The morning after Emily’s karaoke adventure, Sarah and Thomas sat together in the kitchen sipping coffee. The house was unusually quiet, an odd contrast to the storm and turmoil of their inner thoughts as they reflected on the learnings and realizations of the past few weeks.

“I feel torn, Tom,” Sarah began with a sigh, setting her cup down. “We promised to understand and accept our daughter - and I know we do! I’m just not sure what to feel about Daniel.”

Thomas, his fingers absently tracing the rim of his mug, looked up with a nod.

“Oh, I totally get it,” he murmured pensively. “We've seen the proof, the EEG, Sarah—it showed a second consciousness. We have tangible proof that Emily’s mind is different.”

A silence fell over them, each lost in their own thoughts.

Thomas could no longer deny Daniel's reality, yet questions persisted. Was Daniel part of their daughter, an interloper, a guardian, or merely a friend? Even after Emily’s earnest advocating - the presence of another consciousness within Emily made him uneasy.

Thomas leaned forward, a furrow deepening on his brow. "You know what troubles me the most? The way Emily talks about Daniel. It’s as if he's really there, not just an entity in her head, but an actual part of our family."

He shook his head, almost as if symbolically trying to shake the image of Emily speaking with such conviction about Daniel - her “invisible big brother”. He recalled her animated face, her gestures so full of life, and it pained him to admit that part of her happiness was because of something he still couldn't fully accept.

“It's one thing to acknowledge that there’s this... entity, this consciousness alongside our daughter,” Thomas muttered again. “But she describes him as if he were a real person, with his own thoughts and feelings. It’s unnerving."

Sarah, on the other hand, held a more amenable view.

While she shared her husband's concerns, Emily’s explanations about Daniel’s influence—his personality, the support he provided, and the sibling-like dynamic they shared—had significantly shifted her perspective.

The fact that she had actually met Daniel when he had inadvertently "driven" Emily’s body, combined with the realization that he too was a lost soul, had awakened something maternal within her. It made her more open to embracing the complexities of Emily’s reality.

She paused, her expression thoughtful as she carefully chose her words. “Tom, I understand where you’re coming from—this dual reality is difficult to grasp. But there’s something important I need to remind you of.”

Reaching across the table, she took his free hand in both of hers, the gesture soothing and filled with camaraderie.

“We’ve met Daniel, remember?” she said, her smile gentle but pointed. “We met him—when he drove Emily’s body for a while, as she calls it? We spoke to him, read books with him, went shopping, ate meals, laughed, and even comforted him when Emily had nightmares.”

Thomas’s expression softened as her words stirred memories. For a brief time, Daniel had been real, a tangible presence in their home. He hadn’t been an interloper—he’d been a part of their family.

He had been their child, if only temporarily.

Sarah continued quietly with a knowing smile. “I’ve come to accept that Daniel is a positive presence within Emily’s consciousness. He helps her. He protects her.”

She chuckled, adding, “And honestly, seeing how they interact—the way she gives him sass and he calls her ‘Gremlin’—reminds me so much of how I used to bicker with my brother, Jack, when we were kids.”

Her voice softened, turning reflective. “Think about what we’ve seen, Tom. The tornado—they warned us before anyone else, kept us safe. And then the park—Emily knew exactly what to do to save that man. That wasn't a coincidence. That was them, working together.”

Her heart swelled as she recounted Emily’s achievements: saving lives, demonstrating intelligence and poise far beyond her years, mastering complexities that baffled even adults.

With a soft smile breaking through her earlier concern, Sarah added, “And honestly, seeing how much happier and more confident she’s become since embracing Daniel... it makes me believe his influence is a truly positive force in her life, even if it’s something we can’t fully comprehend.”

Gently, she reached across the table again, squeezing Thomas’s hand in reassurance, the gesture conveying more than words ever could.

Thomas squeezed her hand in return, his smile tinged with a blend of relief and newfound appreciation.

He sighed deeply, his voice carrying a mix of wonder and lingering concern. “Yeah, she’s definitely happier—I’ve noticed that too.”

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A flicker of excitement began to spark in his expression as memories of Emily danced through his mind. ““And my God, is she smart. It’s like living with a walking supercomputer! When I ran those tests with her, nothing got past her. And the way she talks about technologies that don’t even exist yet—it’s incredible. Makes me wonder what else she knows but isn’t telling us.””

For a moment, his face lit up, his pride as a father radiating outward. He wasn’t just proud—he was in awe of his daughter’s vast potential, of her extraordinary capabilities.

The excitement faded as quickly as it had arrived. He shook his head, his voice uneasy again.

“It's still strange, Sarah. We’re talking about something—or someone—that we can’t see, can’t directly interact with. What if it’s not benign? What if it hurts her?”

Sarah paused, a flicker of concern crossing her face before settling into a thoughtful calm.

“You could be right,” she acknowledged, her voice rational yet gently challenging. “Maybe this could evolve into something we don’t understand, even something harmful. But isn’t that a potential in all of us? Every person, every relationship?”

Her tone turned reflective as she continued. ““Sometimes, when she hugs me, I feel... something else. Someone protective—like a guardian, maybe? Stronger, more intentional, almost like a son’s touch.”

She hesitated, her brow furrowing as she recalled a moment from a few days ago, when Emily had hugged her in the kitchen while they made coffee. The warmth of that embrace, the unspoken reassurance.

“I hate to admit it,” Sarah said softly, her voice filled with wonder and uncertainty, “but it feels... oddly right. It doesn’t make complete sense, but I don’t believe Daniel is malicious.”

Her smile softened as she added with a touch of humor, “Mischievous, yes. But not harmful.”

—–

A familiar thump and a muffled groan from upstairs broke the silence, drawing their attention.

“She awakens,” Thomas remarked, his voice light with amusement—a welcome reprieve from their earlier concerns.

Sarah shook her head with a sigh, a small smile tugging at her lips. “We really need to get her a bigger bed; she keeps rolling out of it.” She glanced toward the stairs, her voice softening. “She’s getting so big.”

The sound of steady thumping echoed down the staircase as Emily descended, looking disheveled but with her eyes bright and content. She stretched like a cat before plopping into a chair at the kitchen table, yawning widely.

“Did you have a good sleep, kiddo?” Thomas asked, his eyes twinkling with affection.

“Oh, it was great! I had the most amazing time in the dreamscape last night!” Emily exclaimed, her excitement bubbling over.

Sarah exchanged a knowing glance with Thomas. The dreamscape was a relatively recent discovery, and while both parents were still grappling to fully understand or accept it, Emily’s unbridled enthusiasm was undeniably infectious.

“Oh? Did you and Daniel get up to something fun?” Sarah asked, her smile warm but curious.

Thomas, though more reserved, leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. His cautious curiosity was evident in his tone. “Yeah, Em, what’s got you so excited?”

Emily launched into her story, her hands gesticulating wildly to punctuate her words.

“Well, Danny noticed I was feeling a bit off, so he morphed the dreamscape,” she began, her words speeding up as excitement overtook her.

“He turned the dreamscape into a road trip through Maine—beaches, cliffs, fields. I could feel it all: the ocean mist, the wind in my hair, even the salt in the air. It was incredible. We drove everywhere, even off-road—along beaches and through fields, laughing the whole time.”

Sarah chuckled softly, acknowledging her daughter’s enthusiasm. “That sounds like quite the adventure,” she said, then added with a hint of concern, “It was safe, though, right?”

Emily huffed lightly but kept her tone cheerful. “Totally safe, Mom! It’s the dreamscape—there’s no danger. We can do literally anything we want there! There wasn’t even any traffic!”

“And we were singing! Singing so loudly!” she added, giggling as she shook her head. “Of course, that silly boy always—always—starts with ‘Livin’ on a Prayer.’” She rolled her eyes playfully.

Thomas raised an eyebrow, his amusement evident. “Bon Jovi, huh? Looks like your ‘invisible brother’...” He paused, the term still feeling unfamiliar, “Danny... has good taste in music.”

Emily giggled, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Yeah! He’s a total music snob, though. Kept teasing me about my favorite songs, but it was all in good fun.”

Her excitement bubbled over again as she exclaimed, “And wow, cars in his universe are so cool! He had something called ‘satnav’—which he was totally showing off for no reason—and heated seats! And he could even talk to his car!”

She shook her head in mock exasperation. “

He has this ridiculous nickname for me... calls me ‘Shrimp’! Shrimp!” She crossed her arms and shot a playful glare at her parents. “From what angle do I look like a shrimp?”

Her expression shifted as she stared down at the table, muttering, “What do you mean, ‘look at yourself in the mirror, you blonde-haired, surf-and-turf special’?”

Noticing her parents’ widened eyes, Emily quickly chuckled, a touch of sheepishness creeping into her tone. “Sorry—that was him. We’ve been bickering a bit. He really likes calling me Shrimp, but it’s all in good fun,” she added with a reassuring grin, showing that their teasing was just part of their bond.

Sarah and Thomas were taken aback by this brief inside conversation, as they always were when Emily spoke aloud to Daniel. Though they had grown accustomed to the dual consciousness, it was still jarring to witness.

Though they understood the dual consciousness, it was still jarring to hear Emily speak aloud to Daniel. Thomas felt a twinge of worry. ‘I hope she’s careful around others,’ he thought. ‘People might not understand.’”

Sarah brought herself back to the moment, her voice soft and warm. “I’m glad you had fun, sweetheart. It sounds like you and... Daniel... are really bonding.”

Emily nodded earnestly, her excitement giving way to something quieter, more thoughtful.

“We are, Mom. I realized that as obnoxious as he can be... he’ll always have my back.” Her voice softened further as she added, almost to herself, “And I’ll always have his.”