Violet & Rachel

T hey thought about taking it to Greece since they took trips there every couple of years now, but people knew that about them, and it would be obvious. From there, someone would be able to easily trace their movements. They had favorite hotels and beaches when they traveled there, and anyone would be able to find the likely places the device could be. It could take decades or centuries, but Violet and Rachel didn't want to take any risks, so they held on to the device for a long time after that day in the cabin while they tried to figure out where to take it.

When Dora and Daryn were born, they'd also gotten busier, so they often forgot they had one-third of the device stowed inside a hole in a tree in their backyard. They'd wrapped it up and tucked it away, but they needed to find somewhere to take it that wouldn't be near their home and their children. When the twins were five, Violet finally found a place that could work. Rachel handled beating their section with a hammer until it was in at least a dozen pieces. They each took about half of them and put them into two locked cases that were much smaller than the one Violet had found buried under her pool.

One afternoon, they took their girls for a drive, listening to them talk about their favorite cartoons and songs in the back seat and smiling because ten minutes later, they were both asleep. Violet took her wife's hand and kissed it, feeling like she had everything she'd ever wanted and more. When they arrived, the girls woke up and ran to their grandparents. They loved Rachel's parents, and their grandparents loved spoiling them. Once the kids were deposited, they took off on a long road trip, deciding it was better to drive than fly because they could avoid security asking them questions about random metal pieces in their carry-on bag. They had a couple of nights in a hotel room where they made love and enjoyed one another without worrying about their kids running in or needing something. They'd been together for more than a decade now, and Violet knew she'd never want it any other way.

When they arrived at the Grand Canyon, they drove the road along it and stopped periodically to take in the view neither of them had ever seen before. They talked about bringing the girls here when they got a bit older, took photos, and went on a few tours. Before they ended their brief trip to the South Rim, they parked and walked into the wilderness. With no one around, they dug a deep enough hole and buried half of the pieces there. After that, they drove to the North Rim and repeated their actions. They enjoyed their vacation, took their pictures and tours, pretending like everything was normal, and went into the wilderness to bury the other half of the pieces.

With nothing else to do but go home, they headed in that direction and took their time, finding fun stops along the way, eating at diners and the few really nice restaurants they'd looked up and made reservations for, and when they picked up their girls, they listened to their kids excitedly tell them all about their time with their grandparents. Rachel and Violet held hands the entire drive home, and they each carried a five-year-old up the stairs to their bedroom, which they still shared because they weren't ready to have separate rooms yet. Most mornings, when either Rachel or Violet went to wake them, they found Daryn in Dora's bed.

"I hope they're always like this with each other," Rachel said the morning after they got home and found the girls in one bed again.

"I kind of hope they eventually sleep in their own beds. I think if and when they end up in relationships one day, their significant others will prefer that."

Rachel smiled at Violet and asked, "Do you think they'll marry whomever they married in your vision and have their own kids?"

"I don't know," Violet replied honestly, wrapping her arms around her wife. "And I'm okay with that. I just want them to be happy."

"Well, they're still out, so any chance you want to go back to bed and take advantage of this rare morning where they sleep in?"

Violet kissed her temple and replied, "Yes, but I kind of also just want to watch them sleep, if that's okay. I missed them."

"Yeah, you're right," Rachel said and held on to Violet's arms around her waist. "I love you."

"Oh, my love, I love you ."