“No. No, really, I’m fine. We’re nearly down.” And she was trembling. She hated being a coward. “I’m a big girl, I don’t need anyone to hold my hand or a soft toy to hug.”
“You’re our baby. And whatever you need, you’ll get. Doesn’t matter what it is, understand?” Caleb said in a low voice as he dug something out of his pocket. “Wolfe, swap with Aleki. I can see her trembling from here.”
They switched places and instantly, Aleki had his arm around her, his other hand was holding hers. He leaned in and sang her several silly songs until she found herself giggling.
Wolfe watched them intently. She hoped he didn’t feel bad that he couldn’t help her. Wolfe wasn’t a touchy-feely guy. He showed his affection in other ways. She accepted that about him.
Caleb tore open a packet of black jelly beans and handed her one. She smiled at him in thanks.
“Why don’t you want Piggles?”
She shrugged at Aleki’s question.
“A shrug isn’t an answer, baby girl,” Aleki said in a low voice. “Tell me. Are you embarrassed to hold him in front of us?”
Surprisingly not.
“Not in front of you.”
He looked around to where Marilyn sat. “She say something to you?”
She glanced down and he reached for her chin, tilting her face up. “Vivi?”
“It was just a look she gave me. It’s not normal, right? To sleep with a soft toy. To carry one around.”
“Who gets to say what’s normal,” Caleb said with a frown. “And you’d be surprised by how many adults have soft toys or comfort items. There’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
It was easy to say, but she still felt kind of bad about her needs.
The plane landed without even a bump and she finally felt her tummy settle. Aleki undid both of their belts while Wolfe and Caleb got up and started packing their stuff then Aleki lifted her into his arms cradling her.
She both loved and hated being carried everywhere. Loved it because she got to be so close to them. But hated it because she felt like a burden.
Wolfe placed a large hat on her head. She sighed, knowing it was senseless to protest.
“Tell me the truth,” she said to Aleki. “Do I really look like a giant marshmallow?”
He glanced down at her, his eyes dancing. “Nope, you’re not nearly squishy enough to be a marshmallow. You’re more like a candy cane with all the color sucked off. Yum.”
Lord. Help. Her.
* * *
“This
place is gorgeous.”
She wasn’t sure what she was expecting. But this wasn’t it.
All of the buildings were white. Some of them had domed ceilings with gold edgings. Everything was so pristine and clean.
“How big is the city?”
“Not huge,” Caleb told her. “Around a hundred thousand people live in the city. There’re only about half a million people who live in the whole country. Jescato, where we live, is the capital, and is flanked by the ocean on one side and the desert on the other. Some people live in villages further out in the desert. And there are other settlements along the coast. Escana is rich in natural resources. We don’t have tourism. People have to have a special visa to visit.”
She gasped as they pulled up outside a wrought iron gate guarded by armed men. But that wasn’t what made her gasp. It was the sight of the palace beyond. It was enormous. White like all the other buildings but sprawling. There were arches all along the front and steps that ran along the front of the wide, huge verandah. It had to be several levels tall and at the very top, dominating the skyline, was a large dome.
“Welcome to the palace,” Aleki told her. “Quite a sight, huh?”