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The moonlight filtered through the trees and shone upon the river. Through the water, the light seemed ethereal, magical. If she believed in fairies, she’d believe that they’d be dancing in the moonlight tonight. The smell of flowers was intoxicating and blended with the scent of cool, clean water. The falls were more enchanted seeming than they’d ever been. Through the waterfall, she could make out their silhouettes.

“It’s lovely to see you, child.” Liliane smiled, her hand resting on Laurent’s.

Callie felt a burst of sadness inside. Though their hands were touching, they couldn’t feel each other. What must that feel like, she wondered, to be unable to feel the touch of the one you loved for three hundred years?

“Don’t think about it,” Laurent advised her, almost as though he’d read her thoughts.

“It’s hard not to,” she admitted. “I don’t think I could ever live three hundred years without my husband’s touch. You’re so strong, your story so inspiring.”

Liliane smiled again. “The time is coming when we will be freed. When we will no longer be separated, so neither of us is saddened any more.”

Callie frowned. “Do you mean that, once the three hundred years have lapsed, you’ll be together again?”

Laurent shook his head. “Callie, you have my blood running through you, so you know what will be. Even if you don’t want to see it.”

“How could I not want to see what will free you? I want both of you happy,” she reminded them.

“It is not yet time for you to know, but they’ll need your help,” Liliane told her. “Keep them on the right path. What your blood wronged, you will right.”

Callie woke and glanced around the darkened room. Her eyes fell on the clock on the nightstand.

“Three-thirty,” she murmured to herself then sighed. “What were you saying, Liliane? What did you mean ‘they’ll need your help’? Who?”

“Callie.” Howie’s voice was muffled by the pillow, but his arm snaked out from under the covers and pulled her against him. “Whatever you’re worried about, put it to rest for now. Morning’s soon enough to worry.”

She curled into his warmth and smiled as she felt his heart beat beneath her hand. The man she’d married was of the no-nonsense variety, and she couldn’t be more grateful. When she worried about her premonitions, he pushed straightforward reality in front of her and kept her focused on worldly matters. Like now. Howie was right. She couldn’t really do much for the lovers at the very moment. But, in the morning…

“I love you, Howie,” she whispered.

His eyes still closed, he brushed a kiss over her forehead. “I love you, too, Cal. But, at the moment, I really love sleep, too.”

She bit back a laugh. Howie’s sleeping habits were another legend she lived with.

***

“Hey, Brian. Got a minute?” Alex leaned against the door to Brian’s office, his fingers tapping the wood of the door frame. Tap tap tap.

Brian raised a brow at the nervous behavior on his friend’s part. The only thing he could think of that would cause the nerves would be a failed deadline. He knew for a fact that his own column had been turned in as soon as he’d gotten in to work that morning, so that couldn’t be it.

He shrugged. “Sure, what’s up?”

Alex stepped in, followed by Nick. Alex jerked a thumb in the younger man’s direction. “Carter stopped by this morning, so he’s coming along.”

Brian nodded. “What’s up, Nick?”

“Not much. Dana’s back to teaching, so things have gotten back to busy again.”

“Which means you have to cook after work, right?” Brian grinned at the idea of Nick in an apron, wielding a pot or a spatula.

Nick rolled his eyes, though a smile teased his lips. “Hey, at least I don’t have to cook all the time like a certain bachelor I know.”

“And I’m proud of it,” Brian announced.

“And, now, if the two of you are done with your banter, I’d like to make an announcement please,” Alex broke in.

The other two turned to look at him. “Yeah?”

Alex paced the small confines of Brian’s office. “Jesus, Brian. You could have a bigger office if you want, you know.”

“That’s the announcement you wanted to make?” Brian asked incredulously.

Alex waved a hand. “No, no. My announcement is…well, Christine came home yesterday.”

“Really?” Brian grinned. “Awesome! I’ll be over tonight to see her then.”

“Sure.” Alex shrugged. “But the announcement gets better. She, well, she came home because she found out that she’s pregnant.”

“I knew that,” Nick said simply. “That was your announcement?”

Alex narrowed his eyes at Nick. “What do you mean, you knew? How the hell could you know if Chris came home last night?”

“Because she came to see Dana to get help on setting the right ‘scene’ to tell you the big news. Guess the scene went well, eh?” Nick winked suggestively.

Brian launched himself at Alex and enveloped him in a hug. “You’re going to be a great dad! I can’t wait! How’s Chris? Is she getting sick? Has she gained any weight? What gender’s the baby?”

Alex patted Brian’s back before pushing him away to give himself space to breathe. “Jeez, Brian. I love ya, too, but don’t suffocate me before I can be a dad. Chris is fine, she’s not getting sick, she hasn’t gained weight that I can tell, and, no, we don’t know the baby’s gender, and we don’t want to. Does that answer your questions?”

Brian grinned. “I’m so excited for the two of you! Congratulations!” He turned to Nick. “Now, if you and Dana were to, you know, think about having one of your own…”

Nick held up his hands and backed away a little. “Oh, no. Not right now. We’re not ready for kids yet. We’ll let you know when we are.”

Brian shrugged. “Okay, relax. I was just kidding.”

“Well, what about you, Bri?” Alex asked. “Don’t you want to get married and have your own kids? I thought that was one of your dreams? I mean, you’ve been dating Juliet for years, so why don’t the two of you get married?”

Reena skidded through his mind, and Brian pushed her aside and thought of Juliet. “Uh, well, I don’t know. I mean, we both like our relationship the way it is.”

“She’s in love with you,” Nick pointed out. “It’s kinda hard to miss.”

Brian sighed. “I know, but I just don’t know if I feel the same way. I care about her, and I’m attracted to her, but…”

“Brian, you’re stuck in a rut,” Alex announced. “Maybe we should introduce you to some new women. I hear there’s a pair of sisters new in town. Howie’s working with both of them, so maybe he could introduce you.”

“I’ve met them,” Brian replied. “They’re…nice.” Reena popped into his mind again.

“When did you meet them?” Nick wondered.

Brian shrugged. “Yesterday. Howie said because the memorial was my idea, I should meet the person designing it. Gwen’s nice enough once she loosens up, and her sister’s a photographer. I took her up to the falls…” his voice trailed off, and Alex frowned. There was something Brian wasn’t saying.

“And?”

“And what?” He was getting irritable, and he knew it. He felt like he was being backed into a corner, and he disliked the feeling. It was bad enough that he’d kissed a woman other than the one he was dating, spent all night tossing and turning because the kiss had heated him up more than he’d thought possible, but, now, he had to face it in the daylight, too? “There’s nothing more to tell.”

Alex raised a brow. “Spill.”

They stared at each other for long moments, until Brian cursed under his breath. Alex had always won staring contests for as long as he could remember.

Brian started pacing now. “Okay! I give up! She kissed me! Reena and I kissed, and that’s all that happened! It was just a stupid, stupid kiss. Happy?” He slumped down into his chair.

Alex sat on the desk, and Nick leaned against a wall. Both watched him expectantly.

“Well?” Brian wondered when they’d say anything or if they’d just keep watching him like he was a science experiment that was doing something extraordinary.

“If it was just a kiss, why are you so cranky?” Alex wondered.

“Unless it was more than a kiss,” Nick suggested.

When they watched him, silent again, Brian sighed. “I feel like a jerk for kissing someone else when I’m with Juliet, but, the thing is, I liked the kiss. Hell, I was blown away by the kiss. I just don’t know what to do about it now.”

“What do you want to do about it?” Alex asked.

Brian bit his lip and stared hard at the blank computer screen. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “I mean, Reena was the one who instigated it, but it wasn’t like I fought her off. Especially once I found my brain again and thought about how great it was. Which was why I barely slept last night. I kept seeing her eyes, feeling her hair between my fingers, and…”

“Damn. You’re hooked good,” Nick decided.

“And after only a kiss,” Alex agreed. He patted Brian’s shoulder. “Bri, we’ve been friends since we were babies, so I feel like I can say this. I think you should stop dating Juliet and try for something with this Reena woman. Of course, you should let me meet her first, but if you feel all this…”

“I barely know her,” Brian pointed out.

“And, what? You think you’ll get to know her without dating her? Spending time with her? Think again.” Alex shook his head. “You and Juliet are going nowhere. You care about her, but you’re not in love with her.”

“Says who?” Brian asked defensively.

“Says you,” Nick answered. “You never said you loved her, and, if you really did, don’t you think you would’ve married her years ago?”

Instead of answering, Brian turned and stared out the window at the view of Seven Falls. Alex rolled his eyes at the set look on his friend’s face. When Brian got in this stubborn mood, there was no moving him.

“I’m gonna throw a barbecue,” Brian decided, after long, silent moments passed.

“Huh?” Nick wondered at the change in topic, then realized this was Brian’s way of tabling the discussion. “Okay.”

Brian turned to look at Alex and gave him a small smile. “In honor of the new baby, of course. I’ll call Kevin, Howie, their families, you guys…It’ll be good. Tomorrow night. Are you busy?”

Alex flipped through his mental calendar. “Nope. All free.”

“Nick?”

“I’m good, so’s Dane. We’ll be there.”

“Good.” Brian nodded. “Now, go. I have work to do that’s not going to do itself.”

Alex rolled his eyes. You’d think the man was the chief editor or something the way he carried on sometimes. Honestly.

***

“So, what do you think?” Gwen tried to watch Howie’s face to see if she could glimpse his reaction to the two sketches she’d handed over. “I mean, I sketched them last night, and they’re really rough, but…”

“Gwen.” Howie looked up. “Relax.”

“Huh?” She frowned. “Oh, okay.”

He smiled and held one of the sketches up. “I like this one.”

Gwen leaned forward to see which one it was and smiled when she recognized it. The newest sketch she’d done was of seven waterfalls set in a semi-circle. The memorial would be made of a metal, and she was hoping to give it the effect of water tumbling down into a river. The river flowed out six feet, and two willows, one on each bank of the river, leaned across towards each other.

“I take it the willows represent the lovers bridging the gap between their feuding families?” Howie wondered.

Gwen nodded. “I think symbolism is good. Willows are usually the tree I think of when I imagine symbolizing sadness and hope in nature. Plus, they’re romantic, too. So, it’s good?” she asked hopefully.

“I like it a lot. It’s what I had in mind when I envisioned the project months ago,” Howie assured her. “The town is going to need to approve it, though, before I can give you the go-ahead. I’ve called for a meeting for Thursday night in the town hall, so I’ll let you know by Friday morning what was decided. Or you could come on Thursday and present the project, too. Whatever you feel comfortable with.”

“Oh. Well, I suppose I could present it.” She hated oral presentations. Stage fright was her biggest opponent in the public sphere. “I can answer any questions people might have.”

Howie nodded. “That’s what I was thinking, too. So, it’s settled then. You’ll present your idea on Thursday night. Thanks, Gwen.”

“Hey, you’re paying me,” she reminded him. “It’s no problem, though. I really enjoyed the falls.” She tried not to think of Kevin’s kiss. “And I actually have a suggestion for my own idea.”

“Go ahead.”

“Well, I-I’m not a great writer, but I think the memorial is certainly going to need some sort of poem or script on a plaque near it. Something describing its legend of love, hope, loss, and despair.” She paused. “What do you think?”

“I think I would’ve suggested that somewhere down the line,” Howie admitted. He smiled. “I’m glad I picked you to work with Gwen. I think you’re starting to understand the spirit of Seven Falls.”

“I hope so,” she murmured. It was the people, though, that had her completely confused. Especially Kevin.