When The Sun Rises | ✔

22 | Superhuman

Chapter 22 | Superhuman

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        My conversation with Mr. Paul continues for the next half hour. Each answer he gives me only segueing into more questions.

        And I'm like a leech, wanting to know more, draining him of everything he has to offer. Including details about the young biracial girl obsessed with giraffes and science fiction, and how her time with them is funneling into mine.

        "Was Ms. Corrine as strict with her as she is with me?"

        I've learned more about their family in a single sitting than I have in the eleven months of living with them, and even though I can see how difficult it is for Mr. Paul to relive these memories, this moment feels like the only of its kind.

        He fidgets in his seat and purses his lips, wetting them sparsely.

        "Not at all and it's part of the reason she's so hard on you. With Abby she tried to give her space to find how she fit into the family. She didn't push her about church or going places with us if she didn't want to." His hands move in time with his lips. "She wanted her to be comfortable and move at her own pace, but in the end, we think giving her so much freedom only did more harm than good. Because even though Abby lived with us, she never let herself be a part of us and since we never forced her to... She assumed that's the way we wanted it."

        His voice is filled with a regret that resonates with every word. A regret that says he wishes he could have saved Abby from her birth mother. From herself.

        I allow his words to marinate, replaying them over, digesting and inspecting them. And all at once Ms. Corrine's nagging, overbearing, nitpicking ways no longer seem like her trying to overplay her role.

        Her adamancy that I go to every church service, Sunday brunch and cheesy ass family outing she insists on having is all to make me feel like an equal, valued member of their family. Giving me chores, fussing over my grades and whether or not my room was clean – no different than she is with Donovan and Daria.

        "All this time I thought she was just crazy," I mumble.

        "Oh, don't worry. You were right, she most definitely is. But, only for the people she loves," he says smiling faintly. "You know the letter from your... Sheila that she gave you?"

        He's now volunteering information and my lips are clamped shut; I'm not trying to say nothing to have him second-guessing being this transparent. We in too deep and I'm too damn nosey.

        "She held on to it for about a month before she actually got the nerve to give it to you. Every night she was up pacing the room, finding reason why she shouldn't. She's finally adjusting. She deserves a normal life. Her and the kids are getting along so well. Any little thing she could think of and... The thing about Corrine is that she's soft and she doesn't know it."

        He exhales and lifts his eyes to mine, wordlessly asking if I understand. I bow my head and he continues.

        "She wants to be this strong, indestructible figure, and in so many ways, she is. My God, she is... she's strong. We saw that when we lost Abby, the way she held us together was simply – It was unbelievable. She spent so much time making sure we were alright, I think she forgot about herself sometimes. She acted like she was superhuman for so long and that letter reminded her how destructible she is. She had no clue what it said or how you were gonna react. We just knew we didn't want a repeat of Abby."