Dani.

Sinclair breezed past her son’s room and she picked up a toy truck from in the hallway, she hadn’t known why for a while now why the boy seemed to leave toys in the hallway. But it wasn’t him, it was his friend Jack. And despite how annoying it could be to have things rearranged Sinclair simply fixed it and readjusted. He was a wandering soul he meant no harm to anyone and that she knew. “Here you go” Sinclair said as she moved into her son’s room resting the toy car aside “time for bed” she said when the realization that he wasn’t in it hit her. Ignoring the spirit in the room she said “go away” to him, and he vanished. Like a mother figure to the boy he always seemed to simply do as she said. “Sweet dreams” she said moving over to Jr and kissing him goodnight on the forehead. Walking out of the boys room, she moved for the downstairs portion of her house. She turned the lights off and made sure everything was as it should have been before she moved back up the stairs. Something was weighing on her heavily, she could feel the issue growing and dying in a repeated cycle that was causing her endless headaches. She was so confused, at the most she knew that something was going on with her sister and maybe both connected. As she made it to her bedroom she sighed moving for her bathroom where her husband happily soaked in a tub of warm bubble bath. “Nicky is down for the night” she said sighing sadly to herself.

Nicolas looked up at his wife as she entered the bathroom and he nodded his head from his position sunk deep down in the spacious tub. His eyes rolled over her slowly before he said, “get in with me.” He could tell that she was stressing over something and he simply wanted her to relax.

Sinclair looked at her husband through the mirror and she tied the crown of her head down before she said “no thank you” politely to him. “You know, I don’t understand why he didn’t take her to a hospital” she said bringing up a conversation she and her husband had before. “And beyond that, it’s something going on. I can feel it” she stressed to him seriously. 

At her words, Nicolas let out a sigh before he sighed again as she began to speak of her older sister once more. “Baby, I’m sure if he didn’t take her to the hospital, it’s because she didn’t need to go to the hospital.” Shifting in the water, Nicolas sunk down a little deeper. This wasn’t a conversation he really wanted to have. He felt that Mercedes and Sam were fine. Mercedes is pregnant, she had a dizzy spell. It’s normal. He didn’t understand why his wife was trying to make it more than what it was. “Baby…” he warned her gently when she began to speak of feeling something being off. 

“You just don’t get it” Sinclair said softly “and you mean to tell me if I had collapsed while I was pregnant with Nicky you would’ve just simply put me to bed?” she asked him through the mirror. “There’s no way you wouldn’t have taken me to the hospital” she breathed softly as her eyes focused in on something else in the mirror. It kept her gaze, for a while as she envisioned something before she pulled herself out of her trance. “Her reading wasn’t good” she breathed out to him as her mind took her to another plane and sphere. 

Tucking his lips inward, Nicolas stretched his long body out in the tub before he pulled the plug, letting the water brain out because clearly his relaxation time was over. “Maybe,” he told her honestly, “it depends on what else was going on and why you passed out. We don’t know the full story Clair, we weren’t there.” Closing the curtain, Nicolas turned on the shower to rinse his body. He did so quickly before he turned the water off and reached for his towel, wrapping it around his waist before he stepped out of the tub. “Why are you reading on her without her permission?” he asked her knowingly. “Why are you reading on her at all?” he questioned as he moved to their bedroom, to grab some shorts. “You know I hate that stuff… and so does your sister.” 

“Because I have a feeling” Sinclair said again as she began her nighttime skin care routine. “It’s awfully amazing to me, how it becomes ‘this or that stuff’ to you when I recall very well telling the precise time, down to the very minute your uncle died. Your mother called you 20 minutes later Nicolas” she said raising a brow to him in the mirror. “Stuff…” she breathed, it were an insult she didn’t ask those these gifts they were given to her. “Somethings wrong….” she said shaking her head as sighed. 

Nicolas opened the drawer, pulling out a pair of basketball shorts and stepping into them, before he pulled the towel from around his waist. “I didn’t ask to know Sinclair…” he told her easily. “Hearing it from you first, is honestly something that I could have lived without,” he admitted before he let out a sigh, walking back into the bathroom. He tossed the towel in the hamper before he walked up behind her, wrapping her up in his arms. “Do not get involved until you are asked,” he told her plainly.

At his words, they hit her like sharp daggers in her back. Well, okay, she thought to herself if he’d been any harsher she was sure his fiery breath would’ve melted her down to nothing. Sinclair slowly swiped the cotton pad across her face as she blinked slowly she never even told people the half of what is showed to her or told to her, her husband has no idea how often his uncle came to her with a message she wouldn’t relate. As he moved up behind her, she looked at him for a brief moment before she tossed the cotton pad aside, she grabbed her jar of moisturizer and gently massaged it into her face. “Hmph” let her mouth in both a manner of acknowledgement as well as ‘that wasn’t going to happen’. 

Nicolas gazed at her in the mirror as she continued to take off her makeup and he hummed softly. His wife was truly beautiful. At her noise, he made one himself, gently popping her hip. “Don’t go stirring the pot Sinclair,” he told her seriously, a stern look on his face. 

“Oh no I simply wouldn’t want to burden another soul with all my hocus pocus” she said sarcastically. As she pushed against him forcefully and moved to stand up from the vanity in their bathroom. Sinclair looked to her husband and batted her lash before she said “If anything happens to Mercedes, it won’t just be Samuel’s ass” she said glaring up at him seriously, she had had enough dreams to know that her cards hadn’t failed her. 

Nicolas sighed as Sinclair spoke sarcastically before pushing him back. He took two steps back, giving her the space she wanted before he said, “stop playing with those damn cards and nothing will happen,” as he walked out of the bathroom. Climbing into the bed, he slid under the covers and closed his eyes.

“Has nothing to do with the cards” Sinclair replied as she turned the bathroom light off and she moved to climb in their bed. Turning her lamp off she shifted onto her side thinking about the vision she had in the bathroom, someone was stirring in the Evans’ household and she assumed the only way she’d know what was going on was by visiting them herself. 

Feeling his wife climb into the bed with him, Nicolas scooted to her, his arm coiling around her body. “Okay, I believe you but still, if they don’t ask, you shouldn’t just start reading and snooping on them.”

“That is my sister” Sinclair said to her husband “she’s the only one I got,” she said. “I am her protector and she is mine….” 

Nicolas cuddled up to his wife, holding her close. “I understand that,” he said softly, “but still… she didn’t ask for to do all of that.” He shifted slightly, his hand rested comfortably on one of her breasts. “Just tread carefully,” he told her gently. 

Sinclair looked to him and she averted her gaze elsewhere, it wasn’t that easy for her. He just didn’t seem to understand that, she sighed softly before she nodded her head. “Okay” she said to him simply, she couldn’t turn this off and the only person to seem to ever care about how she felt and dealt with her gifts were her departed grandmother. Thank God the woman checked in on her and Mercedes often, it was a true comfort. 

Letting out a hum, Nicolas wrapped Sinclair up a little tighter, giving her a loving squeeze, before he loosened his grip. He kissed her cheek gently before he closed his eyes. “I will try harder to understand from now on,” he told her gently. He knew his wife was very sensitive about her gifts so he did want to be a bit more understanding for her, he simply just didn’t truly understand it. 

He said that but she hardly believed him, she looked up at the ceiling as he made himself comfortable nestling against her. She got it, this wasn’t his thing, he was tired and didn’t want to talk about it anymore. So she wouldn’t bring it up again, perfect. Sinclair shifted only slightly as she continued to lay there in their bed silently. 

As Sinclair grew quiet, Nicolas did too, letting out a soft yawn as he got comfortable cuddled up to his wife. Eyes closed, he whispered, “I love you baby,” into her ear before he let his body relax, prepared to go to sleep for the evening.

Mercedes finished platting the barbecue chicken on a platter before she sat it aside. Hearing her name she turned around slowly “yeah?” she said resting her hands on her full hips as she stood there in her kitchen. She raised a brow before she moved to sit her hand towel down and walk out of the kitchen completely. Meeting Charlotte at the foot of the steps “yes?” she said looking to her crazily, the girl was a frantic mess. “What’s wrong?” she asked her simply. 

Charlotte stared at Mercedes as she came out of the kitchen, her chest rising and falling rapidly. “Are you okay?!” she asked the woman as she finished coming down the steps circling Mercedes slowly. Facing her head on once more, Charlotte placed her hand on Mercedes’ forehead trying to see if she felt hot at all. “Do you feel okay?” she asked her, needing to know before she flinched as Riley whispered in her ear once more, Mercedes is dead. Letting out a breath Charlotte swatted behind her.

“Yeah?” Mercedes said eyeing her “a little tired” she said her hand moving to her new profound bump. As she circled her Mercedes other hand moved to her stomach, feeling a twinge of uneasiness as she did “Charlotte?” she breathed again. “Just tired” she reiterated, Charlotte was making her dizzy, or was it her? “I think I need to sit down Charlotte” she breathed out as she moved to do so “are you not feeling well or something?” she asked the girl next as she inhaled slowly one hand on her knee as she sat, the other pressing into her side lightly, massaging the pain she was feeling away.  

Charlotte looked back at Mercedes at her words and she bit her lip hard. “Just tired?” she asked, looking her over more, her eyes lingering on Mercedes’ small belly. At Mercedes need to sit, Charlotte helped her over to a chair before she knelt before Mercedes. “I’m fine,” she said quickly. “Is your stomach okay?” she asked, noticing her massaging there lightly. “Does your head hurt at all?” she asked touching Mercedes forehead once more as Riley snickered in her ear. 

Mercedes nodded her head at her, as she knelt before her Mercedes looked to the girl. “Yeah” she sighed “sometimes, I don’t know at night. Early in the morning, I get these strange little pains. But it could be anything. It’s never really happened during the day though” she told her. “My head doesn’t hurt” she sighed “I just felt a little dizzy just now” she confessed. “Which I have never before” she added for good measure as the girl felt her forehead, unsure if Samuel was asking his sister to have a watchful eye while he was away. 

Listening to Mercedes, Charlotte nodded slowly, just taking her in. “If you’re sure,” she said softly as she slowly moved to stand to her full height. “I’m going to get you a glass of water,” she said thoughtfully as she moved for the kitchen, pulling a glass from the cabinet and filling it from the tap. Walking back out, Charlotte held the glass out to Mercedes as she looked around the living room slowly, a very bad feeling bubbling in the pit of her stomach before three birds went crashing into the window, cracking it a little. She jumped, looking back quickly.

“Positive” Mercedes said completely confused by the sudden concern the girl had for her at the moment. “Okay, thank you” Mercedes told her softly as she exited the room to get a glass of water and Mercedes rubbed her head gently, the room left like it were spinning around her. But oddly enough until the time Charlotte had joined her downstairs she felt pretty okay. Swallowing hard, Mercedes leaned back up as she reached for the glass of water hearing the loud crash her eyes grew. “What was that?” she said getting up a little to quickly and she caught herself with the coffee table, placing her hand flatly against it before she slowly stood up to her full height. “Charlotte…” she said calmness in her voice despite her body betraying her calm warning, as her eyes rolled to the back of her head and her limp body hit the ground with a large thud. 

Charlotte moved her eyes back to Mercedes as she spoke. “Whoa,” she said, reaching for Mercedes as she caught herself on the coffee table. As Mercedes said her name before collapsing to the floor, Charlotte stood there wide-eyed. “Mercedes!” she said loudly as she knelt beside her body, shaking her. “Mercedes!” she said again, her hand’s shaking as she felt for a pulse on the side of Mercedes’ neck. Feeling it, she let out a breath of relief, before she heard that damn laugh in her ear again. She swatted behind her once more. “Go away!” she screamed.

Samuel pulled up to the house, letting out a hum as he slid from the truck. He reached into the back, grabbing his lunch bag and his work bag before he headed for the house. He hit the remote, locking the truck behind him before he slid his key into the lock and opened the door. Walking inside, he moved for the living room to put his things down before he noticed Charlotte and Mercedes and he dropped the bags on the ground, rushing over as he knelt beside his sister. “What happened?!” he asked her frantically as he scooped Mercedes into his arms to gently lay her onto the couch. “Sweet pea?” he said gently, stroking her face before he looked at his sister once more. “Charlie what happened!”

Mercedes felt conscious enough to speak even though her mouth didn’t move, and somehow the room still felt as if it were spinning. With no such hope she tried to open her eyes, but they didn’t budge. As Samuel hoisted her onto the couch, she gasped loudly sitting upright  as she looked to them both dazed and confused. “Samuel…”

Charlotte looked at her brother as he knelt beside her and her mouth opened and closed trying to find an answer for him but she didn’t know what to say. “I don’t know,” she breathed out as he moved Mercedes to the couch. Standing into her feet, Charlotte, tucked hair that has fallen from her ponytail behind her ear. “I don’t know,” she repeated as Riley began to cackle loudly in her ear. When Mercedes bolted up-right, Charlotte jumped.

Samuel looked at his sister as he waited for an answer before Mercedes sat up on the couch and he turned his eyes to her out of shock. “Sweet pea,” he said hugging her close. “Are you okay?” He asked. “I walked through the door and you were passed out on the floor, what happened?” 

“I don’t know” Mercedes said softly to Samuel and he hugged her close and she looked to Charlotte her eyes darkening slowly, until they were completely black. She exhaled softly into the room before she pulled back to Samuel, looking to him with light brown eyes “I did?” she asked confused. “I was a little dizzy…. That’s all I remember” she said seeing the glass on the ground and the spilled water around it. 

Charlotte stared at Mercedes, one hand against her chest as she inhaled and exhaled deeply, trying to calm herself. When she saw Mercedes’ eyes changing colors, she let out a harsh breath, shaking her head as she back up slowly. 

Samuel hugged Mercedes tight, pulling away as she did. “Yeah,” he told her gently, rubbing her arm gently as she spoke. “Are you still dizzy?” he asked her gently, his hand softly resting on her stomach now. “Are the babies okay?” he asked her. 

Mercedes shook her head no quietly, as he rubbed her arm gently. As his hand moved to her stomach she nodded her head next “yes, I think so” she told him as she tried to shift herself on the couch. 

Charlotte continued to back away from the two of them, looking around the room slowly. She no longer felt the presence but that worried her even more. Especially with Mercedes’ eyes changing colors right before her eyes. 

Samuel stared at his wife with worry in his eyes and he shifted slightly, his large hand rubbing her stomach. As she tried to sit up-right, he helped her some. “Do you need anything?” he asked her gently, stroking her cheek.

Allowed her husband to help her as she sat upright, her legs now in front of her as she looked to his worried eyes. Mercedes placed her hand against his as he protectively rubbed her stomach, “I don’t think I do” she breathed “maybe some water” she told him softly as he stroked her cheek. 

Charlotte bumped into the coffee table and she let out a breath that she hadn’t even realized she was holding as Mercedes asked for water. Looking to the glass on the floor she quickly picked it up. “I’ll get it,” she said, trying to shake off the feeling. Walking into the kitchen, she rinshed the glass thoroughly before she refilled it with water for Mercedes. She also grabbed a towel to clean the spilled water from the floor. Moving back into the living room, she handed Mercedes the glass before she began wiping up the water.

Nodding slowly, Samuel placed his hands on his wife’s knees as he rested back on his feet a bit. “Do you think you need to go to the hospital?” he asked her gently as Charlotte went to get the water. When she returned he stood to his feet and pulled her aside. “Did you see anything, what was she doing before she collapsed?” 

As Charlotte rose up to go get her some water once more Mercedes shook her head at her husband “no, not in my honest opinion but if you want me to I’ll do” she said accepting the glass “thank you” she breathed out as she drank some of it down. She licked her lips slowly before she leaned back against the couch a little, she took another sip of water she sat the glass down on the coffee table and moved to stand up slowly. “I have to finish preparing dinner” she said oddly to them both. 

Charlotte allowed her brother to pull her to the side and she let out a sigh. “She was in the kitchen and I came down the steps calling for her. I wanted to make sure she was okay…” she said gently. “I just had a feeling…” she whispered, “and while I was checking on her, she just collapsed,” she said honestly. 

Listening to his sister, Samuel nodded slowly. “That’s all?” he asked her, one hand on Charlotte’s shoulder as he looked to Mercedes. “Do you feel well enough for that?” he asked her as he left Charlotte and moved for his wife. “I can finish everything off,” he told her thoughtfully.

Mercedes waved the man off before she said “I just need to get the macaroni out of the oven” quietly as she got her bearings. She moved across the flooring slowly, moving into the kitchen she stood there for a moment trying to gather herself fully.  

Charlotte looked to Mercedes herself and she nodded. “That’s all,” she said deciding to leave out the fact that she had contacted a spirit in the house.

Samuel nodded at his wife before he looked back to his sister with an arched eyebrow. “Alright…” he said to the both of them with a sigh as he ran his hands through his hair. 

Mercedes stood with her palm pressed against the counter for a long while, before she finally moved to grab her mittens. She placed them on her hands and grabbed the macaroni out of the oven before she sat it atop the stove to cool a little. She slid the mittens off her hands and placed them on the counter before an uneasy feeling washed over her again. Her neck cracked a little, before she heard her phone ring and blinked slowly looking to it. Seeing her sister’s picture she answered, her entire disposition mellowing now as the girl spoke to her and she perked up. “Happy 4th” she breathed softly. 

Charlotte let out a sigh of relief that her brother hadn’t pressed her about it further before she moved up the steps to figure out how to get rid of this Rileyn before things got out of hand.

Samuel ran his hand down his face, letting out a sigh before he moved into the kitchen behind Mercedes, wrapping her up in his arms giving her a soft squeeze and a kiss on the cheek.

“Mhm, I am okay now. I don’t think I need to go to the hospital Clair” she said into the receiver. “Well you asked Clair… you asked me if everything was alright…” she reminded. Mercedes looked back at her husband for a moment before she said “stop worrying, calling me with all your weird questions” she chuckled lightly. “I have to finish dinner off, Samuel just got home okay. If he thinks I need to see a doctor I’ll go. But I’m fine, I think I just lost my balance…” she lied a little. “Okay, bye-bye” she breathed hanging up and she sat the phone aside. “Okay, dinner is done,” she told her husband softly. “I didn’t do much baby….” she warned. 

Samuel listened to the tail end of the phone call Mercedes was having with Clair as he held her in his strong arms, his chin gently resting on top of her head now. At her words, he looked around the kitchen before spotting the 4 perfect cook rack of ribs and he looked at her in awe as he pulled away. “Didn’t do too much?” he chuckled as he walked over, giving the ribs a sniff. “This looks amazing.”

Mercedes looked to her husband “yeah just chicken, mac, and baked beans-” she said looking to the rack of ribs and she looked to the stove. She looked on the table to the pound cake she made in a red, white, and blue theme before she looked back to her husband. “I didn’t make ribs” she breathed out to him “I don’t grill-” she said confused, talking to herself more so now. “Chicken, baked beans, and mac” she repeated. 

Samuel looked back at his wife as she explained what she made and he nodded slowly, before his eyebrows arched. “They’re right here,” he told her softly before he went to wash his hands. Once he’d done so, he ripped off a single rib from the rack, biting into it hungrily. “Mmm,” he hummed out gratefully. 

Mercedes rested her hands on her hips, staring at the food before her as he tore into it. Were she losing her mind right now, or what? Passing out and making food she couldn’t remember? Licking her lips she “I-” she started before she backed away from Sam. “I think it’s best if I rest Sam. Maybe get some real sleep or something” she said to him. “Please, have Charlotte eat with you,” she told him as she looked around the kitchen seeing nothing out of place though she knew very well that she and his sister had heard a loud clashing sound before she passed out. She backed out of the kitchen and moved their bedroom quietly. 

Samuel sucked on the bone, cleaning it as he looked to Mercedes with a small nod. Grabbing a napkin he wiped his mouth and his hands as he sat the bone aside. “Okay baby,” he said softly, giving her hip a squeeze. “After I eat, I’ll come lay down with you,” he told her softly, watching her closely as she walked out the kitchen and he grabbed another rib.

“Okay” Mercedes replied to her husband easily her heart racing in her chest, she knew in her heart of hearts she had not made those ribs. But there he stood, eating them like they were the best thing he’d ever had as she left. She moved up the stairs, walking past each bedroom the house, housed as she made her way to their room shutting the door and climbing into the bed nervously. Both hands on her stomach, she inhaled and exhaled deeply releasing her breath into the air as she laid in bed staring up at the ceiling. 

Samuel watched her walk away, letting out a hum before he moved to grab a plate, piling mac and cheese and beans on it. He grabbed the remainder of the rack that he had been eating on and placed it on his plate before he sat down at the table and chowed down. Within 15 minutes he had cleaned his plate, washed it up, and cleaned up the kitchen a bit, placing the food in the oven for safe keeping. With that done, he moved up the steps and into his bedroom. He tugged his shirt over his head and tossed it in the hamper before he toed off his shoes and placed them in the closet. Walking over to the bed, he climbed in beside Mercedes. 

Mercedes laid there for awhile, there was nothing but silence around her and minor darkness, the sun still shining enough to light some of the way into the room. Her eyes began to feel heavy, and she closed them as she steadied her breathing. Her hands still resting against her stomach she’d fallen asleep on her back, she shifted slightly as she felt the bed dip beside her but she remained asleep.