“Marie?” he asked. “It’s Erik. Yeah. I know. Hear me out. I really think you should come with us to England. It’s a chance at a whole new life for you. No one will know you; it’s a completely fresh start. How often do things like that happen? I’ve already paid for a fourth ticket and I’ll hand you a thousand dollars to get you started. No, that’s not what I’m saying. Marie. I’m not saying you need my money. Yes. Yes. I know that. I know how well those men pay. I know. That’s great. Come on. I’m just saying that it would be in your best interest. I know. Okay. Listen, there will be a lot of new experiences in England…new food, new people…new shops. All kinds. I bet if you Google England shopping you’ll find lots of – I know. Okay. I guess I’ll…do you want to talk to me later? Okay. Bye.”

“What happened?” Jalisa could figure out some of it from his side of the conversation, but not enough to feel comfortable drawing a conclusion.

“She’s given up on life and offended by my offer in general.” Erik sighed. He put his phone on the hotel nightstand and held out his arms. Jalisa snuggled into them while Nikita rolled her eyes on the bed next to them.

It was a nice hotel room for not being pre-booked. Jalisa was worried they wouldn’t have any rooms available, but Erik flashed that winning smile of his to the woman at the front desk and they had a room. It was two beds, one for Erik and her and one for Nikita, with a bathroom, closet, television, and balcony. The city bustled outside of their window, a collection of lights and sounds. Every so often, a siren would go by. At least ten sirens had gone by since they checked in. Jalisa would be glad to get rid of Los Angeles.

They finished up the night by watching made-for-television movies and cuddling. Jalisa fell asleep feeling safe for the first time in forever.

That night she dreamed of the future. She sat at a kitchen table, blue paint over wood, reading a magazine. The cool air smelled like honeysuckle. The kitchen window, slightly open to let in the honeysuckle breeze, sat above a gleaming silver sink inset into Erik’s granite countertops. The stove beeped and she rose out of her chair. A pan of cookies waiting for the oven rested on the eye of the stove. She slid them into the oven and returned to her chair.

In the living room, a bright pink and yellow open space, Erik listened to Christian music and talked on the phone with his mother. Occasionally, he would laugh out loud. The sounds of their children playing in the backyard filtered through to her ears. Nikita’s voice, a little deeper with puberty, gave them instructions.

Three children, mixed to look perfectly like the two of them, listened intently and learned to play softball. The eldest daughter, Penelope, was 8. She had skin the color of western coneflowers and eyes just as bright and curious as Erik’s except brown. The middle son, David, 7, was lighter, with a fawn colored complexion and soft blue-brown eyes. The youngest girl, Faith, 6, was the spitting image of Jalisa, umber jewel toned skin and dark brown eyes.

They ran around the yard in an imaginary ball field. Nikita had set up bricks and buckets for the bases. David hit the ball and went running. He tried to imitate what he had seen on television and attempted to slide into the brick base, resulting in a cut on his leg.

Nikita and Penelope helped him inside while Faith ran ahead and told Jalisa. It was unnecessary, though, for his wails could be heard two houses over. Grover, the family dog, rose from his bed to see what the matter was. Erik exclaimed in Russian and also came to help. Jalisa took her son into the bathroom and stripped off his muddy pants. Erik held him and encouraged him to pet Grover to calm down.

Jalisa pulled out their first aid kit and cleansed his wounds. The girls waited outside for news of their brother and nephew. It wasn’t a large scratch, but it did bleed. David’s fear of the blood was probably more why he was screaming than any pain. Jalisa rubbed Neosporin on the cut and bandaged it up with love.

Five minutes later, David was out playing with his sister and aunt again. Jalisa and Erik embraced and looked over their happy family. There was nothing more Jalisa could ask for. God must truly be working in her life if she was this happy. The cookies came out of the oven, baked to perfection. It was perfect. Until the alarm went off.

The group rose and prepared for their early flight. Jalisa dared not tell Erik of her dream. She was worried that she was falling too deeply in love with a man who she could never have. She was determined to lead him to the Lord. Only then would she allow herself to fall fully in love with him and entertain the idea that her fantasy might one day become a reality.

The three of them took advantage of the hotel’s free breakfast buffet. They stuffed themselves on fruit, omelets, and waffles. Jalisa made sure to grab a couple motion sickness pills from the gift shop before checking out. She gave one to each one of them with a can of ginger ale. They took a cab to the airport since Erik had sold his car to one of his men after they checked in yesterday.

“Can we see Big Ben?” Nikita asked.

“I don’t see why not.” Erik smiled at her and she smiled back. Though Nikita was losing the few friends she had made in Los Angeles, she was quickly growing to like Erik. Saving her sister from being hurt scored him major points in her book.

The airport was busy, even this early in the morning. The sun streamed through the giant glass walls and illuminated everything. Planes took off and landed outside. People bustled about, trying to get to their flights on time or trying to rent a car or grab a snack. The smell of pretzels and coffee and airport food hung in the air. Nikita paused next to the Cinnabon.

“May we get a cinnamon bun?” she asked, fluttering her lashes at Erik, who she knew was most likely to say yes.

“Sure.” Erik reached in his back pocket and retrieved his leather wallet. He was about to pull out a crisp twenty-dollar bill when Jalisa stopped him.

“You’ll get a tummy ache if you eat that much sugar.” Jalisa raised her eyebrows.

“I won’t! I’m fourteen, not five!” Nikita gave Jalisa such pitiful eyes that she relented. Jalisa removed her hand from Erik’s wrist and allowed him to give the money to Nikita. She skipped off to the Cinnabon, money in hand.

“We’ll eat some of it so she doesn’t throw up on the plane,” Erik whispered in her ear.

“Good idea.” Jalisa laughed. “We’ll have mostly healthy food for our children in England, though.”

“Children?” Erik wrapped his arm around her and bent his head down to nibble at her ear. “When do you want to start trying for those?”

“Hmmm…” Jalisa turned her head to give him better access to her neck. “When does the plane land?”

“Cheeky,” Erik growled.