Spellbound

Chapter Thirteen

Home.

Ask your parents about the joke they made about finding you on their doorstep.

That kept replaying in my mind. What did he mean by that?

As soon as I got home, I was hesitant to go in at first for what reasons unknown to me. Dad's car was parked outside which meant he was home early tonight. A sunnier feeling swept in. Dad always made things better. He and I were very close and he always knew how to make me feel better, even doing it unconsciously. Taking a deep breath, I entered the front door. I heard voices coming from the living room, and strolled over to my parents. When I got there, my parents were curled up together, with a big blanket over them. They probably didn't hear me come in, because they were engrossed in their conversation. I looked at them lovingly. They've been married for twenty years now, and they still seem to be so much in love with each other.

It was Dad who noticed me standing in the doorway. "Hey, sweetheart! We didn't even hear you come in," he said. Mom starting sitting upright with a smile on her face.

" Don't mind me and your father. Where were you? It's a little late."

I shrugged, walking up to greet them. I placed a kiss on both their cheeks.

"I was at Alice's. We studied for a bit. Exams are coming up soon and you know how Alice gets."

Mom straightened up a little, " How was it? Got anything done?"

I grimaced, " It was okay. Felt like my brain was being juiced, especially since it was Bio. I sometimes think Alice forgets how I'm not as smart as her."

" Oh sweety, you're very smart. Don't ever think otherwise," my mom said comforting.

"Mom, you have to say that cause you're my mom." Mom chuckled at that.

" I am serious. You're a very smart young lady." The thought came back to me about what Athan said. I was too afraid to ask. For all I know, he was the crazy one. I decided to ask them straight out. They'll laugh and prove me right that it was just a joke, and then I'll be left feeling stupid. Easy.

"Hey mom, dad.. can I ask you something really stupid?" I started. I thought that was the best way to start the conversation, although I don't know exactly why I felt so nervous suddenly.

"Shoot," Dad said. I cleared my throat, then asked, "Why do you guys always joke about finding me on you doorstep?"

Silence.

"Oh honey, why would you ask such a question?" my mom wondered. I scraped around my brain for an answer.

"It's just..i don't know. I guess I didn't know what I was thinking," I muttered. Maybe Athan is the one crazy and not me, I thought. My parents shared a look I didn't quite understand.

"What?" that panic feeling started creeping up into my heart.

"She's not ready!" my mom whispered to my dad and it raised more suspicion within me.

"Not ready for what? Mom?" I don't like where this is going, and I had a feeling it's only going downhill from now. "I thought it was just a stupid joke, right?"

My dad motioned for me to come sit in front of them, so knelt down on the carpet and sat crossed-legged in front of them.

"Honey, I want you to know that we always love you, okay. And nothing will ever change that."

I was getting more and more unsettled. My mom looked at my dad and he just said, " It's okay." Mom sighed and worked absentmindedly on a loose tread from the blanket. After a few seconds of silence, she began, "We didn't want to tell you like this, Leah. We planned to do it differently...but I guess there's no way of going back now."