Sea Haven 02 - Spirit Bound

favorite, wonderful auntie. And we’re having black tea. I needed a boost.”
    Judith shook her head, smiling wider and keeping her eyes bright and sunny when deep inside, she wept continuously. She was trapped by her own gifts, terrified to ever take such a chance again, to feel for a man, to trust. She wouldn’t be the one having children, when she’d always so desperately wanted a family.
    The hardest aspect to control wasn’t her facial expression; it was holding a happy aura in place. Thankfully, she was truly overjoyed to see Airiana, so the blossoming color was there, spreading across the deep sorrow, shame and guilt she hid from the world. She tended to guard her energy around Airiana, which resulted in a muddy gray surrounding her and always raised Airiana’s eyebrow, but other than asking her if she was okay or needed anything, Airiana held to their code of not prying.
    The upper story was spacious, the living room large, opening into the dining room and kitchen area, so anyone visiting would feel welcome in any room. Banks of windows provided amazing sunlight and gorgeous views of the surrounding gardens below.
    “There is nothing in the world like a good cup of tea at the right moment,” Judith pointed out. “Thanks for putting on the kettle.” She stretched. “I spend far too much time sitting on my butt. I think it’s growing significantly.”
    Airiana turned her finger in a little circle. Judith obligingly spun around. Airiana widened her eyes. “You are so right. Middle-aged spread is setting in.” She burst out laughing again and ran for her life with Judith hot on her heels.
    “The thing about long legs, you short little shrimp, is that I can outrun you.”
    “Not with a large ass, you can’t,” Airiana called over her shoulder as she sprinted through the spacious rooms. The accusation that anything on willowy Judith could be large was so absurd, she laughed so hard she couldn’t see where she was going and crashed into an armchair. Tumbling over the side of it, she landed on the floor and blinked up at Judith. “Yikes. I guess your butt isn’t quite as big as either of us thought.”
    “I am not even close to being middle-aged, smart-ass.”
    “True, but you’re still always going to be older than me,” Airiana pointed out smugly.
    The front screen pulled open and a woman stuck her head in the door. Tall and blond, she was the picture of athleticism, her hair pulled back into a ponytail and her body in a tight, stretchy shirt and running shorts. As she stood on the porch above the stairs, she tapped her foot and wiped at the sheen of sweat on her face.
    “Blythe.” Judith waved as she greeted the oldest of her sisters and the acknowledged leader of their sisterhood. “You went running again this afternoon? You ran this morning.”
    “What in the world are you two doing?” Blythe Daniels ignored the inquiry and stepped inside to sink down onto an ottoman and remove her running shoes.
    “Well,” Airiana said from the floor, “basically we’re discussing Judith’s butt and how big it’s grown while she sat and painted today.”
    “Really?” Blythe frowned at them both, looking very concerned. “I don’t have my glasses to examine you up close and personal, Judith, but there isn’t much there. In fact, your butt might be considered flat.”
    “I have a very cute ass,” Judith protested.
    “You were the one just saying it was ballooning,” Airiana reminded her. “I was trying to be supportive and helpful.”
    Judith flung a decorative pillow at her head. Airiana sent a push of air to counter it, stopping the pillow abruptly so that it fell to the floor.
    “Show-off,” Judith accused. “I’ll make the tea. Blythe, do you need a glass of water?”
    “Thanks, love one.”
    “You shouldn’t run twice in one day, Blythe, especially not today. Doesn’t Levi teach our self-defense class tonight, or do I have my days mixed up?” Airiana asked. Once again her blue eyes inspected her oldest sister with some concern.
    Judith paused in the open sweeping wide arch leading to the kitchen to hear Blythe’s answer. All of them had personal demons they fought, and Blythe was no exception. She was just so good —the only word Judith could think of—it was distressing to all of them when she went through these periods of insomnia. She got up early and ran and often ran late in the evenings. It was rare for her to include an afternoon.
    “No, Levi’s definitely