What Is A Dream?

Chapter 16

Usually when Adela dreamed, she'd forget it within the first few minutes of waking up. But this didn't go away. She knew it hadn't been just a dream. There was a part of her that wished the past year had been a dream, but it wasn't. Nobody could dream anything that vividly.

Adela lay in bed silently. There was noise outside her room, the normal bustling of people waking up and getting ready for the day. Three more people made the noise louder, so Adela couldn't get any rest by staying in bed. She got dressed and left her room.

Daniel bumped into her. He grinned. "Sorry. It's still weird that you're here." Adela raised her eyebrow. He quickly adjusted his statement. "I mean, it's nice! Everyone's happier! But this is the first time I've met you. I know you were here first, but it still feels like-"

"Choose your next words carefully," Adela warned with a plastered smile on her face. He shrank before her icy glare and even let out a whimper. She let her eyes soften. "I'm kidding. I understand that it's weird. You must have been hearing about me for so long and now that I'm here, I'm not nearly as amazing as everyone said."

"No you are," Daniel said quickly. He blushed but didn't assist or deflate his statement.

"Well, thank you, I guess," Adela said dismissively. "But I'm not. Anyway, have you seen my dad?" Daniel pointed to Samuel's room. "Thanks." With that, Adela left him embarrassed in the hall. She knocked on Samuel's door. "Daddy?"

It opened. Samuel stood there with a sword and a stone in his hands. He smiled. "Good morning, m'dear! I was just sharpening this sword."

"Good old Sherman," Adela said with a smile, naming the sword. "And Ewing, keeping him sharp." She'd named Samuel's favorite sword after William Tecumseh Sherman, and the whetstone after his foster father. In fact, all of the weapons in the house were named after some general or historical figure. Adela's favorite short sword was named James Madison. He was her favorite founding father, and her biggest historical crush.

"What should we call this one?" Samuel asked, putting aside Sherman and retrieving a curved cavalry sword from his dresser. Adela took it and ran her fingers over its smooth, shining surface. It wasn't sharp, so she also traced its edge.

"Saladin," Adela eventually decided.

"I approve," Samuel agreed and started to sharpen the newly named sword. "What's up?"

Adela was unsure of how to ask this. Once, when she was younger, she'd asked if she could pierce her ears and he'd said no. So many times she didn't ask for things because she was afraid of rejection. "You know I turned 16 a few months ago," she started.

Samuel stopped sharpening Saladin and looked at her. "Of course."

"And I wasn't here in February," she continued, "When I would be 15 ½."

"No, you weren't," Samuel agreed. "What is this about, Adela?"

"Can I learn to drive?" she burst out. He froze and was silent for what seemed like eternity. Adela held her breath anxiously, until-

"Yes."

"Honestly? You mean it? I can!"

Samuel sighed. "Yes, you can. We live dangerous lives, I don't see why you shouldn't learn how to do a dangerous thing that could do some good as well. But I'm not teaching you. Ask Melissa or Geoffrey. Not Eve, she drives on the wrong side of the road."

Adela yelped with joy and hugged him, then raced out of the room. She ran to Geoffrey and Melissa's room, but they weren't there. She went downstairs. Geoffrey was making breakfast while his pregnant wife read a book at the counter. "You're here! Can I ask something of you?" Adela asked them.