Me and Sophia waited inside her truck for Reese’s bus. We were a little early and the weather was damp and cold. Inside the truck was warm and she told me of her favourite places to go when she was growing up here. We made plans to go to a museum next weekend. I had been to a few museums in the past with Shift but I have never gone as a normal person just to learn history, look at art and enjoy myself. It was never about me. This time would be and I was extremely excited.  

I’m not usually interested in reading people’s minds because in Shift everyone had the same boring thoughts. No one felt anything, but with Sophia I felt myself wanting to know what she was thinking. Her eyes would twinkle as she laughed beside me and I wanted to feel the joy inside her mind. She always seemed so light and happy. I couldn’t though it wouldn't be fair to her. She deserved her privacy. “What are you thinking?” she asked me interrupting my own thoughts. I blushed. I didn't want to tell her I was thinking about her, I felt funny with her looking at me. I changed the subject “I’m happy I came here with you.” I looked down at my hands. When did I become this shy? 

A bus pulled into the lot. I jumped out of the truck “I’ll be right back” I walked through the rain toward the bus looking for Reese. He stepped off the bus clearly looking for me too. When I saw him I ran and gave him a big hug. I backed up “Sorry, not use to all the emotions yet. I’m happy to see you.” “You look great Luna.” “It’s Annie here, and you’re John Bluwaters.” I handed him his new ID “It says I’m 18, I guess Aunt Mackie thought it would be easier if I were and adult” I grabbed his arm. “Come on, I want you to meet my friend.” Reese jumped into the back “Sophia this is John” the name sounded strange for him. “John this is my friend Sophia.”  “John? I thought you said his name was Reese?” Shit I had never even realized what I had done. Reese laughed “I use to eat a lot of Reese peanut butter chocolate, it’s a nickname, please just call me John.” I was shocked, he was quick, a good liar. I didn't even know what that chocolate was. “Have you ever heard rock music?” I turned to Reese “its amazing you feel it in every part of you, I love it.” Sophia took that as a cue to turn on the radio and look for a local rock station. Just as I had the first time I felt the music. Sophia kept looking at me and Reese. She started singing to the song. By the third chorus I was able to join in. As the rain continued to wash over the windshield we drove home listening to the music.  

Sophia dropped us off at the hotel, we were finally alone. I told him that we would go shopping for his clothes tomorrow and I would help him make a resume. We talked about our parents “Aunt Mackie said Shift killed them, she thinks they killed them so they could take us.” Reese told me “she showed me pictures he pulled some photographs out of his bag. The first was of a couple. The man was dark skinned and dark haired. He looked Like Reese. “That’s dad” he pointed to him. “Mackie said he was native American, Mi’kmaq. And that’s mom.” I looked to the woman; she was paler with light brown hair and red lips. The next picture was of the same woman holding a baby smiling. The baby was wearing a pink sleeper. “That’s you Luna.” I put the pictures down. I didn’t want to look at them. They just made me sad. I didn't want to think of the past. It didn’t matter anymore they were dead. “Lets go out for food.” I said walking to the door. 

The week went smoothly. I even began enjoying my job despite the manager. I got along nicely with one coworker really well he was funny and went out of his way to teach me how to do everything. He also didn’t ask a lot of questions about my past which I liked. I found out that he had work for Ryan for four years and was saving money to move to Toronto. he wanted to become a singer.  On Thursday Reese came back telling me he had found a job working on a farm at the edge of town. This was great because we had begun looking at apartments in town and had found a great two bedroom apartment downtown. Now the rent wouldn't be all my responsibility. We were expecting to move in on Friday. The landlord was an older lady who lived in the upstairs apartment while we lived in the basement. I took the day off work and Sophia was coming to help pick out some stuff for the apartment.  

Friday morning we met Sophia at the mall and began picking out curtains, my favourite were white ones with sunflowers on it. They made me happy. We split our money from Aunt Mackie to buy some kitchen supplies and furniture. It was all very expensive but we bought a cheap futon for the living room, a small television and a table set. We also bought some mattresses for our rooms agreeing to wait to buy bed frames and save the rest of our money. I was glad that we didn’t get bed frames as well what we did have barely fit in the back of Sophia’s truck and took us a couple trips to bring it all inside. It was a tiring day. To thank Sophia for helping us and letting us use her Poppa’s truck I offered to cook her some supper when we got back to the apartment. We went grocery shopping but because I didn’t have that much experience cooking so it ended up her teaching me how to make lasagna. She is a great cook, the food turned out amazing. We spent our first night in that apartment playing card games and laughing a lot. It felt good to be making my own life away from Shift. I was getting everything I had ever dreamed of, I had a family and I had a home. I couldn’t wait for tomorrow to go to the museum with Sophia.  

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I had invited Reese but he said that is when he started work on the farm. So I wished him good luck on his first day. Sophia met me at my place around noon and we walked to the museum together, we spent the whole afternoon there as she explained what the different things we saw were, she was incredibly smart. Sophia got really excited when we looked at the old animal and dinosaur bones. She told me how she loved dinosaurs since she was small. Her dad use to bring her here to the museum all the time so she could look at the bones. Sophia grew solemn talking about her father as she leaned against the rail looking away from me. I put my hand on her arm “Sophia?” she turned back to me “Sorry, my dad he died when I was 15, this place just reminds me of him a lot.” I squeezed her arm. I wasn’t sure what to do. I had never lost someone I loved. I didn’t even have a father. She smile “come on lets go, I think you’re going to like the next exhibit.” She brought me to the rocks and minerals. She was right I did like this, they were all so beautiful. We pointed out which ones were the prettiest and giggles over the ones that looked the strangest. We had spent over an hour just looking at the different stones. “This is the best day of my life” I said as she pointed out another rock. She stopped walking and looked at me. I couldn't read the look on her face. I looked into her mind for just a second without even meaning to. She was thinking about pushing me against the glass wall, her hands in my hair her lips on mine, kissing me slow and deep. In her head I was kissing her back wrapping my arms around her waist. My mouth fell open and I gasped shocked but she grabbed my hand bringing me back to the moment and pulled me after her walking into the next room filled with new things. I could no longer pay attention to what we were looking at. Her hand was warm on mine and I replayed her thoughts in mine. My heart was beating through my chest. “Are you okay? Why are you so quiet now?” she stopped walking, letting go of my hand. I didn't want her to let go. “Nothing, want to go get something to eat now?” I asked pushing what I had seen out of my head.  

We agreed to go back to my place where should would teach me how to make Greek chicken. The weather was cold as we walked back, as we walked our hands kept brushing up against one another. I wondered how it would feel to hold Sophia’s hand in mine. She was telling me about a trip to the beach when she was little. I loved hearing her stories of growing up, seeing the world through her memories. I think she saw the world with a little bit of magic in it.  

We stopped at a grocery store to pick up what we needed for supper. As we walked down the isles an upbeat song came on the radio. Sophia squealed “I love this song” she started dancing right there in the middle of the grocery store.  She was beautiful as her brown curls danced with her. I couldn't help but laugh as she grabbed my hand leading me to dance with her. She didn't let go of my hand as we stopped dancing and continued shopping. I didn't let go either, the warmth of her fingers entwined in mine made me feel a warmth inside that I couldn’t explain. I was so happy here with her in that moment. She finally let go when we got to the cash and I quickly began to wonder when I would get to touch her again.  

Once back at my apartment I turned on an old radio as we began supper. She told me how her father loved to cool and he was the one to teach her this recipe. “Hey, Annie? Do you know what happened to your parents?” she asked knowing I had been in foster care. “Yeah, they died in a car accident when I was three. I don't remember them at all.” “So you don't remember ever having a family?” she looked sad thinking about me in foster care. I smiled “no, not really” I looked around the kitchen filled with happy music and the smell of chicken and garlic. She was making me happier than I could ever remember being. “But when I pictured what it would be like to have a family, I pictured it would feel like this.” I said looking back at Sophia. She was smiling again. “Me and John, we are your family, you never have to be without family again” she hugged me for a second an went back to cooking as she sang along to the radio.  

Just as we finished making supper Reese walked through the door. “What smells so amazing” he came into the kitchen. “oh, hello Sophia, I should have known it wasn't Annie’s cooking that smelled so wonderful” he teased. We sat down and ate as Reese told us of his day on the farm. “Thanks for supper Sophia, I'm gonna go for a shower and then to bed, I’m beat.” Reese got up and put his dishes away.  

Sophia got up as well “Good night John, I should probably head out as well” she hesitated. I didn't want her to leave yet; the day had been so good I didn't want it to end. “You could stay and watch a movie with me?” I asked hopeful. “That sounds perfect." We went over to the couch. We huddled under a blanket and chose a movie to watch. She was shocked about me not having seen a movie before and was getting me to watch her favorite, Mulan. We sat closer than we needed on the futon. I could feel her every move beside me. It got really late watching movies and talking. I started to yawn so much, I had to finally admit defeat and go to bed. Sophia slept on the futon as it was too late for her to walk home.  

After that day I wanted to tell Sophia the truth more than anything. I wanted her to call me by my real name. I wanted her to know the truth about my powers. I was afraid to though. What if she was afraid of me like Shift said she would be. She would probably hate me for lying and never talk to me again. I really didn’t want to lose her now and it wasn’t fair to her. She was getting to know a lie she wasn’t getting to know me. I didn’t even know who me was. Luna, Laura, Annie I was tired I had to come clean to her. Every time I thought I was ready and I got ready to tell her I would look at her smile and I couldn't bare to lose that, I would put it off till tomorrow and that was how it remained.