Page 13 of Surviving in Everton

“Well… not really no. But it does fit with what we need to talk about,” he admits. “Violet, how much can you feel what other people feel?” he asks my daughter, and I just sit here in shock. Seriously? I look at Violet, waiting for her answer.

“I don’t know… a little?” she tells us, and I don’t know if she’s unsure of her answer because she’s lying or because she’s worried about how we’ll react.

“It’s okay Violet, you can tell us. You’re not in trouble, baby,” I assure her.

She sighs. “Okay, Mommy. I’m not lying though. Promise. It just depends on the person and the feeling.” She looks at me nervously. “I can… um.” She swallows and I‘m left wondering why she’s so nervous to tell me. “I can feel a lot stronger if it’s someone I’m close to,” she finally admits.

Someone she’s close to. She canfeelstrongly when it’s someone she’scloseto. Oh god! “How… how long have you been able to feel other people’s emotions, Violet?” I whisper, but I know she hears me because she cringes. Shit, that’s not good.

“Always?” She gives me the answer I was afraid she was going to. “I’m sorry, Mommy! Please don’t be mad! I thought it was normal. You always seem to know how I’m feeling, so I thought it was just another part of having magic. I didn’t know it was special until Logan told me,” she rushes out.

I look up at Declan again, wondering if Logan told him any of this. His head shake tells me he didn’t. I sit here, thinking about all of the feelings I thought I was hiding from her when really she knew all along. She was always able to pull me out of a funk because she knew what I was feeling and figured out how to make me feel something else instead.

“Oh, baby,” I say as I hold her close to me. “You didn’t have to keep this all to yourself for so long. I know you thought it was normal, but it must still be a lot for a little girl to deal with on her own,” I tell her then look at Declan. “Is there anything you can do to help? It can’t be fun walking around, minding your own business, and feeling other people’s emotions.”

“I can help her learn to block it if she doesn’t already know,” he offers. “She’s a smart girl, Rowe. Why don’t you askherif she needs help or if she understands her unique ability?” I look down to see Violet is looking at me with big eyes. “Do you, baby? Do you know how to control it?”

She nods and bites her bottom lip again. “Most of the time, I can control it pretty well. But, sometimes even when I’m blocking, I can still feel a little if the person’s emotions are strong enough. Then sometimes, Iwantto feel. I’m used to it. I’ve always been this way. Plus, it helps me understand people.

“It’s how I knew Emma desperately needed a friend.” She shrugs her shoulders. “But it also means I know when something’s wrong with you, Mommy. Please tell me. I know I’m little, and you want to protect me from whatever it is that’s making you all feel so awful, but you’re not protecting me from it. Because I can feel all of your sadness and fear, I just don’t know what’s causing it. Don’t you think knowing the reason for the feeling will help me deal with it?”

God, when did my kid get so freaking smart? I look up at Declan to gauge his opinion. When he nods I take a deep breath and prepare to tell my daughter what’s going on with me.

Chapter 7

Declan

“Well, that was both easier and harder than I thought it would be.” I sigh as I sit next to Rowe on the couch.

After explaining everything to the brightest five-year-old I have ever met, she guilted me into tucking her in and reading her a bedtime story. Unfortunately for her, I know about all of her books, so I didn’t have to make up a story on the spot like Nate did. Oh yeah, he told us all about his awesome story.

“Thank you for helping me with that. I really didn’t want to tell her, but she was right. If she’s gonna feel all the emotions I was apparently failing to hide, it would be better if she knew why. I can’t believe I didn’t know she could do that!” She groans.

Damn it. Now’s when I tell her, Violet’s not the only one that can do that. “So… Rowe. You know how I wanted to talk to you about something tonight?” I ask her. She furrows her brow, but nods so I go on, wanting to get this over with. “Well, Violet’s not the only one that has empath abilities,” I tell her.

“What do you mean? You have empath abilities too?” she asks. Clearly, she’s not getting it. I’m gonna let her blame the tumor. I can’t believe Rowen would normally be this slow.

“No, Rowen. You do.” I decided to just come out with it. No use sugar-coating shit for her. She needs to know what’s going on, and she doesn’t need me to hold her hand. Not for this at least.

“I do?” she asks me like maybe I’ve lost my mind. “Really? Are you sure?”

I sigh. “Yes, Rowen. I’m sure,” I tell her. “Where do you think Violet got it from?”

“I don’t know? I thought it was uncommon. Maybe a long-lost gene in the family tree?” she offers.

I chuckle at that. “Yeah, just not so long or lost.”

“But she’s been like this her whole life. If I were an empath, I would have been too,” she argues. It would be a valid argument too, if not for one thing.

“That’s true… except your memory isn’t exactly what it used to be,” I remind her and her eyes light up in realization. “That and we don’t know what the potion was designed to do. It could have messed with your natural abilities. And with him intentionally makin’ you forget certain things… you probably didn’t even realize somethin’ was different.”

“Oh my god! But surely the guys would have known if I was an empath, right?” she questions. “We were almost never apart growing up. I couldn’t have hidden something like that.”

“Well, look at Violet. You had no clue she had any abilities,” I counter.

“True. But if I had that ability, surely I would have known the guys had feelings for me,” she argues. Well, she’s got me there.

“Maybe your ability just isn’t as strong as Violet’s,” I offer. “But I know you have them, Rowen. I think the magic from the potion is still dampenin’ it, but it’s there.''

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