Twitch Home

Chapter 13 - Seek to Understand

Confused, I stared at my aunt. An overwhelming shock flowed over me and gripped at my chest. I could barely breathe.

"Hello, I'm Lynn. Are you Aunt Rose?" I could feel Aunt Rose take a deep breath and slowly exhale. My aunt set Smoke on the floor and kneeled down at eye level with Lynn.

"Yes, I am." Aunt Rose said softly. "I'm glad to meet you Lynn. You have very pretty hair."

"Thank you," Lynn grinned widely. "May I call you Aunt Rose?" Lynn's eyes were wide with hope.

"Yes, I would like that a lot!" Aunt Rose smiled widely, her eyes twinkled. I could feel my aunt's delight flow like warm water down my back. Lynn threw herself at Aunt Rose and wrapped her arms around my aunt's neck.

"I've got an aunt!" Lynn cried. "I never had an aunt." Aunt Rose laughed as she returned Lynn's hug. "Will you tell me a story?"

"After dinner," Aunt Rose said rising and giving me a look.

"Lynn, I need you to keep Smoke and Twitch out of the kitchen. They love to hear stories. Do you know any stories you could tell them?"

Yes! Come on Twitch! Come on Smoke! Let's go sit by the fire."

Aunt Rose and I watched the trio climb up on the couch. I turned on the radio switching to a station playing soft music. I did not want Lynn to overhear our conversation. I beckoned to Aunt Rose to follow.

"Aunt Rose, I'm confused. You abruptly tell me Lynn can't stay. Then you change course and are as sweet as pie to her. What is going on?"

"I'm sorry Amber. Lynn's glowing eyes were a shock. I have never seen a human with glowing eyes. I have heard wild tales and the stories are scary. The extreme stories include beams shooting from glowing eyes and stories about cat shapeshifters."

"Do you think either of those scenarios is true?"

"Based on my experience, no. However, gifted folks often hide their abilities. We need to keep an open mind. Let's get dinner on the table. After dinner I will read Lynn a story. When she is asleep, we can talk."

Dinner was a fun affair. We found out Lynn loved all types of animals. She hoped to visit the zoo. After dinner, Aunt Rose read her a funny story. I could hear their laughs as I washed the dishes. I supervised Lynn's bath and then tucked her into bed. She asked me to sing. By the third song, Lynn was asleep. I returned to the living room and sat down on the couch looking into the fire's flames.

"I asked Twitch to let us know if she wakes up. Before we start talking about Lynn, I want to let you know I could feel your intense shock when you saw Lynn's eyes glow. I could hardly breathe. I also felt your delight when Lynn asked if she could call you 'Aunt Rose.' I thought I should let you know."

"Your mother thought you were sometimes feeling other's strong emotions," Aunt Rose acknowledged.

"I'm surprised you shared that information," I huffed. "You usually ask me to try and figure out if I'm experiencing a gift."

"Your mother spent more time with you than I have." Aunt Rose patted my hand. "It is not wise to label another person's gifts. Remember when you asked me about your dream. I really thought it was just a dream based on your own fears. If I had told you that you might not have pursued your intuition. Turned out you were right and I was wrong."

"Not entirely," I smirked. "Kitty said she did not send me a message. She said I was there in the cave and she could sense my presence."

"Oh my!" Aunt Rose gasped placing her hand underneath her throat.

"Looks like my gifts are starting to make themselves known."

"Or," Aunt Rose emphasized, "you are better able to recognize them. All those books you read are helping you understand your gifts."

"Yea, I guess you know best," I acknowledged. "Okay, let's get back to discussing Lynn. Do you still feel she can't stay here?"

"Yes, I still feel she can't stay here," Aunt Rose responded. I gave her a raised eyebrow. "Think about it, Amber. What if someone came to the door in the evening and Lynn opened the door. Can you imagine the rumors that might start? Lynn or you could end up in danger."

"I had not thought about that," I admitted.

"Why don't you and Lynn stay with me until we can find her another home."

"What! Why do we need to find her another home? We could raise her."

"I'd love to help you raise her," Aunt Rose said softly. "But we do not understand why her eyes glow and whether that is a sign of future gifts. We need to try and find someone who understands what she may be facing growing up."

I thought about Aunt Rose's position as I stared into the fire's flames. I knew she was right, but I hated to admit it. Turning to her with tears in my eyes I said, "I guess I could not help her shapeshift or teach her how to control eye beams." The tears begin to roll down my eyes as I gulped at my joke. "I don't want to lose her." Aunt Rose pulled out a handkerchief and patted my cheeks.

"But you want what's best for her."

"Yes, I do."

© Copyright 2019 by Cleomez (all rights reserved)