So I've had it pointed out this has some triggering stuff. Don't know what I was thinking not putting a warning for rape and religion and violence.

( It was a dream, all a dream, of the power of man in God's service. )

Charlotte was a wreck. Shopping with Farah had been a wonderful way to spend a long day, but they hadn't accomplished all Charlotte felt she needed to. Her plans for Christmas day still felt awkward and incomplete. Never mind they'd be spending half the time in church, she knew she would end up disappointing somehow. She was an intelligent, ( Read more... )

Charlotte barely slept. Between the upcoming holiday, her discoveries about her family and Farah's impending visit, there was no way she could close her eyes. She sat up for hours just watching John sleep, petting one or the other kitten as they rotated in and out of the warmest spot between them ( Read more... )

Charlotte slept wrapped so tightly around John she wasn’t sure where she left off and he started. She didn’t remember being so tired, not since the first days on her own. That sense that everything could come down around her ears was the same, too. Her dreams were disjointed, filled with images of her childhood home and their flat in New York ( Read more... )

Charlotte never wanted to spend another minute in a hospital. She'd had the good sense to bring a book when she took John to his battery of tests in Harlem, but even during those few times she was alone, she did no more than stare at the title page. The cards they brought got more use, including a three handed game of rummy with one of the nurses ( Read more... )

Charlotte slept badly, dreaming of marching to gallows and falling on swords. For once she had to force herself to stay against John in the night. The urge to put distance between them was strong. Not as strong as her wish to comfort him, though, so she stayed. They woke once and she made him eat something light, then she gave him the last of ( Read more... )

( Leaving John asleep in their bed, she gathered her supplies, double locked the kittens in the living room and went onto the balcony. )

( It should have been a simple excursion. )

The Salem tourist witch culture was cloying, laying over everything, making it impossible to avoid even when trying to enjoy the historical sites. Below that were the modern Neo-Pagans who got so much right but were afraid to take the last step. The combination made Charlotte more inclined to shield John than tease ( Read more... )

Charlotte made a simple dinner, but she did make it rather than getting take out. It was still warm enough to serve it out on the patio, so she set that table complete with wine and candles. She wanted dinner to be as pleasant as she could make it ( Read more... )