The morning sunshine peaked through the window, warm on her face, yet harsh on her eyes.
Leila stretched her arms out wide and yawned. It felt good to sleep in, especially after the mishap last night. Thank God it was Saturday.
After minutes of contemplating if she should get out of bed, the girl finally pushed the covers off her body.
She stood up and made her way downstairs, ears perking up as she heard the television already turned on.
"Dad?" She called, trotting down the last few steps and entering the foyer. "Why aren't you asleep?" Her father, Doctor Letcher, was a busy and intelligent man. He usually worked in the emergency room at Queens Medical Center. He was one of the best surgeons in the state, which called for great responsibility, and a great absence from his daughter's life.
So that's why she was surprised to see him awake so early.
Her farther was sitting at the breakfast counter, glasses on and newspaper in hand. He had a full cup of coffee placed a few inches away, and Lelia knew that had to be his third or fourth round.
He looked up and smiled. "Good morning sweetheart." His voice rang in that familiar New York accent that so many people tried to mimic. It made her smile. He had grown up here his whole life, unlike her. She didn't sound like a New Yorker, but she had inherited his features.
Like his warm hazel eyes. Even after years of aging, they were as distinct as ever. He used to have silky brown hair, but now that full head of hair was almost grey. It made him look wise. People close to him would know it was true. He was full of life and joy, despite the fact that the love of his life had died 5 years ago.
She loved him dearly. He was her only close family left, being an only child. They moved to Queens when she was 13, right after her mother died. It was a huge and painful adjustment. Her mother was her life, the one who took care of her while her father was away at work. Lelia missed her every single day.
And she was more than grateful to have her father by her side through all of it. He was a good man, and he loved her mother. Even though he was gone a lot, he did his best. He was there for her when she needed him.
Now that she was 18, Lelia understood the importance of his job and why he was called to do it. He saved lives on the daily, basically resurrected people who should have died.
But deep down inside, she knew it was because he felt guilt and shame. He wasn't able to save his wife from stage four brain cancer. Now, Thomas Letcher was bound to spend the rest of his life trying to make up for his failure.
Every time she looked at him, she could see the tiredness that lingered in his expression. He would never remarry. He would never love again. And it broke her heart.
So every moment was a blessing. Time was scarce in their household.
"Couldn't sleep." He sighed loudly, setting the paper aside. "I don't have any surgeries scheduled today. It doesn't matter."
Lelia raised her eyebrow. "What time is it at?"
"2am." He groaned.
"That still counts as tonight daddy, you know that." She chuckled, opening the fridge to take out the carton of eggs. "You want any?"
"If you're making scrambled, yes."
Lelia rolled her eyes. She preferred over easy, but she would do anything for her father. Even if that meant sacrificing yolk on toast. "Coming right up!" She cheered, salvaging for a skillet and slotted turner.
She cracked open 5 eggs and added some peppers and onions for her fathers preference.
As she waited for the stove to heat up, she grabbed the remote and turned on the tabletop television.
Lelia flipped leisurely thought the channels, stopping on the local news.
Her father lifted his head as he listened in on the weather for today. It was supposed to be cloudy with a 70% chance of rain.
Lelia frowned, she had wanted to spend some time outside on her day off, but Mother Nature had different plans.
She poured the battered eggs into the skillet, smiling as they sizzled. Their seasoned smell lofted through the apartment, adding to the tranquility that rested between the two.
"Smells good honey." Her father rubbed his belly. "Haven't had a home cooked breakfast in awhile."
"It's because you're never home." Lelia stuck her tongue out.
Her father was about to say something, but was interrupted by the TV. Both their attentions switched to the breaking news segment.
"SPIDER-MAN ASSISTING COPS IN THE CAPTURE OF DOUBLE HOMICIDE AND BANK ROBBER CHARLES ANDERSON"
The news report continues to explain the situation. The background displaying a building a few blocks down.
Chills ran down her spine, as she realized how close the murder was to where she worked. What if she had gotten caught in something like that?
She glanced to her father, sighing in relief. He didn't seem to notice her surprise. Which was good because she didn't want him to ask any questions.
"Charles Anderson may have links to the local gang Thorns, but authorities still refuse to comment. All we know is that he is in custody, after being found hanging from a spider web."
Lelia smiled. That Spider-Man was a mystery. She felt safe knowing someone was watching over their city, catching criminals left and right. Especially the dangerous ones.
"What do you think about the spider boy?" Her father chuckled after setting his cup of coffee down.
"I like him." Lelia continued to dice the vegetables.
Her father continued to listen in on the broadcast. "This just in, Spider-Man confirmed-"
"It's been almost two years since he showed up." He reminded her.
"Really?" That comment took her aback. She had forgotten how long it had been. She remembers first hearing about him her sophomore year, sneaking into the bathroom with her friends to watch YouTube videos. That seemed like so long ago, even though it had only been a few years. Lelia had grown so much since then. She was approaching the end of her senior year, almost 18 years old. And the concept of supernatural beings had become the norm.
As she poured the rest of the vegetables into the skillet, she wondered just how many people like her there were.
Lelia knew she would be safer to keep her abilities a secret. She wasn't strong like Captain America, smart like Iron Man, or even agile like Spider-Man.
She was almost normal.
But even if she wasn't completely normal, knowing there was someone who wanted to keep others safe made her heart feel warm. It was encouraging to see there were others who wanted to help make their crime filled city a better place.
"Hello?" Her dad asked loudly, snapping Lelia back to reality.
"Huh?" She blinked in surprise, not noticing how deep in thought she was. "Did you say something?"
"I was wondering if you think his intentions are good."
"Truly? I do." She scraped the eggs evenly onto two plates. She didn't want to say too much. Her father didn't need to know about her secret crush on Spider-Man.
"You think so?" Her father got up from his chair and walked over to the window that overlooked the city. "I get worried when these incredibly strong humans are so close to home. That man could kill someone without even trying."
"You do have a point." Lelia laughed, shaking her head at how serious he had gotten. He was often overthinking things. She wondered what he would do if he found out about her powers.
"Do you like him? Tossing aside your philosophy. What do you actually think?"
Her father was silent for a moment, his hands tucked in his trousers. "He seems alright to me. He's protecting the city I love, why wouldn't I like him?"
"That's why I like him. He's doing what the police can't do."
"I didn't think of it that way."
"Now come eat." She smiled, setting two glasses of milk on the table. "You have a long night ahead of you, you need as much protein as you can."
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Lelia held the dead succulent in her hand, narrowing her eyes as she tried to generate the power she had felt last night.
Nothing.
"What the hell!" She groaned in annoyance, tossing it into the garbage before she could try again.
The girl didn't understand why she could only heal living things. It frustrated her beyond belief. Her abilities were useless if she couldn't save someone on the verge of death. What if she needed too? She wouldn't be able to live with herself if someone she loved died again.
Lelia pushed off the floor and rolled to the other side of her room. The chair squeaked loudly underneath her as she reached for her other potted plant.
It was a pink rose bush that her father had gotten for her. It was beautiful, but starting to wither from lack of water. That was no problem for Lelia.
She focused, raising her hand just a few inches over the buds. She searched deep within and called. The warm feeling surged through her body and with the movements of her hand, she bent the roses at her will.
The girl grinned, opening and closing her hand, watching as the buds did the same.
It was beautiful.
Almost instinctively, she decided to take it a step further, her heart pounding in her chest and she raised her hand up, demanding the rose bush to grow from within.
The stems gradually thickened, the branches growing longer. She watched in astonishment, but her patience thinned.
She forced the bush to grow faster, but as soon as she tried, a sharp pain seared through her abdomen.
Lelia winced, doubling over with a cry.
Her hands fell away from the plant, and stopped the process. She was panting by then, holding the place where she felt the pain. It ceased as soon as she stopped, but it still scared her. She'd never felt any pain because of her powers before. Was it possible she couldn't speed up time, only heal to its original state?
She gritted her teeth, hesitant to try again. It would have to wait for another time.
For now at least. But tonight, she had some business to take care of.
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Word count: 1778