by Amy Hale
She nodded. “Sounds fair.” She thought for a moment. “Can I ask you a question?”
He nodded. “Anything.”
“You told Dr. Weston that your daughter was gifted. What did you mean by that?”
He appeared uncomfortable with the question. “It’s hard to explain. But if you really are Alice, you probably already know.”
She expectantly looked at him.
“It began when she was about six. She would get upset, and things would happen, things we didn’t understand. It started small—her toys flying across the room and such—but as she grew, so did the strength of her abilities. Before long, she could move large pieces of furniture or levitate items in the air, all without ever physically touching them.”
He realized Jane was listening intently, so he continued, “Once she was old enough to understand that she was special, she became scared. We hired some top-notch researchers to help us understand what was happening. We wanted to help her embrace her gifts, not to fear them. She worked with them for several years before”—his voice cracked, and he closed his eyes—“someone bad caught wind of the research being done. We tried to keep her hidden from those who would abuse her abilities, but they eventually found us.”
He rubbed the bridge of his nose. “They broke in one night and took Alice by force. My wife was killed, trying to protect her. I was knocked unconscious. I haven’t seen her since.” He pulled a handkerchief from the pocket of his trousers and swiped at his eyes.
She reached across the picnic table for his hand, hoping to give him comfort, undeterred by the fact that she was reeling from these revelations. She was starting to believe that she really was Alice Daniels. The gifts and the visions of what must have been her childhood—or at least part of it—seemed to fit with what Mr. Daniels was describing. Some of her visions had been completely terrifying. She wasn’t sure she wanted to remember. But if she’d been kidnapped, it also explained why most of the dreams and visions had scared her.
He accepted her gesture of kindness and squeezed her hand. “Sweet little Alice…she always loved to help me. I remember one time, we were in the garage, and she was trying to help me build a birdhouse. We cut and placed all the pieces on the workbench. In her excitement to get the hammer, she knocked a glass of lemonade off the table, and it shattered. The bottom half of the glass was still intact and lying on its side on the floor. The noise had startled her so badly that she inadvertently ran into it, cutting a deep half-circle gash into her ankle. She had to get several stitches, but she was such a brave girl.”
Jane looked down at her own ankle, the faint half-circle scar still evident, despite her pale complexion. Blurred images of her childhood raced through her mind. They still weren’t clear enough that she could tell what was what, but she felt the evidence was too obvious to overlook.
Tears welled in her eyes as she ran around the table and threw herself into his arms. “Oh, Daddy!”
He hugged her back. “My Alice! My dear sweet Alice! I’m so very glad I’ve found you!”
NOW APPROACHES THE MOMENT I’VE WAITED FOR.
MY STRUGGLES ARE NEARING AN END.
Watching from a distance as Jane embraced George, Colt wanted to believe this was a good thing, but he was still struggling to accept it.
Dr. Weston nudged him in the ribs. “Isn’t it exciting, boy? We’ve reunited a family!”
“Yeah, it’s great, Doc.”
“You don’t sound convinced. Why?”
“I dunno. I’m just tired, I guess.”
Dr. Weston clapped him on the back. “Well, I have another bit of good news for you. Jerry never actually filed those assault charges. He was just blowing steam. Yesterday, he was arrested himself for the same thing.” He frowned. “Lisa’s in pretty bad shape this time. I hope she doesn’t drop the charges.”
Colt fumed, “I knew that dickweed was hitting her. Will she be okay?”
“I’m sure she will, if she follows my orders to take it easy once she’s discharged.” He observed Jane and her father interacting, and he smiled. “And you can come home without worrying about being arrested.”
“Thanks, Doc.”
Colt noticed Dr. Weston glancing at his watch. “Got somewhere to be? I can handle it from here if you need to go.”
Dr. Weston looked embarrassed. “Well, I do have some rounds to do at the hospital. I planned to go in later, but since things seem to be shaping up rather well here…do you mind if I leave?”
“Go on, Doc. I got it.”
Dr. Weston called out to Jane, and they waved good-bye before he hurried to his car.
Her eyes met Colt’s.
As always, when Colt looked at her, a spark seemed to travel through the air, landing right in his chest. She smiled, and he couldn’t help but return it. She looked happy, and that made him happy.
Colt settled himself on the nearby bench and tried to be patient while father and daughter caught up. He suddenly felt like a third wheel, but there was no way he would leave her alone with him. He would stay, no matter how long they decided to talk.
Luckily for him, it was only another ten minutes or so before they stood and walked in his direction.
Jane clasped Colt’s hand in hers and smiled up at her father. “I know you’ve been introduced already, but I just want you to know that Colt is an important part of my life.”
Colt’s heart swelled at the admission she was making in front of her father. He smiled at George, and George smiled back, but Colt got the impression that the smile wasn’t genuine. He once again had to remind himself that this was about Jane—or would it be Alice now? He wasn’t sure how long it would take him to get used to that.
George gave her a hug. “I’m going to my hotel. Call me tomorrow maybe?”
She nodded, and he walked toward the parking lot, not even sparing Colt a backward glance.
Jane threw her arms around Colt and hugged him to her. “Isn’t it wonderful? I have family!”
Colt smiled down at her and then kissed her forehead. “It’s amazing, sweetheart, simply amazing.” He looked back to where George had been walking, but he was already gone. “I’m not sure he approves of me so much though.”
She frowned. “Why do you think that?”
“Eh, just a hunch. I’m not the kind of guy you usually bring home to meet the folks.”
“Don’t be silly. If that’s the case, he’ll just have to learn to love you as much as I do.” Jane closed her eyes as she realized the word love had slipped out before she could stop it. She’d wondered many times if what she was feeling for him was love, but she’d never expected to admit it so soon. She fought down the rising panic in her chest.
Maybe I’m lucky enough that he didn’t hear me. I should just play it off as no big deal.
She opened her eyes to see Colt giving her an unsettling stare that seemed to see through to her soul. It scared and excited her at the same time.
He raised his hand to her face and stroked his index finger from her cheekbone to her jawline. “You said you love me.”
Oh God, he did hear me. “Listen, Colt, you don’t have to—”
He interrupted her, “Did you mean it?”
She couldn’t lie to him, especially not about this. “Yes,” she said quietly.
He picked her up and practically ran to his motorcycle.
She clung to his neck and laughed. “What are you doing?”
“Getting you home as quickly as possible.”
She was confused. “Why?”
“Because I can’t say it back, Jane.”
She tried to hide the pain those words had induced. She was almost sure he could audibly hear her heart breaking.
Colt set her down in front of the motorcycle and then lifted her chin to meet his face. “I can’t say it back because I’m not sure the word love could do justice to my feelings for you. But I can show you. I can take you home and spend the rest of the day showing you what you mean to me.”
Her
heart went from shattering to inflating in the span of a few seconds. It was almost dizzying.
Jane smiled at him, holding back the happy tears threatening to fall. “Show me then.”
The next week went by in a blur. Jane would spend part of her days with George, getting reacquainted with a man she barely remembered. The rest of her time was spent with Colt.
Colt returned to Mike’s Bikes, expecting a lukewarm welcome, but he learned that Mike and Macy had kept their mouths shut about the incident with Jane. They were more than happy to have him back. With Jerry gone, Mike was in dire need of his best mechanic, and he offered Colt a raise to stay. Colt agreed with the stipulation that he set his own hours for the time being.
Jane was feeling optimistic about her future. While Colt was still cautious in regard to her father, he was open and loving to her. She felt worshiped and adored when she was with him.
She was also learning from her father about the methods she’d used to control her gifts as a child. It seemed that while she had practiced in the forest, old habits had kicked in and helped her along. George seemed especially proud of her upon hearing that she could once again keep her abilities on a leash. He never belittled her or made her feel like a freak about her gifts.
The only thing she was struggling with was his need to address her as Alice. Instinctively, she knew that was her name, but she just couldn’t seem to adjust to using it. She allowed him to call her Alice, but she preferred that everyone else continued to call her Jane. She was still figuring out who Alice was, and until that happened, she needed breathing room.
Saturday morning, Jane was sitting in the park with George, watching the children play. He told her story after story of her childhood. He described her favorite toys, her playmates, and her utter adoration for orange sherbet. She laughed and asked questions, generally enjoying her time with him.
A little girl ran by them, giggling and jumping, when she tripped on her shoelace and skinned her knee. She looked to be only four or five years of age, and her brunette pigtails bobbed up and down as she sobbed into her hands.
Jane ran to the little girl to reassure her that all would be okay. “Hey, sweetheart. What’s your name?”
The girl pulled in a huge gulp of air and tried not to cry. “M-m-my name i-is Li-Lindy.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Lindy. My name is Jane. May I look at your knee?”
Lindy bushed the tears from her eyes and then used her shirt to wipe her nose. “O-okay.”
Jane sat down on the sidewalk next to her. Lindy extended her knee and winced. The scrapes weren’t deep, but they were red and bleeding a little.
Lindy saw the blood and started sobbing again. “Am I-I-I gonna d-die?” She started to hiccup between sobs.
“Oh no, Lindy. You’re gonna be just fine. In fact, soon you’ll be better than new.”
Lindy looked up at Jane with big brown eyes. Tears framed her full dark lashes. “I’ll b-be okay?”
“Yes, ma’am. In fact, I bet if you close your eyes and think happy thoughts, you’ll forget all about this nasty fall. Should we try?”
Lindy tried to smile. “I want to try.”
“Good. Here’s what we’ll do. You hold my hand and close your eyes.”
Lindy did as instructed, squeezing her eyes as tightly as she could.
Jane smiled at this beautiful little girl before her and then closed her eyes as well. “Now, Lindy, tell me about things you like. It can be anything that makes you happy.”
Lindy scrunched up her face as she thought of her favorite things. Then, she produced a wide smile, exposing a cute little gap between her front teeth. “My puppy! His name is Boots, and he is so soft and fuzzy. He licks my face, and he barks when I come home and...” Lindy took a big breath. “and he loves to sleep on my bed and I give him my broccoli ’cause I don’t like it.”
Jane couldn’t help but laugh. “Boots sounds like a wonderful puppy! What color is he?”
Lindy started to describe her puppy in great detail, including his spots and how he sometimes peed on the floor. While she described the dog, Jane took a minute to let the joyful colors swirl in her mind, hoping to transfer some of that joy to little Lindy. If she could take away some of this child’s pain, she’d be glad for all she’d experienced leading up to this moment.
“Hey!” Lindy released Jane’s hand and clapped them together.
Jane opened her eyes, happy that her joy had transferred to this sweet child. What she hadn’t expected to see was the child’s knee was now scrape-free.
Jane looked stunned.
The little girl stood and then bounced up and down. She hugged Jane and gave her a slobbery kiss on her cheek. “Thank you for helping me, Jane! I’m all better now!”
Jane reached down to tie the little girl’s shoes, so she wouldn’t trip again while she worked hard not to inspect her knee a second time, just to be sure she wasn’t imagining things. “I’m glad you feel better, Miss Lindy. Now, always make sure your shoes are tied before you run, okay?”
Lindy nodded.
“Is your mommy here?”
Lindy frowned. “No, she’s at work. I’m here with Candice. She’s my babysitter.” She pointed to a teen who was totally immersed in whatever was on her smartphone. She sat on a bench halfway across the park and seemed completely oblivious to anything around her, including her charge.
“Can you do me a favor, Lindy?”
Lindy nodded once again.
“Please stay close to Candice, okay? You will be safe that way. Promise?”
Lindy seemed to consider that. “Okay, but the swings are over here.”
Jane patted her on the back. “Then, you should go tell Candice you need her to push you on the swings. Ask her to help you, okay?”
Lindy smiled and ran off toward Candice.
Behind her, George was watching intently. He didn’t say a word, but she could tell by his expression that he was just as astonished by this new revelation.
He cleared his throat. “You have quite a way with kids.”
A nervous laugh escaped her lips as she moved to sit next to him again. “Yeah, I guess you could say that.”
He frowned. “Has that ever happened before? The healing, I mean?”
“No. That’s new.”
He nodded his understanding but looked worried. “Could we have dinner tonight? There’s something I’d like to discuss with you.”
“Sure. You could come to Colt’s house, and we’ll cook.”
He shook his head. “I think it’s best if you and I discuss this alone. It’s not that I don’t like Colt. He seems like a great guy. But this is a sensitive subject, and I’d feel better if we discussed it before we talked to anyone else about it.”
She didn’t see the harm in having Colt present, but maybe George was right. What if it was something horrible that she wouldn’t want Colt to know? What if it was something from her past? “Can’t we just talk now?”
“I need to make some phone calls first. I…please, Alice. Just trust me on this. It’s best to keep this between you and me for now.” He pulled her in for a hug. “I lost you all those years ago, and I want to be sure it never happens again.” He looked into her eyes. “I’m just trying to keep you safe. Bad people are still out there.”
His meaning slowly sank in.
“Are they looking for me? The people who took me?” she asked.
His grim expression said all she needed to know.
“Now that I think about it, we should include Colt. He needs to know what we are up against. So, I’ll take you up on that offer to cook, if it still stands.”
“Sure. Drop by around six thirty or so, and we’ll talk.”
George gave her a final hug and then cupped her chin in his hands. “My girl. Just look at you. My heart swells with pride at the woman you’ve become.”
She smiled at him. “Thanks, Dad.”
Colt sat the table as he listened to Jane singing softly in the next room. She’d
been humming one tune or another all afternoon. Despite her nervousness over her father’s upcoming visit, she’d been overjoyed that she had helped little Lindy in such a major way.
He stood and pulled a casserole out of the oven and then placed it next to a large salad bowl on the table.
Jane smiled at him as she walked into the kitchen. She finished putting the back on one earring and then pulled her hands away. “How do I look?”
He slowly looked her over, starting at her head and purposefully making his way down. He raised his eyes to hers. “You have way too many clothes on.”
“Colt, seriously, how do I look? I don’t know why, but I’m nervous.”
He walked to her and pulled her into his arms. “You look beautiful, sweetheart. You always look beautiful.” He kissed her and was about to take his seduction a little further when the doorbell rang. “Damn. Saved by the bell.”
She smiled at him and moved to answer the door.
When she opened it, George walked in with a bouquet of flowers in his hand. “These are for you, dearest.”
She touched the flowers, but suddenly, she was no longer in Colt’s living room.
Jane looked around to find herself in a small room. It would have been a somewhat cheerful area if bars weren’t on the windows. She frowned. Then, she heard a familiar voice.
“You came back. We hoped you would.”
Jane spun around to see the red-haired girl from her other visions. She noted that she was actually looking at a younger version of herself. This version was a little older—maybe sixteen or seventeen—and she looked tired and pale.
“What’s going on, Alice? Why am I here? Why are you here?”
“They took us, all of us. And we can’t be free until you come back for us.”
Jane shook her head. “No. This makes no sense. I am free now.”
Younger Alice sadly looked at her. “Not yet, you aren’t.”
Then, she heard a man’s voice behind her.
“What happened?” he asked.
Jane froze for a moment, afraid to turn around. As she gathered the courage to look at the man speaking behind her, she felt arms wrapping around her.
