a cat. Not a house cat. A big cat. It unnerved Nevaeh but she refused to give ground. She stared Elysia down until Elysia blew out her breath and pulled out her phone. "Fine. I need to make a call. Can I get some privacy?"
"Yeah, you can have all you want. Outside."
If looks could kill, Nevaeh would have been toast by the look Elysia cut her. Nevertheless, she stomped from the room. A few moments later, the front door slammed.
Nevaeh poured herself a big mug of coffee and walked to the back door. The window beside the door was still covered with the plastic shower curtain. She needed to get that fixed as soon as possible. Shit, she needed to get her things. She'd try to call Layla later on and ask about that.
A few minutes passed before Elysia entered the duplex. "Fine. You have a deal."
"Good."
"So?"
"So what?"
"So are you ready to go?"
Nevaeh paused in the act of lifting her cup to her mouth. She hadn't expected Elysia to act so quickly. "Where?"
"The care facility."
That had Nevaeh's turning to look at Elysia. "You're going to do it now?"
"I thought that was what you wanted."
Nevaeh took another drink of her coffee. She didn't have much choice but to comply since she'd set the terms. Her mind raced, searching for another way to stall. Then she realized she already had what she needed.
"Fine. Let me grab my phone and shoes."
She went into the bedroom, stuffed her phone in the pocket of her cargo shorts, and slid her feet into her old sneakers.
Elysia was waiting at the door. Nevaeh gestured for Elysia to precede her and then followed her out. Had Nevaeh looked up she might have seen a flash of white wings disappearing into the clouds above, but her mind was not on the beauty of the day.
Neither spoke on the drive to the care facility. When Elysia parked, two people got out of a car parked two slots down.
They fell into step behind Nevaeh and Elysia. Nevaeh spoke with the nurse on duty and then led the way to her father's room. As was typical, he was sitting in a chair in front of the window.
"Hey, Nate." She greeted him.
He turned his head to look as her as she walked up beside him. "Hello. Do I know you?"
"I'm Nevaeh. I've been visiting you for a while."
"Oh. Okay."
"I brought some new visitors. This is Elysia and …" She looked at the older woman and the young man standing behind Elysia. "…and her friends."
Nate didn't acknowledge her words or the other people. Elysia turned to her associates and for a few seconds they whispered among themselves. Then Elysia turned to face Nevaeh and nodded.
Nevaeh felt a moment of panic. What if it didn't work? Or what if it was like before? She didn't know if she could take that. Seeing her dad emerge only to watch him fade before her eyes.
Elysia walked around in front of Nate. "Hi Nate. I'm Elysia. I'm going to put my hands on your face."
She placed her hands on his face, her thumbs pressed just below his eyes. Her associates moved up behind him. Each placed one hand on the base of his neck and the other on his head. All three inhaled a long breath and then as one hummed.
Nevaeh kept waiting for the tone to end but it went on and on. For a good minute. She watched her dad. No change. Still that vacant expression and slack posture. This wasn't working.
When her dad threw both arms up and out, knocking Elysia to the floor, she yelped. He bolted to his feet and turned on the people behind him with a roar. They retreated quickly, fleeing the room and he turned on Elysia.
Nevaeh jumped between them. "Dad!"
He knocked her aside as easily as swatting a fly. Nevaeh slammed into the dressing table, grunting at the impact and then went back at him. He was bent over, one hand wrapped around Elysia's neck.
Nevaeh grabbed his arm, tugging with all her might. "Dad, no. You have to stop. Dad!"
He finally turned his head to look at her and when he did, he released Elysia. "Nevie?"
"Yes. It's me, dad. I'm here."
"Oh god, Nevie."
Just then, two nurses rushed into
"Yeah, you can have all you want. Outside."
If looks could kill, Nevaeh would have been toast by the look Elysia cut her. Nevertheless, she stomped from the room. A few moments later, the front door slammed.
Nevaeh poured herself a big mug of coffee and walked to the back door. The window beside the door was still covered with the plastic shower curtain. She needed to get that fixed as soon as possible. Shit, she needed to get her things. She'd try to call Layla later on and ask about that.
A few minutes passed before Elysia entered the duplex. "Fine. You have a deal."
"Good."
"So?"
"So what?"
"So are you ready to go?"
Nevaeh paused in the act of lifting her cup to her mouth. She hadn't expected Elysia to act so quickly. "Where?"
"The care facility."
That had Nevaeh's turning to look at Elysia. "You're going to do it now?"
"I thought that was what you wanted."
Nevaeh took another drink of her coffee. She didn't have much choice but to comply since she'd set the terms. Her mind raced, searching for another way to stall. Then she realized she already had what she needed.
"Fine. Let me grab my phone and shoes."
She went into the bedroom, stuffed her phone in the pocket of her cargo shorts, and slid her feet into her old sneakers.
Elysia was waiting at the door. Nevaeh gestured for Elysia to precede her and then followed her out. Had Nevaeh looked up she might have seen a flash of white wings disappearing into the clouds above, but her mind was not on the beauty of the day.
Neither spoke on the drive to the care facility. When Elysia parked, two people got out of a car parked two slots down.
They fell into step behind Nevaeh and Elysia. Nevaeh spoke with the nurse on duty and then led the way to her father's room. As was typical, he was sitting in a chair in front of the window.
"Hey, Nate." She greeted him.
He turned his head to look as her as she walked up beside him. "Hello. Do I know you?"
"I'm Nevaeh. I've been visiting you for a while."
"Oh. Okay."
"I brought some new visitors. This is Elysia and …" She looked at the older woman and the young man standing behind Elysia. "…and her friends."
Nate didn't acknowledge her words or the other people. Elysia turned to her associates and for a few seconds they whispered among themselves. Then Elysia turned to face Nevaeh and nodded.
Nevaeh felt a moment of panic. What if it didn't work? Or what if it was like before? She didn't know if she could take that. Seeing her dad emerge only to watch him fade before her eyes.
Elysia walked around in front of Nate. "Hi Nate. I'm Elysia. I'm going to put my hands on your face."
She placed her hands on his face, her thumbs pressed just below his eyes. Her associates moved up behind him. Each placed one hand on the base of his neck and the other on his head. All three inhaled a long breath and then as one hummed.
Nevaeh kept waiting for the tone to end but it went on and on. For a good minute. She watched her dad. No change. Still that vacant expression and slack posture. This wasn't working.
When her dad threw both arms up and out, knocking Elysia to the floor, she yelped. He bolted to his feet and turned on the people behind him with a roar. They retreated quickly, fleeing the room and he turned on Elysia.
Nevaeh jumped between them. "Dad!"
He knocked her aside as easily as swatting a fly. Nevaeh slammed into the dressing table, grunting at the impact and then went back at him. He was bent over, one hand wrapped around Elysia's neck.
Nevaeh grabbed his arm, tugging with all her might. "Dad, no. You have to stop. Dad!"
He finally turned his head to look at her and when he did, he released Elysia. "Nevie?"
"Yes. It's me, dad. I'm here."
"Oh god, Nevie."
Just then, two nurses rushed into
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