Chapter 21

Lets eat some grub!

I lit the last candle on the table. The food sizzled in pans behind me with Rylan in front of the stove. He hummed something under his breath as he shoved the food around. I blew out my match and walked over to the garbage can. A thin line of concentration was on his brow. As I walked by he hardly even noticed me. “Are you alright?” I finally asked.

His head snapped to me, “Of course. I’m completely fine.” A slight smile appeared on his lips and I walked over to him. His concentration went back onto the food. I stood behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist. My lips kissed the back of his shoulder and I pulled myself tighter into him. I took a deep breath of his ocean scent and sat my head on his shoulder. His body spun around in my arms and he put both of his hands on the top of my shoulders. “I love you,” he whispered and lowered his lips to the bottom of my neck. His arms wrapped around my neck and held onto me tightly. I completed the tight embrace and started to release my grip, but Rylan didn’t.

It was almost as if he couldn’t. He was acting as if I was slowly slipping away. “Rylan,” I finally said after a few minutes. The food sizzled behind him in the pans. “Rylan sweetie, you have to let go.” Those last two words made him hold tighter. The doorbell rang throughout the house and my hands went onto Rylan’s stone hard chest, “Rylan.” I gave him a quick push and he let go of me and spun around all in one movement. He sniffed and wiped at his eyes as he turned around. I followed him around, “What is wrong with you?”

He pointed down to the vegetable sautéing in the frying pan, “The onions are getting to me.” I looked up into his saddened face. His gaze stayed on the food in front of him. “You should get the door, its cold.”

I gave him one last look over and pushed away from the oven. The doorbell rang once more before I finally got there. Megan, Josephine, and Madeline stood wrapped in jackets and scarves on the front stoop. “Come in,” I said and held the door open. Megan was the first in. She wrapped her arms around my neck and gave me a quick tight squeeze.

“You’re looking good,” she complimented and started to take off her jacket.

Josephine came in right behind her and completed the same actions. They both walked into the main room and laid their coats down. Madeline walked in quietly. She was wearing a black t-shirt with dark blue jeans. She looked sheepishly down to the ground, “It’s good to see you again Dr. Khorry.”

I rubbed her arm, “please call me Shiloh.” She smiled and nodded. She followed her mother’s into the main room and put her coat down on top of theirs. Rylan was finishing putting plates out by the time I walked in after them.

“It smells fabulous Rylan. I forgot how good of a cook you were. I think eating your food was my favorite part of being pregnant.” Josephine smiled brightly over the dinner table.

Rylan was wiping his hands off with a cloth, “Thank you Josie. Please have a seat.”

They each took a seat. Rylan and I sat on both ends of the table. Josephine and Megan sat on my right with Madeline on my left. We started eating and conversing, “I heard about the new edition. Congratulations boys.”

“Why thank you Megan,” I nodded my head towards her. Rylan’s hand stayed to the side of his head and rubbed his temples as we spoke to each other. We laughed and shared stories for the whole meal. When Rylan was bringing out dessert is when he finally spoke.

“What is it you need?” He laid the dessert plate in front of Megan and took his spot.

My eyes glared down towards him, “Rylan.”

He continued the glare back to me, “Actually Madeline would like to ask you something.”

“Mother,” she hissed. Obviously she wasn’t comfortable with us quite yet.

Josephine sighed, “Is it true that you’re returning to Miami at the end of the week?”

My head nodded, “We had planned to tell you.”

“That’s not what we’re asking,” Megan butted in. She looked at Madeline. Josephine gave the same look to the young girl sitting next to me. I looked up at Rylan who was watching me.

“I want to go to school in America. I want to live with you.”

Megan again spoke “We understand if you don’t want to or have enough room but we feel that she will be able to learn more in America. Because of work we can’t move.”

“I’m playing with the Symphony in Paris starting next month, there’s no way I could leave.”

I looked down at my food that was spread around my plate. This wasn’t a decision that could be made off the top of my head. “You see, we haven’t told Zander yet.”

“You haven’t told him anything?” Their tone really cut to the bone. They were the ones sending their daughter off with people who just adopted a new son and they thought they were parents of the year? My lips pursed together and I looked down to Rylan.

“Despite what happened, we still believe him not knowing more than he does now is better.” Rylan always knew the way to talk to people.

Josephine put her napkin up on the table again, “he doesn’t know that he has a twin sister?”

“No,” Rylan hissed from the other end of the table. “The agreement from the beginning was you got one we got the other and that would be it. Just because some horrible mishap came up doesn’t mean that changes. We still aren’t telling him because it’s still not safe.”

Megan realized the comment was shot towards Josephine and she immediately went into her dominate partner mode. “And having him randomly kidnapped is safe?”

Rylan’s jaw clenched and he started to speak through his teeth. “Listen Megan, we chose to raise our children how we raise them. You chose to raise Madeline the way you wanted and I don’t say a damn thing about it.”

“At least she knows who she is. Zander doesn’t have a clue in this world who or what he is. What if someone makes him angry Rylan? What if he is sitting in class and suddenly the powers become too overwhelming? Then what? Are you going to let him reap havoc all over the country? What kind of parenting technique is that?”

“Madeline didn’t know she had a brother until a month ago so you can go to hell, Megan.” Rylan’s hand gripped the side of the table. The wood was practically about to crack off under the pressure.

“Both of you shut up.” I practically yelled over the conversation. “You’re both being ridiculous.” I looked down at Madeline whose hands were in her lap playing with her fingernails. My eyes shifted over and I looked at Josephine whose silver eyes were looking up at me, “Josephine sweetheart we’ll have to talk about this alone.”

Rylan’s nostrils were flared and his jaw was still clenched, “Can I see you in our bedroom please?”

Without a word he screeched his chair across the floor and stormed off to the bedroom. Megan huffed and leaned back in her chair with her arms crossed. Rylan slammed the door loudly making Madeline jump. Josephine calmed down Megan. I slid my fingers across Madeline’s shoulder. I leaned over and put my lips close to her ear, “It’s alright. This isn’t your fault. They’re both very headstrong and always need to be right.” She smiled slightly and I kissed the top of her cheekbone.

I walked quickly to the bedroom and opened the door. I shut it lightly in hopes to not make Madeline jump again. Rylan was pacing the bedroom with his hands in his hair, “that b***h.” He hissed, “I can’t believe she’s trying to tell me how to raise my son.”He corrected himself, “my sons.”  

“Our sons,” I put my body in front of him and stopped his pacing. He looked down on me. His eyes almost said, ‘get out of my way or I’ll make you move.’ I wasn’t intimidated by this anymore. I could hold my own with him now. “Maybe she’s right.”

“How could she possibly be right?” His body spun and he began to pace again.

My hand reached out and grabbed his bicep. I whipped him around, “talk to me not the walls.” He tried to spin again but I snapped my powers on and held him in his place. “Rylan, she is right. We need to tell him. Soon we aren’t going to have a choice. We’re moving to Miami what do you think the Oreson’s will do if we don’t?”  I watched as the anger rose up in him again.

“I wish we didn’t have to do this,” his body began to relax.

I smiled, “and you think I do?” I stroked the side of his arms lightly. “Sweetie, this is who we are and if we can’t accept it how can anyone else?” My hands moved to the sides of his face, “Zander’s smart he won’t go around telling the world what he is. You need to have more faith in your son, in your sons.” He took a deep breath between my hands. “Having Madeline will help. She’s been through this. She knows how to keep a secret. She’ll be at school with Zander and she’ll be able to protect him. Rylan she is our daughter and if she wants to live with us what right do we have to deny that?”

“We have every right, considering we’re her parents.” All of a sudden he turned and walked out of the room. I stood motionless for a minute. Our conversation wasn’t over, but whatever. I followed him out to where he was. He stood next to Madeline with his hand on the back of her chair. “I have a horrible feeling about Miami, Josie.” He pushed off from the chair and moved around to Josephine. “I’ve seen things, things I can’t quite put together, but I know they aren’t right.” His gaze moved back towards Madeline. “The last thing I want is for her to get hurt.”

Josephine sighed and stroked the side of Rylan’s face. “You should leave the fortune reading up to the fortune readers. I’ve looked ahead and seen nothing. Madeline will be fine. Especially if she is here with you and Shiloh I have no doubt that she will be alright.” Rylan kneeled down next to Josephine and took both her hands. “If we are going to take her then you have to swear I’m not to blame for anything that happens out of my control.”

Josephine nodded. “That’s the agreement, always has been.”

Rylan sighed one last time then looked up at me. I walked over behind Madeline and put my arms around her shoulders and kneeled down. “Welcome to the family Madeline.”