The Life - Rebirth (The Life 4)

“There’s one more; he’s right here in the states.” Track piped up as he, too, joined us.

“Really? Who?” Ah, jeez, this guy collects people like some humans collect tin cans.

“This kid in New Hampshire.” Hmm, I’m not sure, but that was too smooth even for Track. It’s almost like he’d been waiting for an opportunity. Or maybe I’m too cynical like my nosy ass wife is always saying. Whatever, my Spidey senses are a-tingling.

“How do you know this? Who is he?” Annnnnd…Mancini fell for the okey-doke.

“I can’t tell you that. We’re ANONYMOUS.” Track smiled at Mancini, who looked like he was about to salivate.

“Yeah, like we need another one of these freaks that could hear through walls and shit.”

“COLT.” Kat screeched, which is her only volume these days.

Shit, did I say that out loud? “What’s your problem?” I asked my delightful wife. The prissy one just rolled her eyes and picked up one of the twins who, of course, needed changing and passed him off to me. Nothing like a dirty diaper to remind me that I’m just a gopher for her and her kids.

GIANNA

Are people supposed to be wary of their kids? No, not wary; I don’t think that’s the correct word. Scared, no, that sounds even worse. Whatever it is, I have no words to describe what’s been going on in my home. Even Connie and Ron admit to being stumped, and they’ve been on this earth way longer than I have.

I’ve searched high and low for information bought all the books, but no one accurately describes what it is that I see on a daily basis, which leads me to think that it’s all Gabriel Russo’s fault. If he wasn’t so…. Grrrrrrr, whatever he is, then this wouldn’t be.

Reading at ten months? Full sentences not long after? We’re not going to talk about walking way too soon, and the eye contact makes me feel like I’m about to be mind-controlled. I haven’t even needed to exercise to get back my pre-pregnancy body; just running around all day to keep up has done that. Though Connie swears that it’s my youth that made me bounce back so easily, making the pounds just fall off. I beg to differ.

I don’t think I’ve caught my breath since leaving the hospital, and I give thanks at least ten times a day for the couple who has stuck by my side because I’d be lost without them. I’m pretty sure this would’ve been much easier had it not been for Gabriel’s DNA.

Each night I drop into bed like a half-dead mummy, only to awaken in the mornings at five because that’s what time the door to my room creaks open, and I get bombarded with hugs and kisses not long after. Just that alone can sometimes make the tired loneliness dissipate like smoke.

There are days I feel like I wouldn’t have it any other way. Just the fresh air, wide-open spaces, and plentiful sunshine is enough to make my heart smile, and then there are those days when I’m tempted to pack everything up and head back to civilization. I’d do it in a heartbeat if I wasn’t afraid of running into Gabriel somehow. As big as the world is, I have no doubt that with his vast knowledge, he’d be able to find me. A needle in a haystack would mean nothing to him.

I’d switched up majors completely and was now studying early childhood development in my online classes. Not that I plan to use it professionally, I just need all the help I can get. There’s one thing no one can help me with, though, and that’s the constant reminder of Gabriel: it’s spooky.

The look, the mannerisms, and even at this age, the seriousness. I didn’t even get to enjoy the baby talk stage because, well, I’d get the ‘that’s not how you say it, mommy’ look. The first time I heard a complete sentence, I did a double-take and thought, okay, the child is possessed. The facetious smirk didn’t help any.

I see all these men and women online gushing about their baby genius, and I’m here petrified of what comes next. How will I stimulate, what can I teach? So, ergo, early childhood development is more helpful to me now than pre-med. Besides, the thought of going back out into the big bad world makes me tired, and I’d much rather bury my head in the sand for now.

MANCINI

Track looked seriously spooked when he told us he needed to run something by us. I knew he’d been working on something for quite some time, but he asked for time said he was just helping a friend. I didn’t push because I trust my guys, all of them. But now it looks like he’d run into trouble.

“Is this about the thing you’ve been working on with your friend? Is he the one you mentioned outside? The level ten?”