SYNCHRONICITY (Dream Walker) 🖋

Michael Powers

James had awakened early to prepare breakfast for the extended clan; today, they were going home. He suspected that it was most likely due to his father's whining about have to remain mostly sedentary...Sebastian Matus was never one to remain stationary for long.

Alison opened her eyes is the darkened room listening to the even breathing of the man asleep next to her. She smiled remembering when he privately proposed marriage to her while the entire tribe partied at the impromptu PowWow the night before; James had escorted his parents to his grandparents' home and waited until Alison gave him the sign that his father was settled. He returned to the festivities and celebrated with the people of his grandfather's tribe well into the night.

The following morning, the smell of bacon, pork sausages and coffee roused her out of bed and she shuffled into the kitchen, where her mother was seated at the small supper table with Topher, Beverly and a man she thought could have stepped right out of her astral history lesson. The man looked up and smiled at her warmly.

"Good morning," she mumbled, gratefully excepting the cup of steaming hot coffee all but dangling before her nose. "Mmm yes, coffee. Thanks hon."

James leaned over to kiss her cheek. "You're welcome, Mom."

She beamed at him, her eyes filling slightly as she sat down, placing one leg beneath her and her elbows on the table as she held the cup in her fingers and brought it to her lips and sipped at the scalding liquid.

"I don't know how you two do that," the man said.

"What's that," James asked, glancing toward the man.

"Drink directly from the coffee pot..."

James smiled and nodded as he rolled the breakfast sausages. "I can do it as well," he offered.

"I have thories, if you'd like to hear them," Topher offered.

"Yeah," Debbie said. "We were talking about genetics last night. Real interesting stuff..."

Still lost in her thoughts, she looked up at him, only to stare at him. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, I'm not awake yet, I don't think," she said apologetically. The man smiled at her.

"Oh yeah, it's her," he said to Debbie.

Her eyes were still heavy and blinked several times, trying to remember why his voice felt familiar. Sebastian called to her from the bedroom and she excused herself to assist him. She got about half way to the bedroom only to double back, her mouth widly gaping and her eyes looking very much like an owl's. "Daddy?"

The man smiled and stood, removing the grey cowboy hat. "Hello Timber," he said warmly.

"Oh my god," she squealed and all but ran to him, nearly knocking him over from the collision.

Sebastian walked into the kitchen, with his hand half-bandaged. Clearly shocked, he stared at the man embracing his woman. "Babe?" James quickly filled a cup of coffee and held it before his father. He pushed the cup away. "Later."

He eyed the man holding his tearful fiancée. And Debbie almost laughed, having to look away at seeing a very jealous Sebastian.

"Alison? Who's this?"

She looked behind her and wiped at her eyes and nose quickly. She released her father and lunged toward Sebastian, reaching for his good hand. "Bastian, this is my father, Michael Powers. Daddy...this is Sebastian...the father of that cutie over there..." She pointed toward James, who extended his hand only to reel it in and waved, feeling completely silly, having met the man earlier.