Genesis

CHAPTER 33 Round and Round

Ty had never hung up on me before. I knew I would have to deal with the consequences of spending the day with Michael, but I had no idea where to go from here. Sure, he said he'd call me when he could, whatever that meant. Did he want me to at least try to call him, even if he didn't answer, or should I take him at his word and wait for him to call me? This was all new to me and I was unsure of the protocol. When I had been angry with him, he came to see me with a peace offering of malted milk balls.

A peace offering. Of what? My mind was blank. If it were Michael, it would be easier. He found joy in simple things, like I did. I imagined buying a small terracotta pot and painting some of the words to his song on it, or maybe painting my heart with his name etched on it, or maybe something in Malachim, or whatever, then filling it with an Angel's Trumpet. Point being, I wouldn't feel stupid doing something like that for Michael, but Ty had a way of looking down on simple things. I don't think he did it to be mean, he was just brought up with the best of everything. He thought it was "cute" that I liked the Waffle House or that he could melt my heart with Whoppers. No, there'd be no offer of peace from me to Ty. I would wait for him to call me.

In spite of our argument, I couldn't help but be in a good mood after my day with Michael. It was Saturday night and much too early to go to bed. Maybe Karen would want to take a ride to the airport with me and watch the planes take off and land. It had been a while since I had done that.

"Hey, friend," she answered cheerfully after several rings.

"Hey, I was just about to hang up. Are you busy?"

"If you consider folding laundry while binge-watching 'The Tomorrow People' busy, then, sure, I'm swamped."

"That sounds awesome, but do you think you could tear yourself away and take a ride with me? I feel like hanging out at the airport."

"Hanging out at the airport?"

"Watching the planes take off and land."

"Cool."

"Pick you up in ten?"

"Okay."

I was desperate to confide in Karen. Unlike Jane, she knew Ty and Mara and Michael. Ty had told me that I couldn't tell her about the angel stuff and I had respected that because I believed it was his secret to tell. But was it? I had a role to play in this story, too. I had no special abilities; didn't I at least have the right to have a confidant? And now would be the perfect time to spill the beans. Ty was already mad at me. What was one more thing?

We drove the thirteen miles to the airport, listening to the country music station while Karen sang along to every song, living up to her name. She had a great voice. That gave me a chance to get my thoughts in order. I remembered that she had said she was watching "The Tomorrow People". Maybe I could begin by asking what she thought about people with special abilities.

I parked in the cell phone lot, just like I had the only other time I had been here. We situated ourselves on the hood of the car just in time to see our first plane land.

"Now I see why you like it here," Karen said approvingly.

"Mmmm. When the world gets crazy, there's nothing like watching the physics of flight in action." Our eyes followed the plane as it taxied to the gate.

"Speaking of flight," I suggested, "you said you were watching 'The Tomorrow People' when I called," trying clumsily to segue to the topic of angels.

"What does that have to do with flight?"

"Just an odd train of thought that went from planes flying to me flying to teleportation to 'The Tomorrow People'."