A short time had passed since Emily had revealed the existence of Daniel, the second consciousness, sharing her life to her parents - Sarah and Thomas. The revelation had left the entire household—visible and invisible —reeling to say the least, as they tried to find a new rhythm to their life.

The family now sat contemplatively at the dinner table, the silence punctuated by the crackling of a fireplace in the adjoining living room.

Emily looked outside the window, gazing at the trees that had shed their leaves, their bare branches that gently swayed in the evening air. She realized that in many ways, the transition from fall to winter mirrored the family’s own transformation.

Her secret was out and while that brought a certain relief to both her and Daniel, it also brought some discomfort and uncertainty. Her parents were unwavering in their commitment to. and love for their daughter but Emily knew that each of them was grappling with the weight of this incredible revelation.

“Well, this is a bit awkward” Daniel whispered to Emily through their shared connection. “But not truly unexpected?” Emily responded, instinctively completing the sentence.

The conversation was of course internal, Sarah and Thomas were not aware when these internal conversations occurred. Since revealing their shared existence to her parents, the conversations between Emily and Daniel had become more intuitive, their dialogue flowing more openly and naturally now that the weight of hiding had been lifted.

Thomas drummed his fingers on the table deep in thought, while Sarah seemingly absentmindedly drew circles on a cup of tea with her finger.

“Emily,” Thomas began softly, breaking the silence, “Your mom and I are still trying to understand your incredible…” He paused searching for the right word before continuing “Your incredible reality.”

He took a deep breath “Honestly, your mom and I still don’t really get it, and maybe you could help us understand some stuff better?”

Sarah nodded, her expression softening as she quickly added, “We love you—every part of you and that won’t change…”. Searching for the right words herself she paused too before adding “There is no guide for something like this. We’re just trying to figure it out as we go, you know?”

Emily could see the concern in their eyes, and though she felt a pulse of reassurance from within—Daniel’s gentle nudge—she knew this conversation was going to be difficult.

“Thanks for the nudge, Danny,” she quietly murmured to herself, feeling a series of rapid, warm pulses, a note of encouragement from her currently silent partner.

Taking a deep breath, she decided to address the issue head-on.

“Mom, Dad,” she began, her voice steady, “I know this is confusing. I’m still your daughter, but I also have a consciousness that used to be his own person.”

She leaned back with a sigh “So go ahead, shoot, ask whatever you want. There is no manual for something like this so fire away. Whatever question comes to mind.” She finished the last part of that statement trying to project more confidence than she actually felt.

Sarah and Thomas exchanged wide-eyed glances as Emily proverbially opened the door, giving them permission to articulate the questions that had been weighing on their minds.

Thomas shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his brow furrowing. “It’s still so strange,” he admitted, a nervous chuckle escaping him. “Hearing these words come from you, kiddo, it’s like talking to a coworker, not my daughter.”

He hesitated before continuing, his tone becoming more awkward. “It’s also hard to accept that…you have a grown man living inside your head.”

Sarah turned to look at Thomas, her eyes widening slightly. Emily caught the flicker of surprise on her mother’s face, though she suspected Sarah had been thinking along the same lines.

Daniel meanwhile sighed within Emily’s mind. “Everything we’ve shown them, and this is what they fixate on? That I used to be a dude?”

Emily smirked inwardly. “I did say anything goes….”

“Well, fair enough,” Daniel conceded. “To be honest, they could have had a complete meltdown. They’re handling this with more grace than most would have.”

Emily considered his point before speaking again, this time offering a reassuring smile to both her parents and Daniel within her.

“Dad, I know it feels strange, but age really becomes a construct when you’re bonded like this,” she explained, tapping her temple lightly. “Danny is consciousness—energy, in some ways. He likes thinking of himself as a boy, but it’s not like I have some creepy old man in my head judging everything I do.”

A faint ripple of annoyance at the word ‘boy’ from Daniel made her chuckle. “Okay, Sir Daniel prefers to think of himself as a guy. Happy now, Danny?”

Her parents’ expressions remained uncertain, a mix of curiosity and unease. Emily leaned forward slightly, trying to drive her point home. “Seriously, just… roll with it, okay? There are way more complicated, crazy, and beautiful things here than what Danny’s gender and age used to be once upon a time.”

“Easy, Em,” Daniel cautioned gently. “I appreciate the assist, but… tread lightly.”

Emily opened her mouth to fire a return quip, but after observing the tension on her parents’ faces - a mixture of nervousness, shock, curiosity - she decided to heed Daniel’s advice. She took a breath, reined herself, recentered and focussed.

“Danny and I are evolving,” she explained, her tone softer. “We mostly operate in sync. When I move my hand, he feels it as if it were his hand. When I blink, it might as well be his blink. And when I’m calm and in a safe space like this, we can share information even more strongly.”

She paused, trying to find the right words. “ It’s hard to explain, but when you share space like this, things like age and gender just… fade into the background. We’re more focused on working together, figuring out what’s next. It’s perhaps like two computers working side by side”

“For example,” she continued after a brief pause, “Mom, do you consciously think ‘I’m a woman’ every time you open a door? Or Dad, do you think ‘I’m a man’ every time you wash the dishes? No, right? You just… exist. That’s kind of how it feels for us.”

She hesitated, then added, “The bigger question is about me right? How do I fit in this dynamic? Well, I’m still me, your kid, but I don’t always feel like a ‘typical’ nine-year-old anymore. Maybe you can think of me as somewhere in between—a teenager learning as she goes?”

She glanced at them nervously. “It’s not a perfect model, but it’s a place to start.”

Emily suddenly stiffened, frowning slightly as she sensed urgency from Daniel.

“Em,” he said gently, “the teenager model can work in some circumstances, but you’re very much a kid. Knowledge and smarts are one thing, but you’re still learning balance, relationships, boundaries… everything. You’re still a mischievous, sassy gremlin.”

“I’m a WHAT??” Emily growled aloud, startling her parents. She blinked, realizing her outburst, and quickly added, “Sorry, Mom and Dad. Danny said the model should be taken with a grain of salt. Apparently I have a lot of knowledge but life experience is different.” With a mock look of indignation, she added, “He also just called me a mischievous, sassy gremlin.”

There was a momentary pause before Sarah’s lips twitched in amusement. Thomas shook his head, clearly trying not to smile.

“A mischievous, sassy gremlin - I guess that’s one way of describing you,” Sarah said, her tone playful and teasing as she reached out to gently pat Emily’s hand

The tension cracked slightly, replaced by a small, shared laugh. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to momentarily lighten the mood in the room, even as unspoken questions remained.

–

The reprieve was short-lived as the conversation turned to more serious topics.

“See, this is exactly one of those situations, Em,” Thomas said, his thumbs fidgeting nervously, his tone a mixture of concern and confusion. He looked up at Emily, his eyes almost pleading.

“How do we know where Emily begins and Daniel ends? When are you our little girl, and when are you… something more?”

Sarah placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Thomas gave her a small, grateful smile before turning back to Emily. He sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair, a tick Emily recognized as nervous anxiety.

“And well, it’s still a bit… difficult to get used to the idea of you having conversations with someone invisible inside you.”

He chuckled awkwardly, the sound thin. “Gosh, it sounds nuts even saying it out loud. But you’ve shown us proof—undeniable proof—and yet…”

“Still,” Emily finished gently, her expression tinged with sadness. “It’s one thing to know and another to accept, right?” She lowered her gaze, twiddling her thumbs, her voice soft. “Trust me, I had a hard time accepting this myself—and I lived it.”

The room fell into a heavy silence again. The only sound was the faint crackling of the fireplace, which seemed oddly distant.

“I wish I could speak to them,” Daniel murmured within Emily’s mind, his tone heavy with quiet regret. “Tell them it’s okay. Tell them I’m sorry.”

The wave of his guilt rippled through their shared bond, hitting Emily hard like a gust of cold air. It wasn’t the first time Daniel had expressed guilt for “barging into their life,” but feeling it directly was different—heavier.

Emily’s protective instinct flared. She straightened in her seat, grabbing the edge of the table. “You have nothing to be sorry about, Danny,” she said aloud, her voice firm.

Her parents blinked, startled by the sudden outburst. Thomas shifted in his chair nervously but before either parent could respond, Emily turned to them, her expression resolute.

“It’s not like he asked to be shoved into my brain like this,” she said, her voice softening. “We don’t know why it happened, remember?”

Realizing how harsh that might have sounded, Emily took a calming breath, clasping her hands in her lap. She leaned forward slightly, meeting her parents’ eyes. “Look,” she began, her tone measured, “Daniel—he feels guilty, really guilty about all of this. But none of us—absolutely none of us—know why this happened. And honestly?”

She paused, a smile tugging at her lips as she glanced away briefly. “Having him here… having this backup, this big bro watching my back? I can’t imagine going back to the way things were.”

Her voice softened further as she added, “Sometimes I have to remind him, a bit bluntly, to stop being so hard on himself.”

She paused to take a breath and added “He wishes he could talk to you directly,” she said, glancing meaningfully between her parents. “And who knows - our bond is evolving - maybe one day, he will speak to you again?”

—

“Again? What do you mean…?” Sarah began, taken aback, but before she could finish, Emily suddenly straightened, the chair legs scraping against the floor as she abruptly pushed back.

“I think I have an idea!” she exclaimed, a grin spreading across her face. “Something that can explain Daniel and me a bit better - hold on!”

Before her parents could respond, she dashed out of the room, running up the stairs as fast as her feet would carry her.

“Careful, Em,” Daniel murmured in her mind, his tone tinged with caution. “Watch your step. You’ll trip running like that.”

“I’m fine, Danny,” she muttered under her breath, too focused to humor his caution. She darted into her mother’s bedroom, rummaging through Sarah’s sewing kit until she finally located what she was looking for. “Ha! Got it!” she announced triumphantly, holding up two strings—one thick and orange, the other thinner and blue.

With her prizes in hand, she raced back downstairs, of course ignoring Daniel’s continued protests to walk and not run. Sliding back into her seat, she plopped herself down cross-legged, the strings clutched tightly in her hands.

“Imagine this is me,” she began, holding up the thick orange string. Then, she lifted the thinner blue string. “And this - this is Daniel.”

Her parents leaned forward slightly, curiosity now evident on their faces as Emily carefully began intertwining the threads into a loose double helix. The colors blended together as she worked, her movements rapid, deliberate but nevertheless eager.

“This is how we are now,” Emily explained, pulling the intertwined threads taut and holding them up for her parents to see. “Together, we’re stronger. We complement each other, support each other. My thread is still the dominant one—but Daniel is part of me, bonded to me, like a conscience- if a conscience could be a big brother.”

She looked up at her parents, her eyes shining. “He helps me process things, understand things. You’re talking and interacting with me, but Daniel’s always there in the background, helping me make sense of it all. Like - a little circuit running alongside mine. Talking to me, guiding me, listening to me, problem-solving—everything.”

Emily hesitated, a sheepish smile breaking across face. “Unless I need privacy, of course...” she added as she felt her face turn every so slightly red.

—

“What do you mean priva…” Sarah began, but her question got cut off as Thomas inadvertently drew attention away. His gaze remained fixed on the intertwined threads in Emily’s hands, his brow furrowed in deep thought, eyes shining.

“Em this is helpful, but please bear with me,” he said, his voice curious but still concerned. “What happens if one thread—one consciousness—pulls too hard? Does it fray? Can it break?

He swallowed, hesitated for a moment and softly added “Could something happen to you?”

Emily noticed the shift in Sarah’s expression, her mother temporarily tabling her own concerns in the face of Thomas’s heavy natured question.

Nevertheless, she had to try extremely hard to suppress a grin as Daniel chimed in with his trademark snark and sarcasm - “Cut the lady off, why don’t you, bud? Guess who’s sleeping on the couch tonight…”

With some effort Emily successfully resisted the urge to laugh along with her snarky, invisible partner, instead refocusing on the weight of her father’s question. Her expression grew thoughtful as she tilted her head slightly, considering how best to answer.

“It doesn’t work exactly like that,” she said slowly, her tone steady and calm. “Our bond isn’t something physical that can just be pulled apart or yank on each other. It’s deeper than that—woven into who we are. Breaking it - ”

She paused, searching for the right words or analogy. “Well, let’s just say it’s not something that could happen by accident or even on purpose from the outside, as far Danny or I know anyway.”

Thomas’s brow remained furrowed. “So, it’s impossible?” he pressed, his unease still evident.

Emily nodded slightly, her tone gentle but firm. “Basically…it is impossible, our connection is too interwoven, too intrinsic.”

She hesitated, not wanting to scare or unnerve her parents unnecessarily. “Hypothetically, if something did manage to tear us apart—we probably had much bigger problems on our hands in the first place, the results would probably not be great”.

She frowned, shaking her head as if dismissing the thought. “Honestly, I don’t think it’s worth overthinking because I just don’t see how it could happen. There just isn’t a way short of lobotomizing me and even then…”

Sarah finally interjected, her voice quieter than Thomas’s but nevertheless concerned. “But what makes it so impossible, Em? Is it because of how you’re bonded?”

Emily turned to her mother with a small, reassuring smile. “Exactly. It’s like trying to untangle light from a flame - it isn’t possible, you’d extinguish all of it. And neither of us wants that.”

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Thomas and Sarah both sat back as their postures relaxed even if tension still lingered in their posture. “Okay,” Thomas murmured. “That’s something, at least, at least you’re stable.”

In the quiet that followed, Daniel’s voice broke gently into Emily’s thoughts. “There is one exception Em…if I quietly disappeared,” he said softly, his tone steady but heavy with meaning. “In that case, my thread would just… unravel around yours. You’d be fine, but I’d be gone.”

Emily’s breath hitched as her heart skipped a beat. Her fingers tightened around the strings as she whispered back in her mind, “What do you mean, Danny? How would you disappear? Are you…planning to disappear?”

There was a pause—the silence oddly deafening, far heavier than it should have been.

“No,” Daniel replied at last, his tone overly neutral. “I’m not planning on it. But it is a hypothetical. Look, let’s focus on the conversation at hand, I know you have questions but save this for another time.”

Emily felt it —the faint shift in him, like someone holding back a deeper, darker truth, a hint of something unspoken hovering in the edges of their shared mindspace.

She felt him straining, considering his words carefully as he paused before adding “It’s something I’ve only just started to figure out. I really don’t fully understand it myself. So for now, let’s table it - we can talk later one on one when the time is right, okay?”

Emily nodded mentally, she didn’t press, but her unease lingered as she turned her attention back to her parents, all the while wondering what Daniel had meant by those cryptic words.

—

“Em, what did you mean by ‘unless I need privacy?’” Sarah asked, her curiosity piqued.

“Borderline awkward…,” murmured Daniel in the back of Emily’s mind, his tone dry but amused.

“Well, obviously we talk about loads of things,” Emily began, taking a moment to gather her thoughts. “Stories about his old universe, what’s different in this one, what he likes and misses, homework, you guys, friends, dreams, hopes, pranks…” She trailed off with a small, nonchalant shrug before adding, “You know, the whole nine yards.”

Her gaze dropped slightly, and a blush crept across her cheeks as she hesitated. “But one day, we got onto the topic of privacy—you know, like when I need time alone.”

Sarah and Thomas exchanged glances, their expressions sharpening with interest. “And what did he say?” Thomas asked, leaning forward slightly.

Emily chuckled, glancing at her parents with a teasing glint in her eye. “Well, we’re pretty intertwined, and a lot of the stuff regular humans worry about just - doesn’t come up.” She couldn’t help but smirk as her parents shifted uncomfortably under her gaze.

“But if I need some privacy, he instinctively steps back—like, pure instinct. Automatically, like breathing. It’s kind of like he goes to sleep or something. Then there are times when I just ask him to give me space, or he needs his own, and we sort of - wall off from each other for a bit. It’s not perfect; sometimes stuff leaks through. Like being in two rooms right next to each other.”

“Or a typical college dorm in my universe” Danny quipped again nonchalantly.

Sarah’s expression remained uncertain, but her voice softened with a hint of relief. “That’s… considerate of him,” she said, her tone tinged with cautious optimism. “Strange as it is, it sounds like he’s attentive to your needs.”

“Considerate? Attentive? What am I , your butler?” Daniel commented with his patented dryness once again.

“Yeah, he can be pretty considerate,” Emily said with a playful eye-roll. “When he’s not being a snarky know-it-all, that is.”

She hurriedly added “Just to let you know, he says he doesn’t share everything with me, though—apparently some memories are too intense or not exactly kid-appropriate.”

Thomas nodded slowly, exchanging a look with Sarah, their expressions relieved. “He’s right, sweetie,” Thomas said, nodding slightly. “Some things are better left alone. I’m glad he’s making sure you’re safe—even in your own mind.”

“He sounds conscientious ,” Sarah said, her voice cautious but genuine. “Almost hard to believe, considering how connected you are.” She exchanged a glance with Thomas, her tone tinged with cautious optimism. “It’s surprising, but it’s also comforting to know he respects your boundaries. It’s just a lot to take in for someone like us who can’t really feel it the same way”

Emily’s smile softened, her heart warming at her parents’ cautious but growing acceptance. “Yeah, he really is looking out for me,” she said simply.

—

A quietness fell over the room as the family absorbed the weight of Emily’s words. Each of them seemed lost in thought, reflecting on what had been said. It was Thomas who finally broke the silence, his gaze shifting to the intertwined threads in Emily’s hands.

“You called him a big brother…” he began hesitantly, his voice tinged with uncertainty. “Like you’ve seen him? You can actually talk to him? I know you just said it a moment ago, but can you explain that more?”

“Yeah sort of, Dad,” Emily replied with a small smile. “It’s like having a deeper, wiser part of myself to talk to,” she explained. “I can feel Daniel’s presence—sometimes he nudges me or gives advice, sometimes he gets excited and jabbers, but mostly he’s quiet. Just… living with and through me.”

She paused, her voice softening. “I can also access his memories, and it’s usually quite seamless, especially since I opened up to you both. And you already know that we can think and process stuff together.” She smiled at them, her gratitude evident. “It doesn’t really feel separate anymore—it’s just… us.”

Emily hesitated for a moment, sensing how strange this might sound. “I know it’s a little hard to imagine,” she added, almost apologetically.

Thomas nodded, his face thoughtful as he scratched his beard. Sarah, on the other hand, leaned forward again, her expression wistful and curious.

“But can you ever see him?” Sarah asked, her voice quiet, barely above a whisper.

Emily furrowed her brow, searching for the best way to explain. “Yes, I can,” she began carefully. “When I meditate, I can enter a place inside my mind that Daniel and I call the dreamscape. It’s this space where we can meet and connect.”

She paused, her parents’ expressions shifting from cautious intrigue to confusion.

“Oh - I didn’t mention this before, did I?” Emily added with a sheepish smile, gently smacking her head with her palm.

“So yeah the dreamscape - it’s just a part of our mind where Daniel and I can see each other, interact, do stuff together. It feels a bit strange—like meeting another part of yourself. Daniel and I think it’s a side effect of this whole dual-consciousness thing. Maybe it’s some weird quantum phenomenon, or maybe we’re just using more of our brain than most people do.”

Noticing the flicker of concern in their eyes, Emily quickly reassured them. “Don’t worry, it’s perfectly safe. I’ve been there plenty of times and Danny’s always with me, guiding me through it.” She smirked slightly, trying to lighten the mood. “I know it sounds strange, but come on—does any of this sound normal? I’m basically a walking supercomputer. Of course, that comes with some privileges.”

Her parents exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of awe and trepidation as they tried to digest this latest revelation. It was just another incredible secret their daughter had casually dropped on them.

“Incredible,” Thomas murmured. “I mean, I guess we should be more surprised, but after everything we’ve seen—honestly, I just don’t know what to say. A dreamworld within your own mind.” He looked more pointedly at Emily. “You’re not pulling our leg, are you? Just messing with us?”

Emily chuckled and quickly replied, “Not this time, Dad. Not about something like this. I know it belies reality, but it’s as real as me being able to calculate… say, 1234 times 5678.” With a playful look, she added, “The answer is seven million, six thousand, six hundred and fifty-two, in case you wanted to check.”

“Mic-drop” Daniel murmured quietly, making Emily chuckle softly despite the gravity of the situation.

—

Everyone was quiet for a moment, digesting the latest revelation. The crackle of the fireplace filled the silence as they sat, lost in thought.

“What does this dreamscape look like?” Sarah finally asked, her voice tinged with wonder. “And what does he look like?”

Emily’s eyes lit up, her demeanor brightening as she launched into her description. “It’s peaceful, dreamy - usually like a meadow,” she said, her voice brimming with excitement. “The grass feels soft under your feet, the air smells fresh, and you can hear birds chirping. It’s where I feel safest.”

She hesitated, her gaze softening as she turned to her father. “Even the cherry blossom you helped me plant is there. It’s growing, just like Daniel and I are.”

Thomas’s eyes widened, a mix of amazement and pride flashing across his face. “That’s… incredible, Em,” he said, his voice thick with emotion as he reached out and gently squeezed her shoulder.

Emily beamed - “It’s awesome,” she continued, her enthusiasm bubbling over. “We’re both learning how to control it, to morph it. We can relive Daniel’s old memories or mine—or even mix them together. It’s like magic!” Her words tumbled out in a rush, her excitement palpable.

Her parents exchanged a look, appearing captivated by her energy, though Sarah’s curiosity still lingered. “And Daniel?” she asked gently. “What’s he like?”

Emily’s tone turned playful. “Hmm… well, he says he used to be in his twenties—early twenties, I think. He’s kind of lanky and has this mop of hair that’s always a mess,” she said, giggling. “Typical boy—doesn’t comb his hair, always wearing jeans and a T-shirt. Overprotective, over-analytical, overthinks everything. He’s shy but tries to come off as calm and cool. Kind, playful, sharp as a nail, but really, he’s just a dorky older brother.”

“Takes one to know one,” Daniel replied internally, his voice soft but amused.

Emily rolled her eyes at his comment, but her grin widened. The playful tension unintentionally broke the tension again, and Sarah and Thomas exchanged a glance. A silent understanding passed between them as Thomas looked away with a nostalgic smile, while Sarah gave him a knowing look.

“I get it, Emily,” Sarah said gently, reaching over to squeeze Thomas’s hand. “Boys are the same- your dad was like that too, you know. Still is, sometimes,” she added with a teasing smile.

Thomas chuckled softly but didn’t argue. He looked at Emily, his gaze warm. “She’s not wrong,” he admitted abashedly.

Sarah’s expression turned thoughtful as she looked back at Emily. “And he’s always there to help me figure things out,” she said quietly. “It’s nice knowing he’s around.”

Emily nodded enthusiastically. “Yep… just like that,” she said, her voice affectionate. “I know I was an only child, but if you ever got to meet him, you’d see he isn’t all that different from stories you told me about your brother, Uncle Jack, Mom.”

She paused, her expression softening. “Danny feels like family—not just because we’re bonded, but because he looks out for me, teases and plays with me, teaches me, and pushes me to do better. He’s not perfect, but he’s always and I mean ALWAYS got my back. Like the big brother I never knew I wanted.”

“Thanks Em” Danny muttered softly in their shared mindspace as Emily felt his gratitude spread through every cell of her being.

The family sat together in silence - not due to concern but from a place of warmth - as they reflected on this shared revelation, their joint understanding and connection strengthening.

—

“Em…” Sarah began, her voice quizzical but hesitant. Emily’s breath hitched as she sensed another bombshell looming. “A moment ago, you said something about… one day maybe he can speak to us again?”

Sarah paused, exhaling sharply as though steadying herself. “What do you mean again? Has he spoken with us before?”

Thomas’s head snapped toward Sarah, his eyes wide with surprise as he glanced between Emily and his wife, clearly caught off guard.

Emily sighed deeply, swinging her legs slightly, as she wrestled with how to answer this rather charged question. She felt Daniel’s presence sharpen, his concern pressing against the periphery of her mind.

“Proceed with caution, Em. I don’t mean to put pressure on you, but -” Daniel’s voice was low, somber, almost pleading. “Just be careful, okay? They might not take this well.”

Emily hesitated, running through scenarios and permutations in her mind, trying to identify the least painful way to unveil yet another revelation. Nothing came to mind - no matter how she framed it, it was going to sting, or at least shock them. Finally, she shook her head in frustration, then took a deep breath and said, “Oh, to heck with it. I’m just going to rip the bandaid off.”

She sat straighter, meeting her parents’ gazes with every ounce of determination she could muster. She hoped her posture and body language appeared more confident than how she actually felt in that moment.

Her heart hammering, she started slowly - “We talked about this the night I told you the truth, but I can see why you might have forgotten. There was… a lot happening, after all.” She gulped, bracing herself, then added, “For a while, Daniel was your child.”

Her parents froze, staring at her as if she had grown a dumbstruck, as though she had grown a second head. Neither spoke for several moments.

“Our child…what… how?” Sarah finally murmured, her voice barely audible. “Emily, how is that even possible?”

Thomas, meanwhile, seemed too flabbergasted to say anything, his mouth slightly agape.

Daniel too, typically quick with a dry comment, was uncharacteristically silent. Emily felt his emotions swirling—a maelstrom of guilt, apprehension, and a vulnerability she hadn’t often sensed from him.

Taking another deep breath, Emily pressed forward. “Sometime last year, do you remember I was acting a bit off? Like I was out of it, forgetting things, or being unsure around you both? I was quieter than usual for a while.”

“We thought it was a phase, maybe something kids go through,” Thomas murmured, scratching his beard again absentmindedly. “You were starting at a new school. We just assumed…”

“Well, uh - that wasn’t actually me,” Emily said, turning a shade of pink. “It was, um Danny. He was inadvertently, uh - controlling my body.”

“He was WHAT?” Thomas shot to his feet, his eyes blazing with protective anger, his posture aggressive and ready for a fight with this unseen entity. “He was CONTROLLING you?”

“Tom, sit—please,” Sarah said firmly, placing her hand over his in an attempt to calm him. Thomas clenched and unclenched his fists, his jaw tight with anger. After a tense moment, he sat down again, though his body remained rigid, exuding his frustration.

“This is what I was worried about,” Daniel murmured softly within Emily’s mind. “Please tell them I’m sorry. I…I had no control.”

Emily could feel his guilt, his fear of being seen as an intruder, an enemy or worse - a violator of trust rather than as Emily’s partner. Before she could respond, Daniel added, “I took over their kid’s body. I effectively pretended to be their child. For a while, they were my mom and dad… but I was never meant to be here.”

She felt it so deeply that it nearly overwhelmed her. Before she could think better of it, she blurted out, “He’s sorry, okay? He didn’t ask for this either!”

Her parents blinked at her outburst, startled, but she pressed on, her voice firm as her instinct to protect Daniel gave her clarity, fueling her determination.

“Mom, Dad, I need you to listen to me—really listen, okay?”

Thomas reluctantly made eye contact, while Sarah, although more composed, still looked deeply unsettled.

“Daniel had zero control over any of this,” Emily continued plainly, her tone unwavering. “We don’t know why this merge happened. We don’t know if some cosmic accident caused it or if there’s something else at play. But one thing I do know—he didn’t come here to hijack me. He didn’t choose this any more than I did. Whatever brought him here, it jammed him into my head without explanation or consent.”

She continued, her voice softening. “For a while, his consciousness was dominant while mine was - asleep, quietly nudging him. It was just part of the merge. He didn’t know what was happening either. One moment he was in his universe, next he was waking up here in my body”

Her parents exchanged a glance, their unease still evident for anyone to see. However Emily sensed their anger dissipating somewhat, turning into something more contemplative.

Emily pressed on, her voice steady but pleading. “He isn’t an imposter. He isn’t a villain. He isn’t some poltergeist. He’s my partner, my brother. And frankly, please remember we wouldn’t be alive right now if it weren’t for him.”

That got their attention.

—

“The tornado,” Sarah whispered in awe. “You’d mentioned - before - that was Daniel urging you to get us to safety? Insisting?”

“We thought it was providence,” Thomas added, his voice quieter now. “But it wasn’t, was it?”

“Nope,” Emily said, nodding emphatically. “Not in the usual sense, anyway. Truth is, if it weren’t for Danny, we’d all be dead—me, you, Lily, Lucy. We wouldn’t have made it. He saved us.”

Her voice softened once again. “I know this is strange. I know it’s unbelievable, no matter how many times I say it. But please, please don’t hate him. Don’t treat him like some criminal who broke into my mind. I’m not asking you to accept him right away, but…”

“But we owe him,” Thomas finished reluctantly, glancing at Sarah, who nodded in agreement. “We owe him at least that much.”

Sarah’s expression grew thoughtful. Slowly, she asked, “So are you saying we were looking after him through you for a while?”

Emily nodded. “I know how it sounds, but yes. You were technically his mom and dad for a while. He wasn’t aware of me. He thought maybe he’d been reincarnated, or that this was some kind of dream. But once he found his bearings, he genuinely saw you as his parents.”

Her voice softened further as she added, “And he loved being your kid. He doesn’t admit it, but in some ways, you were the mom and dad he always wished he had.”

She turned to Sarah. “Mom, it was Danny you taught to make bread and soup, the one you read stories to at night.”

She looked at Thomas. “Dad, it was Danny who held the tools when you fixed things, who planted the tree with you.”

Emily chuckled softly, as her tone turned affectionate “And yeah, Mom it was him you taught how to dress in girl clothes when things got… tricky. And Dad, you were the one who gently steered him away from the boys’ room.”

She shrugged her shoulders playfully “He was confused, but he adored you both - he still does.”

“Thanks, Em,” Daniel murmured, his voice thick with emotion. “Thanks for having my back. I don’t know what to expect… but thanks.”

“You got it, bro,” Emily replied silently, smiling internally.

She turned back to her parents. “So yeah maybe one day, he’ll be able to speak again. Maybe we’ll figure out how to switch places in the driver’s seat. And maybe, one day, he’ll be able to tell you himself how much he respects and cares for you.”

The room fell into silence. Sarah looked wistful, her expression softening as a maternal instinct seemed to stir within her. Thomas looked more conflicted, his emotions harder to read as he bit his lip, clearly holding back a torrent of thoughts.

Finally, Thomas spoke. “That’s a lot, Em. A lot. I don’t know how I feel or what to say, but…”

“But we don’t love you any less,” Sarah finished gently, giving him a pointed look. “And if Danny was running the body for a bit—accidentally, as you said—then please thank him for being a good guest.”

“Guest,” Emily repeated softly, her expression contemplative. “Not what I’d hoped for, but not an imposter, either.”

“We’re all processing this,” Daniel murmured, his tone emotional but steady. “It’ll take time.”

And for now, that was enough.

—

The silence lingered in the room, still heavy but not suffocating like it had been - the quiet now signaling Sarah and Thomas’s careful consideration.

Sarah finally reached out, gently scratching Emily’s hair. “You know, sweetheart, I can’t pretend to understand all of this yet. It’s still a lot to take in. But based on what you are saying—if he saved us, if he’s a part of you—then I can see why he matters to you, why you look at him as your brother.”

Sitting up straight, a look of finality in her eyes, she added “I think that’s where I need to start.”

Thomas glanced at Sarah, his expression still conflicted but softened. “I don’t know if I’m ready to think of him as family, Em—not yet. But he’s part of you, and that’s something I can’t ignore. For now, I’ll do my best to respect that.”

Emily exhaled, her shoulders loosening slightly. “That’s all I could ask for. Thank you.”

“Now, about this secret,” Sarah said, shifting gears to a more pragmatic tone. “We need to be clear about one thing, Emily. You can’t tell anyone else about this—not Lily, not Lucy, not Grandma or Grandpa. Not yet.”

Emily nodded reluctantly. “I know. I hate it, but I get it. The world isn’t ready for something like this. I don’t want anyone thinking I’m weird.”

“Being normal is overrated…” Daniel quipped, his usual wit returning. Emily could sense his gratefulness to her exuding, overflowing through their bond, warming her own heart.

Thomas crossed his arms, his tone firm but kind. “It’s not just about how they’d see you, Em. It’s about safety. Yours and Daniel’s. People fear what they don’t understand, and we don’t know how they’d react.”

“I understand,” Emily said, her voice tinged with sadness. “It’s hard, though. I want to share this part of me with the people I love.”

Sarah’s hand rested on Emily’s shoulder, squeezing gently. “And maybe someday you can. But for now, let’s keep this just between us.”

Emily gave a small, brave smile. “Okay. Just us.”

The family fell into a thoughtful quiet, the crackling of the fireplace filling the space. Emily toyed with the intertwined threads in her lap, then handed one end to Sarah and the other to Thomas.

“This is us,” she said softly. “Together, we’re stronger.”

Sarah and Thomas took the threads, holding them lightly but reverently. For a moment, the three of them sat there, connected by the fragile but unbreakable bond of family.

Thomas broke the silence with a quiet chuckle. “You know, Em, you really know how to keep life interesting.”

Emily grinned, some of the tension finally beginning to dissipate. “What can I say? I’m full of surprises.” She added more quietly “Both of us are…”