Ineffable Plan

It’s been three hours since Emmanuel and I got home. After the conversation on the phone it was decided that Aaron and Julian would go see if the other two brothers were alright. Emmanuel promised to get me home and keep an eye on me until Aaron got back. When we got to the apartment Emmanuel went directly to his room leaving me standing in the living room alone. I trudged to my room and saw that Aaron and Emmanuel had unpacked all my things.

I plopped down my bed and heard something crumple underneath me. I scooted over and found the note my dad had given me before I left for college. I had completely forgotten about it, so it remained sealed. Snowpea. I smiled fondly as I remembered the nickname; as I remembered how close we all used to be.

I moved to sit at the small desk in the room and opened the little draw on the side. I found a pen and quickly slid it into the envelope to get it open. Slowly I unfolded it and was surprised. Had my father written this? On the paper was neat calligraphy in black ink and the occasional ink spot.

I flatten the paper out on the table and slowly read the words.

There is a lot about yourself that you don’t know. I don’t have all the answers, but in time they will come to you. I know that at times things may seem a little strange and you may feel a little different, but you have to remember that it’s just a part of who you are. Embrace it, Snowpea. There is a lot you’re mother and I never told you. There is a lot we just didn’t know.

What we did know was that you were special. You were always special. From the moment we found you, we knew it. Trust me when I say that this will help you figure out who you really are and where you really belong. No matter what, I’ll always be your father. We’ll always be your family. We will always love you.

For a moment I didn’t move. What was this? What was my father saying? What did he mean by ‘found me’? I shook my head from left to right. This couldn’t be true. I was theirs. I was theirs. I couldn’t be adopted; just some poor kid they found and decided to take home like some lost puppy. This can’t be happening.

I looked back down at the now tear-stained letter and quickly re-read the words. I picked up the envelope it came and I realized that it still wasn’t empty. I opened it wider and pulled out a much smaller envelope. It could fit in the palm of my hand, but it was a little heavy. I practically tore the paper open and a small silver trinket fell out. Before I could pick it up I noticed writing scrawled on the paper it was wrapped in. The message was simple.

This belongs to you. It was with you the night we found you.

Tears cascaded down my cheeks. I was found at night; probably in some dark alley, thrown away like trash. I gingerly picked up the small silver thing and dropped it down immediately. As I touched it, it heated up and so did the necklace. My skin scorched slightly. What was happening?

I didn’t have time to think about it because suddenly I heard Emmanuel calling me.

“Come downstairs, now!"

I quickly slipped the notes and the trinket into my jeans pocket and ran to the living room. My jaw dropped slightly and I stared in disbelief.

“Oh my gosh,” I whispered as I walked towards them. Emmanuel was standing next to Julian and two other guys. All three were covered in blood and they looked hurt.

“Oh my gosh,” I repeated as I stared at three of them. “What happened? Are you okay?” I asked frantically.

“We’re fine.” Julian smiled weakly at me. “This is Ryland and Jeremy. The last two.”

Suddenly I couldn’t breathe. Where was Aaron? Why wasn’t he here? I tried desperately to get my breathing under control; taking deep breaths and trying to clear my head. “Where’s Aaron?” I croaked, tears spilling down my cheeks.

“Oh, baby love, Aaron’s fine,” Emmanuel said cupping my face in his hands. He tried to wipe the tears away with his thumb. “Come here.” He pulled into a hug.

“Are you sure?” I mumbled into his chest, still unable to stop the tears.

I felt Emmanuel run his fingers comfortingly through my hair. “We’re positive,” Julian spoke. ” I was with him, remember? He had something to do before he came back. Do you really think we would leave our brother if we weren’t sure he’d be okay?”

I shook my head, my face still pressed into Emmy’s chest.

“Come on, then,” Julian said pulling me away from Emmanuel. “We need a girl to clean up us men.”

“Are you sure he’s okay?” I asked again.

Julian nodded and a mischievous smile spread across his face. “He’ll be even better when he hears about how worried you were. Why Miss Wallace, if I didn’t know any better I’d think you had a thing for my little brother.”

I couldn’t help but blush.

“Stop it,” Ryland said pushing Julian away from me. “So you’re Justice.”

I nodded.

“Well me first,” he said before pulling off his shirt and pulling me towards the kitchen sink.

I spent the next hour cleaning and bandaging the wounds on Ryland, Julian, and Jeremy. I was glad for something to do. It kept my mind off the letter from my dad, but I couldn’t help but worry about Aaron.

It was midnight, more than three hours later, and the five of us were sitting in the living room waiting for the return of Aaron. I tried to relax but I couldn’t. I kept on imagining horrible things happening to him. I didn’t see how his brothers could be so unconcerned.

“Will you stop that?” Jeremy groaned. “You’re giving me a headache.”

I turned to face him. “I’m not doing anything.”

“Yes you are,” he said quietly. A few moments passed in silence until he spoke again. “Aren’t you tired?”

“No. Are you?” I asked with my eyebrows raised. He shook his head.

“Jeremy’s right,” Julian said. “Maybe you should go to bed.”

“I’m not tired,” I protested.

“Maybe not, but you’re giving me a headache as well,” Ryland added.

“I’m not doing anything!” I yelled.

“Leave her alone,” Emmanuel mumbled. “She doesn’t have to go to bed.” He got up from the couch and sat across from me on the floor. “She just needs to stop thinking so much.”

I frowned. “Well excuse me for being thoughtful. I don’t see why that would bother you.”

“It wouldn’t, if five hundred thoughts weren’t going through your mind at 100 miles per hour,” Jeremy grumbled.

“It’s completely chaos. How you manage to form coherent ideas out of that rubble is beyond me,” Ryland said.

“What?” I asked thoroughly confused.

“Ahh!!!” Julian screamed holding his head. “Manny will you please just do whatever it is you were going to do. The more you guys tell her the more she thinks. Can we just wait for Aaron to get here? Then you can reveal everything to her. Maybe he can make her filter her thoughts so we don’t have to be bombarded with them.”

“What?” I asked again.

“Shh,” Emmanuel cooed as he placed his hands on either side of my face and turned my head so that I was looking directly into his eyes. “I need to focus on me, okay. Just my eyes. Clear your head of all other thoughts.”

“Why?”

“Just do it!” All four brothers yelled.

“OK. OK. No need to get so snippy,” I mumbled.

“Look at my eyes, not my nose.” I automatically shifted my eyes up. “Don’t blink.”

We sat like that for about a minute and I slowly felt my mind emptying. I was desperately trying to grasp onto my fleeting thoughts and I noticed Emmanuel laugh.

“Stop fighting and relax,” he whispered quietly. Moments later I was in a dream-like state and smiling goofily.

“There we go,” Emmanuel said as he lifted me off the ground and sat me next to Ryland on the couch.

“Thank you, Manny,” Jeremy breathed out.