Then an uncle was wanting seconds but his wife was reminding him of his cholesterol. A cousin was shooing an annoying fly and flitting thoughts of dinner through her mind. Another uncle was looking at Caleb and hoping his son would be just as lucky.
Caleb was worried about me, feeling the wave of overwhelm coming, but couldn’t fully stop the onslaught in my head even when he touched my hand with his. It lessened but the voices all around me seemed to compile and compress in my head in an annoying haze of fog and thickness that was almost painful in its uncomfortable-ness.
I covered my face with my hands and took a deep breath as Caleb rubbed my back.
“Are you ok?” Bish asked. “You feel faint again?”
“No,” I muttered.
“No, you’re not ok, or no you don’t feel faint?
“Either one.”
“Maggie,” Peter called from across the table. I peeked up at him. “Calm down, ok? Don’t let it upset you. It’s worse when you’re upset. Just block it all out. It’ll get easier, I promise.”“What? What’s going on?” Bish said angrily.
“Stop being so paranoid, Bish,” I muttered tersely. I felt someone raking their hand through my hair and looked up to Caleb. I blew a breath and tried to clear my head. It was hazy and full but when I stopped and breathed through it, it helped. Caleb’s fingers grazed my cheek and the rim of my ear, pulling the too-tight feeling from me with his touch. “Thanks.”
“I’m sorry,” he whispered to me, “I know it sucks.”
“It’s ok,” I whispered back and smiled at him. “I’ll be fine.”
“All right, kids, you need to get going. You’ve gotta pack and all before you go,” Dad said, thinking he could divert Bish. “We’ve got to get to the cell phone store, too, Maggie, so let’s go.”
“Ok,” I answered and turned back to Caleb.
“We’ll come pick you up in an hour,” he stated, “that’ll give us plenty of time to get to the airport. Just bring one bag and we’ll buy anything else we need when we’re there, ok? I have no idea how long we’ll be in California.”
“I don’t need you to buy-”
“Maggie,” he scolded. “It’s fine. Let me do this. I’m not worried about the money, I’m worried about you.”
He kissed me softly and I ignored the grunt behind us. Then he stood and pulled me up from my seat.
“You guys get going and we’ll pick you up in an hour or so. Jim, you’re coming with us to the airport right?”
Dad nodded. “Ok, let’s go,” Dad said and stood, along with Bish.
Our movement was noticed and everyone wanted to say goodbye. Maria ran to Caleb and I, hugging us both.
“Who are you?” she asked Bish sweetly.
“This is my brother, Bish. Bish, this is Maria, Jen’s daughter.”
“She has a daughter?” he asked softly and looked at Maria in awe as she took his hand and shook it. He laughed and smiled. “Nice to meet you, Maria.”
“Thanks,” Maria said and skipped off.
Jen was behind us and laughed, rolling her eyes. “She’s something else,” she said and hugged me. “Maria will miss you for sure. I’m glad you’re all right. Be careful, ok?” She pulled back to look at me sternly and I read in her mind what she meant. “Careful,” she reiterated.
“I understand,” I said and gave her a wry smile that said what my mouth couldn’t in front of everyone else - no sex. “We’ll be careful.”
“I’ve got to go, too,” she turned to Caleb, “so I won’t see you before you leave. You be careful, too.” She grabbed Caleb in a big hug around his neck and whispered in his ear but I could hear in her mind. “I’m glad you finally got everything right again. I’ve been so worried about you two.”
He looked sadly down at his big sister, knowing she would never have this.
“Thanks, Jen. Keep Mom from going nuts, huh?”
“Yep. Love ya.”
“Love ya.”
She turned to Bish.
“Maybe we’ll see you around again.”
Translation in her mind: I really wish things were different.
She glanced at me knowing I’d heard her thoughts and smiled a little bashfully.
“Maybe. I’m supposed to head back to New York, so...” Translation in his mind: Wow, I wish I could stay here and figure out what’s going on around here. Especially with this one.
His eyes were locked on hers and I knew I needed to help him, by removing him. He finally gets all gooey eyed over a girl and it’s the one he can’t have.
“Come on, Bish, we gotta go,” I hurried and felt like a peeping tom for eavesdropping on our families all night.
“Ok. Nice to meet you, Jen,” he said as we turned, him shoving his hands in his pockets.
“You, too, Bish.” She gave a little wave.
I pulled his arm and we said goodbye to everyone else. When Gran came I swore I saw a smile on Bish’s face.
“Bish, you come and see me anytime. You’re family now,” she crooned and hugged him.
He raised an eyebrow at me over her shoulder.
“Family?”
“Course!” She pulled back and hugged me next. “Bye, pretty girl. Keep my boy out of trouble, hear?”
“Yes, ma’am. Bye.”
“Don’t you worry about your father now. You two get everything settled with you, I’ve got my eye on Jim.”
“Thank you,” I said and meant it. We made our way out to Bish’s car and he climbed in none to gently, slamming his door. I looked up at Caleb. “This ride will be fun. I’ve never seen him so paranoid before.”
“He’s just worried about you.”
“I know, but we can’t afford for him to be worried can we? I’m not so sure he’d accept the idea of my being an Ace like my dad did, even if we could tell him.”
He smiled and pulled me to him.
“Everything will be fine. We’ll wind up telling him or we won’t. He’s going back to New York anyway. Being away from it all will help, I’m sure.”
“You’re probably right. So you don’t know who’s coming with us?”
“Not yet. All the older ones they want here, my dad and my uncles, because of their abilities. They either need to use it or want them here in case Dad finds something and they have to attack the Watsons.”
“Attack,” I whispered under my breath.
“One more good reason we won’t be here. Don’t worry about it.” He pulled my face up. “Are you gonna be ok with Bish and all?”
I nodded just as Dad came across the lawn.
“Let’s get going, baby girl,” he said and climbed in the back of Bish’s car.
“Your dad will be a good buffer,” Caleb said and smiled. “See you in a bit." He stopped. "Are you excited? I mean, I know it’s not good circumstances but...I’m pretty happy to be going away with you.”
I smiled, too, thinking about it.
“Me, too. I’ve never even been out of Tennessee.”
“What? How’s that possible?” he mused.
“It’s possible. We never took vacations. I’ve never ridden a plane either.”
“Well, you’ll like it. It’ll be late, so we’ll sleep most of the way, anyway. I promise we’ll have a good time in California.”I nodded and went up on my tip toes to kiss him. We hadn’t been kissing two point two seconds when Bish honked the horn. He actually honked.
I glared at him, but Caleb laughed. “He’s not liking me too much, I don’t think.”
“That’s not funny. He’s being so rude. I’ve never seen him like this.”
“You’re his sister. It’s ok, he just needs time to figure me out. He’ll get it while we’re gone. Get going, I’ll see you in an hour.”
“Ok.”
“Oh, and don’t worry about the cell phone, I've got it covered.”
“Caleb,” I protested in my most whiny voice.
“See you later, gorgeous,” he said grinning as he walked backwards away from me.
As he turned away I stopped in a revelation. I realized that I never felt the stuck feeling of needing to be released from him just now, even a little. It was the first time we’d both walked away of our own free will.
Bish honked again. I rolled my eyes as I got in. “Rude much,” I spouted and glared daggers at him.
“You’re going to see each other in like five minutes. I thought we were in a hurry to get home?”
“He was explaining the details to me about our flight. What’s wrong with you?”
“What’s wrong with me?” he said incredulously and turned onto the street.
“Now, Bish-” Dad tried, but no good.
“Gee, I don’t know,” Bish kept going in his deep voice but the sarcasm was making him boom even more, “you almost faint on the porch in front of everyone and no one seems to care. You are so incredibly serious about this boy and everyone acts like you’re about to get hitched or something, even Dad, and it’s weird. You’re acting funny, like you’re sick or something, but once again, everyone acts like it’s just normal and nothing’s wrong.”
“Bish, you’ve been gone a while. Things aren’t the same as when you left,” I tried to explain.
“That is very clear but that doesn’t explain anything. Something weird is going on here.” Then he jerked the wheel, righted himself and turned to look at me with wide eyes. “Oh no, are you pregnant?”