A iden, are you waiting for someone?" Daniel
asked after watching his friend stare at the
entrance to Celebrities for the umpteenth time.
They were having a couple of beers before
heading to The Odyssey.
"No, why do you ask?" Aiden turned back to lean
on the bar.
"You keep looking at the door."
"It pays to check out the action Danny, I would
have thought you'd know that." Aiden pretended non-
interest in the door after that. He couldn't believe he'd
been so obvious that Danny had noticed. He wondered
where Liam was and why he hadn't come by.
"You know that kid you picked up was in the
diner to day." Daniel said as he sipped his beer.
"Liam?" Aiden asked.
"Yeah, Liam. He was there with some girl. Just as
bold as you please sitting in the diner. He even has
Tanya fooled into thinking he's great."
"Tanya?" Aiden wondered where this was going.
Magical Moonlight
62 "Yeah, Tanya, she even had him autograph that
damn comic book. Can you imagine, autographing a
stupid comic book."
"Well it is a good comic book." Aiden shrugged.
"Hell Danny, you've gotten autographs on comic
books."
"But they're actual celebrities. Those guys are
like famous."
"In your mind maybe. I don't think they're any
more famous than say Liam is. I mean they've all
written comic books."
"You know what I mean." Daniel defended.
"Hey, where are you going?"
"Home." Aiden had slammed his empty beer
bottle on the bar. "Home Danny."
"But we're supposed to go to The Odyssey."
"Not tonight, I have an early meeting."
But Aiden didn't go home; instead he drove to
Rosalie and Vanessa's place. He wanted to see his son
again.
"Aiden, it's late, why are you here?" Rosalie
asked with a glare.
"I couldn't sleep without kissing you goodnight."
He lunged at her and she jumped back.
"Asshole, Vanessa's asleep."
"I'm not here to see Vans, I'm here to see Shay."
"He's sleeping too."
"No he isn't, I can see him from here." Aiden
walked past her and into the living room where Shay
lay in a bassinet. He walked over and looked down.
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63
He leaned in and picked up the baby, holding him
carefully, close to his chest.
Aiden sat on a rocking chair with his son. He let
his index finger trace the boy's face and then he
looked for Liam's mark, finding it where he knew it
would be. Somehow seeing the mark, he felt better.
He knew that no matter what, Liam would always
protect his son. It was reassuring to know that the boy
would have that protection. That he'd have someone
out there who cared because god knew, parents
weren't always perfect. Wahjee or human, they
weren't always perfect.
The binding spell Liam had used was a strong
one. Aiden couldn't feel any Wahjee in his son and
that was a good thing for now. There were too many
variables. Not the least of which was the fact that
Shay had been born of a human mother.
He sat and rocked his son, binding them together
in the old fashioned way, through the magic of love,
strengthening with each breath they took as he rocked,
singing an ancient lullaby that had somehow come to
mind.
Rosalie wanted to protest, to throw the man out.
But even she didn't have the heart to take the child
from Aiden's arms. Instead she turned off the lights
and walked upstairs to her wife. Shay was in good
hands for now.
A week later, Liam and Dakota were sitting in the
sunshine in a local park. It was a beautiful Saturday.
Dakota sat on a swing while Liam sketched her from
his place against a nearby rock.
Magical Moonlight
64 "Liam?" he looked up. It was Vanessa and
Rosalie, Shay was in a stroller.
"Hey." He said and bounced to his feet. "Hey
Little Guy, you're looking good." The baby gurgled in
pleasure at seeing Liam. The bond between them was
strong.
"I'm surprised to see you here." Vanessa said.
"Dakota," he nodded to where is friend was
swinging. "And I come here a lot. It's a great place to
sketch when the weather is good." He held up his
sketchbook for Vanessa to see.
"You're very good." She said with surprise in her
voice. "Oh, Aiden." She blushed as she noticed the
graphic detail of the sketch.
Liam took the book back. "You have to admit he
makes a great model." He grinned at her.
"You should put some of your work in the GLC
show we're having. The money raised will go toward
the running of the place. Your work is good. I'm sure
it would sell."
"Cool." Dakota had bounced up to them. "Do it
Liam."
"I don't know." He hesitated. It would bring him
more attention than he wanted at the moment.
"Please, we could use some saleable art. And it is
for a good cause." Rosalie had been watching the way
her son kept Liam in sight at all times despite his age.
"I think you've made a fan of Shay."
"Shay is special." Liam said, he placed a finger in
the boy's hand, laughing out loud when Shay brought
it to his lips almost as if he was kissing it. He looked
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65
at Rosalie and Vanessa. "I'll do it. I'll put a few of my
things in the art show. Who knows, maybe they'll
bring in a couple of dollars. "
"What changed your mind?" Vanessa asked.
"Shay, how could I refuse him"? Liam laughed,
kissed his finger and touched it to the boy's forehead.
"He does have a way of making you take him into
your heart alright." Rosalie agreed. "Even Aiden
seems taken with him and that's something I never
thought I'd see."
"He's his father." Liam said. "There will always
be that connection no matter where life takes them.
Aiden is a good man, Shay could have done much
worse for a father."
"Do you see much of Aiden?" Vanessa asked. "I
mean…" she looked at Liam's sketchbook.
"No, I haven't seen him since the day after Shay
was born." Liam smiled. "But then, I'm in high school
and Aiden isn't. We don't actually hang out with the
same people."
"Oh, we thought you and he…" Rosalie began.
"Yes, Aiden and I have a relationship of sorts in
an undefined sort of way." Liam replied. "But we do
have our own lives to live. Perhaps I'll see him at your
GLC show."
"Aiden never goes to those kind of things."
Vanessa dismissed the idea.
"I think he'll be there this time." Liam smiled.
"Dakota and I are heading to the diner for a soda. It's
not far, do you want to join us."
Magical Moonlight
66 "Not today, we're on our way home, we've been
shopping." Vanessa pointed to the bags stashed in the
tray under the stroller. "But maybe another time. Let
me give you the number of the person to contact for
your submissions."
"I can find it, don't worry about it." Liam smiled
and taking Dakota's hand, walked away leaving the
two women to stare after them.
"He's very confident." Rosalie said as she
watched Liam and Dakota disappear. "And Shay
seems to like him."
"I like him too. I'm not sure why, but there's
something about him that reminds me of Aiden."
Vanessa looked puzzled trying to understand
something she wasn't sure of.
Liam was pleased with the meeting. It had gone
according to plan, his plan, not that he'd ever let
Dakota know. The thing about Aiden was, that if he
wanted him to be interested, he had to pretend
disinterest to a point. It was all about knowing when
to hold back and when to give in. He had also been
pleased to see Shay. He'd never before had a
connection with someone younger than himself. It was
a responsibility he'd not wanted to take on before
because it was a life commitment.
"Are you really going to put your work in the
show?" Dakota asked.
"Yes I am." Liam smiled content with his lot in
life for the moment. "I'm not sure what yet though.
You'll have to help me decide. Let's stop in at the
GLC on the way to the diner."
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67
"Okay," Dakota was enjoying herself. There was
something kind of sinful about being on Davie Street.
It was all bright colors and same sex people. Street
vendors and small shops filled with interesting things
she'd never see anywhere else in the city. "Hey isn't
that Betty in that window?"
They'd managed to find their way to Bulge, an
eclectic and fun shop managed by Evan. It sold
everything from clothing to accessories for the
discriminating queen.
Liam stared in the window at the display of
spandex and torn jeans, sequins littering the window
floor. In the center of the display was very definitely a
turquoise and white plush cat. "Sure looks like Betty."
He grabbed Dakota's hand heading for the entrance to
the store.
"Why goodness me, what brings you two in
here?" Evan bounced over, exuberant as ever, his tall
lanky body posed unconsciously as if he was in a
photo shoot.
"We were wondering about the stuffed cat in the
window." Liam said after releasing himself from
Evan's long armed hug.
"Cat, we have a stuffed cat in the window?" Evan
snickered. "This isn't that kind of store. We're more a
clothing boutique, not a toy store, though we have
been known to accessorize with toys that can be
stuffed in places." He giggled.
Liam ignored him as he looked in the window
display. Where he'd been sure he'd seen the cat was a
fanciful draped turquoise and white cashmere sweater.
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68
"I must have been seeing things." He shook his head
and reached out to touch the sweater. "Cool sweater
though."
