The day had gone by quickly and the kids were still in the shelter but winding down from their capture-the-flag marathon, reviewing the previous day’s heroics, and planning for the future. Cassie, Penny, and Gabe had spent a significant chunk of the day having ultra-serious discussions on just what their superhero outfits would look like.
It was late afternoon and Jay had asked Zach to pick up some ingredients from Madrona Dry Goods before dinner. For some reason Zach hadn’t bristled at the request.
They sat around a table set on the wood floor of the basketball court. Interrupting a momentary lull in the conversation, Zoe brought up a topic they’d discussed briefly before. “Where did Ollie get his powers? That thing he does where he froze us.”
“He didn’t just freeze us, he was able to move us.” Penny added.
“Telekinesis.” Zach said.
“Caleb said he only gave us powers.” Binny frowned.
“But?” Zach prodded his sister, her face making it clear she wasn’t sharing everything on her mind.
“But, I’m not sure he was telling the truth.” Binny said.
“He wouldn’t lie to us, would he?” Zoe said.
“I looked in his mind when he was talking. It was like the truth and the lie were mixed up together. I couldn’t tell what was what.” Binny said.
“I hate to say it as Caleb’s been so nice to us, but I’m starting to wonder if we can really trust Caleb.” Zach said.
“There are only two possibilities. Either Caleb gave Ollie his power, or there’s someone else who can give kids super powers.” Penny said.
“I’m tired. I think I’m gonna go home.” Cassie said.
“Just wait for us, we’ll go home together.” Binny said.
“I kind of want to walk on my own. I promise I’ll go straight home.” Cassie said earnestly.
Binny watched Cassie head for the exit before continuing the conversation, “I have a feeling that even if Caleb didn’t give Ollie his power, he knows who did. He’s not being honest with us.”
“And if he knew that Ollie had a power, and didn’t tell us, then…” Zoe said.
Zach finished her sentence, “…then Caleb sent us to find Ollie without warning us that Ollie had powers too.” Zach looked at the others before uttering his conclusion. “Caleb put us in danger.”
Privately Zach thought that it might not have been the first time Caleb had done something like that. Caleb had after all encouraged them to go to Luce Labs the previous summer. He may not have known that Dr. Trace was a threat, but he sent them there to investigate their powers knowing full well that he himself had given them these amazing skills. Zach wasn’t sure of the truth, but he was getting increasingly certain that he hadn’t heard it from Caleb.
“So children? How did it go?” Caleb’s deep voice rumbled through the shelter.
The children’s heads swiveled around, to see their visitor, surprised by his sudden entrance.
“We found Rembrandt.” Zach reported in a stony voice.
“That’s excellent news Mr. Jordan. Was it the pool or the library?” Caleb asked.
“Neither of those places. Ollie had him in an abandoned old mansion.” Zoe answered.
“Oh. But you still found him. Excellent work. Truly excellent teamwork.” Caleb said. “And your canine friend is undamaged I hope?”
“Ollie did something to him, but he’ll be okay.” Zoe answered.
“Caleb?” Zach said. “There’s something else.”
“Oh?”
“Ollie had powers. These light powers, and telekinesis. We’re not entirely sure about all of it. But it was pretty scary.” Zach said.
Caleb’s faced remained an impenetrable mask.
Zach glanced at Binny giving her a look before continuing to talk to Caleb. “Since you gave us our powers, we were just wondering where he got his powers from.”
Caleb looked down at his hands and then back up at Zach. “That’s an excellent question Mr. Jordan.”
Seeing no answer forthcoming, Zach plowed forward. “Did you know Ollie had powers?”
The silence hung in the air for what seemed like a minute. Finally Caleb uttered one word, “No.”
Zach immediately turned to Binny. “Well?”
Binny shook her head, and spoke with a sadness in her voice. “It’s confusing. It’s not an outright lie, but it’s definitely not the truth.”
The faces of the other four children got stonier as Binny rendered her verdict.
Zach stood up and faced the grandfatherly old man in the overalls that they had welcomed into their hideout and into their secret lives so readily. Zach spoke without malice or anger but with resolve, “Caleb, I’m sorry to say this, but it seems like we can’t trust you anymore.”
Caleb hung his head. “I understand.”
“That’s it? You understand?” Binny was angry.
“Yes. I do.” Caleb said quietly.
“Well I don’t understand. Why don’t you just tell us what’s going on?” Binny shouted.
“I am trying to...” Caleb started to respond, but Binny didn’t hear him. Binny’s eyes burned red, and her pulse beat loud in her ears. Binny’s face was scrunched in anger.
Zach addressed Caleb, “I’m sorry Caleb. We’re grateful for the times you’ve helped us. But, you shouldn’t come here again.”
On that note, Zach and the other children walked towards the staircase, and made the long trek out of the shelter towards the warmth and safety of home.
Caleb Adams stayed rooted to the spot as the kids exited the shelter. His face revealed nothing of his thoughts. He just stood and stood. He wondered for a moment if this was how the trees felt.
Out of the corner of Caleb’s eye, he saw a brief flash of light. The white sparkling ivy disappeared as fast as it had appeared, and in the very same spot now stood Cassie Jordan, her face inscrutable.
Neither said anything or looked away for what seemed like a long time. And then suddenly, Cassie ran to Caleb and hugged him with the full force of her eight-year-old grip.
Caleb reached a hand down to pat Cassie on the back gently. Cassie’s eyes were closed as she hugged Caleb even tighter. If she’d looked up she would have seen a tear rolling down Caleb’s lined cheek.
§
“Oooh. I love how you drew Rembrandt jumping out of the dumpster. The kids look so surprised to find him there. Cassie looks like she’s afraid he’s gonna flatten her.” Serena admired Jay’s handiwork.”
“Yes. That’s exactly what I was going for.” Jay said.
“It’s great.” Serena smiled.
“It should be. We’ve been working on it for a month. Tell me again why you made the parents so dopey?” Jay asked. It was a familiar argument he and Serena had discussed several times now.
“As I’ve said, in these stories, you’ve got two choices. You can either kill the parents, or make them so clueless that they might as well be dead.” Serena repeated, sounding bored.
“Yeah yeah. I know. It’s just seems so far-fetched that the parents would be so clueless as to not know their kids are running around the neighborhood with superpowers.” Jay made his traditional case.
“Jay, it’s a comic book, not literature.”
“I know. I just think superhero stories should be as realistic as possible.” Jay lamented.
“You mean totally realistic aside from the superpowers of course.” Serena teased.
“Yeah. Aside from the superpowers.” Jay knew when he was defeated.
“Well, let’s see if anyone reads this one, and then we can add some more realism in the second one. Sound good?” Serena said.
“Sounds good.” Jay replied with a smile.
§
“Penny, I’m not sure you and I have the same notion of what the word ‘help’ means.” Quincy Yang said to his daughter.
Penny was reclining on the couch as Quincy and Jonathan were carrying it up the broad stairs to the second floor of the apartment building.
“Less whining. More lifting.” Jonathan teased.
“I am helping. I’m testing out the couch. And so far, I’m finding it very comfy.” Penny giggled.
“I’m worried you’ll fall off and break something.” Quincy told his daughter.
“Don’t worry. I’m good at fixing stuff.” Penny responded nonchalantly.
“That’s not what I meant. Oh, never mind.” Quincy said as he and Jonathan set the couch down in the relatively empty living room.
“Which one is my room again?” Penny hopped off the couch and was peering into the various rooms.
“The one on the left okay?” Jonathan said. “You can see your friend Binny’s room across the courtyard when you’re here and she’s staying with her Mom.”
“Oh yeah. Right. Cool.” Penny said and stuck her head out the window imagining how she and Binny would signal each other.
Jonathan laughed at Penny’s excitement.
Quincy laughed and added. “Yeah. Very cool.”
§
“Zach, would you mind folding these napkins please.” Melissa Flowers instructed, and then turning to her daughter, “and what are you doing to help at this moment?
“I’m photographing the opening.” Zoe responded from behind the lens of her fancy new camera.
“I think I’d rather you set out silverware.” Melissa said.
“In a minute. I promise.” Zoe responded amidst a flurry of shutter sounds.
“PopPop.” Gabe yelled.
Gabriel Walker walked through the door of the brand new restaurant for the first time.
“He tried to get out of coming.” James Flowers told his wife.
“I’m here. I’m here.” PopPop said grouchily.
“Hi Dad. I’m glad you’re here. Melissa kissed her father on the cheek.
“You’re here too huh?” PopPop said to Zach. “It’s getting so I can’t go anywhere without seeing you. You gonna move into my house too?”
“PopPop!” Zoe blushed.
Zach wasn’t sure what to say.
“Dad, don’t be rude. Zach is our guest. And he’s been very helpful.” Melissa smiled at Zach as she spoke. “Zach, is the rest of your family coming tonight? We want to get as big a crowd as we can for opening night.”
“I was just kidding. Zach knows that. Right kid?” PopPop said as much to his daughter as to Zach.
“Yep, they’re coming.” Zach said and then smiled at PopPop as he continued to fold napkins.
“Okay everyone. It’s time.” Melissa Flowers gathered family and staff just outside the front of the restaurant. Gabriel Walker, better known as PopPop didn’t want to go back out but Gabe and Zoe dragged him by the hands.
“Zoe, you head over there. Now I need your photography skills. I want you to capture PopPop’s reaction.” Melissa said to her daughter.
“My reaction to what?” PopPop said.
“Dad, you know, you’ve been an inspiration to me in so many ways, culinary and otherwise.” Melissa Flowers’ voice broke a little but she kept herself from tearing up. “You’ve been so generous with your home, your time, your wisdom, and of course, you’re cooking. Everything I know I learned from you. And as such we wanted to honor you.”
Melissa looked over to her son who was standing holding a rope attached to a sheet that had been hung over the sign above the restaurant’s façade. “Now Gabe.”
Gabe pulled the rope and the sheet floated gently to the sidewalk. PopPop looked up to see a beautiful new sign, riddled with lights, and looking like it was straight out of the 1960’s saying “Gabriel’s Southern.”
“We named it after you Dad.” Melissa said to her father.
Even PopPop couldn’t help but smile.
§
The night had been fabulously successful. Zach had lost count of how many ribs he’d eaten, but everyone knew that Cassie was on her third slice of Bourbon Peach Crumble. Zach wasn’t far behind as he was tackling his second helping.
“Now can I?” Gabe wheedled his sister who was sitting next to Zach at one of the picnic tables that served as tables for the restaurant.
“Gabe I don’t want you to break it.” Zoe replied to her little brother.
“I won’t break it. And you promised I could take pictures and you still haven’t let me.” Gabe complained.
“Are your hands clean?” Zoe looked down her nose at her brother’s proffered palms. “Fine, but just this once.”
Zoe handed Gabe the camera. Gabe rounded the table and focused it back on Zoe and Zach and said, “Okay you guys. Smile.”
And they did.