Page 132 of Judas

Chapter 45 here we come!

Chapter forty-five

Babalon

Three Days Later

Lemon, not over powering but subtle. Jasmine, some sea salt, slightly grapefruity. That’s all I can smell. It’s so good, smells like summer with a splash of the ocean mixed in. Like a home I’ve yet to find until I finally got to meet my daughter. She’s sleeping against me at the moment. I came to visit her while Babel is at the apartment doing whatever it is he needs to do. Hopefully not squabbling with Matias since they both work on opposite sides of the law.

At night we swap out since he’s an unofficial body guard for one of the United State’s most prestigious heiresses—yeah, he went there. I had wondered how he was able to stay in the mental health ward with her when visitors were not allowedafter hours. After my release from the emergency room, I came straight up here and stayed with her all day while he’s out. Where do I go at night? Matias set me up at a tiny bed and breakfast within a few blocks of the hospital where it’s easier for me to make it here quickly. And I’m away from Lucien—err, Samael.

It’s unsettling at the apartment. So much has gone down there in such a short amount of time, I wouldn’t be surprised if ghosts are now living in the walls. When the cavalry showed up, I took my shit and ran. There wasn’t any looking back.

Now, I’m nose deep in Sadie’s hair. Breathing in a lifetime of missed snuggles and whiffs of that baby smell I still long for. While she’s nowhere close to that, I’ll take whatever she’s willing to share with me. There are too many things for us to work through, lives to finally stitch together. So, for today, it’s lemon and sea salt—better than the scent of fresh cut grass and tilled cemetery dirt.

Breathe in, breathe out.

Breathe in, breathe out.

I hear hers coincide with mine, as well as some of the random sounds of the hospital. Wheels of moving food carts outside in the hallway almost make me hungry, softly spoken voices amongst medical staff while they move from room to room. Then there’s the occasional call through the hospital overhead speakers. A never ceasing ebb and flow. Pulling me from my distraction, a second knock comes at the door, the first one I barely heard.

“Housekeeping,” a friendly voice calls out, then in walks an older woman.

Twisting slightly, I look back at her and give her a smile. She’s heavily wrinkled next to her eyes and all that tells me is she’s spent so much of her life smiling. One can only hope that my wrinkles look like hers one day. Deep and satisfied— a fulfillinglife with family and friends. In her cute little white pants and pink vest get-up, she brings over a few newly washed and folded blankets. Placing them on the pull-out Babel was spending all of his time on. The extra padded white shoes she has on make her near silent as she walks. If it wasn’t for the jingling of a set of gold bangles on her wrist and her announcement, I may never have noticed her entering the room.

“Thank you, ma’am.”

“Oh honey, you’re welcome. Just a few blankets. You two doing okay? Do you need anything?”

“No, I believe we are good. She will need those later, it gets chilly in here.”

“Don’t I know it. When I work the overnight shift I almost have to wear some long John’s so I don’t freeze to death. Canadian winters have competition, you know. Hospitals the reigning champion on frigidness.”

I chuckle at her, she’s right. We’re still far enough out from winter that we won’t get to see it but the fall isn’t to be trifled with either. My jacket and jeans? Not near enough. I manage though.

“It’s rough in Michigan too. The lake effect can do some real damage.”

“Haven’t been there, I’m afraid. Canada is the only place I’ve ever gone.”

“How come?”

“No desire to leave. When you have everything you need in one place, what else is there? All the fancy landmarks people travel to, you can see photos of them all over the internet now. They don’t necessarily hold the mystique they once had. Looks like you have everything you need right there, honey.”

She answers, tilting her head to Sadie who’s still sleeping soundly. I look at her once then go back to the woman.

“You could say that. I haven’t had much time with her.”

“How come?” She tosses my question back at me.

“Made some bad choices when I was younger, but to have her and her father, I’d make them all over again.”

“When you were younger,” she scoffs playfully. “Young lady, you’re nowhere near old. If I still feel young, then you’ve got a long way to go before you ever catch up with the likes of me.”

The woman pulls another laugh from me, effortlessly might I add. It’s nice to have some levity after everything we’ve had to endure. Her type of humor is what I needed today. Especially since we have to wait for the elusive doctor to come by and assess Sadie for release. The day is still early, only around noon, which means lunch will be delivered soon so I might want to rouse her soon.

“I may not ever catch up at the rate I’m going.”

“Let’s hope so, you two take care okay? Hold on to the things that matter“—she says pointedly and looking at Sadie—“and let the other shit go.”

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