I look to Seth.

“What?”

“Being around you during these days has made me believe there is a such thing as worthy humans.” He replies. “Hearing the humans defend you reminds me not all of humanity is lost and reminds me you are the worthiest of them all. It is why I call you gifted one.”

Hearing this is making me blush, I turn away from him.

“Oh please. You’re just saying that to make feel better. I’m nothing special.”

“Your mother does not think so.”

It sounded like my ears were deceiving me. I turn to look at Seth with disbelief.

“What did you say?” I asked him.

Seth touches the ground, absorbing the smoke, turning the world and himself back to normal. He exhales again, but this time, it’s a mist. It goes to where the brook is and starts to form into a woman. Light skin, brown eyes, curly light brown shoulder length hair, and she’s wearing a flowing sleeveless white dress. The same dress… my mother wore when she was buried.

“Mother?” I call in disbelief.

“Hey, baby.” She says to me.

I am trembling right now. It’s really her, my mother, Jennifer Diamond, standing in front of me after all these years. I take off my shoes to walk into the water to reach her. I was able to touch her hands… I’m so glad I could, she wasn’t see-through; she is real. She wraps her arms around me in a hug, the hug that I needed in a long time. I started to cry and break down as she comforted me. I never knew how much I missed my mother until this moment, I held onto her as I cried.

“Talia…” She speaks. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I left you on your own.”

I shake my head and wipe the tears from my eyes.

“No, Mom…” I speak. “I don’t blame you at all for going away. They took you away from me. The people treat me like trash.”

“I know, Talia. I saw. They treat you like they treated me and your father. And I still take blame for not being strong enough to protect you. I was supposed to teach you and to guide you, but I was too caught up with my demons. Even as a spirit, I still couldn’t reach you.”

“Again, it wasn’t your fault, Mom. I was clouded by my doubts, there was no way you could’ve reached me.”

I then looked to Seth, so did Mom.

“Because of Seth…” I speak. “He saved my life. He helped me clear my head.”

“Yes.” Mom replies. “He’s made this night a possibility. He’s helped in many ways, be it the physical world and the spirit world.”

Hearing those compliments from us made Seth give us this gentle smile that I’ve never seen before, but his smile diminishes.

“There is someone else who wants to talk.” Seth states.

He then exhales smoke that starts to spread, and it slowly forms into a man who is several inches shorter than Seth. The man’s skin is a shade darker than mine, hazel eyes, dark brown short hair in an afro, and he wore an all-black suit with black dress shoes; It’s the same suit my father wore when he was buried. I remember the suit and his face because of the picture that was taken at his funeral that I was given after my mother passed. Tobias Craig, nicknamed Toby, is his name. Mom held me close when he appeared, she wasn’t happy seeing him, even though it’s been 18 or so years since they’ve seen each other. Her glare made Dad look away, but he tried to look at us.

“Hey Jennifer. Hey Talia.” He greets us hesitantly.

“Tobias…” Mom greets him in a cold tone.

I didn’t really know him since he passed when I was a baby, but due to the stories I was told by the people and some stories from Mom when she was alive, I feel an indifference to seeing him. Even though, I can now be able to say: “Hey, Dad.”

It’s a silent moment between us three, and boy, does it feel awkward.

“Now…” Dad speaks, breaking the silence. “I know you both don’t think highly of me, and I know it’s the reason why I’m where I’m at. It’s horrible where I’ve ended up at, but back then, I accepted it as my fate.”

I see him look directly at Mom.

“Jen… I was an absolute asshole in what I did to you. I cheated on you, I put my hands on you, and… Talia’s birth should’ve been from love, not from my lust. I was weak, a coward. I wasn’t the man you needed.”

Dad then looks at me.

“Talia… I wasn’t in my right mind before you were born, and I wasn’t fit to be a father. I was as bad as Ramondo, but I would never stoop as low as Solomon. I gave up and gave in, being another statistic in Tinton. I wouldn’t have been able to protect you like a father should protect their daughter. But that strength you have is what I wish I had, then maybe I’d still be alive, taking care of my responsibilities, and proving those bastards in that goddamn town wrong. Make no mistake, you are strong, just like your grandmother. Seeing you after all these years now grown up, I am proud of you, Tali.”

His words did mean something to me. He admitting his faults and sins is commending, and the words I never thought I would hear, are the boost I needed.

“I failed you both…” He speaks. “And I want to say I’m so sorry to the two of you. whether you both can forgive me or not, it’s up to you; I’ll accept it. I love you both.”

Mom and I look to each other. I thought his words were sincere, and I guess staying down under has humbled him and what’s the past is done, and it stays as memories. I can’t really say I love him, because I never really knew him, but I can say I have some respect for him to say:

“In respect, I can’t say that I love you, but I do forgive you, Dad.”

He gives me a light smile; seemingly looking a little hurt. My mother, on the other hand is on the fence of forgiving him, but with a calm face and to keep a clear conscience, she says:

“I, Jennifer Diamond, forgive you, Tobias, for what you’ve done to me. It is in the past.”

Dad had a face of relief and nodded his head to Mom.

“Thank you, Jen.” He speaks with his voice breaking. “I will be seeing you, Talia.”

After his words, Dad fades into smoke that dispersed away. Mom and I look to each other.

“Listen Talia.” She starts speaking. “You are not alone. You do have people who want to help you. I’m still with you, and… so is your father. I won’t ever leave your side. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Mom. I believe that.” I reply trying to hold back tears. “I love you.”

She gave me the widest smile I ever saw from her with tears welling in her eyes.

“I love you, too, Talia.”

She gives me a kiss on my cheek and holds me close and slowly fades away from my grasp. When she did, Seth walked up to me with a gentle smile on his face.

“Like I told you before…” He starts. “You are worth it. You are the worthiest human in my eyes.”

I started to blush when he said that. I never thought he would…

“What I feel about you…”

It looks like he’s about to stumble with his words, like he doesn’t know what to say first, but they come.

“You are the first and only human to make me feel this way. Wanting to protect your sanity and you alone, it feels more like strength than anything. It gives me a reason to prove Luce wrong about the modest amount of your kind.”

“He would think that you turned soft.” I counter.

He gently holds my hands in his.

“Then he would be gravely mistaken.” He responds smoothly. “Being around you has solidified my stance. For that, I thank you.

I’m blushing, hearing all of this and my chest is feeling heavy. I’ve never been thanked by anyone, I’ve never been protected, I’ve never really felt safe, until Seth came here. Seeing my parents, especially my mother again, Seth gave me that wish. I couldn’t hold it anymore; I started to feel the tears fall down my face. Looking at Seth’s face made me just embrace him and the tears flow out. I feel Seth’s strong arms wrap around me, holding me close as I cried. I know he’s reading everything about me right now. I want him to know what I’m feeling.

.   .   .

(Seth)

Reading Talia’s thoughts, seeing her body language, she thanked me for everything I have done for her. As she stops crying, I notice her heartbeat is racing and her body heat is rising as she is holding me tight. This emotion of hers is causing an overflow within, which is slowly affecting me. The moment she locks her eyes with mine, my focus activates, causing her to levitate. She leans closer to me, her lips touching mine. The look in her eyes, the thoughts in her mind were focused on one subject, me. The feelings in her heart are deep and true. I hear her thoughts calling out.

“Seth.”

“Thank you so much, Seth.”

“Please, Seth.”

“I love you, Seth.”

“I want you, Seth.”

That is all I hear from her. To be truthful, hearing this is making me feel this way with Talia… and I cannot resist. I ask why to myself. Is it really because of Talia alone? Her gift? Or is it my… freewill? Whatever it is, I am not going to waste it. I feel a hesitance from her. she was unsure, probably because of her past experience of that waste of clay now with Luce. I want her to forget about the past, so I stop our kiss, now holding her small frame close to me in my arms with my lips to her ear.

“I sense your reluctance to continue, Talia.” I whispered to her. “Do not think about your past. Think about the present. Think about us, Talia. Listen to your heart because I can hear it clearly. It is something that I see, locked deep within you, wanting to come out. How would you feel if it were unlocked my me?”

.   .   .

(Talia)

After whispering tenderly in my ear, we’re now face to face with his eyes glowing crimson, looking into the depths of my soul. I feel him reaching for something, grasping it, and pulling it to the front.

“So…” I heard him speak. “This is what you kept hidden in your heart. This might help with that reluctance. The true diamond of the gifted one.”

It felt like a switch that Seth flipped on. In an instant, the hesitance, the insecurities stopped, the past is nowhere to be found. Seth is my focus, and I don’t want to ruin this, but I have one issue, my cycle. I feel Seth remove his arms from my back and under me which made me wrap my legs around him, so I won’t fall. He places his hands on my sides, the cramps slowly go away. He’s taking the pain, and what went with it, away. What came after is a wave of heat as Seth slowly takes off my clothes with his powers. I also notice that not only I see Seth’s pupils turned to slits and his fangs are showing, but his arms are also now bare from the armor he wears, and the rest of his clothes aren’t on him anymore and… I can feel it underneath me. Oh, boy… I feel him hold onto my backside, firmly and he takes us to the brook, under the waterfall so we could get clean.