Enki's Puzzle Pt. 27

"I'm your boyfriend. Enki did something to you. But maybe I can -" The words pouring out of Nick were abruptly cut off.

"Stop." Maggie stepped back. "Mom? I don't know this boy."

"Maggie... I..." Nick sputtered.

"Leave at once, young man." Maggie's mom took hold of the door. "This isn't funny. If you come back, I will call the police." She slammed the door in his face.

"Shit." Nick walked back toward the street in a daze. His phone rang and he quickly answered it. "Alyson? Do you...? Oh, thank God. Come meet me... I'll be at the park on Fern and Elm."

A while later, Alyson's car pulled up. She parked, got out, and walked over to where her brother waited for her on a bench. "From the look on your face, I'm guessing you spoke to Maggie?"

Nick nodded, watching a woman throw a ball for her dog.

"And Enki gave her a mindwipe or whatever he did?" Alyson sat next to him and rubbed his back.

Nick nodded again. Tears collected in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Nicky. I know you two had a special connection." She paused to give him time to say something. When he stayed silent, she continued. "And it's obviously still Sunday. So, we're looping again." She kissed his cheek. "We can do it. I don't mind."

"Do what?"

Alyson took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "You can 'sow a harvest' with me. I'll just tell Chris it's his. It'll cause me some issues with school, but..." She waited. Still nothing. "Well, we have to, right? I don't know how we're going to convince Mom, though." They quietly watched the woman and her dog.

"I'm glad you're here with me." His fingers snaked out and intertwined with hers. "I don't know if I can do it. I mean, even if we could convince Mom. I don't know..."

Alyson put her free hand on his jaw and slowly turned his face toward hers. "Look at me. Look at me, Nicky." Her gaze met his. "I want this. You're the kindest, most thoughtful... hottest guy I've ever met." She dropped her hand from his face to her belly and rubbed. "When we had sex without a condom... I think... I wanted it then. I put myself in that situation... on purpose... maybe."

"No way." Nick's words lacked conviction.

"I bet Mom feels the same way. Or at least something similar. That must be why Enki's doing this. We are the two people that know you the best and love you the most. We have a chance to make a new life with you." She nodded down at the tent forming in his pants. "See... you like that idea. All three of us are in this together. When Mom and I talked on... yesterday... I mean Saturday..." Alyson tried to remember the way they talked about days in the loops. It could get confusing. "When we talked in my room, she was worried about me. But she was especially worried about your future. But if she knows Dad will help raise the baby, maybe -"

"I don't want Dad raising any more kids." Nick found the conviction he'd been missing.

"Okay, sure. We'll figure it all out." Alyson stood and pulled him to his feet. "Let's go back to my place, and we can have fun today. We can get my part of the puzzle over with and focus on Mom for the other seventeen days." She turned and pulled him back to her car.

"I don't think it'll work like that." Nick was slowly warming to the idea. Alyson was right. His sister and mother knew and loved him best. His blood pumped harder thinking about creating new life with them. His sister always had a compelling way of speaking to him. "Let's say... I'm on board. I would need to do it with you and Mom on the same day. Otherwise, the day loops and resets."

Alyson got into the driver's seat and started the engine. She had never been wetter. They were going to try to get her pregnant. She steadied her breath, trying to control her heart rate as she drove out of the parking lot. "You make a good point. Let's practice today. It'll help keep our minds off everything. Afterward, we can brainstorm about Mom."

"You really want this?" He looked over at her in awe. This was his amazing big sister. He could throw caution to the wind with her. He was throwing caution to the wind.

"I do, Nicky." She nodded earnestly.

"What about Chris? You were planning venues and stuff."

"Chis will have to share me with you." She frowned a little at that. "What he doesn't know won't hurt him."

"Right." Nick wasn't going to say it, but there was no way Chris should be raising a kid. Nick recoiled at the thought of his own father or Chris parenting an innocent baby. And then it hit him like a bolt out of the blue. Fruit of the poisonous tree grows rotten. The virtuous tree bears ambrosia. Cut back weeds and sow a harvest worthy of Enki. Chris and Fred were poisonous men. Poisonous trees. They were weeds to be cleared from around the women Nick loved. Not only would he need to knock up his mother and sister, he would have to help them free themselves of their men. Nick shuddered. Enki had set a nearly impossible task before him. And he had only eighteen days to get it right.