water that had come out like a geyser and cascaded down. No sign of the fountain’s abstract art.
Why was she happy? She felt dismay and joy at the same time. She paused to analyze her feelings, sitting on a large block of concrete. She looked up. The building that had once held that concrete was half the size it used to be, jagged, like a tooth that had broken.
A sigh slipped from her lips. Gillie would have a father now. She’d always wanted that for him. But why did she have to find out that his father was the very man who stirred up emotions in her that she’d thought were dead? There was something very wrong with the idea of being attracted to her dead sister’s… What was Torrent? Her ex? Ex-boyfriend? Ex-lover? Ex-what? Was it a one-night stand? Something about that bothered her the most, for some reason. Or did it? She couldn’t wrap her mind around it.
Why him? Why did he have to be the one? And like a fool, she’d invited him to come over.
She looked for the sun, but it was no longer visible over the tall building. Was it already afternoon? Had time really flown like that? She hoped Omar had warmed something up for Gillie.
She should get home and make sure Gillie got his nap on time. That he’d had an adequate lunch. She had to make dinner for everyone, and she had to teach tonight. She’d better make sure all the assignments had been graded.
Ten minutes later, winded, she was at their apartment. She unlocked the door. “Gillie.”
She waited for the munchkin to come flying around the corner and tackle her legs like he did whenever she slipped out.
Nothing.
Only silence greeted her.
“Omar?” She peeked into the kitchen. Empty. The living room. Empty. The boys’ room, and the one she shared with the girls, all empty.
Omar wouldn’t have taken him out. He knew that it wasn’t safe, not with Gillie unregistered. That would be begging for trouble if a Leaguer stopped them and asked for paperwork.
A sweat broke out over her body. She rubbed her palms against her jeans, then ran into the kitchen to see if he’d left a note.
Nothing.
How long had they been gone? Had Omar packed lunch for Gillie?
She opened the fridge. Nothing seemed to be missing, and the sink was empty. It didn’t look like he’d packed lunch for Gillie. Maybe that was a sign that he wasn’t planning to be gone long, otherwise Gillie would miss his nap. If Gillie didn’t get his nap, that would spell grouchiness tonight.
Great. And on the night Gillie’s father was going to meet him for the first time.
Maybe he wouldn’t want Gillie. Maybe he hadn’t bargained for a bratty three-year old. Was it wrong to hope for that? If she had to choose between getting to know Torrent better or losing Gillie to him—
Wait. Hold up. Losing? Oh God. What if Torrent wanted to take Gillie away?
No. No. There was no way.
Legally he’d have the right, she reminded herself. But she’d fight it.
How? How would she do that? If he was a citizen of the League of States, Alyssa and her family wouldn’t even have any rights. Texans didn’t have access to the judicial system the way that LOS citizens did.
Why hadn’t she thought this through? She should never have said anything to Torrent. What a fool. And who the hell had said that honesty was the best policy, anyway?
And where the fuck was Omar? Now she was pissed. She did the only thing she could: she cooked. And cleaned. And waited. And fumed.
Someone was going to pay for this. And where the hell was Omar? He needed to hurry up and bring Gillie back. Now.
She needed to talk to Jesse. She needed his advice. His cool head.
She paced. And cleaned. And cooked.
----
A partment clean , dinner ready, she went down to the street and walked up and down the block. Nothing.
No sign of him. It was almost time for the rest of the family to be home from work and Omar had not returned yet. Fear gripped her heart like a vise. She went back up to the apartment. She wanted to call the
Why was she happy? She felt dismay and joy at the same time. She paused to analyze her feelings, sitting on a large block of concrete. She looked up. The building that had once held that concrete was half the size it used to be, jagged, like a tooth that had broken.
A sigh slipped from her lips. Gillie would have a father now. She’d always wanted that for him. But why did she have to find out that his father was the very man who stirred up emotions in her that she’d thought were dead? There was something very wrong with the idea of being attracted to her dead sister’s… What was Torrent? Her ex? Ex-boyfriend? Ex-lover? Ex-what? Was it a one-night stand? Something about that bothered her the most, for some reason. Or did it? She couldn’t wrap her mind around it.
Why him? Why did he have to be the one? And like a fool, she’d invited him to come over.
She looked for the sun, but it was no longer visible over the tall building. Was it already afternoon? Had time really flown like that? She hoped Omar had warmed something up for Gillie.
She should get home and make sure Gillie got his nap on time. That he’d had an adequate lunch. She had to make dinner for everyone, and she had to teach tonight. She’d better make sure all the assignments had been graded.
Ten minutes later, winded, she was at their apartment. She unlocked the door. “Gillie.”
She waited for the munchkin to come flying around the corner and tackle her legs like he did whenever she slipped out.
Nothing.
Only silence greeted her.
“Omar?” She peeked into the kitchen. Empty. The living room. Empty. The boys’ room, and the one she shared with the girls, all empty.
Omar wouldn’t have taken him out. He knew that it wasn’t safe, not with Gillie unregistered. That would be begging for trouble if a Leaguer stopped them and asked for paperwork.
A sweat broke out over her body. She rubbed her palms against her jeans, then ran into the kitchen to see if he’d left a note.
Nothing.
How long had they been gone? Had Omar packed lunch for Gillie?
She opened the fridge. Nothing seemed to be missing, and the sink was empty. It didn’t look like he’d packed lunch for Gillie. Maybe that was a sign that he wasn’t planning to be gone long, otherwise Gillie would miss his nap. If Gillie didn’t get his nap, that would spell grouchiness tonight.
Great. And on the night Gillie’s father was going to meet him for the first time.
Maybe he wouldn’t want Gillie. Maybe he hadn’t bargained for a bratty three-year old. Was it wrong to hope for that? If she had to choose between getting to know Torrent better or losing Gillie to him—
Wait. Hold up. Losing? Oh God. What if Torrent wanted to take Gillie away?
No. No. There was no way.
Legally he’d have the right, she reminded herself. But she’d fight it.
How? How would she do that? If he was a citizen of the League of States, Alyssa and her family wouldn’t even have any rights. Texans didn’t have access to the judicial system the way that LOS citizens did.
Why hadn’t she thought this through? She should never have said anything to Torrent. What a fool. And who the hell had said that honesty was the best policy, anyway?
And where the fuck was Omar? Now she was pissed. She did the only thing she could: she cooked. And cleaned. And waited. And fumed.
Someone was going to pay for this. And where the hell was Omar? He needed to hurry up and bring Gillie back. Now.
She needed to talk to Jesse. She needed his advice. His cool head.
She paced. And cleaned. And cooked.
----
A partment clean , dinner ready, she went down to the street and walked up and down the block. Nothing.
No sign of him. It was almost time for the rest of the family to be home from work and Omar had not returned yet. Fear gripped her heart like a vise. She went back up to the apartment. She wanted to call the
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