Page 104 of Surviving in Everton

“Hey, it’s okay. You can trust her, Vi. She wouldn’t hurt you,” Logan whispers in my ear.

Oops. I must have been projecting that too loud.I know, Logy. I just don’t like potions.

“Would it help if I had some too?” he whispers again.

Do you even have a tummy ache?

“Of course I do. Too much pizza, ugh.”

Giggling, I smack his arm.Oh hush.

“What are you two giggling about?” Nana asks

“Nothing!” I don’t know if they know about Logan or not, but I’m not gonna be the one to give his secret away.

“Violet’s scared of potions after what happened to her mom,” Logan tells on me.

“Hey!”

“Vi, it’s okay. They’re my grandmas. Theyknow.”

“Oooh. Well, now I feel stupid.”

“Don’t be silly. You just met us, dear. There’s no way you could know everything about us, or our relationship with Logan and his dad, but if you’d like to know, we’d be happy to tell you,” Gram H. says.

“Really? I love stories!”

“Good, maybe after you hear this one, you’ll trust us enough to take this potion so you can feel better.” Gram H. gives me a soft smile.

“Well, to tell you how Logan became part of the family, we need to tell you how the family was made to begin with. You see, the three of us, and Nate’s mom, Linda, met in a soon to be parent class when we were pregnant. We bonded pretty quickly and have been inseparable ever since. When we each had our babies we decided to raise them together. After all, they say it takes a village to raise a child. Luckily it worked out well for us. The kids all got along great and were like siblings.

“When Logan’s parents moved here before he was born, they fit into the group so perfectly, it was like Declan was meant to be one of their brothers. We welcomed both of them into the family with open arms. When Jane died… it was hard on all of us. But there was this sweet little baby that didn’t have a mom anymore. Jane and Declan weren’t from around here, so he didn’t have any grandparents either. It was no hardship to take little Logan in. He was already family in our eyes anyway.”

The looks they give Logan are a sad mix of love and heartbreak. Their love for him and his parents, and their grief over his mom’s death, hit me like a tidal wave. My chest hurts and it’s hard to breathe. My vision goes blurry and I start to see spots.

“Hey. It’s okay, Vi. Breathe.” Logan rubs my back trying to pull me out of the emotional whirlpool I’m stuck in.

“What’s wrong?! What’s happening?”

I hear the grandmas shout, but I can’t tell who. It’s like I’m underwater. I can’t hear clearly. I catch pieces of conversation. Probably Logan trying to explain what’s happening. Thank god he’s here. He knows what to do. He can pull me out before I drown.

“Stop it! You’re not gonna drown! Just listen to me, Violet. It’s okay. I’m here. You’re going to be fine.”

I believe him, I do, but the flash of panic I get from him, doesn’t exactly calm me down. He must realize his mistake because as soon as I felt it, it’s gone. Replaced by pure happiness. It starts to lift the fog. I can feel myself coming back. That happiness just gets stronger and stronger. I don’t know what’s going on, but I feel like I can finally breathe. I gasp, sucking down too much air too fast. But my vision is finally clearing. The colorful spots start to slowly fade.

Logan’s still rubbing my back, talking to me, as I slowly come back to myself. Blinking, I look around, embarrassed when I see everyone staring at me. I shrink into myself and Logan wraps his arm around me, pulling me into his side.

“Don’t be embarrassed, Vi. They won’t judge you. Don’t you think it’s time someone knows?” his voice turns pleading.

“N-nooo.” I shake my head adamantly. I can’t. No, no one can know. Mom will freak out. Please. No.

“Shhhh. Vi, it’s okay. Besides, it’s a little late for that. They saw with their own eyes. There’s no hiding it any more. Maybe they could help.”

“Violet? Sweetie, tell us what happened, please?” Nana begs me.

Looking to Logan for support, he gives me a sad smile as he nods his encouragement.

Taking a deep breath, I prepare to tell them what I haven’t told anyone. Only Logan knows. “I’m an Empath, but sometimes...”

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