in all of this anyway?"
"'Cause it's cool," Cara replied automatically, without even glancing up from the Good Book.
"And because you helped us," Sara told Zeph. "So we wanted to help you, too. Isn't it awful not to know who you really are, or where you came from?"
He looked surprised. "It's bearable most of the time. I rarely think about it."
"Well, it'd totally drive me bonkers," Cara said. "How can you not wonder?"
He smiled. "Like you, I must trust I'll be shown the right path."
"My point being," I interrupted loudly, "there's no sense getting attached. He's leaving tonight."
Sara's face fell. "You are?"
He raised a questioning eyebrow at me. "I am?"
"Well, there wasn't a good moment to mention it upstairs," I said pointedly, "but yes. We're meeting your contact for dinner at six."
"I see." He sighed heavily. "I suppose it's for the best. I fear what you might discover in my memories if you were to look deeper."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
He didn't answer me, looking instead at Sara. "Why do you weep?"
"Because I'll miss you." She sniffled. "Do you have to go?"
"Oh, for hell's sake. You just met him!"
"So?" She glared at me. "He's already been nicer to me than most of the people I've known my whole life."
Cara hugged her twin to her side and regarded me seriously. "She's right. Our own father would have stood there and watched Kevin beat us up the other night, and told us it was our own fault for being such godless whores."
"Oh, sweetie. That bad?" Guilt-ridden, I knelt before the couch and wrapped an arm around each of them. To my surprise, neither girl pulled away. "Forget everything I just said. See? I'm an asshole, too."
That elicited a watery giggle from Sara. "Apology accepted."
"Damn it, did I just apologize again? That's twice in one day. In my own house and everything. See, this is why I never have people over."
"Very funny, boss." Cara pushed me away, but she smiled as she did it. "We love you, too."
Laughing, I got to my feet only to collide with Zeph, who now stood behind me. As I moved aside, he laid a hand on each twin's shoulder. "Thank you," he said gravely, "but don't waste your tears on me."
The girls rose as one and embraced him between them. "We like you," Cara growled. "Deal with it."
"You're an angel to me, no matter what anyone else says," Sara sniffled.
He smiled softly down on them. "The burden of eternity is a heavy one," he said. "Jandra believes that is why I lose so many of my memories, because there is too much suffering in this world to be borne all at once. But moments like these...." He hugged them. "These are the ones that don't fade away. You have been kind to me, as well. I will never forget you."
Both girls were crying in earnest by now. The tough-as-nails twins falling apart before my very eyes--unbelievable. I looked sideways at Zeph, asking, "You're not messing with their minds again, are you?"
"No," all three replied in varying tones of offense.
So shut up, Jandra. Sighing in defeat, I sat down and waited as they said their tearful goodbyes. Then the girls gathered up their books and papers and left us.
After seeing them to the door, Zeph returned and sat at the opposite end of the couch. His eyes were intent on my face. "So, this will be goodbye for us as well."
"Yeah. So it will."
"I suppose you'll be relieved to be rid of me?"
If he'd asked me that on Wednesday night, my answer would have been a resounding yes. Before he'd touched me, before he'd made me question the past, yes. I'd wanted him gone more than anything.
But now I couldn't help but feel torn. Couldn't help wondering what might have happened if we'd spent more time together, explored these new developments. That in itself gave me my answer--separating from him again wouldn't be any kind of relief. It would eat at me just like it had the first time.
All the better, then, that he'd be gone soon. I'd make a clean break of it before things got any more complicated than they already
"'Cause it's cool," Cara replied automatically, without even glancing up from the Good Book.
"And because you helped us," Sara told Zeph. "So we wanted to help you, too. Isn't it awful not to know who you really are, or where you came from?"
He looked surprised. "It's bearable most of the time. I rarely think about it."
"Well, it'd totally drive me bonkers," Cara said. "How can you not wonder?"
He smiled. "Like you, I must trust I'll be shown the right path."
"My point being," I interrupted loudly, "there's no sense getting attached. He's leaving tonight."
Sara's face fell. "You are?"
He raised a questioning eyebrow at me. "I am?"
"Well, there wasn't a good moment to mention it upstairs," I said pointedly, "but yes. We're meeting your contact for dinner at six."
"I see." He sighed heavily. "I suppose it's for the best. I fear what you might discover in my memories if you were to look deeper."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
He didn't answer me, looking instead at Sara. "Why do you weep?"
"Because I'll miss you." She sniffled. "Do you have to go?"
"Oh, for hell's sake. You just met him!"
"So?" She glared at me. "He's already been nicer to me than most of the people I've known my whole life."
Cara hugged her twin to her side and regarded me seriously. "She's right. Our own father would have stood there and watched Kevin beat us up the other night, and told us it was our own fault for being such godless whores."
"Oh, sweetie. That bad?" Guilt-ridden, I knelt before the couch and wrapped an arm around each of them. To my surprise, neither girl pulled away. "Forget everything I just said. See? I'm an asshole, too."
That elicited a watery giggle from Sara. "Apology accepted."
"Damn it, did I just apologize again? That's twice in one day. In my own house and everything. See, this is why I never have people over."
"Very funny, boss." Cara pushed me away, but she smiled as she did it. "We love you, too."
Laughing, I got to my feet only to collide with Zeph, who now stood behind me. As I moved aside, he laid a hand on each twin's shoulder. "Thank you," he said gravely, "but don't waste your tears on me."
The girls rose as one and embraced him between them. "We like you," Cara growled. "Deal with it."
"You're an angel to me, no matter what anyone else says," Sara sniffled.
He smiled softly down on them. "The burden of eternity is a heavy one," he said. "Jandra believes that is why I lose so many of my memories, because there is too much suffering in this world to be borne all at once. But moments like these...." He hugged them. "These are the ones that don't fade away. You have been kind to me, as well. I will never forget you."
Both girls were crying in earnest by now. The tough-as-nails twins falling apart before my very eyes--unbelievable. I looked sideways at Zeph, asking, "You're not messing with their minds again, are you?"
"No," all three replied in varying tones of offense.
So shut up, Jandra. Sighing in defeat, I sat down and waited as they said their tearful goodbyes. Then the girls gathered up their books and papers and left us.
After seeing them to the door, Zeph returned and sat at the opposite end of the couch. His eyes were intent on my face. "So, this will be goodbye for us as well."
"Yeah. So it will."
"I suppose you'll be relieved to be rid of me?"
If he'd asked me that on Wednesday night, my answer would have been a resounding yes. Before he'd touched me, before he'd made me question the past, yes. I'd wanted him gone more than anything.
But now I couldn't help but feel torn. Couldn't help wondering what might have happened if we'd spent more time together, explored these new developments. That in itself gave me my answer--separating from him again wouldn't be any kind of relief. It would eat at me just like it had the first time.
All the better, then, that he'd be gone soon. I'd make a clean break of it before things got any more complicated than they already
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