Aligned

by Jaci Wheeler

  Master smiles. “Ah my boy, you will see in time. For as much trouble and heartache they may bring, they can also make every single moment worth it.”

  “How can heartache and trouble ever be worth it? No, I think I am much better off sticking with my work and not having any crazy emotional entanglements.”

  Masters studies me for a moment, not saying anything. I try not to flinch under his scrutiny but I don’t think I am successful. After several long minutes he finally speaks.

  “You are all about enlightenment, right? Finding answers, learning how and why things work. This is big with you right?”

  “Very big? Yes, I’d say so since it is my life’s purpose after all.”

  “Then I don’t see why you wouldn’t welcome a relationship. I’m sure you’ve realized how different men and women are. Women tend to be more emotional, and think with their head and heart. They can be hard and soft all at the same time, not to mention being able to multitask. They simply amaze me with how much they are able to accomplish.”

  I can tell by the far off look on his face and the smile on his lips he must be thinking of his wife.

  “You see, Wes, for someone whose main goal in life is enlightenment, I would think you would jump at the chance of having another half. When you find that woman who completes you so perfectly, you finally realize what you’ve been missing. Where you are weak, she is strong and vice versa. While she might drive you crazy at times because of your differences, at the same time she will challenge you and make you better than you ever thought you could be. As a scientist, I would think you would appreciate different views and approaches. That’s what you get in a relationship—someone to challenge you, make you better. Change might be a scary thing, and it’s hard to put yourself out there, but the reward is worth it.”

  He slaps me on the back again but this time I’m ready for it.

  “So you think I should date Andi?”

  Masters’s face turns into a scowl.

  “I never said that. I’m only trying to make you see that women aren’t all bad. Andi is special, she doesn’t need to get her heart broken; she’s been through enough.”

  Instantly my mentor is replaced with the disapproving uncle. It is fascinating how quick the change occurs. What he says, however, has piqued my interest.

  “Who hurt Andi?”

  Masters sighs and rubs his temples. “It’s not my place to tell you, Wes. What I will ask is how much do you know about Andi? Have you ever asked her about herself, her past, her life? Or has it always been focused around you? Andi is a sweet girl, she likes to listen and to help, but part of that is to deflect having to talk about herself and her past. If you are thinking about getting into a relationship with her, I would expect you to want to get to know her and what makes her who she is today. Ask her questions, get her to talk to you. If you can do that you might just be worthy of her time. Now get on home and get to sleep. If you want to work out again tomorrow, stop by.”

  With that Masters goes up the stairs, leaving me to wonder exactly what happened to Andi. Maybe someone broke her heart. And why does the thought of someone breaking her heart make me so upset, yet at the same time glad she isn’t with him any longer?

  CHAPTER

  TWENTY-THREE

  I go home with way too many thoughts in my head, even for me. Everyone went to bed hours ago, so it’s nice and quiet in the house. I go directly to my office and boot up my computer to see if Roz has written me back. Luckily she has.

  Wes,

  I hate that I can’t be there for you when you need me. I know you must be totally freaking out over all of this, so let me help by giving you some data. (If you tell anyone I told you any of this I will tell everyone about the time we played dress up in my mom’s clothes and you said you were a prettier girl than me.)

  First of all I want you to know that the Council isn’t like when we were in school. It isn’t made up of all the cool and popular kids who won’t accept you. What makes the Council so unique is that they are all so very different. They each bring something different to the table and because of that it runs very successfully. Don’t be afraid they won’t accept you. Trust me, if they didn’t, your name would never have come up, let alone they wouldn’t be begging you to join.

  I think you will get along well with most of them. There is only one person I am thinking of who you would butt heads with and I have a feeling she is the one you will be replacing. (I hope, anyway.) Most of the members have a unique strength. There is a history guy, a numbers guy, a people guy. You will have no problem fitting in there; they are all highly intelligent. One girl reminds me a lot of Andi, actually. She is rather shy, but she isn’t afraid to speak up if she has to. Everything she says is thought out and calculated. I can only think of one girl that might make you a little uncomfortable, but she’s one of my favorites. She is absolutely beautiful and has a mind to match. She will challenge you and keep you on your toes. You’ve already met Annabelle who is more heart than head, but a needed member. That’s the best part about the Council; they don’t all think the same. You have some who think with their heart, some with their head, some rely on facts; they all have something to add.

  I think you would make an amazing addition to the Council. You have such a knack for being able to see through to the facts. You don’t allow any emotion to get in the way of the truth and that is so rare to find, Wes. I can’t see your joining as a bad thing. You will get to be a freelance contractor which means you still get to do things your way, yet still be a huge asset to the Ministry by serving on the Council. I would be lying if I said it wouldn’t thrill me to have you working beside me on such major events, not to mention this would mean we wouldn’t have to keep any secrets from each other ever again! I miss you, Wes. I miss telling each other everything and knowing what the other person is thinking and feeling before they do. I think this is going to be the only time in your life you will have to make a decision on faith and not data. I believe in you. Push yourself, Wes. Step out of your comfort zone and see what happens. I love you to the moon and back!

  Roz

  P.S. Andi punched a guy for you? Andi Masters? Sweet, shy, non-confrontational Andi? Marry her, Wesley Anderson Sanders! Marry her right this instant!

  Rolling my eyes at her post script I move on to the original content. I read and re-read what she wrote three times. Step out in faith? Not use data to come to a conclusion? Leave my comfort zone? Does she have any clue who she is talking to? That’s crazy talk. However, something in the back of my mind keeps nagging at me, telling me she might be right. Rosaline is the only person I know who can make an impetuous decision and have it turn out right. According to her she has great instincts. I’ve always said she has good luck. Should I listen to her instincts now? Would I make a good Council member? Would I even like it? The idea of having to work in a group for the rest of my life makes me nauseated.

  I look at the clock and see it is 3:00 a.m. Dexter will most likely kill me if I wake him up, but I’ll never be able to sleep with all of these questions on my mind. I jump out of my chair and quietly head down the stairs and into Dexter’s room. I open the door and see Grace sleeping over in the corner, Dexter on the other side. If I quietly go over to him I can wake him up without waking Grace, although the sheer size of him and catching him off guard could also work against me. I go into the living room and take a decorative pillow off the couch, then return to Dexter’s room. I stand in the doorway, launch the pillow at his head, and then duck behind the door. Dex instantly springs to life and looks around the room like he is under attack.

  I poke my head into the room. “Dex? Oh, hey. Since you’re up I was wondering if we could have a chat?”

  Dex shoots me a death glare. I can tell he is about to yell at me so I put my hand to my lips and point at the sleeping Grace. I turn and go back to the living room and sit on the couch.

  Dex comes into the room wearing his pajamas and a scowl.

  “‘Since you’
re up, I was wondering if we could have a chat?’ You mean after you’ve thrown something at me and scared me half to death, you want to talk my head off in the middle of the night about something that can wait until morning?”

  Dex is almost shouting now, but since he isn’t too far from the truth, I nod.

  I’m not sure if he is too tired to argue or is curious as to what I have to say but he slumps into the chair nearby and waves his hand at me to continue. “Well, out with it.”

  “I was thinking about what you said about working for the Council and—”

  “Argh! Wes, this couldn’t have waited until morning?” he growls. “I’m not a Council member at 3:00 a.m., I am your roommate!”

  “If it could wait don’t you think I would have let it? You know how I am, Dexter, I can’t let things go. They eat at me until I resolve them. It’s actually one of my better qualities because it ensures I get things done, and with a rather impressive success rate I might add.”

  Dex sighs. “All right, Wes. What do you want to know?”

  “Is there any way I could do a trial run before accepting?”

  “You mean as a Council member?”

  “Yes.”

  Dex is shaking his head and I deflate a bit. “Wesley, you know it doesn’t work like that. You’re either in or not. We can’t go around letting people ‘try it out.’ This is a very important job and staying secret is a must. I understand you’re nervous, especially about the unknown, but you’re going to have to trust me when I say you were meant for this job. As with any job, if you hate it you can leave, but it’s not to be taken lightly. There is a time after training where you can chose not to become a member, like I did. This is highly frowned upon, but does happen. However, if you choose to go through with it after training and become a member, the only way out is to be voted out by the others.”

  I had a feeling this was going to be the case, but I’ve never been able to do anything on faith. Science, fact, data, yes. Faith? Never.

  “I know it’s scary for you, Wes. It doesn’t have to be decided tonight. Fixating on it won’t change things. Start the training, do the freelance work, and see where it goes from there. You won’t have to tell anyone about the training, in fact you aren’t allowed to. Take it one step at a time. It will all work out, you’ll see.”

  Dex stands up and starts for his room then pauses. Without turning around he says, “Never wake me in the middle of the night again.”

  Then he keeps walking until I hear his door shut. I let out a sigh and go back to my room to try to block everything from my mind so I can get a little sleep. After my second round of counting the stars, I finally drift off to sleep.

  CHAPTER

  TWENTY-FOUR

  Even though I only get about two and a half hours of sleep I am still up with the sun. I don’t need as much sleep as most people, and on average I get about four hours a night at most. I have too much trouble turning off my brain to even think about sleeping for more than that.

  After going through my morning rituals I head downstairs for breakfast. I am eating my bowl of oatmeal and apple slices when two tiny hands cover my eyes from behind. I instantly jump up. “Grace, when is the last time you washed your grimy little paws? Sink now, twenty seconds at least, but since you probably can’t count that high, wash until I tell you to stop.”

  Dex chuckles behind me.

  “You know how many germs kids carry?” I practically screech.

  “No, nor do I care. Consider this payback for our little 3:00 a.m. chat,” Dex says with a cocky grin.

  “You put her up to that didn’t you?”

  “Me? Never,” he says with a smirk. “Are you going to tell her she’s done?”

  I pretend to think about it while Grace keeps scrubbing away.

  “All right, munchkin, that’s enough for now.”

  She dries her hands and sits at the table next to me, waiting for her breakfast.

  I can’t help but smile at the cute little pixie. She is so small for her age, and she reminds me so much of my sister. I secretly miss that little troublemaker. Where Lily is loud and always on the move, Grace has a quiet presence that I find much more tolerable. Speaking of…

  “Grace, have you been practicing those signs I taught you?”

  She nods.

  “All right, show me ‘eat.’”

  She puts her hand to her mouth.

  “Very good. How about ‘all done’?”

  She puts both hands out and shakes them.

  “Wonderful!”

  Dex sets a bowl of oatmeal in front of her. “She’s taken to it all right. Too bad nobody but you has a clue what any of it means.”

  “Well you need to learn, Dexter. So does her teacher. I’d be happy to send you some links.”

  “How did you come up with the idea of sign language anyway?” he asks between bites.

  “Research. How else? It’s proven that signing can help kids who can’t or choose not to speak. It’s simply another tool for them to communicate. I think all children should use it. It would be much more peaceful that way.”

  Dex rolls his eyes. “You will be teaching all of your kids no doubt?”

  It’s a harmless comment but I stiffen. Dex picks up on how tense I am and raises an eyebrow.

  “I won’t be reproducing, Dexter.” I stand and take my bowl to the sink.

  “Yeah, he’d actually have to touch someone for that to happen.”

  I groan. Of course Molly would pick this moment to walk in.

  “I’m going for a walk.” I grab a water canteen and leave before I have to deal with anymore nonsense.

  I’ve taken to long walks and sitting by the creek every weekend. I’ve run into Masters and Natasha more times than I can count. Masters is outdoorsy and is always hiking, canoeing, or something of the sort. I was surprised to see Natasha enjoy the outdoors. She doesn’t strike me as the type, but there must be more to her than what she appears.

  Of course a morning when I need time to myself to process everything that’s going on is the morning where not only Natasha and Masters are canoeing in the creek, but Andi is sitting on the shore on a blanket reading a book.

  I take a moment to observe her while she is reading. Most people might not find her attractive, but I find her looks to be appealing. She has soft features, her face pleasant and welcoming. Her hair is down and reaches the middle of her back, and I have the odd desire to run my hand through it to see if it is as soft as it looks. What craziness. I start walking again and clear my throat when I am a few feet away as to not startle her.

  Andi looks up in surprise, a wide smile spreading across her face. “Wes, what a wonderful surprise. What are you doing here?”

  “Just coming to sit by the creek after my morning walk. I can come back later.” Andi laughs. “Don’t be silly. Come sit with me. Natasha packed a picnic enough to feed an army, and it doesn’t look like they are coming in anytime soon. I’d enjoy the company.”

  She looks at me with those sweet, expectant brown eyes and I can’t help but agree.

  “All right then.” I sit down a good distance away from her. “Who broke your heart?” I blurt out.

  I never learned the art of casual conversation. I always thought it was a waste of time. If I want to know something I ask. Judging from the look on Andi’s face right now I’m guessing I could have eased my way into it a bit.

  “Well? Why aren’t you saying anything?”

  “I’m trying to figure out if you are for real? Wes, you can’t ask people stuff like that out of nowhere!” Andi says, looking at me like I am from a different planet. Maybe I am…that would explain a lot.

  “I don’t see why not. People spend so much time talking around subjects and making idle chit chat, wasting everyone’s time when really they are just as curious as I am to get to the real stuff. I decide to go the most efficient route and save everyone time by losing the pretense and getting down to it and I’m the one ridiculed?”

 
; Andi throws her head back and starts laughing. I wasn’t expecting that. Girls! I will never understand them. She is laughing so hard now she has tears rolling down her face.

  “You know, that’s one of my favorite things about you, Wes. I never have to guess what you think or where I stand or if you are going to change your mind. I must admit, sometimes you can be a little off putting, but only because we have set social norms. Otherwise, I find you refreshing.”

  And look at that, finally someone who gets it. Social norms are stupid anyway. And I made Andi laugh, which I must admit increases her attractiveness exponentially.

  “Well, are you going to answer the question?” I ask, raising an eyebrow at her.

  Her smile fades. She looks up into the sky for a moment like it has all the answers, then she looks into my eyes. I see a sadness there that I’ve never seen before. Then again, I don’t think I ever looked.

  “Nobody broke my heart, Wes. Not in a romantic way, anyway.”

  That wasn’t the answer I was expecting. The look on her face says there is more to it. For the first time in my life I find myself caring and wanting to know personal details. Maybe Masters was right.

  “Who broke your heart, Andi?”

  She sighs, stands up, and starts to pace. I’ve never seen Andi this agitated; it’s fascinating how quickly she changes once I bring the subject up.

  “Obviously it’s a sensitive subject, Wes. I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “Why not?”

  “Do you want to talk about your mom?”

  Instantly it feels like she slapped me in the face. It probably would have hurt less if she had. No, I don’t want to talk about my mom because I never talk about my mom. This is why I don’t have personal conversations. They always go where you don’t want them to, and relationships always lead to fighting. I stand now too and face her.