Page 44 of Returning to Everton

Rowen smiles at the joy she sees on her daughter’s face. “We’ve been here less than a day and she already loves it here. She’s been so happy and carefree since we got here. I don’t know what Quinn has told you since I’ve been gone.” We look over at her with our best innocent expressions on our faces and she laughs. “I’m not naïve enough to believe she hasn’t told you anything about my life since I’ve been gone guys,” she scolds us.

We all chuckle at that. “Okay fair enough,” Hudson says.

She just shakes her head and goes on, “Anyway, Harris was a norm, if you remember.”

“Oh, we remember,” Nate mutters.

She sighs as she continues her story. “Well, he didn’t like me using my magic. When Violet was a baby, he caught her using magic to bring her bottle to her, and freaked out. I think he was hoping she wouldn’t have magic. Since she did though, he wanted to make sure she never used it. Because she was so little and was never taught magic, the only magic she could do was telekinesis. I was eventually able to teach her to control it and when she agreed not to use it in front of anyone but me, we were allowed to leave the house again,” she tells us.

“What do you mean you wereallowedto leave the house again?” Nate demands. “Are you trying to tell me thatman,” Nate sneers, “kept you locked in your house because your daughter had magic?”

Rowen blanches at Nate’s tone and I nudge him to keep calm.

“I uh... Yeah he did,” she confirms, and we all see red. “Anyway... the point is she’s not used to other magic. Since that was all she could do, when it was just us, we would practice, but I would only ever use telekinesis around her. She’s already been exposed to so much new magic since we got here and she’s loving it.

“Nate taught her some teleportation today. So, now she can teleport her doll to her no matter where she is. Even from far distances. She’s amazing, and I’m so happy to see her flourishing already. I can’t imagine how much more powerful she’s going to be when she starts school and starts really learning magic,” she beams at her daughter’s success.

“She catches on really quickly for someone who knows next to nothing about magic. Hell, she catches on quickly, period. She could teleport her doll to her on her first try, guys,” Nate brags on Violet. “I think we have another Rowen on our hands. Smart, beautiful, and a magical prodigy.”

Rowen blushes at that, and it’s about the cutest thing I’ve seen. She’s so flustered by that comment, she starts thinking a little too loud and I catch some of her thoughts.Oh god, maybe Nate really does like me.I cock my head as I unashamedly listen in on her rambling.When he looks at me like that, I can actually believe he might have feelings for me.

Hudson looks at me and can tell I’m listening in on someone. He knees me in the leg to get my attention and I turn to look at him, trying to block out Rowen’s thoughts.Who are you listening in on Dec?he asks. I look over at Rowen and he nods.Well, stop it. I know she knows you can read minds but if she’s accidentally projecting, it’s not fair to listen in.I know he’s right and I look down in acknowledgement.

We hear Violet squeal and look over at them. Looks like Logan finally got Violet on the pirate ship. We watch her walk around the ship looking all over the playground. She turns our way and we all wave. I wonder what she sees right now. I haven’t been on the ship in a while. I can’t remember what the tables look like.

“Mommy!” Violet hollers from the ship. “You look like a mermaid on a giant rock!” Ahh, so that’s what the tables look like.

“What is she talking about?” Rowen asks us.

“It’s a magical playground, Rowe,” Nate teases.

She huffs. “Yes, I know that, but I’ve never been to this particular magical playground before, Nate. So I don’t know what magic is on it. Thank you very much.” She sticks her tongue out at him, and his eyes light up.

“Better be careful Rowe. I know better things you can do with that tongue,” he taunts her.

Her eyes go wide and her face turns red. I decide to be nice and save her from Nate and his heated looks. “When you’re on the ship everything looks different. It’s like you’re on a real pirate ship. You can still see the people in a way, but everything changes to make them fit the pirate theme. Apparently, the tables are large rocks and the people sitting at them turn into mermaids. Or as the case may be, mermen,” I explain to her.

“Oh my god, that’s so cool! What else do you see from up there?” she asks excitedly.

I chuckle at her childlike enthusiasm. “Well, the swing set is a giant octopus with its tentacles waving in the air. If there’s a kid on there, it looks like they’re being eaten.”

“What?! No way!” she exclaims.

“Yeah, go up there with Violet and see for yourself,” I urge her.

She jumps up and runs over to the pirate ship as we sit there and watch her child-like glee at the prospect of seeing how the park changes when you’re on the ship.

“I love how carefree she is,” I think out loud.

“She’s always been like that. Sounds like her jackass of a husband trampled on her free spirit until she was the perfect little housewife. Well, perfect in his eyes at least,” Hudson sneers. “I’m glad it seems she’s coming back to herself since she’s been here.”

“You know she doesn’t think y’all like her as more than friends, right?” I ask them.

They look at me like I just told a bunch of kids Santa doesn’t exist.

“What? What do you mean she doesn’t think we like her?” Nate growls, “Have I really not made my feelings clear to her?”

“Calm down Nate. I think whatever you’re doing is starting to work. She started projecting when you were comparing Violet to her. You called her smart and beautiful, and she got this cute little blush going on. Remember?” I prod.

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