Chapter 2

The beat up blue Ford hatchback turned off of Harris Hill onto the unmarked driveway, slowly making its way under the green leafy canopy through the trees. Violet gripped the wheel tightly. She hated this part of the trip. The patch of asphalt Mr. Darrow had put down was much too narrow for her liking, not leaving much room for error. One false turn, and you were in the mud. That had happened once, much to her embarrassment. If there had been more rain the previous day, she'd never have been able to get out without help, and how do you ask for help? "Excuse me, I'm on this road that shouldn't exist for secret reasons. Please come, then forget you were here!" Oh, no. And asking Bill or Mr. Darrow would just lead to ribbing that was even worse. So, it was keep all attention on the road. And look for deer. Especially close to dusk like this. Which made it harder to see the driveway, what with all the branches above her cutting off sunlight. Which brought it all home to why she hated this short drive.

The things she did for love.

Making sure the car was on the straight part, as the road did curve just before the parking area, Violet risked a quick glance down at the seat next to her. The small box from a local jeweler was still there. Eyes went back to the road, then risked another peek. Still there. Looking forward again, she let out a groan.

"Focus, girl, focus." Shaking her head, Violet wondered what the hell she was doing. Not an unusual thought for the twenty one year old to be entertaining. Sometimes it seemed all of college had been one long tightrope walk after another. One emergency, scholastic, domestic, or emotional, was always coming up or just receding. Just ONCE she wanted things to be calm, settled ... happily routine.

"Please, Daddy ... let her say yes."

Violet pulled up next to a, not quite as battered, four door Ford sedan. Setting the emergency break, something she ALWAYS did, she opened the door and got out.

Then she got back in again, grabbed the box, and got back out, closing the door. Letting out a sigh, she looked around as the box and its single precious occupant were shoved into her windbreaker's pocket. They were home, obviously, given the car. Gathering her nerve, she stepped off the pavement and onto the path through the trees.

Operation Protect Ai, or "OPA" as Betty and Jenny liked to call it, was proceeding slowly but secretly. Plans were many. Those that could actually be done ... few. The most important activity so far had been land acquisition. The actual mine surface was off limits, for now. Not only was it not for sale, which in a way was a very good thing, but if they COULD buy it the insurance needed because of the sealed mine would be huge. It would also draw attention. What they did manage to buy, though, was a large section of the woodlands around it. Not enough to connect them to the family house, but they had managed to create a nice buffer protecting Ai. The driveway and small parking lot in the middle of the woods also made access much easier, and the path they'd beaten from the house to the shelter was allowed to go back to nature. Shirley had wondered if an access road wouldn't also be too much of a giveaway, but that was taken into consideration: the dirt path from the parking lot met the open field far from the entrance, but also far from the road and curious eyes. So far, apart from some teen kids using it as a lover's lane, until an unloaded shotgun stopped that, all had gone well.

But ... the money drain had been huge. What was not absolutely needed by the Darrow's for the basics, college, and retirement went into the Ai fund. It was never enough. So much so, that...

There was no money for Cynthia once she was out of High School.

She had understood, of course. They had done so much for her, to expect free college on top of it would be insane. She would always have a home with them, but...

Violet began the trudge through the long grass towards the shelter. As always, she broke new ground, trying not to create a path. It was hard, as paths form naturally for a damned good reason, but if nothing else it made her feel like she was helping. And it's the thought that counts.

Ha. If only that were true.

Once again, her light chocolate colored hand went into her pocket and touched the small box. So much was riding on this. So much ... how could one little ring be tearing her apart with doubt and worry?

"Because you love her, you idiot."

Darn. She had said that out loud. Bad habit, that, and one she hadn't developed until losing Dad. Oh, before then Violet had found herself having conversations with the ghost of "Mommy Lisa", whom she had never met, but who was sort of the patron saint of the Hunt family. As a teen she'd ask Lisa what she should do about this boy or that, as a practical alternative to talking to her other Moms about boys. What would they know about the subject? Now, though ... she talked to Dad.

He wouldn't like it. Violet knew that. Dad hadn't, really, been one to believe in an afterlife, for all his jokes about Lisa's ghost throwing wives at him. Dad would want Violet to be strong on her own, leaning on family when needed but not using his memory as a crutch. And, she didn't! Violet ... just missed talking to him. Missed his voice. His stories. His hugs...

"Stop it!"

That got a laugh out of her, as she pretended it was Dad scolding her. He'd be right, too. Mourning only got you so far in life. Besides ... it wasn't like a wife hadn't been thrown at her in her hour of need.

Potential wife.

Lover.

Friend.

Now she really had to stop. Any more thought in that direction, and Cynthia would be reduced to vague acquaintance.

Violet's feet had carried her to the shelter entrance. Apart from the new locks, the improvements here at the top of the shelter kept being put off. It was still just a set of double iron doors set in the ground, raised at a slight angle so water didn't pool over them. They were slightly wet, though, a brief spring rain having come through earlier that day, and with a sigh Violet realized her choices were to either kneel in the mud or on the wet metal as she put her key in the lock. She was wearing one of her few pairs of good jeans, too. Cursing, something her Dad WOULD have approved of, she picked wet metal.

The trip down the stairs gave her, unfortunately, more time to think.

What was she doing.

It's not like they HAD to get married. Not really. They could live in sin. Everyone did it. Neither were even religious (Spiritual? Maybe). Hell, Bill and Julie went to church and still slept in the same bed! Once they had graduated, Cynthia from high school and Violet from college, they could just shack up...

... no, they couldn't.

Cynthia was not that type of girl. Not that she was a prude. Hell no! Get her naked and, gods, what she could do with her mouth! But, sex was one thing. Being TOGETHER, in all ways ... Cynthia deserved commitment. Deserved to have someone declare their love for her forever, in sickness and in health. Deserved the best life humanly possible.

Violet wanted to be the one to give it to her.

She had a job waiting after graduation. That was something, at least. A good job, one that would let her get a rather nice loft in a newly converted downtown industrial building right near the train. The two of them could live there after the honeymoon, and Cynthia would have the time and space to do whatever she wanted. Violet would put her through college, if need be. They'd both love each other, and, when the time came...

She paused, mid step.

She hadn't told Cynthia about the Gift yet. Didn't even know how her lover would even FEEL about such a thing. Mother Taylor had made such a big sacrifice to make it possible ... Well, as the saying went, they'd burn that bridge when they came to it.

Hanging her coat up, she transferred the box to her pants pocket. Then took it out, opened the box, removed the ring, and just put the ring in her damned pocket. She was NOT thinking well today. Glancing at the security display, she saw it still showed her as checked into the shaft. Resetting the alarms, Violet shut everything else down and turned to the main door.