Shaping Destiny by Hmonroe Page A

meet.”
    “You want me to meet
them?” I loved the idea that he would even think that.
    “Of course I do! I lived
in a smaller town in New York. It's not as small as Pagoda, but
it’s not as big as a city. My home was average size with many acres
of land. It was a great place to grow up. Although I never met my
biological parents, it never bothered me because there wasn't
anything I could complain about. I had plenty of friends growing
up, and good schools. In the big picture, it was great.”
    “Do you have any brothers
or sisters?”
    “No, not that I know of.
My parents couldn't have children, so adoption was their
answer.”
    “Do you ever wonder about
your real parents, considering that you have something extra
special about you?”
    “It crossed my mind when I
first discovered it, but now that it actually helped me get further
in life with my career and meeting you, I really don't care how it
came about. Like I said before, it's a gift, not a curse. Plus, now
that I have met you and we are going to see your family, maybe I
too will get some answers about my past.”
    “Yeah, maybe this trip
back home won't be all that bad. I know my father, mother, and of
course my brothers are going to love you.”
    “I hope they do. I was
hired by your father to protect you, but this will be the first
time I meet him. It’ll be nice to put a voice to a
face.”
    As our conversation
continued, the time passed more quickly than I had anticipated.
Between my long nap and our involved talking I started recognizing
the area around us. Max continued talking about his family, and I
thought about the day he told me that he wasn't supposed to talk to
me and that he was getting too close. Now he couldn't tell me
enough. I didn't mind at all and was glad that he talked like we
had a future together. He made it sound like there was a light at
the end of the tunnel and that someday we’d have a normal
life.
    “You are going to love my
mom. She is the sweetest and most welcoming person. She would do
anything for anyone. You two I know will be the best of friends. My
dad is a joker and sometimes can rub you the wrong way when you
first get to know him, but once you do he can be just as friendly.”
His voice kept me interested as if it were beautiful music. He made
me excited to see what the future held for us.
    “I can see that your life
has made you the man you are. You're happiness and patience shines
through you. I know we're getting close to being home, but your job
is so life-threatening at times. It makes me wonder how such a
well-rounded, sweet-hearted boy becomes a tough and serious guy
when doing your work.” I almost found my answer in his
face.
    “I've always wanted to
help people. When my gift presented itself, I was nervous at first
and uncertain, just like you were, but it’s what I needed. I’m very
close to my mom, dad, and my grandparents. They told me stories of
their past, and there was one particular piece of history that
really stuck with me.”
    We pulled into my
driveway, and even though I looked up for an instant to look
around, my focus was still on what Max had to say next.
    “My grandparents had a few
horses, and my grandpa use to ride every day. He and his son were
riding one day and took a familiar trail through the hills. It was
the beginning of the warm season. The snow had melted and the
rivers were unusually high. My uncle, being pig-headed, went up
ahead and started crossing a body of water that ran high and fast.
Grandpa got up to the river just as my uncle drifted down. To make
a long story short, the horse lived and my uncle
didn’t.”
    I felt sad for him, but he
kept his voice level as he told more.
    “I never knew my uncle. He
was just a kid when this all happened and I wasn't born. Yet, that
part of my grandpa's life really stuck with me. It taught me that
life is too fleeting to take life-threatening actions without being
prepared. The year I got my ability to shift was also the year