Page 4 of Someone Save My Midlife Tonight

“What the actual fuck?” Candy Vargo shouted, glowing bright orange. “Somebody wanna explain that?”

Between Gram and me, it took us two hours to get everyone up to speed. Heather, Missy, Tory, my Angel siblings, Zander and Catriona, along with our human buddies, June and Amelia, arrived about halfway through and got the gist of it.

“And so,” I concluded, “the Higher Power was ready to do some dastardly crap, but then Alana Catherine said she knew what It wanted, and without warning It tried to burn us alive.”

“Okay,” Candy Vargo said, chewing on ten toothpicks. “The answer to this is to figure out what Alana Catherine was going to say. It sounds like the Higher Fucker wants her… or is afraid of her for some reason. A reason that your daughter, for some reason, knows.”

“Problem is she can’t speak,” I pointed out, as my body filled with dread.

“There might be a way,” Gideon said, but he didn’t look confident.

“I’ll take any suggestions at this point,” I told him.

His jaw clenched. “For too long, the Immortals have ignored the unethical ways of the Higher Power, giving It a wide berth out of fear that It could truly bring the end of us, but I think it’s high time our kind joined forces to stop the creator before It does any more damage.”

“I’m fuckin’ with you,” Candy Vargo said. “Besides, I’ve been around a long time. Getting turned to dust won’t be the worst thing to happen to me.”

“No one’s turning to dust,” I stated, my voice higher than usual. “It won’t come to that.” At least, I hoped it wouldn’t. I just had to believe, right?

The one thing I knew for sure… the Higher Power was after our baby. Even if we wanted to avoid the fight, we couldn’t. We had no choice. Teaming up to face the ultimate being was a means to an end. Possibly the end of the Higher Power. Possibly the end of us and the universe as we knew it. Either way, we were about to find out. If the creator was after my daughter, I would go after It and make It pay.

“We’ll make It pay,” Gideon said, reading my mind. “And we’ll create a new world if that’s what it takes to keep our baby safe.”

“May the strongest win,” Gram said.

“The strongest will win,” I assured her.

There was no other option. For my baby girl, I would keep the faith. I would remind myself that anything was possible as long as I believed.

CHAPTER TWO

After a quick showerand long nap with my baby securely wrapped in my arms while being spooned by my husband, I felt like a new person. Gideon never strayed from my side while I slept for hours. In the chaos that had become my life, I felt bizarrely secure with my small family close.

The colors in the master suite were calming—celery green and peach mixed with sage and navy. The furniture was overstuffed and comfortable. Gideon and I had decorated it together. The addition of the bassinette in the corner only made it more beautiful. If only my life could be as serene as our bedroom.

“Gideon?” I whispered, trying not to wake up our daughter.

“Daisy,” he replied, gently twisting my curls in his fingers. The man had my number big time. Having my hair played with was my favorite.

“When you said there might be a way to get Alana Catherine to speak, what did you mean?”

He scrubbed his hand over his jaw and sighed. He rolled off the bed and paced the room. Twice he opened his mouth tospeak. Twice no words left his lips. My body tensed as our baby opened her eyes and yawned. Gideon, while being occasionally cryptic, like all the Immortals, wasn’t usually cryptic with me.

Gently scooping Alana Catherine up and placing her on the changing table, I busied myself with changing her diaper and dressing her in a pink onesie with tiny purple teddy bears dotting the fabric. She was chubby and perfect. Her gummy smile literally took my breath away and her scent was intoxicating. Keeping my hands busy and my brain focused on her well-being was the only thingkeepingme from losing my shit.

I’d just gotten back from something I never wanted to experience again. The cracks of my sanity were starting to show and it was all I could do not to curl up into a ball on the floor and scream. Right now, it was my little girl’s safety that kept me going. Catching a break didn’t seem to be in the near future. The peace I’d felt from napping vanished.

I paused as my daughter looked up at me with adoration in her eyes. Her trust in me was clear. What wasn’t clear was how to prove that her trust wasn’t unwarranted. Yep, I knew that getting straight answers from people who were older than dirt was a challenge. However, that was no longer working for me. Alana Catherine’s life was still on the line, and I wasn’t going to play the game.

“Here’s the deal,” I said to Gideon. “If you know something that will help our child, I’d suggest you spit it out. I love you. I love you more than I thought possible, but you can take care of yourself. I love Alana Catherine more than I love my own life.” I turned and met his pained gaze. “She cannot take care of herself. She’s a baby. If you won’t take responsibility, I’ll go it alone.”

The Grim Reaper’s head tilted to the side in confusion, thenhe crossed the room so fast I didn’t even see him move. His tight embrace encompassed both me and Alana Catherine.

“Listen to me,” he said with his lips buried in my hair. His voice sounded desperate. “You and our daughter are my reasons for living. Period. Without both of you, there’s no point in existence. Know that, Daisy. Protecting you and Alana Catherine is a given. I would sacrifice myself in a heartbeat for both of you.”

I relaxed into his arms and let him take the weight of my body. “Then why won’t you answer the question?”

“Several reasons,” he said, turning me around so we faced each other. “I’m unsure if it can be done. And the method I’ve heard whispers about is dangerous—possibly deadly.”

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