Page 75 of Surviving the Merge
She paused to make a note. “Tell me, how did it feel?”
“We never succeeded. It would cause an instant switch. The stress of it works as a trigger.”
“I see.” More notes. “In those instances, did it feel like something in you was forcefully trying to push you out? Or like you yourself were trying to hide, seek shelter, to protect yourself from what you feared in that moment?”
Blake gave her a puzzled look. “I’m sorry. I’m not sure I understand what the difference is in those two scenarios.”
Removing her glasses and crossing her legs, she said, “I have an analogy for you. We have two kids on bikes for the first time without training wheels. Both children know the dangers that come with riding without the trainers, but child number one is excited to try, so he’s willing to take the risk. Yet, before he gets his foot off the ground, Poppa number one snatches him up, not willing to take the chance of seeing him fall. He’s there to protect himbeforeanything bad happens.
“The second boy is not excited to try at all. He looks back at his father, begging him to intervene the way the other dad did. But Poppa number two is only there to pick him upifhe falls.”
I flicked a look at Blake. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this one out.
“Tell me, Blake, which poppa are you?” She tilted forward, glaring deep into Blake’s eyes, hoping to get through to Damon, “And which child areyou?”
“I’m... not sure. I don’t think either of us have ever looked at it from that perspective.”
Slipping her glasses back on, she said, “Oh, that’s quite all right. That’s what I’m here for, dear.”
We left the office with our most important assignment to date. She wanted both Blake and Damon to attempt to do something that normally the other would be responsible for and to try and stave off the shift for as long as possible. I was to time it. We were to continue doing this with the goal of the increments increasing each time before a shift took place. We also had to journal everything: how they felt right before, during, and after. Also taking notes of anything else of importance.
“Are you okay? You’ve been quiet since leaving Julie’s office,” I said.
Blake reached over to squeeze my knee as he drove us to our next destination. “I’m wondering if all this time I’ve been overprotecting him.”
“No, we are not going to start the blame game. This whole situation is too complex for it to ever be that simple. You’re here because he needed you. Now, tell me where you’re taking me.” That seemed to do the trick, if his smile was any indication.
“Always so impatient. We’re almost there. Actually...” He came to a stop on the side of the road. “Let me blindfold you.”
Shortly after being blindfolded, I heard the pitter-patter of rain, and then the car came to a stop. “Is it raining?”
Blake’s door opened and closed, and then he was there, helping me out on my side. Another door opened and closed, and then the car engine faded into the distance. I assumed it was a valet.
“Why am I not getting wet if it’s raining?”
Turning me by the shoulders, Blake removed the blindfold. Rain poured down on the secluded four-story building in front of me. A peek further up confirmed that the sky remained blue and sunny. I brought my sights back to the building in front of me. “How is this possible? What is this?”
“It’s a Japanese restaurant and boutique hotel. One of our investors recently opened it. If you look closely, that structure on top of the roof works as a sort of an expelling conduit, which is how they are able to make it appear to be raining on top of the building. And if you look down there”—he pointed to the drains along the outer edges of the restaurant—“this is where the water gathers and then funnels back up through the channel to the roof.”
The beauty on the outside paled to the inside. A city on water. The tables sat in individual canoes, canoes that sat on water. Each canoe had an umbrella mechanism on top of it because it rained inside as well. The walls were riddled with ivy, and water clovers were being pushed and pummeled by a light rain. The soothing sounds of the rainforest reached my ears as we were ushered by our hostess—dressed as a geisha—to our table.
Raised marble lily pads served as the means to getting around the water without having to walk through it. Stepping into the canoe, we folded onto the large, silk pillows in front of the votive candle lit table. We were left with menus and small cups of sake.
“Blake, this is amazing.” My voice held wonder as I examined every inch of my surroundings.
“I figured since the rain didn’t come to you, I’d bring you to the rain.”
“I like this.” I reached for his hand. “I likethis.”
“I like it too, my love.”
We ate, drank, talked, and got lost in each other. Rediscovering one another. There were moments when I could see a shadow pass over his eyes, gone so fast I was left wondering if I’d imagined it every time.
Until Blake said, “I can feel him.”
I gripped the edge of the table. “Talk to me, please.” Blake shook his head, and I exhaled in frustration, throwing my napkin onto the table. It didn’t feel good to be on the other side of the silent treatment.
“Hey, look at me. There will be time for that later,” he said.
