into the driveway. Gabe’s more than a little toasty, and I
try to ignore how his energy loops in bright, sloppy ellipticals around his
frame. Tarren is usual quiet self, and I’m…I’m just numb.
As soon as we stop, Gabe turns in
his seat to look at me. “Okay Maya, you can’t go anywhere. We have stuff for
you.”
“Stuff?”
“Let’s go inside first,” Tarren
says to his brother.
“Yeah, course.” Those playful green
streaks light up in Gabe’s aura. We get out of the car, and he chants,
“basement, basement, basement,” as we walk toward the house.
“Do you want any water?” Tarren
asks me when we get inside. We look at each other, and there might be just a
smidgeon of sympathy in his face.
“No, I’m fine. What’s going on? Do
I need Alpha 5 clearance?”
“Come on.” Tarren follows his
brother down the stairs. The basement air is cool and forever holds a smell of
damp cotton.
Gabe strokes his Keira Knightley
cutout and murmurs, “Hey baby,” as we move past the exercise equipment, the
scuffed pool table, and the stained frat boy couch.
“To the Fox Cave!” he shouts
dramatically as he swings open the door to the small storage/planning room.
“Oh wait, never mind. Don’t go in
yet. I have something to say first.” Gabe pulls the door shut and stands in
front of it protectively. “Don’t look at me like that, I’m fine,” he says to
Tarren.
“By all means.” Tarren takes a step
back so that the three of us make a lazy triangle.
Gabe drags his bangs out of his
eyes, but as soon as he moves his head they fall back into place. “Okay, so
Maya, we know that you’ve been through a lot,” he starts.
I have no idea what’s going on
here, but already I feel my skin prickling.
“And we hope that, ah, that you’ve
started to feel at home here. I know that we’re not so great and everything. I
mean, I’m pretty awesome, but Tarren well, total buzz kill, right? He comes
with the house though. I checked the original contract and we’re stuck with
him.” Gabe grins at his brother. “But, anyway, we hope you’re happy here. Well,
maybe that’s kind of…look, we know that you’d rather not be here, be with us,
but since you are, we hope that you’re okay with that.”
The silence stretches.
“Oh,” I say, because I am
absolutely brilliant.
“Yeah, I mean it sucked…well, wait,
no. One more thing.” Gabe looks down, gathers his courage, then meets my eyes.
“Maya, I’m glad you’re here. You’re funny and sarcastic, and you actually clean
things, which is awesome. Me and Tarren, we’re lucky to have found you.” A
flush creeps up his neck, but Gabe presses on. “And it’s a long and dark road
ahead, and shit, but uh, I’m glad we’re on this road together. Family is what
makes everything bearable.” He pauses and tucks his bangs behind his ear. “Was
that good?” he asks Tarren.
“Yes,” I say, “it was beautiful.”
And it was, because as Gabe spoke his clumsy words, lavender threads infused
his entire aura, and this—I have learned—is the color of his trust, of his
acceptance. The color of his love. You are beautiful, I think but am way
too much of a coward to say it out loud.
Instead, I whisper, “thank you.” I
mean it. I really mean it. Sometimes Gabe makes me believe that everything will
turn out all right.
“Happy birthday Maya,” Tarren says
next to me. I look up and try to find the same feelings in his aura, but he
keeps a tight rein on his emotions. That muddy blue energy lies low across his
frame, moving in slow twitching tides that tell me almost nothing.
“Okay, come on.” Gabe opens the
door to the Fox Cave. Inside, a huge cage on wheels stands in front of the
table. It is filled with colorful plastic tubing, toilet paper rolls, wood
shavings, and little ramps that go up to multiple levels.
“This, my friend, is the Super Pet
Delux Multi-Level Manor House,” Gabe says proudly. “I figure you can keep a
whole platoon of
try to ignore how his energy loops in bright, sloppy ellipticals around his
frame. Tarren is usual quiet self, and I’m…I’m just numb.
As soon as we stop, Gabe turns in
his seat to look at me. “Okay Maya, you can’t go anywhere. We have stuff for
you.”
“Stuff?”
“Let’s go inside first,” Tarren
says to his brother.
“Yeah, course.” Those playful green
streaks light up in Gabe’s aura. We get out of the car, and he chants,
“basement, basement, basement,” as we walk toward the house.
“Do you want any water?” Tarren
asks me when we get inside. We look at each other, and there might be just a
smidgeon of sympathy in his face.
“No, I’m fine. What’s going on? Do
I need Alpha 5 clearance?”
“Come on.” Tarren follows his
brother down the stairs. The basement air is cool and forever holds a smell of
damp cotton.
Gabe strokes his Keira Knightley
cutout and murmurs, “Hey baby,” as we move past the exercise equipment, the
scuffed pool table, and the stained frat boy couch.
“To the Fox Cave!” he shouts
dramatically as he swings open the door to the small storage/planning room.
“Oh wait, never mind. Don’t go in
yet. I have something to say first.” Gabe pulls the door shut and stands in
front of it protectively. “Don’t look at me like that, I’m fine,” he says to
Tarren.
“By all means.” Tarren takes a step
back so that the three of us make a lazy triangle.
Gabe drags his bangs out of his
eyes, but as soon as he moves his head they fall back into place. “Okay, so
Maya, we know that you’ve been through a lot,” he starts.
I have no idea what’s going on
here, but already I feel my skin prickling.
“And we hope that, ah, that you’ve
started to feel at home here. I know that we’re not so great and everything. I
mean, I’m pretty awesome, but Tarren well, total buzz kill, right? He comes
with the house though. I checked the original contract and we’re stuck with
him.” Gabe grins at his brother. “But, anyway, we hope you’re happy here. Well,
maybe that’s kind of…look, we know that you’d rather not be here, be with us,
but since you are, we hope that you’re okay with that.”
The silence stretches.
“Oh,” I say, because I am
absolutely brilliant.
“Yeah, I mean it sucked…well, wait,
no. One more thing.” Gabe looks down, gathers his courage, then meets my eyes.
“Maya, I’m glad you’re here. You’re funny and sarcastic, and you actually clean
things, which is awesome. Me and Tarren, we’re lucky to have found you.” A
flush creeps up his neck, but Gabe presses on. “And it’s a long and dark road
ahead, and shit, but uh, I’m glad we’re on this road together. Family is what
makes everything bearable.” He pauses and tucks his bangs behind his ear. “Was
that good?” he asks Tarren.
“Yes,” I say, “it was beautiful.”
And it was, because as Gabe spoke his clumsy words, lavender threads infused
his entire aura, and this—I have learned—is the color of his trust, of his
acceptance. The color of his love. You are beautiful, I think but am way
too much of a coward to say it out loud.
Instead, I whisper, “thank you.” I
mean it. I really mean it. Sometimes Gabe makes me believe that everything will
turn out all right.
“Happy birthday Maya,” Tarren says
next to me. I look up and try to find the same feelings in his aura, but he
keeps a tight rein on his emotions. That muddy blue energy lies low across his
frame, moving in slow twitching tides that tell me almost nothing.
“Okay, come on.” Gabe opens the
door to the Fox Cave. Inside, a huge cage on wheels stands in front of the
table. It is filled with colorful plastic tubing, toilet paper rolls, wood
shavings, and little ramps that go up to multiple levels.
“This, my friend, is the Super Pet
Delux Multi-Level Manor House,” Gabe says proudly. “I figure you can keep a
whole platoon of
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