Seer: The Blessed Child

Hooked on a Feeling

Sachi felt anxious.

While going over the plans for their road trip, Kael casually mentioned for her to bring an overnight bag. Her mind short-circuited after that.

Overnight. Kael and me. Alone.

A blush stained her cheeks. She would be lying to herself if she said that she didn't feel a physical attraction to her best friend and now boyfriend. It's been burgeoning since their relationship upgrade. She rolled up the sleeve of her blouse. He said that he was picking her up within an hour.  She still hadn't packed.

She opened her dresser drawer. Tucked underneath her cotton pajamas was a silk nightie she had bought some time ago. Blushing harder, she grabbed it, folded it into a tight ball, and shoved it inside the overnight bag before she lost her nerve. The rest of the packing went smoothly.

Spritzing on a bit of lilac-scented perfume, she headed out into the living room where her father waited by the window. He stared at her with a mournful face. She swallowed the lump in her throat. 

"Are you still mad at me, honey?" he said.

Shaking her head, Sachi replied, "No. I'm not angry at you. I know the accident wasn't your fault." 

He mustered a smile. "I spoke to an attorney and am looking into my legal options."   "Okay," Sachi said.

She played with a lock of her hair as an awkward silence fell between them. He opened his arms. "Come here," he said. She rushed into them. "I'm glad you're not mad at me," he said encircling his arms around her. "Me too, dad," she said nuzzling against the groove of his neck.

He stepped back, wiping his eyes. 

"So..., uh," He cleared his throat while fidgeting with his shirt button. "I-I think it's time that we had the talk." 

"The talk?" Sachi said confused at the sudden change of topic. 

"The birds and the bees," Lars coughed, the tips of his earlobes turning crimson. "Dad!" Sachi screeched bug-eyed. "We had the talk before." 

"It doesn't hurt to have it again," he said.

Sachi's cheeks felt like they were on fire. "Why do you want to have this talk now?" 

"I've seen how close you and Kael have become," Lars said. "If you're going to do it then you should practice safe sex. I was a teenager once. I know all about raging hormones."

"Oh my God," Sachi said wanting to dig a hole in the floor and crawl into it. "T-That's the f-farthest thing on my mind," she stammered praying that the conversation would come to a swift end. 

"Well, in case you were thinking about it," Lars said undeterred by his daughter's protests. "Okay," Sachi squeaked.

A knock at the door ended the conversation. While Sachi mouthed a prayer of thanks, Lars checked through the peephole. "Kael is here." 

As he opened the door to greet the lanky teen, Sachi heard a whisper behind her. "Sachi."

Not sure if she heard things, Sachi stilled herself. 

"Sachi," the voice said again louder. 

Turning towards the voice, Sachi saw Nozomi standing in the living room wearing a floral silk kimono robe, her hair styled in a messy bun.

"M-Mom," Sachi said staring at her mother like a vision. Days had passed since she last saw her mom. She spent most of the time huddled in her room. 

"Mom," she said again launching herself at her and embracing her. "I missed you," Sachi said kissing her mother's cheek. "I missed you too," Nozomi said smiling through her tears.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with the casually dressed boy, Lars greeted his wife warmly. "Sweetheart," he said love shining in his eyes. He cradled her face gently in his hands and kissed her.

Witnessing the love that her parents have for one another filled Sachi's heart with joy. 

From her peripheral vision, she could see Kael's increasingly reddening face while watching entranced the intensely intimate display of affection.  He then looked to her. She felt as though she could drown in his eyes.

He leaned down and kissed her with an urgency she hadn't felt before. She caught a whiff of the cologne he wore. It smelled like lavender with a hint of honeydew.

She felt intoxicated with a desire that made her skin feel like nerve endings. 

Her knees wobbled. She broke the kiss before she lost herself. Nervously, she looked over her shoulders at her parents. To her relief and amusement, neither saw the kiss, both too absorbed with each other.

Taking slow breaths, Kael trembled beside her. She clasped her hand in his. 

"I'm okay," he said his cheeks still red. She chuckled. "We got a little carried away." 

"Yeah," he grinned. She bit her lips.  Truth be told, after experiencing a passionate kiss like that, she couldn't help but wonder what the night had in store for her.

Blushing at those thoughts, she cleared her throat. "We're going to get going," she announced. As though realizing that they weren't alone, her father said almost as an afterthought, "Okay, honey."

Sachi smirked. She could tell that her father was eager to be alone with her mother. "Have a safe trip," her mother said. 

"Remember what I said about—" 

"Dad," Sachi said grimacing. "Be safe," Lars said enjoying the play on words.

Grabbing her overnight bag, she and Kael headed out the door. 

She set her bag on the back seat and waved at her parents staring out the window. Seconds later, they slipped away from behind the curtains.

Kael started the engine. "Ready for a day of fun and adventure," he said. 

Her stomach fluttered with butterflies. "Ready," Sachi said.