The development of Megan’s Anomaly didn’t do much to slow the party down.
Her collapsing from exhaustion right after the development of her Anomaly did that.
Val was going to help us down from the ceiling, and then Megan nearly fainted. Apparently, Mrs. Carmichael hated it when kids discovered their Anomalies so young, because it was often harder to teach them to control their powers. She had said it was the price to pay for getting an early start to developing her powers and to expect some nights when everyone in the house might just wake up against the ceiling. Even though no one brought me up, I felt insecure about how my own lack of control got someone killed. I decided then and there that I’d do everything I could to help Megan get a good handle on her powers so she wouldn’t have to deal with what I had been going through. Bringing me with her, Mrs. Carmichael pulled Shelly and Rebecca aside to let us know how potentially dangerous Megan’s Anomaly could be.
But after that, the party went on as planned. Our little gift hunt went well, and we avoided more gravity-defying accidents after Megan took a quick nap. More cake and food made mingling after the Anomaly awakening easier. Shelly and Mrs. Carmichael had some wine and denied everyone under the age of twenty-one the chance to have a glass, much to most of the guests’ chagrin. Lizzy wanted to, in her words, be the “perfect image of a successful wine-drinking aristocrat”. Rosie helped bring her down to reality, but she spent a few minutes excessively pouting at anyone who looked her way.
The weeks after the party were strangely quiet, at least compared to what I’d gotten used to after visiting tombs and getting evicted by a murderous sociopath who nearly cost me an arm. The weather got a bit dicey, forcing me to face the fact I wasn’t a fan of tornadoes. We didn’t get hit by one throughout the remainder of March or the start of April, thank goodness. We ended up with enough warnings to make me seriously consider asking Shelly to invest in a storm cellar. The hail and severe thunderstorms were quite enough for me. While looking cool around Rebecca wasn’t something I was too worried about, I was able to take some comfort when I didn’t jump at every clap of thunder or bolt of lightning. It meant that there was one less thing I had to worry about during my occasional sessions with Mr. Ellinger.
My relationship with Rebecca felt like it was getting stronger by the day. Every time I did something like cook, clean, help Megan with her school, or even doing my own schooling, I could catch her looking at me with a dreamy look in her eyes. I was so sure that I was doomed for romance from everything I saw on TV or read in books. Yeah, I know, it’s not the best idea to use escapism media to set my standards for my real romance, but that’s what I did. Love in those stories so often came from decades of feelings from one party or a sudden spark two people felt when they met. I didn’t have either of those things working for me. I didn’t feel like I had some incredible chemistry with her, at least not immediately. Things just felt right. Maybe that was chemistry? Whenever I really stopped to think about it, I couldn’t believe how lucky I got.
She never rushed anything, never pressured me into doing something I wasn’t comfortable with, or did anything to make me feel unwanted. We set up some date nights where we did things that felt more appropriate for couples, Shelly being more than happy to watch the kiddo while we got time to ourselves. Those were the nights when I was finally able to show Rebecca some gentle TV, and after a few tries where she became overstimulated, she was able to watch it with fewer issues. We’d both read her comics together while she’d tell me about the kind of garden she’d always dreamed of having. She swore to me that after we handled the McLeod situation, she was going to have a lush and beautiful garden filled with all sorts of flowers and food. She could have talked about anything in the world, and I would have been completely invested.
When we were exactly one month out from the yacht party, I felt like life was going pretty well. In general, I was trending up with my mood and my outlook on the world. That’s why when there was an invitation for the entire household to attend something called “Family Day” at the local community center, I was interested in going. I didn’t know they had a Family Day or a community center, so that was a double shot of interesting news. We got the invitation in the mail on the day of the event. With us having to rush to move in, it wasn’t exactly a surprise we got it in such an untimely manner. It was probably a miracle they got it up and running to begin with.
“Do you want to go?” I asked Shelly, who was busy with some important Luna stuff on her laptop. “They have free food, and believe me, I really wouldn’t mind taking a day off from cooking. Still feeling the effects of Megan’s party.”
“Can’t.” Her voice was flat and impatient. She closed out some spreadsheets to bring up a slideshow document. “Don’t you remember? I’m taking Rebecca and Megan out so we can get haircuts. It’s our girls’ day out on the town.”
“Oh, sorry, must have slipped my mind.” I didn’t remember even being told, not that I was going to bring that up. “You guys have fun. You’ve earned a break.”
“Don’t have to tell me twice.” She snorted and shut the laptop. She tapped her new watch and sighed. “We were supposed to be out that door ten minutes ago. Do you want to come with us? I seriously doubt that the girl who adores you and the other girl who adores you would mind you crashing the girls’ day.”
“I think I’ll pass. I’ll leave you three to have your girls’ day. Let me know if I’m invited next time. I do need to get this mop wrangled and controlled.” I looked at the invitation sheet to the Family Day thing again, and it didn’t specify any exact party size, so I decided on my afternoon. “I’m going to go enjoy my free food.”
“Ethan, are you sure that you really-”
Whatever Shelly was going to say got cut off by the heavy steps of a child purposely trying to make noise on a staircase. Megan ran up to me and held out her arms, the signal for me to pick her up. When I got her propped up on one arm, trying to look stronger than I really was, Rebecca walked out from the staircase next. Seeing me, for some reason, she fidgeted with her shirt and adjusted her hair. I didn’t see anything wrong with either, so I wasn’t sure what issue she found.
“It’s supposed to be girls only, but I guess you can come with us!” Megan smiled while she offered the same invitation my sister just did. “I’ll let you.”
“Oh, I’ll be just fine. You three go out and have a good time.” I set her down on the ground and patted her head. “But I’d be careful. Shelly here tells me that you’re running ten minutes late, and she is not a woman who likes to be late to things.”
Megan’s eyes went wide and she turned toward my sister. Before Shelly could comment, Megan took off out the door and toward the car sitting in our driveway. All it took was a little good intimidation to get a haircut done in a reasonable time. It helped that Shelly had a tendency to scare most people and make them a bit more punctual after their first meeting with her.
“I’m going to miss you there. I think we could use you making silly faces at her as a stranger holds sharp objects near her face.” Rebecca gave me a small kiss on the cheek before going after the kiddo. She turned away and left so fast that she couldn’t have seen my face light up like a Christmas tree.
“I knew it!” Shelly yelled when the front door closed. “Lizzy owes me thirty bucks.”
“You knew what exactly?” I pretended something on the side of our fridge needed my attention to hide my blushing face.
“That you were at the cheek-kissing point. Lizzy said there was no way.”
“Well, that was new to me, so she might have been right.” I opened the door to grab a bottle of water that I didn’t really need. My hands needed something to do. “I want half the money. It’ll stay between us if you do. Otherwise, I’m about to throw a tantrum about my dating life being used to fund an illegal gambling ring. You’re betting at my expense, after all.”
“Oh fine, I’ll give you half.” Shelly smirked and clapped once in approval. It looked like that sequence got the girls off the hook for being late, so maybe Rebecca had planned it all along. Maybe she’d been in on the gambling ring too. “You have fun at that Family Day. We’ll get food on the way back so you don’t have to worry about feeding all these hungry mouths.”
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Then she took off to have her day of relaxation and maybe some babysitting. I debated for a moment just taking the time to enjoy the house to myself with some alone time. I threw that idea out when I realized I didn’t want to be in a house that big all alone. The entire thing just felt so lonely without the constant noise from a small child. Plus, maybe the house was haunted. Not levitate-and-destroy-all-the-furniture kind of haunted, but the kind where I wouldn’t have been surprised to get a chill and hear some garbled talking. Put off by my own home, I got changed into a more presentable outfit and walked off to the community center.
It was tucked away in a part of the gated community that I never thought to check out in the short time I’d lived there, which was why I never knew it existed. Even then, I was surprised someone didn’t bring my attention to it. It looked like a performing arts center more than a community center. Not something so grand as the Sydney Opera House or anything on that level, but it definitely stuck out among the houses. Tinted glass wrapped around the circular structure, making me worried that I was being watched by unseen residents inside the building. When I was at the non-glass main doors, I felt like I could appreciate the building better. Whoever designed it had a nice taste for a little flair while keeping everything in check.
Inside had the same upper-class feel that the outside did, and I was grateful for my foresight to dress properly. There wasn’t any kind of counter to check in or get a ticket scanned, so I was a bit confused trying to get around. There were plenty of cars in the parking lot, apparently none of which belonged to any employees since no one was around to help me. The invitation told me to go to Devon Hall. All well and good, but Devon Hall was in Antarctica for all I knew. After standing around for a minute, I just shrugged and figured it’d be best to take a lap around and see if I could find it that way.
I felt pretty stupid for my navigational skills when I finally found the room. I ended up passing it once, still not seeing a soul, making me think the entire event was some kind of practical joke. That made me nervous to open the doors and proceed, because what if there was someone there to throw a pie in my face or pants me? I’d be pretty upset if I wasted all that time and declined a day out just to be the victim of a stupid prank. Then again, I knew it couldn’t really be worse than having a hole burned into my arm either, which may have been something of an unfair scale to use to compare things.
Sighing, I shoved open the doors and found that my imagination had run away with how it pictured the event. The remarkably soundproofed room held a lively party where people laughed, danced, and mingled. It was like the party I threw for Megan only cranked up to eleven and with the air of wealth. Spiffy tuxedos and beautiful gowns filled the room. If it wasn’t for the few people wearing clothes more on par with my own, I might have turned around and walked out. While I was considering that option, I saw Mrs. Carmichael walking from a small stage area to an inconspicuous door tucked away in the corner of the room.
Since I immediately recognized her, I went to go greet her and get away from the crowd that felt mildly suffocating. I stuck to the edge of the room to make sure I didn’t run into anyone, not that it would have mattered. Everyone at the party was so engrossed in their own conversations that my presence wouldn’t have been registered even if I was banging pots and pans. I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t heard about the event until the day of. It looked like the entire community was there, and if Mrs. Carmichael was involved, it was definitely some sort of important Luna event.
I slowly slipped through the door Mrs. Carmichael just went through and closed it quietly. She was standing with her back turned toward me. With how on top of everything she always seemed, I found it hard to believe she didn’t know I was standing there. I just assumed she had a sixth sense about that kind of thing. “Hey, Mrs. Carmichael. I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”
She turned around, surprised, which surprised me in turn. Her eyes were red and she had puffy bags under them. She had been crying, an obvious observation, though one I wasn’t brave enough to point out to the lady. She didn’t make any effort to hide it, running her hands under her eyes. “Ethan, what are you doing here?”
“I was invited. I saw in the invitation in my mailbox today. What’s, uh, what’s wrong?” I was completely out of my element on how to act around Mrs. Carmichael when she looked so vulnerable and miserable. It almost didn’t feel right to see. Every muscle in my neck wanted to shift so I could turn my head away and give her some form of privacy.
“I’m sorry that you have to see me in this condition, Ethan.” She leaned against the wall and slid down until she was sitting on the carpeted floor. Awkwardly, I sat down next to her. She sniffled and rubbed her nose. “In the Catskills attack, my husband and son were two of the people to lose their lives fighting to keep everyone safe.”
“Oh.” I paused, not really knowing what to say to someone in that position. Having to bury your child after they gave their life trying to save others was something I couldn’t even begin to understand. It was something I never wanted to understand. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Carmichael. I had no idea.”
“Of course you didn’t. I didn’t tell you.” She gave me a weak smile and a hint of the strong woman who always knew the right thing to say to me was there. “And please, call me Abigail now. No one who’s seen me shed tears has called me anything but my first name. Think of it as a small badge of honor.”
“I wish that badge didn’t feel so awful to get.” I felt horrible that she was suffering alone. She seemed so much stronger than nearly everyone I’d met. There was no way that strength could hold up to something so tragic. Slowly, I put my arm across her shoulders and pulled her into the world’s worst hug. “I really am sorry. Why didn’t you tell me?”
She stiffened under my touch, only for the briefest of moments. Neither one of us was exactly at ease with the contact, yet I was pretty sure it was the right thing to do. None of the sound from the party carried through the wall, which did lend us more of a private atmosphere. Anyone could have burst through that door and seen us, ruining our own private slice of the building. For Abigail, that was probably for the best.
“I didn’t tell you about it, or anyone for that matter, because it’s no one’s business but my own.” Abigail didn’t sound harsh like she was trying to exclude me. “It was a little girl’s birthday party. Even if I wanted to tell anyone there, I wouldn’t have done it in that setting. I know people think of me as nothing but a stern and strict woman, and I am those things, but I’m not just those things. I love my family more than anything, even now. My husband would never have let me hear the end of it if I ruined a child’s birthday party with that kind of news. Neither of us liked to take the spotlight away from others.”
“That’s why you had the card for the therapist, isn’t it?” I thought it was strange that she just happened to have that on her. While strange, I did have to acknowledge that it wasn’t impossible that she carried it around in the event someone needed it.
Abigail’s eyes widened slightly. She composed herself and gave me an impressed look. “You’re quicker and sharper than I give you credit for. The only phone I have is used exclusively for Luna contact, so I didn’t have his number in my contacts. I kept it in the event I needed to call him and I kept a few as backups if I lost any.”
We sat there in silence for a bit. I kept my hand on her shoulder, and despite her slender frame, I could feel how strong she was. In terms of muscle, she wasn’t far behind what Rebecca had. More than just any muscle mass or posture, she was a strong presence to be around. For a woman who lost her husband and son, likely the closest family she had, I didn’t understand how she wasn’t breaking down. Maybe it had been worse when she learned of the news. How couldn’t it have been? It was just impressive she managed to show up anywhere at all.
“Well, I shouldn’t keep you from the party any longer. Seeing all the families together was harder than I anticipated, but I’m still the leader for the time being.” Abigail sighed and rubbed her eyes. I got up and offered a hand to help her to her feet. She firmly held my grip and looked me hard in the eye. “I trust that you won’t be telling anyone about this?”
“Of course not, it’s not my secret to tell.” I looked back toward the door just to make sure that no one had waltzed in. “Look, if you ever need someone to talk to that isn’t a therapist, well...I’m a good listener. I’m not the smartest and I won’t get everything that you’ve been through, but you’ve seriously helped me out. You helped what’s left of my family out.”
“You’re a kind young man, Ethan. Tragedy often makes people wise beyond their years, and I can see a hint of that in you. If I can offer you a piece of advice?”
“Absolutely, wouldn’t turn it down for anything.”
“This may sound strange coming from me, but don’t ever hesitate to love with everything your heart can manage. People might tell you it isn’t manly or cool to use your heart like that. Let me tell you that there is nothing greater a man can do than love and protect his family. Our time on Earth is finite. Some people have a tighter limit on their time than others. Don’t miss out on that time, okay? For as uptight as I am and for how many mistakes I’ve made, I’m proud of what I’ve done. I’m proud of the successor I’ve chosen. If I could spend just another minute with my boys, I would, but I’m proud that they saved lives. I’m proud that I was there when you agreed to join us. Don’t be like me and don’t be afraid to show the pride and love you feel for people before it’s too late.”
“Mrs. Carmichael...”
“Abigail,” she corrected.
“Thank you, Abigail. You’ve been a good friend to me and I’ll think on what you said. Really, if you ever need anything, never hesitate to reach out. I’m sure you and Shelly still have a bunch of stuff to iron out with the leader transition, so don’t you dare be a stranger.”
“Don’t you worry, you won’t be able to get rid of me that easily. As usual, this doesn’t leave this room, but I was planning on joining you on the yacht party trip. Mission. Not a trip, a mission.” When I grinned, she just sighed. “Yes, I’m sure we’ll all have fun, but that’s not the main goal. That is, however, the main goal of this event. Get out of my hair and go party it up out there.”