Tethered Souls | Books 1, 2, and 3

15 | Serenity

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• Luna •

As Luna placed flower seeds in her garden, she chatted with Liberty on her phone about her Memorial Day plans. It had been two days since she had last spoken to Amir. She was still shaken and shocked to know their connection ran deeper than being tethered. He was the one who tried to resuscitate her daughter's father six years prior, and neither of them had remembered that moment until now.

Their lost memory resurfaced a painful reminder that was like a book with chapters, the deep and horrible kind.

She didn't feel like talking much about any wedding plans Chase had spoken to her sister about. But Liberty and Vikram were excited to travel from Houston to New Orleans. The sisters hadn't seen one another since the holidays.

"I don't know what we will do, but I will let you know by Friday."

"Okay. You better," Liberty said. "What are you doing right now?"

"I'm in my garden. Planting flowers."

Putting her on speaker, Luna laid her phone down on a brick.

"How's Sarah?"

"She's good. She misses her auntie Lib," Luna said, digging a small hole. "How's the family business?"

"It's thriving over here. Mom should've stayed."

"I know, but she wanted to go back to London. When was the last time you talked to her?"

Liberty had always kept in touch with their mother more than Luna because she took after their mother's English heritage and adopted her accent, while Luna took after their father's American sound.

"Just the other day. She told me Chase called her to arrange a flight to come to for Memorial Day. You know we can't convince her to visit America. Everywhere reminds her of Dad."

"True."

Luna continued shuffling dirt around a tiny flower pot, thinking about her parents. Since their separation, her mother didn't want to have anything to do with Luna's dad, Lawrence, and the States reminded her of him. But she couldn't blame her. Her dad began dating his receptionist right after he moved back to California and treated her mother like she didn't exist. Her mother didn't deserve that.

While throwing a few seeds into the soil, Luna glanced over and noticed Amir on her left side. He had on a white jogging suit and gave her a small smile.

"Just make sure you inform me what you want to do. I'll try to convince Mom to come to Louisiana. All right, Lu?"

"Lu?"

She disliked having her four-letter name shortened. Her parents named her after a lunar eclipse and she enjoyed being called by her full name.

"Luna. Sorry," Liberty corrected herself.

"I'll let you know. I have to finish this, so I can have a quick bath."

"A bath sounds calming right now."

"It's humid out here, but that's how it is in May," Luna commented and watched Amir pretend to fan himself as he stepped into a boiler room.