Chapter Four: Answers
Hyacinth woke up on her bed with Erin beside her. She smiled. It is fun seeing her future in the flesh. Seeing her future daughter beside her as a teenager made her want to weep. She finally achieved her dream of having a child of her own someday and the refutable proof of that is now in front of her, sleeping like a fragile creature. Erin turned out healthy and fine. That also means that Mr. Bismarck took care of their daughter well.
Their child...
Hyacinth froze.
Erin's existence means that she and Mr. Bismarck shared a bed.
Her face turned crimson. She never thought of it that way before. Upon meeting Erin yesterday and knowing that Erin is her daughter, Hyacinth's heart filled with warmth and excitement. She never imagined having a family.
All her life, Hyacinth is viewed as an asset to her bloodline, never a kid who doesn't know the inner workings of her ability and the cruelties of human nature. Her parents, especially her father, had high expectations of her. At a young age, her parents trained her to read someone's thread and accurately gather the information that she needed from it.
She saw countless miseries. She saw pain and regret and violence and knowledge that is not meant for a kid's mind. Hyacinth remembered how she felt disgusted with herself when she saw a murder in another's thread and her heart leaped in fear as if she experienced being murdered herself.
Nobody knows how much she suffered. Nobody knows the burden of being a thread reader.
And upon seeing Erin's and knowing her as her child, she felt happy and content, knowing that Mr. Bismarck took care of Erin well.
And now, the thought of sharing a bed with Mr. Bismarck crept into her thoughts; She shivered. Is she really capable of having a relationship with someone? But how did she end up with Max? The man's face had looked like a predator waiting to pounce on its prey.
What happened to fate? Why did she end up having a kid with him?
Hyacinth shook her head and embraced Erin as if shaking her head can shake away the unpleasant thoughts.
Hyacinth tried to talk to her daughter regarding to her sudden disappearance in the future but Erin won't talk. She just cried and cried in Hyacinth's arms and sobbed on how much she missed Hyacinth, on how much Erin wished for her to come back.
"Erin, you're not supposed to exist... not with your peculiar abilities." She whispered against Erin's hair.
This is the first time in the history of thread readers that a first-born female can time travel.
But nobody really knew the secrets of her bloodline, even her parents. Nobody really knows why the Sinclairs suddenly produced a female after a few centuries.
Hyacinth is confused. This is why thread readers don't alter the threads of fate. The results are always chaotic and beyond comprehension.
Her doorbell rang and she flinched. Erin jerked and sat immediately.
"Mom, open the door. Two doorbells, or knocks, means it's Dad."
MAXIMILLIAN crossed his arms on his chest as Erin and Ms. Sinclair sat on the couch across his seat. Their hair resembled a bird's nest so he clicked his tongue. He wanted to comb the nest on top of their heads until they became proper curls on their shoulders.
"Dad, you said I looked adorable. You'll get used to my unruly curls."
Maximillian frowned at that. Since when did he like messy things?
Hyacinth yawned and scratched her eyes with both hands, her cream skin—almost pale— has these patches of pink, probably her sore muscles from a good night's sleep. She wears decent night clothes yet the thin clothing did nothing at concealing Hyacinth's assets. Her collarbone peaked from the V-neck of her shirt and the stretchy material hugged the swell of her perfectly-rounded breast and her shapely legs pretty well.
The woman is well-endowed, to say the least.
"Well, good morning ladies. I think you know the reason why I'm here."
Erin looked around. "Did you bring Aunt Maine?"
Max shook his head. "Maine is still recovering from the shock of the accident and don't call her 'Aunt Maine', kid. You're a stranger to us."
Erin's shoulders fell.
His attention averted to Ms. Sinclair's sleepy eyes. Max could've sworn he saw her doze off for a few seconds.
"I am still recovering from the shock of all of this, now that my fate is altered. No thanks to you, fluffy arms," she muttered in her low, sleepy voice that sounded so seductive that Maximillian's groin twitch in response.
Max gritted his teeth. "Do you think I am happy with this confusion? How do you think should I react when this teenager claimed to be my kid from the future? And what are thread readers, anyway?! You better explain, Ms. Sinclair, or I will have you removed here in Sutton City for wasting my time."
Hyacinth groaned. "Mr. Bismarck. Everything is simple if only you believed that the existence of thread readers is real. You have one for a daughter."
His jaw tightened and flexed. "Ms. Sinclair, you have to give me proof of all of this before I believe a word—"
"I don't want to explain myself, Mister. I am perfectly capable of looking out for myself without you. If you don't want to believe my existence as someone with unnatural abilities, then don't. You can go on with your life and be a good businessman providing thousands of jobs to people you don't give a damn about."
"Mom, Dad here— I mean, Mr. Bismarck here is still confused."
Hyacinth looked at her daughter with resolve. "Erin, I am happy to know that you existed somewhere in the future but I'm so sorry to say this. You will not exist. I will make it my life's mission to return to the natural course of my life and untangle my thread from Mr. Bismarck here."
Erin gasped in shock. "B-But..."
Hyacinth sighed. "I have enough problems right now, Erin. I needed to save mankind from your abilities. Who knows what will happen to our future with your abilities?"
"I am right! You are selfish! You left me and Dad and never returned! You don't want anything to do with me, Mom! You don't want me at all!" Erin stormed out of the unit sobbing, slamming the door behind her back.
Maximillian clenched his fists. The sound of Erin crying pinched something in his chest. He regarded Hyacinth with a condescending look. "Why do you have to tell her that?"
Hyacinth shrugged. "Because I am selfish, Mr. Bismarck, and I want nothing to do with you." she pointed to the door Erin slammed a few seconds ago. "I pushed her away from me and the threads will return to normal if you pushed me out of your life, too. Avoid me at all costs, Mr. Bismarck, and your life will continue."
Maximillian cursed under his breath. "I still don't believe your schemes—"
"And I don't expect you to, Mr. Bismarck." Hyacinth let out a sarcastic laugh. "It's not my obligation to prove something to you, or anyone! Continue with your life and avoid me, Bismarck. Please do!"
She massaged her temple with her fingers. Hyacinth sighed, finally relieved from the pressure in her chest.
"One day, you will sense Erin's disappearance from your future with a throbbing headache and loud ringing in your ears. When that moment comes, I want you to be relieved," she added.
He nodded at that, finally agreeing to something she said.
"And can you tell Jean that I will disappear? If she ever needed me in the future, she will know how to reach me."
"Why don't you tell her that yourself?"
Hyacinth shrugged. "I saved your life and I want you to repay me by relaying that message to my dearest friend. Please look out after Jean. A week after this day, she will have her checkup with Bismarck's company physician. Jean's condition will be sensitive, Sir. I ask you to give her fewer tasks."
Maximillian didn't want to nod about that. He hated being ordered around. Also, agreeing with her means that he believes her claim that she knows what's going to happen in the future.
But Ms. Sinclair is asking for compensation for saving his and Maine's life. It felt demanding but Maximillian has to obey it. After this day, he will not see this Ms. Hyacinth or that kid from the "future".
"Consider it done, Ms. Sinclair."
She smiled, for the first time, and it warmed something in his chest.
He gulped.
"Do remember me by my name for our wasted future's sake. My name is Hyacinth."
He nodded and headed for the door.
Maybe, it is much better for both parties if he avoids more interactions with her from now on.