Epilogue: When things go well, you know it

Paul thanks the teens for their help before going on a surprise coffee date.

“Tyrant terror terminated,” Wilson said with too much pleasure for a simple alliteration. “It seems the animal mask gang has captured Charles Dauphin, turning him over to the police in the dead of night.”

             She turned to her co-anchor, surprisingly with nothing more to say on the subject. Not where Charles’ arrest occurred or when. She didn’t even mention that his lackeys hadn’t turned up yet. Did the police even know about them? Did the media? Honestly, the news story presented more questions than answers. Was it simply shared to reassure the public that this threat was no longer around?

             It seemed so as Maddox chose to talk about something else. “I have worried about the animal mask gang for a significant portion of the news show’s time, and to be honest, it was sort of a relief to hear that this happened the way it did.

             “The police had even more nice things to say. Chief Utlawe expressed confidence that the two forces would work together in future operations, so who knows? Maybe the animal mask gang will be incorporated into the police force in a similar way to bounty hunters.”

             “Maddox sounding optimistic?” Wilson joked before looking directly into the camera. “Folks check outside your windows for flying pigs.”

             He chuckled, indulging her. “I hope that things continue to go this smoothly, but if they don’t… Just know you’ll hear it from us first. I’m Thurston.”

             “And I’m Willow. This has been the Katte’s Meow.”

             Paul didn’t realize that this was the tail-end of the news show. Then again, he never watched the news this late into the morning. His few hours of sleep did him a world of good, but he couldn’t lie in bed all day, especially with a hungry kid. As he flipped the channel, Espe tackled him from behind. “Yo quiero pancakes!” She demanded with a giggle.

             Her arms tightened around his neck, unintentionally choking him, as she struggled to stay on his back. A smile tugging at his lips, Paul stood. “Sí, puedo hacer,” Paul responded before shrugging her onto the couch, causing her to laugh harder. “Now get off.”

+++++

             During work Monday morning, Paul summoned all his students to his office for a brief discussion. They seemed less enthused than last time almost like they sensed that this talk was going to be full of hot air and not much else. To compensate, Paul tried to be as brief as possible.

             “I wanted to congratulate-slash-thank all of you for what you guys did at Flare,” Paul said, leaning on the front of his desk. “I appreciate it, and because of your assistance, we were able to capture Charles Dauphin that very same night.”

             Tiên sighed. “We watch the news. We know what happened.”

             “Really?” Paul responded surprised.

             He looked around the room, unable to find a face shocked or delighted by his news. They really did know. How disappointing he couldn’t be the one to tell them. Chuckling uncomfortably, he put on a smile. “Well, I’m proud of you all regardless. I’m thinking before next practice, we should all get ice cream. Interested?”

             “Yes!”

             Rebecca’s response was stunningly quick. It was followed by other affirmations, some more reluctant than others. Tiên due to time constraints and John due to diet restraints. But all-in-all, everyone was down for a celebration. A well-earned one in these kids’ case. “Great!” Paul said with a clap. “That’s all I really wanted to say, so you’re free to go.”

             The teens started filing out. Tiên wished him a nice day while Ruby simply dipped her head. John hurried off without a word, and Cheyenne left in much of the same way, though it was likely unintentional. Only one student was slow to leave.

             “Ah, actually, Cat hang back.”

             Cat turned around, heading for a chair. It wasn’t their usual meeting time, but she seemed to be in the mood to hang around, even if she wasn’t willing to talk.

             To be fair, Paul could talk enough for the both of them. “I wanted to thank you personally for what you did back in Flare. If you hadn’t jumped in front of me, I don’t know if I’d be standing here right now. So, thank you.”

             “No problem, I think my best use is as a human shield.”

             Paul frowned at the self-deprecating statement. A proper response struck him instantly. “Much like Q, I don’t think your power is suited for vigilante work,” Paul responded. “What you lack in sheer force, you make up for in tenacity.”

             “Tenacity, a way of saying you try hard in spite of a lack of talent. People are ‘tenacious’ only when they have nothing else to offer.”

             Her words hurt to hear. She couldn’t even accept a simple compliment. “You could have other things to offer if you committed to learning how to fight, but I don’t think that’s a necessity for you. You don’t need to be a vigilante.”

             “I thought you wanted me to be a part of your team?”

             Paul tensed as he feared that he set himself up in a trap. “I do, but that doesn’t mean you need to join my nightly street brawls,” He answered with a weak laugh. “I don’t want any of you kids being put in danger again.”

             “Stay with the team. Keep coming to practices. Things will be great.”

             “I still don’t do anything at practices,” She grumbled, crossing her arms.

             Adjusting his cuffs, he fretted how much he had to reassure her, or rather combat her negative thoughts. He dreaded tripping over his own words. “You keep Q company, and that’s more than I could do while trying to manage practice.”

             She snorted. “Wow, I’m a babysitter.”

             “Well, from now on you’re going to have to babysit two people.”

             Paul was joking, yet Cat understood immediately, an eyebrow flicking up. “Kris?”

             “You met her,” Paul said, kind of ignoring the inherent question. “What do you think?”

             A pensive look dominated her face as she twiddled her fingers. “She helped me up, wasn’t scared of me, called me a zombie… It was weird.”

             She was stating the obvious. The exact things Paul watched transpire right beside the pair. Saying it was weird was such a non-starter as well, as if she couldn't adequately vocalize her thoughts. He moved on, not wanting to press her about the practically pointless topic.

             “How are you feeling today?”

             “Not the best day, but not the worst. The thoughts are still there, not as noisy as they could be.”

             “That’s good?” His tone wasn’t as positive as he wanted it to be, so he tried again. “When you have a bad day, just come see me. Skip class and just come sit with me.”

             A worried wrinkle formed across her forehead as she opened her mouth, “I wouldn’t-”

             “Want to bother me?” Paul finished. “It’s not a bother. I like spending time with you. If you ever feel like a burden or a bother or loathsome, just know I don’t see you that way. I’ll never see you that way.”

             Cat looked down out her hands. The wrinkle remained, and he worried that what he said wasn’t enough. That he couldn’t convince her that he truly cared about her. Why would she think that when they have only known each other for a few weeks? Maybe he was being too optimistic, pouring out his heart on deaf ears.

             “Can I stay here a couple more minutes?”

             “Of course, for as long as you want.”

+++++

             “Buenos días, papá,” Paul answered nervously. “¿Cómo está?”

             He looked at the crowded cafe surrounding him. Everyone seemed to be on their phone or talking to others at their table. Paul could see tiny Tae waiting beside the counter for their drinks. He felt his cheeks redden; he never thought that Tae would invite him out for coffee. He should be fine to talk for the moment.

             “I could be better,” His father grumbled. “How is Esperanza?”

             “Espe es bien y feliz,” He answered. “Thanks for asking.”

             “I see you got a job.”

             “Sí, I’m a counselor at una escuela,” Paul explained. “I also got un coche, so I can drive Espe to her activities.”

             “How have you been managing thus far?” His father growled. “Don’t tell me you let her take public transport. Do you know how dangerous that is?”

             “Sí, papá, yo sé,” Paul replied hastily. “All is well. We’re doing great, so don’t worry.”

             Paul heard his father sigh. “Perdóname,” He said. “All I can do is worry… At least you are contributing now.”

             Paul watched Tae walk to their table, holding a mug and a mason jar. “Sí, papá,” Paul repeated. “Is there anything else you want to talk about?”

             “Yes,” His father answered immediately. “For summer break, Esperanza should come home for a month.”

             “Sounds good,” Paul said as Tae set the mason jar in front of him. “We’ll discuss it more later. Hasta luego.”

             Paul hung up before his father could get a word in edgewise. He sighed in relief and thanked Tae. Tae settled into his chair, turning his mug in a circle little by little. “Was that your father?” He asked, eyes fixed to his mug.

             “Yeah, mi papá was calling to check up on Espe and talk about my job.”

             Tae had a tiny smile on his face as he commented, “Uli abeoji. It’s nice of him to call.”

             “Eh,” Paul moaned, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s more to exert control over my life and make sure that Espe is being raised how he would want.”

             Tae’s smile disappeared. “Oh,” He said softly. “I’m sorry.”

             “It’s okay,” Paul said, waving his hand before picking up his drink. “Family problems are inherent to existence.”

             Tae nodded knowingly and sipped his drink. Paul anxiously drank his cold coffee. “Hey,” He started. “How is Tiên?”

             Tae ran a finger around the rim of his mug. “She is good,” He answered. “Actually, she’s been texting me. We’ve been talking.”

             “Is that a good thing?”

             “Yeah, I missed her,” He said. “I forgot how much we had in common. She really retreated into her shell since we were separated.”

             “Oh, well, I hope she blossoms under your influence.”

             Tae smiled at the oddly sweet sentiment. Paul grinned in response. He felt certain this was going to go well.

The End.