Lizzie practically exploded the moment I hit mute. “She’s a water bender!” she squealed, her hands going everywhere, her glasses practically falling off her face.

                “Water bender?” I repeated, my breathing quick and heavy. “Like from Avatar?”

                “Water bender, water elemental, water mage, whatever! She’s got water powers!” she exclaimed. “Omigosh omigosh omigosh, it’s true!”

                “Is that…” I said, trying to control myself. “Are we sure that’s what’s going on? I mean… what if we’re misinterpreting things? Like what if--”

                “I’m positive at this point,” Lizzie cut in. “We’ve been dancing around this topic this whole freaking call. If she were some master swimmer or something, there’d be no reason to be so intentionally vague. They’d have no reason to go after you specifically, be this desperate to get in contact with you out of the blue, the list goes on. We’re on the same page, she’s implying superpowers, I’m sure of it!”

                I couldn’t deny it. I’d had those same thoughts myself. Our not-so-subtle dancing around words could only mean one thing. Moriah was talking about the supernatural. And she had a group of them. “I can’t believe it… it’s real! There are other supernaturals out there! A-And Hazel is one of them!”

                “Wait, wait, wait… hold on hold on hold on…” Lizzie said, a hand to her forehead. She was clearly trying to calm herself down as much as she was me. “She could be lying. She might just be bluffing to get us to reveal our power. We can’t give in so fast.”

                I took several breaths, slowing my heart. “Shit, you’re right. What do we do?”

                She bit her lip, head scrunched. “I… I don’t know. I really want to know if they’re telling the truth, but… if they’re lying, it could be really bad for us.”

                I pondered for a few seconds. We could be stepping into really dangerous territory here, but… for my own sanity, I just needed to know the truth. Eventually I unmuted the phone and shakily gave my reply. “S-Sorry for the wait, I’m just… I’m just a bit overwhelmed.”

                “I can understand that, Mr. Roland. None of this is easy for you, I imagine,” she responded. I picked up on a strange twinge of nervousness in her tone… Or perhaps anticipation?

                I sighed, reaching for Lizzie’s hand. She grasped it comfortingly, letting me make my decision. “I… I think we’re on the same page, Moriah. I… I understand what you’re trying to tell me.”

                “Truly?” Moriah exclaimed. “Then you… you have… similar capabilities?” She continued to dance around the exact phrasing.

                I counted to five in my head, deciding to take a relatively neutral stance. “Moriah, I understand what you want me to say, but I… I don’t know if I can trust you. In reality, how do I know that you’re not some secret government organization trained to snatch people like Hazel and use them for your own benefit? How will I know if I have any freedom should I join your group in terms of what I want to do? I mean, you tracked me down, found my address somehow, and knocked on my door without a warning! What about any of that is supposed to make me trust you?”

                I expected a quick dismissive response, but instead Moriah chuckled a bit. “I imagine we’ll get along just fine, Mr. Roland.”

                “I’m sorry?” I said, caught off guard.

                “It pleases me to know that you take your situation as cautiously as I hoped you would. I can hardly blame you for having reservations about me, especially after the lengths I took to track you down. Admittedly, it’s not one of my prouder skills, but… well, for much of the same reasons as you have of keeping your privacy, I felt I didn’t have the liberty of time to take half-measures. If some powerful secret service person snatched you up before we had the opportunity to warn you and protect you, well… that could put many people in jeopardy, including myself. Believe me, you’re not the only one who has fears of being used in some top-secret project. That’s why I seek people out that could be like you and Hazel. If something happened to you guys… well, things could go south very fast. If you think about it, that’s another benefit to people like us grouping up. We have each others’ backs and can help each other stay off the radar if something does come up. So I suppose add an extra layer of security to my offer.

                “To alleviate some of your concerns, Hazel hasn’t been ‘snatched’ up in quite the way you say. Her situation is special but know that I love her in the same way I love my son. I adopted her out of a tragic situation that took the life of her birth-parents—the same kind of situation that you had in Boston. She’s not my employee, or my slave. She’s my daughter, and I will stand by her side no matter what. I’m not asking you to become my son, in case that was on your mind.” She laughed, somewhat awkwardly. “Sorry, my jokes don’t always land that well. Anyways, as for the concerns about what kind of organization we are, you’ll just have to trust me when I say you have nothing to worry about. I’m just a mother with connections to your kind of situation, one with the very same concerns you have. All we want to do is connect. I know all I have on that is my word, but I intend to prove it.”

                “Prove it!?” I repeated.

                “Yes, prove it. We have a place nearby. It’s a private place where we can talk openly about our situations and no fears of being overheard. I’d like to invite you over to meet everyone, do some… demonstrations… and answer all remaining questions you might have. If you want to get the clarity you deserve with no barriers, that’s the best way to do it. There’re just some things we can’t do over the phone.”

                Lizzie and I took glimpses at each other, trying to read each other’s expressions; I wished I could read her mind the way she could hear my thoughts when I used my telepathy. Meeting in person would be the highest risk yet. If they really were powerful, they could disarm me easily, and I’d be forced to break out of my electro-kinesis hibernation to save myself—if they didn’t already have a way to circumvent that. On the other hand, if she was truthful… I’d get to meet other supernaturals. I’d get to learn their stories. I’d get to see more magic in person.

                “We have it until the end of the week,” Moriah continued, “but don’t feel any pressure to reply by then. Keep this card and just call me when you’re comfortable. With all the precautions you’re putting forward, I have far more trust that you can take care of yourself in case the worst happens. If you decide you do want to meet up, be it in a few days or years down the line, give me a call and we can find a way to meet up in person. No pressure.”

                “Wait… really?” I said, brow furrowed. “You don’t want an immediate reply?”

                “I know you’re a busy man, finishing up school and whatnot. I’m sure this whole thing has blindsided you out of nowhere, so I don’t blame you for taking some time to think. Just make sure not to lose my card if you decide you want to reach out. If you ever lose it, you can certainly find me on any social media website—I am a journalist, after all.”

                Lizzie mouthed something at me, and I motioned for her to repeat it. I realized she was confusedly mouthing “if?” and picked up on what she heard. “You keep saying ‘if’. Does that mean I have the option not to contact you at all?”

                “If that’s what you want, then sure,” Moriah said, albeit a bit disappointedly. “I’m not going to force you to do anything you’re not comfortable doing. It’s not like I’m going to watch your every movement. If you decide you’d rather live the rest of your life without stressing about me, then I support it. If I’m right about you, then I just hope that you’re careful with yourself. That’s really all I’m asking. The most important thing is that you know that you’re not alone, and that if you do want to reach out, we’ll be happy to welcome you with open arms.”

                Her tone had grown more solemn as she continued, losing a lot of the joy she entered the call with. Over the phone, it was hard to distinguish seriousness from disappointment, so I had trouble trying to figure out how to feel. But what really steadied my heart was the fact that she was really letting go of the pressure. No longer was there that fear of needing to make my decision so soon. I could wait until much later to make my decision. It could be after I’d repaired things with Mom. It could be when my promise was fulfilled, and I could use my powers again. But the fact that she was giving me the option in the first place eased my worries somewhat. Part of me wondered if I could just rip the band-aid off then and find out the truth.

                “Could you give me another minute?” I asked, forehead in my hands again.

                “Why don’t you just give me a call when you’re ready?” Moriah said. “It doesn’t have to be today, and it doesn’t have to be soon. Or even at all, if that’s what you decide. Sound good?”

                “I… ok…” I said, thoughts swirling.

                “Alright, well, it was good talking to you Mr. Roland. Before I go, I just want you to promise me that you’ll be careful, alright? You know what they say, with great power comes great responsibility. The world out there can be incredibly relentless. One mistake can spiral, and your life can flip on its head. The best life is one paved with plenty of caution, so please keep that in mind. With that said, I’m not expecting you to cut out all the fun and risk from your life. It’s your life and your… skillset. However, you wish to use it is your prerogative, and if that means having some fun with it, no one can stop you. All that I ask is that you recognize that there are ways to make the most of life with your skills and not throw yourself out in the open. Do you understand?”

                Her tone was so motherly that part of me wondered if I was somehow talking to Ramona, or my own mom from another dimension. “I understand.”

                “And?” she said, expectedly.

                “And…” I continued, forming my words. “I promise to be careful.”

                “Thank you,” she said, sounding more relieved. “Have a good day Mr. Roland.”

                “You too…” I said, my head struggling to catch up.

                A click and a press of the hang up button later, and Lizzie and I were left to ponder.