A Second Chance

Part 84 - Fresh Memory

I scrambled out of my chair so fast that I nearly knocked the entire table over.

Without hesitation, I dove behind a stack of heavy metal crates in the corner of the room while Ray and Maya scrambled to look normal. I pressed my back against the cold steel and held my breath to stay as quiet as possible. 

Ray pressed the accept button on the blinking console.

Nya's face appeared on the monitor with the chaotic background of some neighborhood moving behind her. "Hey Mom, hey Dad, I hope I'm not interrupting your dinner or anything important," 

Her voice... it sounded exactly as the last time I heard it ten years ago, with the confidence and independence she always had.  "Things have been completely crazy out here with the new market routes, but I wanted to make sure you two were doing okay." 

Maya stepped into the frame and offered a warm smile to the screen. "We're doing wonderfully, sweetie, and your father was just telling me about his new metal alloys," she replied smoothly. 

Ray leaned in and offered a laugh to sell the illusion. "That's right, I've got some materials to bend!" 

Nya chuckled and I could picture the exact way she was rolling her eyes at him. "You guys never change," she said with a tired sigh. "Lloyd's running Arin, Sora, and Frak through some intense drills, and I'm just trying to keep the tech running smoothly." 

Older and much more seasoned, but she was still the exact same amazing person I remembered.

"Just make sure you're taking care of yourself and not overworking those mechanical skills of yours," Maya warned her gently. 

"I promise I'll get some sleep as soon as I finish recalibrating the defense grid," Nya replied with a stubborn edge in her voice. "Anyway, I really gotta get back to the garage, so I'll call you guys again next week." The screen blinked black and the call disconnected with a soft chime.

I slowly slid down the side of the crate and let out the massive breath I was holding. 

My hands were completely shaking as I processed the reality that she was really out there doing fine. Wow... I knew they moved on, but seeing it in person is scary.

Ray and Maya walked over to my hiding spot and looked down at me with very sympathetic expressions. 

I forced a bright smile onto my face as I stood up and dusted off my pants. Hearing Nya's voice completely turned my stomach inside out, but I definitely couldn't let Ray and Maya see how much it hurt.

"Well, I should probably get going before it gets too late out there, haha," I told them with a casual wave. "Thanks for the amazing food and the great company, I really needed it today."

Maya wrapped me in a tight hug and Ray gave my shoulder an encouraging squeeze before I walked out the door. 

I kept my posture relaxed and steady until I was finally sitting alone in the driver's seat of my car. The entire drive back to the mansion was a blur of neon streetlights and a million racing thoughts.

 I just can't sit around in a giant empty house with her voice echoing endlessly in my head. I need a way to clear my mind. 

I marched straight past the living room and headed directly into Cliff Gordon's massive underground garage. My eyes scanned the rows of vintage cars until I spotted a sleek, pitch-black motorcycle tucked away in the very back corner. 

It looked incredibly fast and completely untraceable, which was exactly what I needed for the night. I grabbed a dark leather jacket off a nearby hook and pulled a heavy black scarf up over my nose and mouth.