Manifesting | kotlc

- chapter - fourteen -

It had been a few weeks since I entered my parents restaurant, so when I entered I was surprised to see them so busy. "Nova!" I heard my name shouted and I looked across to see my mom standing next to a table but looking at me. I walked over and she gestured to the people sitting at the table as she introduced me, "Guys, this is my daughter Novena." 

"Hi," I greeted, giving them a small wave. I looked to my mother in question and she grinned. 

"These are some old buddies from back in school that I probably haven't seen since. They also haven't developed any abilities. This is my old friend Enoch and his wife Bodhi." She gestured to the man who had dark skin and hair of a slightly darker shade, making his blue eyes a bright contrast. He looked absolutely flawless, and next to him was a woman with rather fair skin but her hair was around the same dark brunette as his. 

"It's nice to meet you," I told them, making sure my smile didn't slip so that my mom wouldn't be mad. I wasn't used to being forced to meet random people, it generally wasn't my parent's style. So this was weird. 

"You are absolutely stunning, almost a complete copy of your mother," Enoch told me with a genuine smile before grinning at his wife. "Wouldn't you say so, darling?" 

"Oh of course, you're such a pretty little thing. We'd love for you to meet our children, they've run off to the bathroom so they'll be back," Bodhi agreed with him and then looked off to where our bathrooms were located. 

"How about you go grab a snack from the kitchen and then come join them for dinner?" My mother suggested to me. 

"Uh, mom, aren't you swarmed?" I gestured to the completely filled room. Usually I would help out with seating and taking orders when it was this crazy, not camp out with customers and eat the restaurant's food. 

My mom let out a small gentle, melodic laugh and shook her head. "Oh, no, we're not as busy as it looks. There's a small party happening that we're hosting for a future bride so most of these people have been here for hours for her and are past done eating, and we've given them permission to stay as long as possible. We're hoping if all goes well we'll be asked to cater." 

"Okay," I responded, somewhat awkwardly drawn out. Generally my parents were a lot more strict about that sort of stuff, so I was confused but followed her towards the kitchen where she grabbed the food to not only serve the family, but me as well. "Wait, you have a whole plate already prepared for me?" I questioned when I saw. 

My mother nodded and told me, "I thought it would be nice for you to talk to another family like us. Most of the people you hang around all have abilities and I don't want you to feel inferior, so I wanted to show that you are normal." With that explanation out of the way she had me sit down at the table of random people I only just met before walking away and leaving me on my own. 

Thanks, mom. 

I looked towards the three people who joined the table while I was helping my mom fetch the food and smiled nervously at them before Enoch introduced them. He pointed towards the youngest first, a small girl who's hair was parted into pigtails. Her hair was super curly and frizzy and her skin was lighter than her father's but definitely many shades darker than her mother's fair skin, matching the rest of the children with similar complexions. "This is Abra, she's only a few years old so she's not quite in school yet. Then we have Alistair," he pointed to a young boy with short trimmed hair who looked to be around nine or ten, "who's almost at the age to start attending Foxfire.

"Finally, here's our son Arrowe," he gestured to the boy sitting directly to my right. The table was a circle so I had Bodhi beside me and then it was Abra who was between both her parents, on the other side of her father was Alistair who was beside his older brother. I smiled towards Arrowe who grinned back at me. "He's a year older than you so I'm not sure if you've seen him while he was still attending Foxfire. Sadly he wasn't able to attend the Elite Levels because he never manifested. Not that that's really important anyways, we never did and we are just as successful as any Noble." Enoch's words sounded slightly bitter, and I almost had forgotten for a moment of the life I had grown up in. I had gotten so used to being with my friends lately, stuck in a bubble of being around the Nobility and everyone around me having an ability.