The Otherkind Book One:Heart

~*~ 26 ~*~

~*~ 26 ~*~

I didn't spend a lot of time getting dressed. Running a brush through my impossible hair I gave up, opting to twist it up into a loose pile, pinning it into place. I went downstairs where dad was already making friends with a mug of coffee, the newspaper unopened and folded in front of him on the table.

"Morning dad!" I said cheerfully.

He looked up, surprise coloring his eyes. "Morning baby girl" His voice was hesitant, unsure. I could feel his eyes watching me as I went to the cabinet getting down a glass and filling it with tap water. Looking out the back window while taking a drink, I steeled my nerves for what was about to come.

"You're strangely quiet this morning" he said finally.

"I was thinking the same about you." Turning I sat down at the table.

"You hungry?" he asked.

"Not really."

"How come---" he looked closely at me, "how come you're not tearing into me? Even Uncle Mark said you would. You're known for that Rowan. How come you're letting me off the hook?"

I looked down at my glass deciding I needed something with a bit more kick. Getting up and pulling down a mug from the cabinet, I sloshed some coffee into it. "What's the point?" I said finally turning back to look at him leaning against the counter.

"I did a lot of thinking last night."

I blew on my coffee to cool it while looking at him over the top of the mug.

"I wanted to know how you felt about going to see Grams."

"Now?"

I could see dad steel himself for an argument. "Soon."

"I don't want to go but," I shrugged my shoulders, "there is some merit to it."

"Christmas vacation is coming." he spoke dejectedly. I could tell this was not something he felt he had a lot of options about.

"I was leaning more towards after school got out. It's my junior year dad. I kind of want to stay with my friends. I already switched once, I'm not doing it again."

"Will you at least think about it?"

"I can do that, but why do you want me to go there now?"

"I, well, Uncle Mark and I think you will be," he paused looking for the right word, "we think it will be a good thing."

I knew he had been about to say safer. "We?" I looked at him to elaborate. When he didn't I sighed softly. "Why?"

"Rowan? There are things that only your Grams can tell you, things that have to do with," he paused uncomfortably, "the female side of our family."

"Her gifts." I added knowing what words he was dancing around not using.

He shook his head slightly yes.

Now I was really curious wondering just who my Grams was. How she fit into what I had remembered last night and why she had set walls up around my memory. She had never come up in any of my dream slips. "And you are not going to tell me about these gifts are you?" I already knew the answer.

"Rowan, you need to talk to my mom, to Grams."

"Well," I said after a few moments, "I'll keep an open mind, but I'm not going during the school year dad."

He changed the subject.

"What are you doing today? You're going to school right?"

"Yeah, and then I'm going to Sarah's after school."