Episode One Hundred and Ninety-Three: Good Surprises

I spun quickly toward the front door, thankfully not dropping my mug.

Indigo landed near my feet with wide eyes and a flutter of wings. She dove closer to the Cat, who sat in the middle of the living space in front of the couch.

“The thing!” Her voice came out in a rush as she stared at the Cat.

“You'd better answer that,” said the Cat in a happy voice. This had to be part of the surprise.

Who would visit me? Well, make that, who could…

With my empty mug still in hand, I hurried to the door where a few dark shapes loitered outside, yet the frosted glass made it hard to see.

I flung the door open, only slightly concerned. My heart stopped as he came into view.

“Dad!”

Everything moved in slow motion as he turned to face me from looking over his shoulder.

“Pumpkin, you beat us here!” A thick knit cap rested on his head, and his grey eyes sparkled. He smiled so big as he stepped closer, forcing me to take a step back.

“Told you she would,” came from over his shoulder, where another surprise hit me.

My brother, who never traveled. Who never left town. Who did an online school to not need to leave.

“Obsidian,” his name escaped my lips, and I almost dropped my mug.

He was here.

His dark eyes stared at me, then the house, as he stepped inside with my father. He shivered slightly, and he hunched over ever so slightly. His plain flannel and jeans didn’t do him any favors; he should have worn a jacket, not just a cap.

Each carried a single suitcase and brushed snow off their shoulders.

Beyond them sat the old blue car in a long driveway that I couldn’t see the end of, because of the trees.

Obsidian closed the door and flashed me a smile. He looked the same as when I’d left for college. His long dark hair was tied back, and the dark circles still lived under his eyes.

My father wrapped me in a hug, completely missing the fact that I’d had no clue they were coming. “It’s so good to see you, pumpkin.”

I pulled him close, and his familiar scent of wood and salt greeted me.

This better not be a joke.

Yet, he felt real, completely real as he pulled back and stared at me. 

“You’ve grown into such a fine young lady, I can’t wait to tell your mother!” He picked up his suitcase and stepped down the hallway. “Have you already claimed a room?”

“Uh, yeah! They’re upstairs.” I didn’t know what else to say, and hoped my bedroom door would be locked. My room would make it clear that I actually lived in it, that this wasn’t a weekend rental.

“I guess your boss didn’t tell you we were coming…” said Onyx with a small grin. His pale skin stood out from the dark clothing he wore. His orange hat sat lopsided on his head.

“I hadn’t a clue.” But I planned on quizzing him as soon as I had a moment. “How?”

Onyx chuckled and picked up his suitcase that he had set near the door. Then he shrugged. “We got an email that you had a few days off after the solstice and that he had a cabin for you to stay at close by with the cats.”

Cats?

I opened my mouth to ask about the cats when I snapped it closed and hurried into the living room.

The Cat sat on the couch, and a slightly smaller cat with a hint of purple to her fur sat near him. Indigo was in on it. So was Lady Twilight, or she wouldn’t have taught Indigo how to be a cat.

“They are cute little buggers,” said Onyx, his eyes flickering over both of them. “I’ll grab a room and take a coffee if you’d make me one.”

“Of course.” I still held my mug in one hand.

He headed up the stairs, and I hurried into the kitchen, but glanced at the Cat, trying to connect the dots as fast as I could.

“Cat!” I kept my voice low. “What is going on?”

“Your present,” he said as he padded into the kitchen. He leaped onto the much bigger island. “You get to see your father.”

Indigo chirped, then jerked back as the Cat glared at her.

“Cats do not chirp. You must remember to be normal,” he said. His voice stern.

She shook her head and padded after him. “That’s your dad?”

“Yes, it’s really him,” I replied. I quickly ground some espresso beans and then tamped them down, taking my time.

Heavy steps on the stairs caused me to take a deep breath and try to relax. They were actually here. My father and my brother. Well, one of my brothers. The one I’d have least expected.

“Oh, can I have one of those?” asked my dad. He pulled out a stool and sat at the island. “This is some place your boss got you. I even have my own bathroom.”

“It is pretty nice.” 

Warmth pulsed around my feet from Betty, and I resisted saying anything to her. I quickly made an Americano and then pulled out some cream from the fridge.

“Here you go,” I said, placing both in front of him. I couldn’t help but search for any signs of the cancer. Yet, he looked the same as always.

“Hey, are you stealing my coffee?” asked Obsidian as he joined us, coming down the stairs.

“I’ll make you one, don’t you worry.” I also needed another coffee to get my head on straight. “How was the drive up here?”

I realized that I didn’t have a car in the driveway, but I hoped they didn’t notice. Maybe there was a garage.

“Oh, not too bad. Farther than I usually like to drive, but we made it. Only stopped once for a rest before getting up early to finish it this morning.” Dad glanced at Onyx with a proud smile. “But we made it.”

I finished making his coffee and set it in front of him.

Onyx nodded and took the coffee mug carefully. But his fingers tightened around it, almost turning white.

“I hope it was okay…” I added in a soft voice. “I didn’t expect to see you, out of everyone.”

“Everyone else has gotten a chance but Umbre, and he is wrapped up in the farm.” He shrugged, but wouldn’t meet my eyes. “I needed to actually see that you were okay.”

I didn’t even finish making my coffee before sliding around the island and throwing my arms around his shoulders. He was one of my favorite brothers, after all. I held him tight, still shocked at seeing him. He felt cold under my hands.

“I will be taking a nap this afternoon,” added my Dad with a bigger grin on his face, “Given the night driving we did.” He loved naps. We’d crowned him the king of naps during my childhood.

“Any chance to get a nap in, huh.” I joked with a smile. This felt good.

I caught sight of the clock on the kitchen wall, realizing it was much closer to lunch then I realized. “Did you guys already eat breakfast?” 

“We stopped for a quick bite,” said Onyx, sipping his coffee. “You don’t need to worry about feeding us until dinner.” 

Then he stuck his tongue out at me, though I noticed both of his hands were still wrapped tight around the mug.

“You just want to see if I can actually cook now.” I raised an eyebrow at him.

He didn’t say anything as he sipped his coffee.

I put the cream back in the fridge and went back to the espresso maker to finish making my drink.

“When did you get in?” asked Onyx as he stared down at his mug. I hadn’t noticed the dark grey color matched his flannel.

Butterflies rose in my stomach, and I kept my attention on Betty.

“Yesterday afternoon. I got a good night’s sleep and slept in this morning.” It wasn’t much of a lie, but I hated doing it all the same.

All I could hope was that he didn’t press me.