Arewyn Ch. 01

"I don't believe in magic," I flatly replied, "Or soothsayers, fortune tellers, or any of that other crap."

"Do you believe in fate," he asked, "Or maybe even destiny?"

"My belief in fate died with my wife," I replied, painful tears now beginning to fill my own eyes, "And as far as destiny goes, well, I believe that a man's destiny is determined by his own hand and what he does in this life, not by some mystical powers or any other such bullshit." With that said, I went out the back door, walked across the back yard, and then took the walkway down to the shoreline.

~~~~~~

As I walked along the shore, my mind drifted back to the days when Wendy was still alive. However, with those thoughts also came the emptiness that I thought I once chased away. This time though, those same thoughts returned with a vengeance, making my heart ache worse than ever before.

I cried openly and without consideration that anyone might hear me...I no longer cared. I wept at the thought of how hard it had been raising my beautiful Isabella without a mother, knowing that it must've been as equally hard on her.

Still though, Izzy never once let it show, and in that same moment, it came to me that she had inherited not only her mother's strength, but also her love for others, because she never once minded showing that...to anyone, God bless her beautiful little heart.

As I sat down and watched the ocean rolling onto the rocky shore, which, I'm quite sure had seen its fair share of comings and goings by others who came and went long before me, I began to feel something overcoming me I'd never experienced before and was therefore very unfamiliar with. And it wasn't long before I felt my eyes beginning to get heavy as sleep began to overtake me.

~~~~~~

I dreamt the exact dream I had the very first time I was in Ireland, and in doing so; I found myself riding on a dark steed, with a very sharp long bladed sword attached, via a scabbard, to my waist, and a long green hooded cowl flying behind me in the wind as I rode. The hillsides all around me were green with rows upon rows of stone fence line lining the landscape and the air was crisp and clean.

Suddenly, and from directions unknown, I found myself surrounded by attackers on all sides of me. I fought with everything I had, but to no avail...they captured me. I was then taken to a castle and thrown into a dark dungeon.

There was no light, only darkness, and I slowly counted the minutes as I lay captive in that hideous place, where I was surround by only the screams of the human carnage that I knew was taking place somewhere near.

After many, many hours, or perhaps even days, of lying immobile in that dark place, a door opened, blinding me with the light I'd not seen in God knows how long. I felt myself being roughly yanked to my feet, and then I was led, my hands bound behind me, down a lighted passageway to what looked to be a great hall, armed guards beside me the whole way. Little did I know that this was a throne room?

"By what right do you ride into my kingdom armed as you were?" bellowed some asshole, who was dressed in fine raiment, a crown on his head, and sitting on what apparently was his throne, "Are you here to take my bride?"

I knew this was a dream so I laughed and said, "I don't know what you're talking about. Besides, I was just riding and then your men attacked me with no provocation, asshole."

Suddenly the guard standing beside me smacked me in the mouth, making me taste my own blood, and then viciously growled, "You will not talk to the king in this manner."

The moment I tasted my own blood, I knew this was no dream and that it was very real, but still in defiance, I raised my head and simply laughed. "I don't see what you find funny about this," spat the king.

"Others will one day come and unseat you," I seethed, "Your arrogance will be your undoing."

"And your tongue shall be yours, rogue," he hissed, "Take him away. He will be beheaded on the morrow."

"Fuck you, motherfucker," I spat, as the guards drug me away, punching me in the mouth, back to spend my last night on earth in that empty dark place that I was thrown into to begin with.

~~~~~~

It was somewhere in the darkness that I saw her...Arewyn...and she was standing in the distance, her arms outstretch as she called my name.

"Michael," she breathed, "I am here for you, and I will never leave you. No more will you feel the pain and loneliness that now haunts you. Come unto me...I love you, my darling, come unto me..."

"Daddy...Daddy...DADDY," suddenly jarred me from my dream, making me open my eyes to find Izzy kneeling on the ground next me, her hands on my shoulders.

"Wake up, Daddy," she smiled, "It's getting dark out here and you need to come inside."

"How long?" I asked

"What?"

"How long have I been out here, baby girl?"

"Oh, that," she smiled, "Only for a couple of hours. Uncle Aedan took everyone out to eat, and I stayed behind to make sure you were alright."

"I would've been okay," I smiled, standing up and brushing myself off, "You should've gone with Aedan. You missed out on a what I'm sure will be a nice dinner."

"No, I didn't," she mischievously giggled, "Robert is going to be here to pick me up in thirty minutes so; we better get back to the house."

"You little stinker," I smiled, hugging her as we walked, "I love you, baby."

"I know you do, Daddy," she happily cooed, "And I love you, too."

~~~~~~

Most fathers would be raising the roof about the way my daughter simply took it upon herself to start dating, but not me. I knew that not only dating Robert, but also being in Ireland as a whole, had brought forth a smile to beautiful Izzy's face, the likes of which neither she nor I had ever seen before. And, as far as I was concerned, anything that made her that happy was fine by me, after all; I am her father.

~~~~~~

Chapter Six

"Hello, Mike," Robert smiled, as I greeted him at the front door, "How are you this fine evenin?"

"I'm doing well, Robert," I grinned, ushering him into the house, "Take a seat. Izzy is almost ready."

After letting Izzy know that Robert was here, I sat down with him in the living room, offering him something to drink, which he declined, saying, "I saw one of me mates die as a result of drinkin and drivin. It taught me a lesson, sir."

"Good for you," I smiled approvingly, "The makes me feel a whole lot better about Izzy being out with you."

"Thank ya, sir," he grinned, "But Izz also told me that if I pick up the drink so much as one time, then she's gone, she is."

"You better watch out for her," I conspiratorially chuckled, "She'll have you jumping through hoops before you know it." Needless to say, we both laughed just as Izzy came from her bedroom and said, "I'm ready."

"I guess I'll see you two later then," I grinned, kissing Izzy on the forehead, "No later than midnight, sweetie, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy," she chirped, on their way out the door, "I love you."

"I love you, too."

~~~~~~

I was finally alone for the first time since I'd been here, and man, did the peace and quiet sound good. Seriously, I found myself feeling more content than I had since before Wendy passed away, and for the life of me, I didn't know what the cause of it was. Still though, I no longer felt the sadness that used to dwell within me and I found myself looking forward to the mornings again as opposed to dreading them like I once had. ~~~~~~

I was in the process of picking up a few things that had been left out, paper napkins, a couple of glasses, etc, when I heard a knock at the front door. Imagine my surprise when I found Arewyn standing there looking like a frightened child.

"Hi," I smiled, "Would you like to come inside? It's beginning to get dark outside."

"Thank you, Michael," she uncomfortably smiled, "I know it doesn't look proper fer me to be comin over here at this hour, but I..."

"Relax," I smiled, gently interrupting her, "This is your house, and I'm just leasing it from you so; you've got the right to be here at any given time, and to hell with those who might not like it."

"Yer a strange man, Michael Henson," she smiled, in that beautiful Irish accent.

"Strange," I asked, "Why, because I don't give a shit?"

"No, just the opposite" she giggled, then smiled, "Strange because ya do."

"I don't know about that," I chuckled, suddenly feeling nervous, "I can be a real asshole if needs be."

"Yes, I've heard," she openly laughed, "Karin McGiveny told me about the wallopin ya gave that fool husband o' hers."

"That's different," I tried to explained, "He forced my hand and left me with no choice."

"See?" she softly smiled, "That's what I'm talkin about."

"What?"

"There's not a mean bone in yer body," she gently said, "Ya think I don't see the way ya treat Isabella? And don't think fer a minute that I don't also see the way ya treat Uncle Aedan. He really loves you like a son ya know."

"No," I smiled, "I didn't know that."

"And then there's me," she cooed, her beautiful grey green eyes peering into my soul, "You've never once been out of the way with me."

"Of course not," I nervously replied, "That wouldn't be right."

Not only did the house have all of the modern conveniences, but it also had an old Irish-style fireplace, and I didn't notice, until now, how the light from fire that was burning in it reflected off of long, her golden brown hair making it look like soft spun silk.

And as our faces inched closer, I reached over and softly brushed the back of my hand across her cheekbone and told her, "I could never let any harm come to you...my heart wouldn't let me."

"I know," she tenderly replied, placing her soft palm against my cheek, gently stopping the advance of our faces, "And now I need to explain why I ran away earlier."

"You don't have to explain anything," I smiled, "What ever it is, I understand."

"No," she mischievously grinned, "I don't think ya do.

"Alright then," I chuckled, "Tell me what it is that you don't think I understand."

"There's a legend in the Donnelly family that began four-hundred years ago," she said, "And I think that you and I know what I'm talking about, because I know Uncle Aedan told ya."

"No," I replied, "He hasn't told me anything."

"Do you believe in reincarnation Michael?" Arewyn suddenly asked, "Because some of me ancestors did and were hung fer it. They predicted that upon the birth of a girl child in the twentieth generation of the Harper family that the soul of Deirdre would return to the earth. Only this time she would find her true love and that they would spend their lives together. Don't ya see what I'm tryin to tell ya?"

"I guess I'm kinda dumb," I bewilderedly replied, "I don't understand."

"Me Mum's maiden name was Harper, Michael," she insistently told me, "That makes Deirdre Harper me twentieth cousin; and I'm the girl child that the legend speaks of."

"Surely not," I replied, "I mean, you don't believe all that stuff, do you?" Then getting up and walking over and snatching Izzy's book off of the table, she came back and sat down on the couch, only closer to me than before. She then turned to the page that contained her look alike, she looked me in the eye and said, "This book is older than me, yes?" I would hope so," I chuckled.

"Then why, pray tell, do I look exactly like the girl in the picture?" she replied, "And don't you dare try to deny that you look exactly like Naoise, Michael. I saw that picture long before you ever came here."

I was now resigned to the fact that I felt something for her, and in doing so, I looked at her, and taking her hands into mine, I gently said, "I believe you, Arewyn, but I'm afraid...okay?" And then tears began making their way down my face.

"Aw, there now," she gently soothed me, wiping my tears with the back of her soft hand, "There is no such thing as coincidence, Michael. God has a purpose in everything he does. Everything that happens in our lives happens fer reasons bigger than the both of us, my love."

"Am I really?" I asked, "Your love, I mean?"

"Yes," she cooed, softly placing her arms around my neck, and gently kissing my lips, "We were together over four hundred years ago; and we were always meant to be together, Michael." And then she kissed me again; only this time I felt something rise within me that stirred me deeper than my own blood.

"I love you, Arewyn," I finally admitted, "I dreamed of you before I ever met you."

"Aye, my love," she sweetly smiled, "I've dreamt of you since I was a little girl, Michael."

"So," I asked, backing away slightly so as to be able to look into her beautiful eyes, "What do you propose we do about this?"

Taking my hands into hers, she stood and then led me to the front door, and as she opened it, said, "It's time fer me to get home now," and with that said, she quickly kissed my lips and then left, closing the door behind her.

~~~~~~

I began to clean up the front room were Izzy's party had taken place. And in doing do I never realized it that I was wearing a content smile on my face the whole time.

Once I was finished cleaning the house, I sat down in front of the fire with a cup of coffee spiked with, as Aedan would say, a wee nip of Irish whiskey. I thought of all that had happened in the time I'd been in Ireland. Was it as Arewyn said? I think that in realizing she was right, I also realized that I was no longer angry with God, and that I now begged for his forgiveness.

~~~~~~

I must've fallen asleep because I suddenly found myself standing in a place that was white in every direction that I turned, but felt no fear for some unknown reason.

I suddenly heard a voice from my past call my name, and when I turned to the direction from whence the voice came, I was stunned to see my Wendy standing there dressed in shining brilliance.

"Wendy," I cried, running toward her and throwing my arms around her "What're you doing here? I miss you so much."

"I know you do," she purred, "That's why I gave you Isabella so that she could watch over you until you found Arewyn."

"But I don't understa..."

"Listen closely, my darling," she soothed, "I don't have much time...you and Arewyn met many years ago, but it wasn't the time for the two of you to be together. The time has now come, Michael. Be with her and love her as it was meant to be...she will heal you."

"Will I ever see you again, Wendy?"

"No," she sweetly smiled, "But when you look at Isabella, know that I have been, and will always be with you." And then she began to fade away, but right before she disappeared completely, I heard her say, "I will always be there in Isabella..."

~~~~~~

Suddenly I heard a familiar female voice telling me, "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy wake up."

"I'm awake," I smiled, opening my eyes to find my daughter standing over me with a sweet smile on her little face. Wendy had been right about what she said when I looked at Izzy now. And I smiled, looking at my watch to find it was only eleven o'clock, then said, "You're home early, baby girl."

"I asked Robert to bring me home a little early this time," she giggled, "I told him that you would let me go out with him again if he did."

"You little stinker," I smiled, pulling her into my lap, "I sure do love you."

"I love you, too," she suspiciously smiled, "Uh...what's going on, daddy?"

"Oh, nothing," I happily grinned, looking off into an imaginary distance.

"Arewyn's been here," Izzy sweetly giggled, "Hasn't she?"

"Uh, yeah," I replied, snapping myself out of the sweet dream I was beginning to fall into, "She was here for a little while."

"And?" Izzy impatiently grinned, "What happened?" "We talked," I said, "We had the chance to talk. Some things are none of your business sometimes, Izzy."

She wisely said nothing, other than to give me a knowing smile as she kissed my cheek on her way to bed.

~~~~~~

The next morning at work, I received a rather alarming phone call, telling me that Aedan had been hospitalized earlier that morning.

~~~~~~

"Are you alright?" I asked, while the nurse was tending to Aedan, as he lay in the hospital bed.

"I'll be perfectly alright," he grumbled, "It was only a bit of indigestion."

"Bollocks, Aedan Donnelly," said Mrs. Sara Donnelly, Aedan's wife, entering his room, "It's all the gamblin and late night drinkin ya do that's got ya."

"There's nothing wrong with me, woman," he growled, then wistfully smiling at me, he said, "Tis a man's lot in life to have to suffer the sensibilities of his wife."

"Aye," Sara sternly replied, "And if ya had any sense ya wouldn't be here to start with."

~~~~~~

Once I spoke with the doctor and found out that Aedan was going to be all right, I headed back to the office, as I had a very long day ahead of me.

~~~~~~

"Hello, Mike," Kieran Donnelly smiled, as he poked his head into my office, "Can ya spare a few minutes of yer time?"

"Kieran," I grinned, "I've always got time for you, please, come in and sit down." He came into the office and took his seat as I asked, "What can I do for you today?"

"Well, it's not about work," he uncomfortably replied, "Not really."

"Then what is it," I asked concerned, "Is something wrong?"

Then he smiled and said, "No, there's nothin wrong, nothin wrong at all. As a matter of fact, everything is perfect; and yer the reason fer it."

"I'm a little lost here," I chuckled, relieved that nothing was amiss, "What're you talking about, Kieran?"

"When you first came here I was very weary of ya," he began, "We all were, except Aedan. He told us to give ya a chance, and I did. I came here to tell ya that I was wrong about you; and I'm' sorry fer ever doubtin ya to start with."

"There's nothing to be sorry for, my friend," I grinned, as I stood to shake his hand, "And where I come from, it takes one HELL of man that will admit when he's wrong; and for that, I salute you."

"Uncle Aedan told me you were a good lad," he chuckled, "And because of that, there's somethin I need to warn ya about."

"What," I suspiciously asked, "What is it?"

"I'm talkin about me cousin, Arewyn," He openly laughed, "She's a very lovely girl, she is; Aye, but she's got a fiery temper, that one," as he continued to laugh.

"Aw, man," I laughed, shaking my head.

~~~~~~

That evening when I arrived home, I was pleased to find Arewyn's car in the driveway. I'd leased a car of my own, and the moment I stepped out of it, I smelled something wonderful emanating from somewhere out of the house.

"Hi, Daddy," Izzy smiled, greeting me at the door, taking my coat and briefcase from me, "How was your day?"

"It was good," I smiled, "How about yours?"

"OH, it was great," she gushed, "Arewyn took me to the National Art Gallery and Museum today. We spent the whole day there. Oh, Daddy, it was amazing."

"She took a particular interest in Medieval Art," Arewyn smiled, appearing from behind me, handing me a cup of coffee, "Welcome home, Michael."

"Thank you," I warmly replied, taking the cup from her, "It's good to be home."

And without a second's hesitation, Isabella began to giggle and said, "I know you two are in love, Daddy. Arewyn told me everything so; I'm going to leave you guys alone so you can kiss," and then she quickly trotted off to her room, giggling devilishly the whole way.

"Oh, Michael," Arewyn brightly blushed, "I'm so sorry. I told her those things because she asked me. I certainly didn't want to lie to her but I didn't think that she...."

"Easy, it's alright," I calmly chuckled, "Let me tell you something about my daughter that I think you should know. Never once in her life has she ever missed an opportunity to embarrass me," and then I gently touched Arewyn's tender cheek, "Or anyone else she loves so; I'd say that she just told you how she felt about us being together."