If I could, I'd hide under the couch. But I can't, so I've got to endure my brother's gaze as Todd gathers the kids and leads them upstairs. Ellena and Elois are dozing off in his arms, while James follows behind him like a duckling, glancing over his shoulder every two steps. Jonathan doesn't seem charmed by the idea, either, but he also gets up and goes upstairs with the others. I've caught sight of yawn. I guess he's more tired than he wants to let on.
Now, besides Bryan, there's only Jordan, Eve, and Lucy left. The living room has grown quiet. I mean, with the kids gone and the loud-mouthed angel asleep, it's no wonder. Lucy looks quite content, too, smacking her lips and chortling in her sleep, with her head leaning against Eve's shoulder.
…Y'know, I'd like not to give a shit about the world, too.
Silence stretches as I stare at my wine.
I refuse to meet anyone's gaze.
Nuh-uh. Not happening.
"Scott." Jordan's soothing voice resounds in my ear, and his thumb caresses the back of my hand—again. "Are you alright?"
No, I'm not. I've got no clue what to tell my brother. Seers like us usually hide our abilities for our dear lives, 'cause our survivals kinda depend on it. Thanks to Ellena's slip of the tongue, I'm pretty sure Bryan figured out that one too many people in this household knows my secret.
…Will I get scolded? Yeah, I fear I'm gonna get scolded.
He's still throwing daggers my way, dang it.
To add insult to injury, Ellena has been doing so well lately! These past few months, she and her brother had become proficient in avoiding the subject altogether. So why did she have to make a blunder today of all days? My brother learned about my ability not even three hours ago, for crying out loud! It'd have been fine if he hadn't known about it. But he does. He can do one plus one. Eve's and Jordan's reactions are a dead giveaway.
"They know," my brother says.
Oh, great. He's not planning to play dumb.
All I can do is sigh. "Yeah, they know. I made a blunder on my first day."
Bryan stiffens, and I offer him a smile. He's smart. I'm pretty sure the gears are turning in his head, and he's slowly figuring out everything that knowing about me entails. Eve and Jordan are a matriarch and a patriarch who keep to themselves and aren't known to the world, but here they are, keeping a Seer by their sides. A Seer who can see their true forms.
"Scotty." Eve calls me. Suddenly, she seems sober. It's like she's washed the alcohol off of her system in the blink of an eye. How useful. "I thought your brother didn't know…?"
"Well, he didn't." I feel the corner of my mouth twitch. "Until a few hours ago."
"Another blunder?" Jordan asks softly. But even if his voice is gentle, it still feels like he's rubbing salt into the wound. Dude. You could have kept quiet, thank you.
"You can say that, yes." I answer, regardless. I've got no intention of telling my husband and his ex-bed partner about my brother, though. I don't have the right to reveal his secret. It doesn't matter if the discussion is about me; they already know everything there's to know. Still, another drawn-out sigh escapes me as I wave Jordan's concerns away. "Whatever. I'm getting used to making blunders, anyway."
I'm not lying; the blunders have been piling up since the first day I came to this household.
"They know," my brother repeats like a broken record. I pinch my lips and force myself to peer at him. And then, I choke on my saliva. The baffled look on his face almost managed to snatch a laugh from me. The last time I've seen such an expression was years ago, when he was still a child. Again, he says, "They know."
But now, his voice seems steadier. His brain is finally ready to accept the reality.
"They know," I repeat, and it's like the last nail in the coffin. He nods, fiddling with his glass of wine. I can't help but smile; I feel the corners of my eyes crinkle. Bryan's response is a frown, but my smile doesn't falter. Might as well be done with this once and for all, huh? "Jordan, Eve, the kids, Todd, Jonathan, and James know. I don't think I'm forgetting anyone… Am I?"
"No, you're not," Jordan hums. His thumb is still caressing my hand.
"I wonder how many people will know about it by the end of the year," Eve giggles.
Girl, don't jinx it, please. But I don't pay her much heed. No, it's my brother who gets all of my attention. His brain seems to have blown another circuit; he's looking at me as if I've grown a second head. I respond with a shrug.
"Don't worry, though," Jordan coaxes. "No one in this household has any interest in using your brother's ability for their own benefit. We're—!"
"Are you saying you don't care about it?" Bryan cuts my husband, his eyes widening. It's a rare sight, as my brother as always been the stoic type, but I guess his disbelief isn't exactly surprising. We've been taught all our lives that Seers were worth the world and had to be confined for their own protection.
Yet, no one in this household seems to give two shits that I'm one.
"That's not what I mean," Jordan refutes calmly.
"It's not far from the truth, though," I snort. "Back when you learned about me, you were more worried about your kids than my ability to see through your true form. You brushed it off with a shrug. Eve, too, for all that matters."
Although, now that I know more about them, it's no wonder. At least, James, Jonathan, and Todd had a somewhat "normal" reaction to it, healing my bruised ego a bit.
"I see," Bryan whispers, his voice barely audible.
He's staring at us. Or more like, he's staring at the shadows of Eve's and Jordan's true forms. Like always, they show no sign of hostility, just endless fondness. I've grown used to it over the months, but it's something that most likely startles Bryan and leaves him at a loss. These demons are way too affectionate, more than our family has ever been. Even our mother didn't look at me with such a tender, loving gaze.
Their golden and platinum eyes are full of warmth; sometimes, it's hard to bear.
"Well, I guess powerful matriarchs and patriarchs have no need for Seers, after all." Bryan's smile turns mocking, but there's mischief in his eyes. Now, it's my brain's turn to shut down. Both Eve and Jordan peer at me. They don't say anything. They don't accuse me of spreading their secret around, nor do they get angry. No, instead, they arch an eyebrow. Eve even seems amused, an irksome smirk on her lips, and Jordan looks happy for some weird reason. I don't think I'll ever be able to comprehend these two. "Don't look at Scott. He didn't tell me anything. It's not my brother who did a blunder earlier; it's me."
The words get the air knocked out of my lungs, and my mouth turns dry. There's an iron taste lingering on my tongue as Bryan's words hover in my head.
Bro, why the fuck are you telling them…?