Calliope

Roy and I were together for two years before we got married, but I didn't find out about his powers until a year after we started dating.

"This isn't how you were supposed to find out," was what he said to me. Every time I thought about that night, that's what I remembered most from it mainly because I wondered how he did want me to find out.

We went to dinner. Roy was having an off-day and it was very evident by his demeanor; he barely spoke a word to me. He came home late that night and went straight into the kitchen, toward the alcohol cabinet. I didn't know what prompted this nor did I ask. I learned that any time Roy was in a bad mood to just never ask questions, because he simply wouldn't answer them.

We didn't get to dinner until ten at night, right as they were about to close, when he just said, "Please, give us a table. We won't take long."

The host let us right in. I thought that he was just being nice.

When the manager came and said, "Sir, ma'am, we close at ten. I'm sorry but I'm gonna have to ask you to leave."

"Sorry, but we're staying," he snapped. The manager suddenly smiled and nodded her head. Why did she give up so easily? I thought.

"Roy, we don't have to be here. They said they're closed. We can go somewhere else or eat at home! I think I have leftover Chinese from last night," I said, starting to feel embarrassed.

"You wanted to come here, Calliope, so we're here," he said, as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, at, like, seven."

"Okay, fine, we can go somewhere else," Roy sighed, standing up. I followed him out the door and we got into the car and left. He drove in the direction of home and I couldn't help but glance at him every few seconds. I knew Roy had his bad days, they didn't happen all the time, but they did happen. I was just confused as to what happened back at the restaurant.

Police sirens started to sound and the red and blue lights flashed in our mirrors. I glanced behind us to see a squad car trailing us.

"For fuck's sake," Roy muttered, slowing down and pulling over.

An officer walked up to his side and Roy rolled down the window.

"Sir, do you know why I pulled you over?" The officer asked.

"No," Roy said, looking bored.

"You were speeding back there–84 miles an hour when the speed limit is 55. Can I see your license and registration?"

Roy turned to look at him and said, "No. You're going to leave this alone."

"Roy, what are you doing?" I whispered.

He looked at me and he said, "Calliope, I'm so sorry for this." He faced the officer again and said, "Go back to your car, take your gun out, and hold it to your head until one of your fellow officers comes to get you and sees the obvious mental state that you're in."

"Wait, what? Roy, you can't talk to an officer like–" I started, but the officer turned on his heel and walked back toward his car, getting in and then taking his gun out. I gasped and stared at the situation in utter confusion.

"Calliope, I'm sorry," Roy said, taking my hand, but I yanked it away. "Calliope..." he sighed.

I remember immediately thinking that it was mind control because I thought it was funny, like something like that could never happen except in the movies. But the way Roy was looking at me confirmed that it was true. I felt myself panic; he could control minds?

I unlocked my side of the door and got out. Roy followed me and he said, "Please, love, let me explain..."

"Explain what? That you can control peoples' minds?" I tried to stay calm but my voice was coming out shaky.

"Yes!" he exclaimed, almost exasperated. "This has been the biggest burden of my entire life, Calliope, and I really mean my entire life. For as long as I could remember, I could command people to do things and they would just do it. I once told a man to go fuck himself and, well, it wasn't pretty. I can't get rid of it. I'm stuck with this forever."

I stared at him, unable to comprehend this. I glanced back at the officer sitting in his squad car and holding a gun to his head.

"Oh, God," I whispered, turning away and closing my eyes. Everything was falling apart right in front of my eyes. Everything was a lie, it seemed. Everything about Roy was a complete and utter lie.

Roy placed his hands on me and he murmured, "I'm so sorry, Calliope..."

"Did you ever use it on me?" My voice shook. I felt tears well up in my eyes.

He shook his head and placed his hand on my face.

"I would never. Everything about our relationship is genuine," he saw the look on my face and said, "Have you ever done something because I asked you to and felt like you had no control over your actions?"

I slowly shook my head, coming to that realization. I thought back to every moment we ever had together and I never felt that way. He smiled at me and that's when I felt it–how much he truly loved me if he never once used his power on me.

"I chose you," he said, caressing my face with his thumb. "I want nothing more than for you to do the same with me."

He kissed me and I felt calm now. I loved Roy more than I could have ever imagined, I trusted him more than anyone else in my life. He was everything to me, as I was to him. No matter how many questions ran through my head that night, what I knew for a fact was that Roy would never hurt me and that was all that mattered.