Until the Tide Returns

“I think there was something you forgot to tell me.” Landon said staring at the painting.

“Well, at the time I was too focused on the image of the impossible to really notice too much else. The more I painted the clearer everything became.”

“When all of this is being explained to our children, I suggest we skip telling our son the part that you didn’t notice him the first time you saw him, otherwise he’ll most likely develop a complex.” He smiled at me gently so I knew he was kidding. I didn’t find it funny though. I felt horrible that I hadn’t noticed the blue bundle Landon had been holding with a small hand reaching out the first time around, even after I began painting it took awhile before I fully realized what Landon had been holding. “Beckett, I was kidding.”

“I know. I just feel bad, I should have noticed him.”

“What do you think his name is?”

“No idea, good thing we have eight years to figure that out, right?” I sighed and rested my head on his shoulder while we both continued to stare at the painting. “I know after I told you everything my mom said about us you said you were ok with knowing and everything, I just want to make sure you still are. Moving across the country and away from your family and friends for me is a lot, I mean you barely knew me. I just… I just want to know how you’re handling this. Because, to be completely honest, this is freaking me out. On top of the panic from seeing her sitting in my lap, there’s the fact that we just found out that in five years we’re going to have a baby, and three years later we’re going to have another one. How is it that you haven’t jumped the next flight back to Arizona?”

“Because I love you,” He chuckled softly wrapping an arm around my shoulders, “and because I’ve always known my life would involve dealing with things that weren’t exactly normal. Like finding a girl who’s being alive meant the world functioned properly, and who would have psychic visions about their daughter, and as it turns out she just happens to be my daughter. If anything your visions are a blessing. We know that something has changed, and we have 5 years to figure it out. We also have a heads up as to what kind of person she’ll be. If she turns out to be some crazy, rebellious, juvenile delinquent wouldn’t you rather know now than have to be surprised by it later down the road?”

“You think she’s going to be what?!” I pulled away from him looking at the sweet little girl in the painting. There was no way she could be anything but that her entire life.

“Beckett, I’m sure she’s going to be a model citizen. I just meant that it will be good to know what we’re going to be dealing with as parents ahead of time. Most parents are scared out of their mind worrying that they are messing up their children. You’ll be able to actually see if we are.”

“What is that?” As usual I did not hear the door open when Tyler came in.

“A painting.” I answered.

“Obviously.” He rolled his eyes. “Why is there a painting of a slightly older Beckett, and a slightly older Landon holding two children in your living room? If Christina called me here to take blood for a pregnancy test I swear Beckett, I will call your father right this second and have your ass shipped to the rainforest. I’m sure you won’t dry out down there, and with your intelligence it shouldn‘t take long to pick up the language.”

“I can assure you that is not a possibility.” Landon said taking a step back and to the side putting distance between Tyler and me.

“Then what is that? Some little fantasy life you two cooked up? I’m sure your father is going to love hearing about this, especially after what happened at dinner with your grandparents last week.”

“That was the vision I had.” I explained, Tyler raised a brow. “Of our daughter and apparently our son as well.”

“What?” Explaining this to him was not going to be easy. I couldn’t even imagine having to explain this to my father after what he had decided I should be doing on weekends.

“Do you remember when I told you my mom was psychic? Like she could see into my future and my present, and even speak to me telepathically?”

“Yeah, I thought that would you know, ease this transition for Jason, you would have at least one parent always able to see what you were up to.” He looked pointedly at Landon. I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

“Ok, well, after I got into the argument with Granny and Gram sent us to the other room so I didn’t destroy the pipes or whatever I had a vision. That’s what the painting is, the major problem being she’s sitting in my lap.”

“And since you can’t go near your mom until you turn 18 you are wondering why you saw your daughter is sitting in your lap?” This had gone much easier than I had expected, I was expecting to have to explain everything over again. I nodded. “So why am I here?”

“Didn’t you say Gram asked you to come?”

“Yeah, where is she?”

“Sorry about that Tyler, I was grading papers.” Gram smiled coming into the room. Today she wore a large bohemian skirt and a tunic. “Beckett has explained the situation right?” Tyler nodded. “Good. Maya, my mother, and I have been going over all of the journals of the previous Keepers in order to find something that might shed some light on this situation. Now the best guess we have as to why this has changed is Landon, he is after all a protector, and the first male.”

“What is it exactly that you would like me to do?”

“I was hoping you could take blood samples from Maya, Beckett, and Landon and try to combine Landon and Beckett’s and test it against Maya’s. If you were to take a sample of blood from Maya and a sampled of blood from Beckett and put them near each other they would destroy themselves. The tide is not in held in our blood but parts of it to remain there. I believe if you were to take Landons and Becketts blood and test it against Mayas then it should be safe.”

“You want me to basically create Beckett’s future daughters DNA and test it against her mothers? I’m not a geneticist, I’m a surgeon.” Tyler reached up and scratched the back of his head. “I’ll see what I can do, but I’m not going to promise anything.”

“All I was hoping for was for you to try.”

“Alright then, when do I get to meet the seductress of the night?” Gram laughed and left the room to, I was assuming, finish grading papers. “Your mother Spicket, when do I get to meet her? I’ve been pretty interested in doing so.”

“I don’t know, but it will probably be before I do.” I grumbled. “I’m sure Gram already told her you were coming over and she’s been watching this entire thing. Give it a second and I’m sure she’ll-” My phone began ringing from its place on the coffee table, the name Maya showing up on the screen. “-call.”

“Freaky.” Tyler whistled.

“Don’t just stand there, answer it.” I rolled my eyes and left him to answer the phone while I got a glass of lemonade. Landon followed behind and hopped up onto the counter.

“I think Gram has a good point, maybe having my protector blood in her is what keeps her safe.” It made sense. “We’re able to protect Keepers because we instinctually know when our Keeper is in danger, like how I knew you would learn to use your abilities. There’s this little sensor that goes off in my brain when you’re in trouble, like when we were at the hotel where you first met your pottery teacher. When he splashed you I immediately felt that something was wrong, I did at the dance too, it’s just that I was so shocked by finding out who you were I didn’t notice. If you were to get too close to your mother I sense it too. Even with a 20 mile distance I feel that something is wrong and I know which distance to go to keep you safe. Somehow our daughter will have that as well as be the next Keeper.”

“So if I were to say, toss a knife or lit match at Beckett and you weren’t in the room you would still know what’s going on?” Tyler asked coming into the kitchen. “Don’t look at me like that guys, you know I wouldn’t actually do it. I’m just curious.”

“There’s nothing wrong with keeping your curiosities to yourself.” I grumbled wadding up a napkin and tossing it at him.

“So is it like a neurological thing? Maybe we could do some scans and-”

“Tyler, shut up, you are not running medical tests on Landon. Be happy you’re getting our blood and meeting my mother.”

“No need to be so cranky Spicket.” His grin was smooth and highly annoying. “I’m not taking your blood until tomorrow, and if you choose to be unconscious while it’s being done then I have no problem obliging your request.”

“Why would she be unconscious?” This was embarrassing. I looked at Landon though unable to meet his eyes.

“After the barbeque at Loraine’s Tyler took some blood, and before he had a chance to stick the needle in I… uh… may have passed out.”

“She dropped like a brick off a roof.” Tyler added. “Luckily she was sitting on the couch.”

“You know what I like best about living here?” I asked Tyler. “How awesome Perry is, you know my uncle, the real one. I mean he threw a concert to impress me and my friends and even let us sleep over at his house. Which is HUGE by the way. He even has a freshwater pool that he said I can use to swim in anytime since I chlorine makes me sick, I’ve always wanted to learn how to swim.”

“Is there something you’re trying to say kid?”

“Not at all, and you know next weekend Calvin is taking us to Six Flags? I think Evie, Mark, and Lily are coming too. I must say, I have some pretty awesome uncles.” Tyler got this incredibly smug look on his face after I said that. Not the look I was going for.

“Six Flags huh?” I nodded. I could see the wheels turning in his head. This was so not good. Something in his pocket vibrated. He pulled out a pager. “Needed at the hospital. Have fun next weekend.”



It was Wednesday, Relik, Bernie, Landon, and I were eating lunch in the cafeteria. Tyler had taken our blood Monday. I didn’t pass out though I wish I had, the needle hurt. When he stuck Landon with the needle Landon didn’t even bat an eyelash.

“If I have to hear one more time how Perry Holtz spoke to Marissa a may commit suicide. Or homicide. I haven’t decided yet. Either I kill myself because of Marissa or I spend the rest of my life locked up behind bars because of her. Either way it’s kind of a lose/lose situation.” Bernie groaned. Marissa came in Monday telling the whole school that she had actually spoken to THE Perry Holtz, with no mention of the four of us. “I still can’t believe you never told us you were related to him.”

“I didn’t know until a couple of weeks ago.” I shrugged. “Will you forgive me if I let you in on another secret or two?” Her eyes began to practically shoot out beams of anticipation. “Billy Jacobsen is one of my ‘uncles’.”

“I have heard the name yet I have no idea who he is.”

“He used to play in the NFL until he messed up his ankle hiking. Now he owns a couple of restaurants.” Landon bumped his knee to mine beneath the table.

“So you’re related to a former pro football player and a rock star? Anything else I should know? Any movie stars going to come out of the woodworks?” Relik laughed lightly at Bernie shaking his head, she blushed.

“No, but I have an ‘aunt’ who is-” My mouth stopped working as I was fairly certain I was hallucinating. Tyler was standing only a few feet away from the cafeteria doors. Holding what I now recognized as his medical bag. “Landon, please tell me that Tyler is not actually standing in the cafeteria.”

“He is. And I think he’s looking for you.”

“He could be looking for you, maybe my dad talked him into castration.”

“That’s not funny.”

“What are you two staring at?” Relik asked looking around. Landon stood on his chair and yelled waiving his hand. Most of the cafeteria turned and so did Tyler. “Who’s that?”

“Another of my ‘uncles’.” I sighed.

“It’s nice to see you two aren’t always trying to suck each others souls out.” Tyler smirked setting his bag on the table and sitting in the seat beside me.

“You are never going to forget that are you? Why are you here? You’re not trying to force some other ridiculous prescription on me are you?” I noticed that Bernie had gone still.

“I accidentally put your sample to close to…” he trailed off looking around the table, “anyway it got destroyed, need a new one.” I sighed and held out my arm to him. “Spicket, people are trying to eat. Well go to the nurses office or something. Oh, right, hi, I’m Tyler, Beckett’s uncle slash personal doc.”

“Relik.” Bernie remained still and didn’t say a word. “And this is Be-”

“Bernie.” Tyler finished. Wait. What? “I’m so sorry, I didn’t recognize you at first. How are you doing?”

“Fine, thank you.” She said quietly.

“I’m glad to hear it. Unfortunately though I don’t have much time and just came by to get something from Beckett. It was nice seeing you again, and Relik, nice meeting you.”

“I’m not done eating!” I protested earning an eye roll from Tyler. “Hey it’s not my fault you were careless.”

“Get up now, bring your food, and I won’t call Billy and tell him what you did last weekend and what you’re doing this weekend. You know how competitive he is, I’m sure he would love to hear all about it.” I quickly packed what I could back into the bag, grabbed my things, and stood up.

“Blackmail is not cool.”

“Blackmail is such a harsh term, I was thinking of something a little softer, like threat.”

“Keep it up and I’ll call my dad and explain why once again I’m having blood drawn. I’m sure he’ll be fascinated.” I smiled sweetly and started walking towards the exit.

“Are you sure you want to do that? He’s already pretty pissed about your little tiff with his parents. Imagine how much he’ll love hearing about the reason I was called to perform this medical test.” I ignored him and remained quiet until we were in the hallway.

“Where to?” I asked.

“Nurses office.” I nodded waiting for him to lead the way. “Well?”

“Well what? I don’t know where it is.” I never had a reason to go there and I hadn’t really been going here that long. “Why don’t we go to the office and ask?” At least I knew where that was. He shrugged and we began walking. Mr. Gardener was walking towards us. He saw me and smirked. He had taken it upon himself to make snide little comments to me every day. Usually about my work even though my project was flawless. His eyes slid to Tyler briefly.

“Does Lover Boy know you’re out with another man?” Bernie had taken to calling Landon Lover Boy, which my teacher over heard and now used to always alert me when Landon had reached the classroom door to walk with me to our next class. Ever since that first day Landon had been at the door right after the bell rang. He was still worried Mr. Gardener would do something stupid.

“I’m sorry but who are you? You look familiar.” Tyler stopped.

“I’m Beckett’s ceramics teacher.” Tyler’s eyebrows lifted.

“So then that would make the comment you just made to her entirely inappropriate right? I’ll be sure to speak to the principal about this, I’m sure they’ll be quite interested in how she’s being treated here.”

“Ah, so you’re Beckett’s father?”

“Nope, I’m her uncle. But I can assure you her father will here about this as well as her mother.” Tyler turned to me. “Does Christina know about this?”

“I don’t know, pretty sure Mom does though. It doesn’t matter ok? He’s kind of an asshole but it’s not that big of a deal. If the incident at Billy’s restaurant and now this are any testament I’m going to be dealing with people like him my whole life, might as well get used to it now right?”

“What are you talking about? What incident at Billy’s restaurant?”

“It was nothing, I shouldn’t have brought it up. If anything it proves I can take care of myself.” I shrugged and turned to Mr. G. “I’m going to be late for class, he’s also my doctor and needs to take some blood.”

“Everything ok?” There was a hint of actual concern in his voice. I nodded. “Ok well don’t take too long, projects have to be finished today, I’m putting them in the kiln tonight.”

“I finished it Monday.” He knew this.

“Bernie didn’t and I know you’ve been helping her.” This was true. For some reason I was able to get the clay to bend to my will much easier than the others. It was why my box and lid were much more elaborately decorated, why everything was perfectly even and smooth. I nodded and started walking.

“Come on Tyler, we’ll talk about this while you drain me of life yet again. I would really like to finish my lunch.”