Dad: Because he’s your brother.
I felt numb. My head hurt. The room swam about me as Adam reached out to stop me from crashing to the floor.
“What is it, Dawn?” he asked, holding me up.
I held my phone, so he could read the message, and he broke out into hysterics. My phone buzzed again, and I forced myself to look at the screen.
Dad: I will be there in a few days. Your mother is not going to be happy with this.
After I had regained my composure, we finished our grocery shopping. I kept looking around for Shawn. I could only assume that he knew what he was to me. It would explain why he had toyed with me so. His issue wasn’t the fact that I kept running into him; it was the fact that I was his little sister. I didn’t see him anywhere; however, the feeling of being watched had lifted.
I didn’t say anything further to my dad about the run-ins I’d had with Shawn. Neither did I tell my dad that I couldn’t wait to see him. I knew that once I told my mother he was coming to visit, she would react like a giggling teenager. Something had definitely sparked in her when he was there last. She had been like a schoolgirl whenever his name was mentioned. I was beginning to think she had forgotten he was married to Mona, the sweetest woman I had ever met.
****
“You going to tell her?” Adam asked me as we pulled into the drive.
“I really have no choice in the matter, do I?” I said, rolling my eyes. “It’s one thing to tell her that my father is on his way back to town, but quite another to tell her that some strange boy living here is, according to my dad, my brother.”
“The question is this, is she going to ignite anything?” Adam joked. “Because if she is, I think I might be better off outside.”
“You know, this time last year I knew extraordinarily little about my mother’s power. She had never shown me the fire inside of her. I didn’t know that she was able to force the truth out of lying beasts.” I sighed. “So, to answer your question, I have no idea what she will do when I tell her about Shawn.”
Adam broke out into hysterics once more. “Your dad has a thing for rhymes, doesn’t he!”
“What do you mean?”
“Dawn...” He paused. “Shawn...” He laughed even harder.
“Oh, God!” I whimpered. “You’re right.”
Adam dabbed at the tears of mirth that had rolled down his cheeks. “Well, mustn’t waste any more time. The longer you wait, the harder it’s going to get.”
“Don’t remind me,” I said, reaching for the door handle. “Let’s get the food in and put away before I tell her.”
“Good idea. Let’s not leave her anything to throw around,” Adam said as we got out.
We gathered the bags and as many loose items as we could and walked into the house. My mother had her head down on the table, and Nick and Helen were in the living room, having a noisy debate over which was better, Pikachu or Charmander. I sighed. Of all the things available to have a heated discussion about, they chose Pokémon.
Aren’t these guys in their twenties?
Putting the bags down on the counter, Adam and I commenced putting everything away while my mother quietly groaned and smacked her forehead over and over on the table. I tried to ignore it. She didn't look like she was in any mood to be bothered. Finally, I put the last items away in the cabinet and rested my hand on her shoulder.
“You okay?” I asked.
She looked up at me and frowned; her eyes were red-rimmed like she had been crying.
“Your father called.” She sniffed.
“Why are you banging your head on the table?” I asked quietly. I wasn’t ready to inquire about what they had talked about.
“Those two haven’t shut up since you left.” She groaned as the argument in the living room increased in volume. “I don’t know if I’m going to be able to handle the demons we’re going to have to face sooner or later. If they are like those two, I’m going to run away.”
I laughed. “That bad, huh?”
“You have no idea how much those two can talk.” She shook her head. “Did you kids have fun?”
“We went to the store, Mom,” I reminded her. “We had as much fun as shopping allows.”
“I had fun,” said Adam, laughing.
“Of course, you did.” I groaned.
“Your father said he messaged you,” said my mother, changing the subject.
“Yeah, we talked by text briefly. What’s going on?” I asked coyly. I didn’t want to be the one to bring it up. I didn’t want to tell her what Dad had said, just in case he hadn’t mentioned it to her first.
“I think we need to have a talk,” she said, standing up. She looked worn.
“Yeah, okay.” I shrugged at Adam as my mother left the room, motioning for me to follow.
“Come on, Adam, you too,” said my mother. “If you’re going to be part of this group it’s best you hear it from me first before hearing it from Dawn. She’ll make it sound like the end of the world is coming.” She flashed Adam a smile.
“If you say so, Mrs. Weathers.”
She walked us to her room, where she opened her closet and pulled out an old photo album. The front cover had my dad’s mortal name engraved on it. She opened the book to the center page and sat it on the bed. I hesitated just a second before taking a peek at the ancient, dog-eared picture that was revealed. There, clear as day, standing with his hand on the shoulder of a blonde-haired woman, was Shawn.
“I don’t get it,” I said, running my finger along the edges of the picture.
“Is that Shawn?” my mother asked, sitting down on the edge
