck…her ear…
"How did this happen to me?" and she pulled him close and kissed his mouth.
And Loki pulled away a moment…
"I ask myself that same question daily…"
And they retired to the bedroom.