A Second Chance

Part 56 - We better start now

"It's like a museum in here," I whispered as my voice bounced off the high, vaulted ceilings. The foyer was filled with gold lea and statues that probably cost more than my parents' entire junkyard. I felt a little ridiculous walking across the polished marble in my dusty shoes while I tried not to trip over the heavy rugs.

We moved into a long gallery where the walls were covered in portraits of people I didn't recognize. I stopped suddenly when I saw a painting of a woman with bright blonde hair and some sort of glint in her eyes. 

"That's her, isn't it?" I asked while my heart did a weird little flip in my chest.

"Libber," Maya replied as she stepped closer to the gilded frame. "She had that exact same look on her face right before she'd pull some wild stunt." 

Ray nodded in agreement and looked at the painting with a quiet respect that made me feel proud to be her son.

I looked down at my stiff sleeves and realized I was still bundled up in this hot disguise. I pulled off the cap and tossed it onto a nearby chair with a long sigh of relief.

"I'm glad I'm out of that armor, but this tie is starting to choke me," I muttered while I loosened the knot at my throat.

"Your helmet and the rest of that equipment are back at the blacksmith shop for safekeeping," Ray said with a reassuring pat on my shoulder. "I'll head into the city to grab you some real clothes so you don't have to skulk around your own house in a tuxedo."

"You really don't have to do that," I said as I felt my face start to heat up. "I'm sure there's something in a closet somewhere around here that'll fit me just fine." 

The thought of Ray picking out my daily wardrobe would be an understatement to call a little embarrassing.

 "You're staying inside because we can't have anyone catching a glimpse of the famous Jay Walker," Maya insisted, giving me a look that meant no room for opposition. "We need you to stay as discreet as possible, so let Ray handle the shopping while you get settled in."

I looked around the massive, empty room and realized she was right about keeping a low profile for now. "Fine, but please don't get anything with too many sequins or neon colors," I joked. I didn't want to stand out any more than I already did while living in a literal mansion.

Ray chuckled and headed toward the door with a quick wave of his hand. "I'll stick to the basics and make sure you look like just another face in the crowd," he promised. I watched him leave and wondered if I'd ever actually feel like I belonged in a place this big.

Maya and I settled into the plush single-person chairs in the massive living room. The quiet in this place was actually a little spooky since I kept thinking about how this used to be my mom's home.

"So, Jay, how does your new home feel to you?" Maya asked while she got comfortable on the soft cushion. She looked around the giant room like she was trying to find a trace of the woman who used to live here.

"It's kind of chilling because my biological mom actually lived here once," I chuckled while I ran my hand over the fancy velvet armrest. I waited a second before I finally got the courage to ask the question that was really stuck in my head.

"What was my mom actually like? Was she cool?"

Maya gave me a soft smile and leaned back. "She was so similar to you in so many ways, Jay. She was a brilliant inventor and a total nerd who could come up with a plan in a heartbeat. She'd talk your ear off and crack jokes all day long while she kept a huge grin on her face."

"Really?" I asked as I felt a weird sense of relief wash over me.

"Yeah, and it used to drive Wu absolutely crazy how much she talked," Maya laughed. "She was incredibly fierce too. Ray already mentioned it, but she actually punched Wu right in the jaw the first time they met because he called her the wrong name!"