The Psychic Legacy

Chapter 19: Everything

Polly squeezed a pillow to her chest and her legs bounced up and down at a frantic pace. She hadn't said much since Lillian confirmed her identity. She let us help her up and let us lead her to the chairs, but since then she hadn't done much else besides cry, fidget, and look a little green. I kept a wastebasket nearby, just in case.

We have to do something, Lillian said from inside my head.

This is a lot for her, I replied in thought. Let her process.

We don't have time for processing—

"How the fuck did this happen?" Polly muttered, finally breaking her silence.

I sighed with relief. "That's what we're going to find out."

She glared at me with eyes swollen red from crying. "Aren't you supposed to explain all this to me? How're you going to do that if you don't know?"

"Lillian is going to do the explaining," I said.

Polly narrowed her eyes like she did every time I mentioned Lillian—like she was still waiting for the trick to be revealed. Even after Lillian's airtight assurances...

"Is she there with you, right now?" she asked. "I heard you arguing, but it was like you were on the phone and I was only hearing one side."

I felt my cheeks go red. "She's kind of always here," I said. "Though she tends to only pipe up when she wants to."

I felt the flicker of Lillian's irritation. She was as easy to rile as her sister.

"Does that mean she can hear me, right now?" Polly asked.

"Yep."

Polly's eyes brightened. She opened her mouth but then paused before closing it again with a sigh. "You know all those things you wish you could say to someone if only you could see them again?"

I frowned but I nodded. I knew that feeling. I had a long list of those for Luc, for Rick, even my parents, and of course my grandmother...

She gave a strange half-laugh. "Here I am with a chance to actually do just that, and I can't think of any of them. My mind's just gone blank."

"They'll come to you... Give yourself some time."

Polly looked wary as she asked, "Maybe it'd help if you—she—explained a little more."

"Are you ready for that?" I asked, looking straight into her eyes to make sure she wasn't forcing herself to say yes. "We can take this as slow as you need—"

No, we can't, Lillian insisted.

Polly agreed, unknowingly, with her sister. "I've been waiting for too long for this to put it off. I can deal. Rip the bandaid off. Get it over with."

"Alright, then," I said. "Where do we start?" It was both a question to Polly and to Lillian. "With Luc? With the curse? Or—"

"Start with Lillian," Polly said. "That's the mystery that I've wanted to solve. What exactly happened to her? Tell me about her story."

I took a deep breath. "Well, okay..."

You heard her, I thought at Lillian. You're up.

But despite all her pushing, now she seemed hesitant. You know, this would all be easier if you let me take over for a—

"No," I snapped.

We've already done it—a few times, now. What's the problem?

"Because it was only a little at a time," I said. "But if this is going to take a while..."