faster without explanation or the attempt at small talk. My whole body leaned forward in the seat, intent on getting to Bee.
When Andrés pulled up to the house, I burst out of the car before it stopped. All of the lights in the house were on, including the one in my room. I flung open the front door, now in a full panic. "Bee!"
A delighted giggle greeted me. Bee sat on Ahi’s lap, playing with her braids. The entire household was wide awake.
"Everything okay, Chica?" Ahi asked.
I paused in the doorway. "Yes…"
"You look worried."
"I thought I…well, um." There was no way I could explain what I felt to them. "I saw the lights on – I thought everyone would be asleep." I closed the door behind me. "When did she wake up?"
*
The following morning I woke to bright sun filtering through the window. I sat up in alarm, immediately crossing the room to check on Bee. She was still fast asleep. I lay my hand on her chest and was greeted with a slow, steady up and down. Her skin wasn't hot, nor did she look sick. Guess we both had an exhausting evening.
I left her sleeping and made my way to the kitchen. Ahi and Mama looked up, cups in hand. Coffee for Ahi, tea for Mama. I poured myself coffee.
"Bee still sleeping?" Ahi asked.
"Yes." I paused, halfway to the table. She never slept this late. I set the coffee down on the table, planting my hands on my hips. "What happened last night?"
The two women buried their faces into their mugs. They weren't going to get away that easy. The energy surges could no longer be ignored, not when one came directly from the house. It was fess-up time, for all of us.
"What. Happened. Last. Night." My grip on the chair in front of me tightened. I would start throwing things if I had to.
I looked from one woman to another, neither of whom responded.
They glanced at each other, lowering their mugs.
Now was the time to catch them off guard. I slowly raised my hand, palm open, until it was level with their eyes. Then I began to draw in the elements, first the air. The breeze blew in through the open window, toying with the curly strands of Ahi's unkempt bed hair. Next was water; morning dew droplets pulled from the rows of pansies in the front yard. Then earth from the garden, lending its energy. Fire from the open flame on the stove, heating Mama's teapot. I blended them all together, like the shield but smaller, more compact, controlling the flow and keeping them contained in the palm of my hand.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Mama's knuckles turning white around her mug. A bead of sweat rolled down Ahi's forehead, despite the cool morning breeze.
In a much, much lower voice than before, I repeated myself, "What. Happened. Last. Night."
Both pairs of eyes fixed on the kitchen table.
Enough.
I threw the ball down, with as much force as I could muster. It hit the small, round table and the piece of furniture shattered. Shards of wood flew out. All three of us staggered back, covering our faces.
As soon as the last of the debris clattered to the ground, I glared at them. "You do see it!"
Ahi opened her mouth first, "I…I don't—"
Mama interrupted her daughter, hissing something in Spanish I didn't follow.
"Fine." Ahi smoothed her hair. "But you owe us a new table, Chica."
"Fine," I said, crossing my arms.
Ahi straightened her back and lifted her chin, "Last night we performed a naming ceremony."
"What's that?"
She glanced at her mother, then back at me. "It’s our tradition – has been for centuries." Her shoulders slouched, just a bit.
Bee began to cry. Mama turned but I held up my hand, stopping her. "Leave her." I turned back to Ahi, asking through gritted teeth, "What exactly occurs during a naming ceremony?"
Ahi's eyes flit back to her mug. "We acknowledge her, as a person, and…her powers."
I swallowed, hard. "Her powers."
"Yes—"
"You did this without my permission?!"
"You weren’t sharing your abilities with us." Ahi’s brow furrowed. "We
When Andrés pulled up to the house, I burst out of the car before it stopped. All of the lights in the house were on, including the one in my room. I flung open the front door, now in a full panic. "Bee!"
A delighted giggle greeted me. Bee sat on Ahi’s lap, playing with her braids. The entire household was wide awake.
"Everything okay, Chica?" Ahi asked.
I paused in the doorway. "Yes…"
"You look worried."
"I thought I…well, um." There was no way I could explain what I felt to them. "I saw the lights on – I thought everyone would be asleep." I closed the door behind me. "When did she wake up?"
*
The following morning I woke to bright sun filtering through the window. I sat up in alarm, immediately crossing the room to check on Bee. She was still fast asleep. I lay my hand on her chest and was greeted with a slow, steady up and down. Her skin wasn't hot, nor did she look sick. Guess we both had an exhausting evening.
I left her sleeping and made my way to the kitchen. Ahi and Mama looked up, cups in hand. Coffee for Ahi, tea for Mama. I poured myself coffee.
"Bee still sleeping?" Ahi asked.
"Yes." I paused, halfway to the table. She never slept this late. I set the coffee down on the table, planting my hands on my hips. "What happened last night?"
The two women buried their faces into their mugs. They weren't going to get away that easy. The energy surges could no longer be ignored, not when one came directly from the house. It was fess-up time, for all of us.
"What. Happened. Last. Night." My grip on the chair in front of me tightened. I would start throwing things if I had to.
I looked from one woman to another, neither of whom responded.
They glanced at each other, lowering their mugs.
Now was the time to catch them off guard. I slowly raised my hand, palm open, until it was level with their eyes. Then I began to draw in the elements, first the air. The breeze blew in through the open window, toying with the curly strands of Ahi's unkempt bed hair. Next was water; morning dew droplets pulled from the rows of pansies in the front yard. Then earth from the garden, lending its energy. Fire from the open flame on the stove, heating Mama's teapot. I blended them all together, like the shield but smaller, more compact, controlling the flow and keeping them contained in the palm of my hand.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Mama's knuckles turning white around her mug. A bead of sweat rolled down Ahi's forehead, despite the cool morning breeze.
In a much, much lower voice than before, I repeated myself, "What. Happened. Last. Night."
Both pairs of eyes fixed on the kitchen table.
Enough.
I threw the ball down, with as much force as I could muster. It hit the small, round table and the piece of furniture shattered. Shards of wood flew out. All three of us staggered back, covering our faces.
As soon as the last of the debris clattered to the ground, I glared at them. "You do see it!"
Ahi opened her mouth first, "I…I don't—"
Mama interrupted her daughter, hissing something in Spanish I didn't follow.
"Fine." Ahi smoothed her hair. "But you owe us a new table, Chica."
"Fine," I said, crossing my arms.
Ahi straightened her back and lifted her chin, "Last night we performed a naming ceremony."
"What's that?"
She glanced at her mother, then back at me. "It’s our tradition – has been for centuries." Her shoulders slouched, just a bit.
Bee began to cry. Mama turned but I held up my hand, stopping her. "Leave her." I turned back to Ahi, asking through gritted teeth, "What exactly occurs during a naming ceremony?"
Ahi's eyes flit back to her mug. "We acknowledge her, as a person, and…her powers."
I swallowed, hard. "Her powers."
"Yes—"
"You did this without my permission?!"
"You weren’t sharing your abilities with us." Ahi’s brow furrowed. "We
Similar Books
