Convergence

The Reveal

Rick took Ashe and headed off to talk to his great aunt while I went home. The exhaustion and stress had gotten to me. The stairs to the second-floor bathroom seemed long and climbing was a chore, but the anticipation of a long, hot bath kept me going.

I glanced through the pages of the storybook. Everything seemed so fragile and the words were a little faded. A passage sort of called out to me. It said something about the powers of one taking over the powers of the other making the host indestructible. I really didn't feel like trying to make heads or tails of the book just yet. I just wanted to relax. I let the water and bubbles wash over me wanting to forget everything, if only for a moment.

I walked around the house in my pajamas and a robe after the bath and found there was a hot pizza on the kitchen table. Leah had come home early and brought it home.

"Hi, Kari." She gave me a big hug. "Oh, I feel like I haven't seen you in months. Have you been okay?"

I looked into her large brown eyes and wanted to cry. She may not have been my birth mother, but she was as close to one as a motherless child could get. Her embrace made me feel so warm and welcome in her life.

"I'm fine. I know you're busy." I sat at the table with her and noticed an empty package of cookie dough. She must have just put them in moments ago because all I smelled was pepperoni and onions. "Are you baking?"

She quickly grabbed the package from me. "I...well, I know how much you like fresh baked sweets."

"But you never bake anything. Are you okay? Dad isn't dying is he?"

She chuckled. "No, dear. I just haven't been around very much, and with your father out of town..." she trailed off. "Well, I just didn't want you to feel lonely or neglected. I guess I just want to apologize for not being here for you."

"Nah, that's okay. I've been wrapped up in a project myself."

"I noticed. Must keep you very busy. Why don't you tell me about it?"

"It's nothing you need to worry about. Just a little project." I shoved a bite in my mouth to avoid talking about Rick. I talked to Leah about anything and everything. I wasn't sure I could keep this secret from her.

"Is it good?"

I nodded.

She looked at me intently. "There's something different about you."

"No, nothing different. Same old me."

"You've gained more of your powers, haven't you?"

I almost choked on my food. "What?"

She let out a sigh. "Finally! I knew this day would come sooner or later. I was always hoping it would be sooner."

"You knew about my powers? How? What?"

She smiled. "Calm down. I'll tell you anything you want to know."

"How did you know I had powers?"

"Because you inherited them from me."

"What do you mean? You're not my birth mother. She... died."

"More precisely, I had her killed." She said it so matter of fact before taking a bite of pizza.

I could feel the air constricting in my lungs.

She swallowed. "Well, she would've kept you from me. She would have you believe that Bill was your father. I mean really of all people. His last name wasn't even Parker, it was Ortega. Of course, he would've just accepted it because he was her protector."