“I’m tagging out,” Oliver said as
soon as Isaac walked in.
“That good, huh?” Isaac put down his
bag and went into the kitchen to give his exasperated husband a hug.
“I’ve never seen a kid work so hard
to swallow their gift. I couldn’t wait until mine came. I ran around like a
maniac shooting sparks for weeks.”
“That sure sounds like you. The
maniac part I mean,” Isaac said, dodging the flicked towel that came at him a
second later with a laugh. He was happy to see Oliver laughing too. “I’ll go
talk to her.”
Isaac knocked on his daughter’s door.
“Can I come in?”
At the sound of a muffled yes he
walked in. He sat down next to the lump under the blankets.
“Sweetie, can you come out?”
Kira’s popped her head out. Isaac
could see why Oliver was so worried. He could almost see completely through
her.
“Will I disappear forever?” she
asked.
“Not at all. This happens when
people try to hold back their gift. Have you been feeling any of the signs?”
Kira cried, “What if it’s lamest
gift ever and still have to grow up?” She buried her head against his side.
“Did you know I faded a little too
when I started feeling my gift? I won’t lie. There’s a lot that scared me about
growing up, but it’s worse keeping a part of yourself buried because you’re
afraid.” Isaac breathed out a flower and gave it to Kira. “Why don’t you try letting it out now? I’ll be
right here.”
“Can Pops be here too?”
Oliver poked his head into the room. “I was hoping you’d ask.”
Kira took a deep breath and blew out
a small golden orb that lit up the room.
“Light, like me,” Oliver said.
“Breath, like me,” Isaac said.
“But the glow is all mine,” Kira
said.
Liner notes for this Groove: Still going strong with the blackout project on my Instagram. This short fiction was based on a short poem I created from a page of my galley proof of my book, The Trouble with Wanting and Other Not Quite Faerie Tales. It's linked up with Poets United's Telling Tales with Magaly Guerrero.
Glow. Hidden glamour is folly.
The page came from Kindred Steel,
my latest Yuuki story
