Today was Kara’s bachelorette party, and Kara and her three bridesmaids were supposed to go out for dinner and dancing. Given that Freya is still recovering—she has only just been cleared to be in contact with others—Kara changed this plan to having a quieter party at Freya’s house.
“Though Lord knows I shouldn’t be doing you any favors, Cobb,” she grumbled as she was bringing in bags of games and food this afternoon. “You’re the one who got yourself sick and caused all this trouble in the first place.”
“I know,” Freya said meekly. “You’re a queen and a champion and I am no kind of maid of honor at all.”
“Well, at least you know it. No, put that down, what I say about lifting?”
“Oh, come on, Kara, I’m fine.”
“And you’re gonna stay that way. I refuse to get married without you. If George makes a run for it I need someone who will make a dive for his knees.”
“Shouldn’t I be practicing my tackle, then?”
“Please, you’re a natural athlete. But if you’re this scrawny skeleton you won’t even be able to take him down, so we’ve got to feed you up. Shit, did I forget the rolls?” She groaned and went back out to her car.
Watching from the seat where Kara had planted her, Freya murmured, “Has she forgiven me for not telling her how bad it got?”
“She’s nearly there,” I answered. It is still somewhat thrilling to be able to speak and have Freya hear. We got a great deal of practice while she was recovering, and now she hears me perfectly clearly. “Closer than your mother, in any case.” Esther came yesterday to help Freya sanitize the house before the party (just in case), but the moment she saw Freya, she put her straight back into bed. She cleaned the entire house and made a batch of soup in a silent fury, and only after Freya had eaten two bowls did she start yelling.
Mind you, I understand how Esther and Kara must have felt. The tracks of illness are still on Freya’s face—she is thin and pale, and only today has she felt strong enough to stay out of bed the whole day. They know it was bad, and they think that she fought through it all alone rather than call on them for help.
It’s started an idea in Freya’s mind, and I am not quite certain what to think of it. It was on her mind all this afternoon as she helped Kara set up—at least as much as Kara would let her help, which wasn’t much.
“All right,” Kara said presently, dusting off her hands. “Food’s in the crockpot, wine’s in the fridge, games laid out—I think we’re all set. So, we got a couple hours, so I’m going to go lay down the law for George and the boys while I’m gone, and you, babycakes, are going to take a nap.”
Freya rolled her eyes. “I’ll go lie down for a while, but I promise you I won’t sleep,” she said. “I’m fine, really.”
“Mm-hmm.”
Kara is a genius at voicing skepticism without a single word.
“Kara,” Freya said, catching her friend’s hand as Kara started out. She looked into Kara’s eyes. “I’m okay. And I knew that I would be okay, or I would have called you. I swear.”
Kara stared back at Freya, and for a moment her guard dropped, and I could see her hurt clearly.
“Am I your best friend?” she asked.
Freya was startled by the question. “Of course.”
“No, not ‘of course,’” Kara said, tugging her hand free. She folded her arms over her chest. “Look, I’m an adult. I get it. Sometimes people don’t feel the same way as you do, and that’s allowed. But if I was sick, and George wasn’t around, I’d have called you. So I’m just asking, if you didn’t call me, why didn’t you call someone else?”
Freya was silent, but I could see how tempted she was. How she wanted to tell Kara that she hadn’t been alone at all, that she had known herself to be in the best possible hands.
I was very careful not to say anything at all. No one ever told me that I had to stop Freya from telling someone she trusts about me. Maybe they knew that it wouldn’t be necessary.
After a moment, Freya shook her head. “Stupid pride, I guess,” she said. “I’ve been on my own for a long time. It’s going to take some time to get used to having people I can trust as much as you.” She leaned forward, her eyes beseeching.
Kara scoffed. “Well, get used to it.” Then, unbending, she bumped her head lightly against Freya’s, and we knew she had been forgiven.
“Now,” she said, clearing her throat, “do I have to come tuck you in?”
Freya laughed. “I’m going, I’m going,” she said, and she went up the stairs two at a time.
“Showoff,” Kara called after her and slammed the door.
I followed Freya up to her bedroom, where she curled up on the bed, looking thoughtful again. She glanced at me as I came to the side of the bed—she says she can see flickers in her peripheral vision now when I am near, but I am not sure that isn’t just wishful thinking.
“Why didn’t you tell her?” I asked.
She sighed. “It wasn’t the time, first of all,” she said. “She’s getting married in a week, for cripes’ sake. Bad enough that I got sick, what would she say if I started mouthing off about angels?”
“Then you think she wouldn’t believe you?”
“I know she wouldn’t,” Freya sighed. “George, maybe, but not Kara.” She pulled her blanket around her shoulders. “But I wish I could tell her,” she added wistfully. “Because she is my best friend, at least in ways that you can’t be. And I want her to know that I really am okay, and that these days I am never alone.”
“You may have your chance someday,” I said, without quite knowing if it was the truth. Regardless of what my seniors may say about it, it would be very unwise to tell anyone about us before they were ready for such truths. It was only through her closeness to me that Freya was able to accept them, and even she had some trouble.
“Don’t let it worry you for now,” I went on, putting a wing over her. “Knowing Kara’s friends, you will need your rest for tonight. Shall I send for Brid to help you sleep?”
She shook her head and closed her eyes, nuzzling closer to me. “Will you sing to me? You have such a beautiful voice.”
“All angels can sing.”
“But you sing the best,” she insisted obstinately.
I laughed and obliged. But now that she is at rest and I am back in heaven, I am a little worried. If this battle goes on for too long, will I cut her off from her loved ones? I will go to her whenever she needs me, but what if it is better for her to look for earthly help? After all, I would like to think that I will be with her through all her life, but only the Father knows everything that will happen. Freya should never be alone.