Not-a-chapternineteen: A change

The story will continue in the next real chapter, chapter 20. This is just to skip some years and to tell the attentive reader what will change.

That's one – meeting her daughter's girlfriend

Britt Grant turned a page and whispered the words her eyes found on the top of the next page, a habit she had had since she was seven when she first read in the bible. "See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way…"

Britt folded her hands and closed her eyes. "My Lord," she thought. "Thank you for guarding my and my child along our way." She took a deep breath and looked at her bible again. It was her little girl that gave Britt concerns. Her daughter loved women and that would send her to hell. Britt prayed each day to the Lord to cure her little girl.

A soft sound, nothing more as the rustle of a branch in a breeze, made her look up. A woman was standing in the room, a woman looking as some medieval person, a grey-ish trouser, a dark blue shirt, low leather boots and curly hair in a ponytail. But the thing that made Britt stop breathing for some moments were the wings: two shimmering light green wings with grey tips on the largest feathers. "You are… you…" Britt stammered. "… an angel."

"I am. Raziel, angel of mysteries. The Lord did send me."

"The Lord did send you," Britt babbled.

"My father send me with a message concerning your daughter."

"My little girl…"

"Well, she is twenty years of age and measures five feet ten. Not so little anymore," Raziel said with a smile. "And she is in love."

"She is…" Britt folded her hands. "She found a man?"

"No. A woman. And our Lord approves it. That is the message I have for you. Accept your daughter's girlfriend, for my Father brought them together. The two of them have a task to do."

Luckily Britt had a few hours to calm down, to think it over, to let in sink in, before her daughter came home and she had a woman with her. Long, muscular, beautiful. Pale skin, black hair and purple eyes.

"Mom. I have to tell you something," Julia started. She looked a bit uncertain at her mother.

"This is your girlfriend?" Britt asked and took a deep breath.

"Yes… you… Did…"

"An angel appeared." Britt told her daughter what had happened earlier that day.

Julia smiled and said: "This is Na'amah, my girlfriend."

"And you have a task together?"

"We have to watch Chloe Decker's baby, mrs Grant," Na'amah said.

"Just that?" Britt frowned and thought that over. Her Julia told her months ago this Chloe is an atheist. What is so special with her that God is directly involved?

That's two – light a candle

Father Frank was standing half way the nave of the church, looking at the people in the front. Most of them where kneeling for the altar, some where lighting a candle for the soul of a deceased relative. Ella was one of those. Frank knew Ella was lighting candles for her grandmothers. The priest smiled. He expected the girl to light two candles, but raised his brows when he saw her placing a third one.

A bit surprised he walked forward, but then stopped and did give Ella time to finish her prayers.

"Good evening, father," the girl greeted him after she turned.

"Hi, Ella. Three candles?"

"Two for my abuelas…"

Frank nodded.

"… and one for abuelo Philippe, my father's father."

"Aha? Of course that is good, but that is new?"

Ella shrugged and smiled. "Last Saterday I had lunch at home with Trix, Chloe and Lucifer and two of Lucifer's siblings came to visit us. Jehudiel, you know her."

Frank nodded again. "One of the five that came to visit my church. Angel of Mercy."

"And an angel I had never seen before, Selaphiel. He was introduced to me and Chloe as the Angel of Prayers. Well, he recognized my name immediately. You pray to your grandmothers each week, he said. I will tell them I met you on Earth, he added."

"Does that mean they are in heaven, I said. You know Raziel and Amenadiel and Aphrael keep saying humans better not know, better not ask."

"I know," Frank said. "They explained it only gives stress if you know one of your beloved ones is in hell."

Ella grinned. "Anyway, either Selaphiel was not well instructed or didn't think about it. He admitted my abuelas are in heaven before Jehudiel or Lucifer could interrupt and also told me abuelo Miguel was in heaven, but dwells as far away from my abuela, his ex-wife, as possible. But that made clear to me my abuelo Philippe is not in heaven. I asked Lucifer and presses on a bit and Lucifer did admit Philippe is in hell."

"You never met this Philippe?"

"I never met any of my abuelos. Both left their wife before I was born and completely ignored their ex-family. But he is my grandfather and he is in hell, so I decided he needs someone to pray for him."

"You're a kind girl," Frank said.

Ella shrugged. "I never thought about my abuelos. But since I know Chloe, I meet angels." She smiled. "And demons."

Father Frank nodded. "I meet persons I never expected to meet since I know her."

That's three – sharing an apartment

I don't think I can afford this apartment," Ella said to Adriana less than three minutes after they entered the flat Adriana found for them. "Even if Julia and Na'amah pay two third of the rent."

How to split the rent had been a bit of a discussion. Now Chloe moved in with Lucifer, Julia and Na'amah had asked Ella to become roommates, to share the costs. Ella had proposed fifty-fifty, but Julia thought two third for her and Na'amah was more fair.

"Let's first take a look," Adriana suggested.

Julia scratched her ear. "Well, if you insist… Maybe Ella is right and is this a bit over the top."

"Why don't we first look, as Adriana says?" Na'amah asked.

So they first took that look. A large combined kitchen/dining room, large enough to eat with ten. A living room that fitted the size of the kitchen, four bedrooms each with its own bathroom.

"Ok. It's great," Ella said. "But what is the rent?"

Adriana smiled. "Guess."

"Including service costs…" Ella looked around one more time. "Four thousand."

"We can't pay that," Julia said.

"Less," Adriana said.

"Three?"

"Much less. Six hundred dollar a month."

"What?" both Ella and Julia shouted.

"Who is the owner of this apartment?" Ella asked.

"A company in Beverly Hills: Golden Hour Real Estate."

"And who owns that?" Ella insisted.

"I'm not completely sure," Adriana said. "An investment company from Santa Barbara."

Na'amah slowly turned to Adriana. "And if you skip all those holdings, who is the living person owning this?"

"I…" Adriana took a deep breath. "I should not…"

"Is it Lucifer?" Na'amah asked.

Adriana shrugged. "Yes. Well. It was Chloe who told him to price it this way for the three of you. She said six hundred was nice, since it can easily be split both fifty fifty and two third one third."

"That is…" Ella started and took a deep breath.

"True," Na'amah said. "Six hundred can easily be split both ways."

"You don't mind is almost for free?"

The demoness shrugged. "Since we met Chloe, all our lives changed. I just accept that."

Then the turning point – You will love all three of us

"Exactly thirty days, detective," Lucifer whispered in Chloe's ear.

"Thirty days?"

"Until childbirth," he explained.

Chloe smiled and shook her head. "Baby's sometimes are too early and sometimes late," she said. "Trixie was born ten days before the calculated date."

"Oh," he murmured and frowned.

"You look a bit concerned," she said.

"Will I be a good dad, detective. Will I have enough love for her? I already love her mother."

"And you already love her sister."

"Of course."

"You will love all three of us."

"But I will love you the most. You are the center of my universe."

Chloe laughed. "Be prepared that will change. Rory will be a new center of our universes. You will try to see everything from her point of view."

That's five – puzzle again

Trixie was looking at her little sister, who was sitting next to her on the floor. Rory was trying to put together the jigsaw puzzle aunt Ella had given her two days ago, on Rory's second birthday. Twenty-one pieces, three rows of seven each. Yesterday Trixie had combined the pieces, slowly, and Rory had looked at her movements, all concentration.

Rory placed the last piece. "Rory can do it."

"You can. Smart girl," Trixie said. "Shall we watch Leave it to Leslie?"

"No. We puzzle again."

Trixie took a breath. "Ok."

From the sofa Maze laughed.

"We will watch on demand later, Maze," Trixie said.

"Would not have happened two years ago," Maze answered.

"Since Roxy is born," Trixie said with a sigh, "all our lives changed. I just accept that."

That's six – uncles

Rory was on her knees between the flowers, holding out her hand, hoping the butterfly would land on it, but the animal continued to flutter around it.

"It has red wings," the girl said. "Just as Rory."

"It has," Julia answered. "It is just as pretty as Rory."

They were in the garden of Lucifer's and Chloe's new home, about twelve acres of flowerbeds, lawns and orchards around the house. Three water-streams meandered through it.

The small girl laughed. "What is butterfly name?"

Julia looked at Na'amah. Na'amah rolled her eyes. "You can't expect a demon to know the names of butterflies."

Julia grinned. "I will take a picture so we can ask aunt Ella."

"If aunt Ella not know we ask granddad," Rory said.

"Good idea," Na'amah said. "He will know for sure."

While Julia used her phone to take the picture, she noticed Na'amah to turn halfway to the left and suddenly to have a hell forged blade in each hand. "What…"

"Footsteps of visitors," Na'amah said.

Two men were approaching. They came along a bend and became visible.

"Ah," Na'amah said and relaxed. "Just they."

Julia recognized one of them and so did Rory.

"Uncle Amedi," the girl shouted. Her wings appeared and with a bit a jump, but mostly with help of her wings she landed in the arms of the angel.

"It is just us, Na'amah," Amenadil said with a quick look at the blades. "Two of Rory's uncles."

"Yeah," the demoness said. "I see. I meet persons I never expected to meet since I know her."

That's seven – blowing out candles

The Goddess of all Creation just watched. A moment ago her husband had kissed Lucifer and his pet, calling that woman his daughter-in-law. The Goddess laughed mockingly. A human. As if that could be part of their family.

She could follow her husband when he went to Earth. Him going gave her an opening to send her soul down and see what he was doing. She still didn't know whether he was aware she could follow him. He had ordered her to stay in heaven and to never intervene with his spare-time activity: humanity. He never showed any sign he knew her soul could come follow him. Never made a comment later when he was back in heaven.

He had gone a few dozen times to see this Chloe and that bastard child from Lucifer and this human. Why? He now was gathered with Lucifer and the human and many more persons: the Goddess counted three demons, six humans, Lucifer, four more of her own children and her husband. All were acting as if there was something to celebrate.

One of the humans had put a large cake with red fondant, whipped cream and fruit on a table. Four candles were placed on the cake and Lucifer had just lighted them. The bastard child came to the table and blew out the candles. The Goddess expected Lucifer to become angry, but he laughed and all other laughed with him, including her husband. "That child is only a pain in the ass, "the Goddess mused. What is so special with her that God is directly involved?