The man who invites me to a blank, empty room sounds a bit eccentric to me. Bulky and muscular, as tall as a skyscraper, redheaded and abundantly freckled, hair smooth looking and a grin somehow almost larger than his face. His sat on the wooden plywood and asked me to 'take a seat too'. Literally?
He looks deep in my pupils, making me nervous. Then he suddenly stands up and gives me his hand so I do the same. His eyes are watery and he sounds so sorrowed that I want to wipe his tears away, and I really am not usually this sympathetic. Then he leads me on a narrow way, saying:
"I heard of you, Cecilia. Your glorious reputation preceeds you."
"No need to make preambles, sir. I'm all ears."
"Excellent. So, how do you feel about those powers of yours?"
"Good. Tryna face them. They're much more physical phenomenons rather than powers, you know."
"So that's what you believe, right"
"That's what the evidence suggests, sir. It's not a matter of belief or preach, but a very technical, natural gift."
"They told you what they told you, little girl. This whole society is a hoax."
"So what? My best friends would've been lying to me for three months?"
"They have been lied to. Their mother knows the truth, but she's afraid of it. Your mom too, that's why she never actually told you a thing. Suzy only had the nerve to mislead her own children, her own power legacy."
"Why is it that everyone tells a different version? You guys are shot in the head or what?"
The big tall man snickered.
"No, our perceptions are different. Reality is in the eyes of the beholder, darling. Look at you, you can form a solid opinion, can't you? Then tell me, do you believe in this electromagnetism thing? Or have you ever?"
"There is no other plausible explanation to what I see or feel."
"'Plausible' depends on who uses it."
He was teasing what I thought I forever knew, or almost.
"Look at me, it takes a little courage to admit that there is a razor-thin line between what is physical and metaphysical."
"What if I'm stuck in a whirlwind that makes me want to deny it?"
"Then get out. Safe haven is nowhere but in your consciousness."
"I don't have the energy to decipher those hidden messages."
"You do."
"What are you trying to tell me? I'm legit exhausted and I can't figure out what you're inferring to."
"You don't see physical phenomenons. This is a Gift. I can't explain it, you don't have to either. It's not a matter of life or death to realise what's actually going on. But don't tell me you believed what they sold you? That you know things that are bound to happen. But tell me, if you get the image before anyone does, why do you get back to living your life in normal motion?"
I was baffled.
"And before they hide that from you too, I'm your father, the only Anticipator before you came to life. And Evan is not only your aunt's kid, but my son."
And he got out. I could feel the anxiety rolling in my heart like a sandstorm. I didn't notice it until sobs and weeps were the only sounds, the only life signals out of me. Aurora opened the door and said:
"Is it true?"
I couldn't answer, so I ran and my tears didn't leave me.
Brian was standing in a corner, in that fierce position he had when he felt completely in control. He hugged me and said knowing my father was a blessing rather than an issue. I couldn't believe how misunderstanding they all were capable of becoming. This guy bumps into my life, gives me a psychology lesson, and then says he's my dad. Screws up both my logic and my feelings. What kind of K.-O. was that even?
He didn't understand. I gave him a look that said "You don't understand" and he hugged me tighter. Aurora came in and joined. She caressed my hair without a word. And maybe, maybe that was the kind of comfort I wanted since the very beginning.