“My dear sister, could I have an audience with you?” She calls from her room, hoping to summon the aforementioned sister.

“I think you’ve been watching too much Bridgerton,” Greta jokes, appearing in her doorway.

“You must make haste so we can gossip without the eyes of the Ton upon us,” Bell says in her best Lady Whistledown voice. Greta jumps next to her on her bed, causing her to bounce a bit. They fall into a fit of giggles at her poor attempt. No one is Julie Andrews.

Their mother isn’t home, so this is the perfect time to mention her soulmate, Cross, and her powers. It’s just…nerve wracking. Greta loves the idea of soulmates which you would think would make Bell feel better. But somehow it doesn’t.

“Greta, you know how you’re 4 years older than me?”

Bell cringes at her awkwardness with her own sister. They’ve always been close, but the subject is a bit uncomfortable to just bring up.

“Umm…yeah. That’s not hard to remember. Is there something you want to know?” Greta knows her. And it isn’t hard to figure out when Bell wants to say something. She’s crap at hiding things.

It’s pretty surprising how Greta didn’t figure it out already.

“Yes actually.”

“Go on.”

“It’s just that you have to promise not to tell Mom.” The smile on Greta’s face falters. Not because of not telling their mother. But because of the seriousness in which she’ll asks.

“I promise,” Greta matches her tone.

Taking a moment to breathe in and out to calm the high end nerves, she finally blurts it out. “Cross is my soulmate and I have powers.”

As if someone hit pause, Greta is still. Her eyes are wide in disbelief.

“Oh my gosh! Bell! That’s amazing!” She finally unfreezes and hugs Bell.

When she pulls back and sees the uneasiness on her face, her face turns inquisitive again. “Why don’t you look like it’s amazing?”

“Because how come we didn’t know before? No one knew we had powers, Greta,” Bell replies, hoping she will get the context clues without her outright having to accuse their mom.

Good thing Greta is great with implications. She gets it almost immediately. “You think it has to do with Mom.”

Their mom’s telepathic powers never bothered either of them. They never had anything to hide. So their mom rarely used her ability on her kids. At least to their knowledge.

“Do you remember anything?”

Her sister is usually an open book for herc but she can’t read her. “I would have told you, Bells. I don’t recall you ever having powers. Or Cross for that matter.”

“Would you mind my friend, Ria, if she has a look in your head? She thinks that if Mom had a hand in it, that the memories aren’t gone. You were probably old enough to have those memories.”

Greta rests her hand on her shoulder. She could cool hand on her heated skin felt like an instant relief.

“Of course.”

OoOoO

“So how does this work?” Greta asks.

Once Bell texted Ria, she came over immediately, knowing the urgency of the situation. This can only be done when Bell’s mom isn’t home and she doesn’t leave for long periods of time often.

It’s now or never.

“My ability allows me to manipulate dreams or memories in this case. What I do with them can range, but for you, I am trying to locate and unlock a hidden memory. If it’s there,” Ria explains.

Her sister brings up some more inquiries about the process which Ria readily answers.

Amelie, who came with Ria, glances to Bell. “How are you doing with this?”

Bell shoots her a smile. Her friendship with Amelie is something that she has come to truly lean on and cherish. “I’m nervous. I want to know, but at the same time, I don’t. If that makes sense.”

“It does. Trust me. It does.”

Getting more knowledge is Greta’s way of preparing herself. Once she is satisfied, she sits down on the leather couch and closes her eyes. Ria sits next to her with some distance between them. “I would suggest no one sit directly next to her. Sometimes this can get overwhelming.”

Bell and Amelie place themselves on the floor near the couch but scoot back a bit with Ria’s suggestion.

“Ok Greta, take a deep breath and try to clear your mind. Think about your mom and Bell. This will give me a direction to go down.”

Greta does as she’s told, and Bell could see her visibly relax. Her chest rises and falls, almost hypnotic.

They watch as Ria’s eyes close, the space between her eyebrows scrunch up in concentration. Bell could have laughed out loud at the look of adoration on Amelie’s face when watching Ria. She didn’t because that would have interrupted the serene environment needed for this. But she wanted to.

She wonders what this process feels like to Ria. Is it like picking a needle in a haystack? Mental filing cabinets? What does it feel like for Greta. Does she feel Ria in her mind? Can she see the memories that Ria is prodding at?

A bump to her shoulder redirects her attention to Amelie. She gives her a small grin. Bell gratefully takes her hand and squeezes in appreciation.

Sure Amelie could have accompanied Ria because they were already together when Bell texted her, but Bell knows Amelie. She has been so supportive towards Bell ever since she held Bell’s biggest secret—that she and Cross were soulmates.

It is so quiet and calm that both Bell and Amelie are startled when both girls bolt upright, gasping for air. Her sister is heaving, leaving forward with her head in her hands. Ria’s eyes are wide, glowing pink faintly before dimming to their normal grey color.

“What happened?” Amelie questions, eyeing them both in concern.

When her breath goes back to a normal pace, Ria looks to Bell and Bell _knows_.

It’s the face of apology.

“Greta, with your permission, could I show Bell the memory that I found?”

Her head is downcast, still in her hands, but she nods.

“You ready?”

Bell isn’t sure she would ever be ready, but she needs to know for sure.

“Yes.”

OoOoO

It is such a weird experience. Bell closed her eyes and she felt like she was sucked into a whirlpool. A disorienting motion.

Then she thinks she opens her eyes and she’s not in her living room. It’s their backyard. But greener. The bees are buzzing around the blooming flowers. It’s summer in the memory.

The exterior of her home looks about 10 years newer. Maybe even more than that. The paint isn’t chipped, the old red door is still there, and the driveway is newly paved.

“Look over there,” Ria materializes next to her. She is pointing to the front yard where she now sees a young Bell playing. She is maybe four in a little blue dress and sequined sneakers.

A younger Greta is on their porch. A bunch of crayons are scattered and colorful pages strewn about. Thinking of Greta’s stunning paintings in present time, this is where she got her start.

The younger version of herself prances about, chasing a butterfly. When one of Greta’s coloring pages flies in the wind, young Bell shoots out her hand and the wind redirects, the paper flying back to Greta.

“Thanks, Bellsy!!”

It takes Bell’s breath away at the casual use of her powers. Growing up without the knowledge of her abilities, she never could imagine anything like this. For the first time in her life, she could see her life being different. It could’ve been normal.

She’s so wrapped in her thoughts, she doesn’t see a crucial person stroll up.

“Bell, it’s Cross.” Ria tilts her chin to where a young Cross is walking down the street. He has a coin leviating above his open palm. The Noble family moved around the corner around this time. This would be their first time meeting.

It’s like a rom com, at least the little kid version. When Bell and Cross see one another, her with sunlight surrounding her and him with leaves swirling from his telekinesis, it is _magic_.

Time slows.

The distance between them shrinks, almost like they are in a trance. Her light grows brighter and more leaves and flower petals twirl around Cross. At the same time, both of them reach out their hands. Their fingertips touch and immediately everything falls away. The proof of their powers vanish. The sunlight dims. Leaves drop.

Bell doesn’t remember this. When she thinks back to meeting Cross, it was normal. It looked a lot like what happened if you exclude the soulmate powers.

Greta, who had seen the whole thing, calls for their mom. “Mom, Bell found her soulmate!”

Her heart aches at the excitement Greta has for her. She was an innocent child. Didn’t know what would happen.

Their mom opens the front door and Bell can see her panicked. Her eyes are searching for her youngest child, her body rigid. The word ‘soulmate’ made her mother scared. And Bell has no idea why.

“Mom?” Greta’s little face bunches up in confusion.

“I can fix this,” her mom whispers. “I can fix this.”

Her irises glow white and all the children freeze, paused in time. But this goes much farther than just the three of them. Her mom becomes pale, her neck veins bulging in effort. Even her hair was floating. Bell has never seen her mom so powerful.

Then she collapses to her knees, gasping for oxygen. Bell wonders if somehow her mom’s telepathy reached every single person that knew of Bell’s powers and erased it. And what about Cross? Did her mom befriend his mom just to make sure she hid the memories of Cross’ powers?

“Mommy? I made a new friend! Cross!” A young Bell exclaims, clamoring up the porch steps to her mom. “Can he stay and play?”

Catching her breath, she is still on her knees, level with the little Bell and looks her in the eye and smiles. “Of course, sweetie. I think I see his parents walking up the street. I’m going to talk with them.”

How did her mom just lie to her like that? And why? Her mom didn’t like soulmates, which doesn’t make sense. Her parents were spulmayes. Why doesn’t her mom like them?

Why is she so afraid?

———

(This became pretty long and so I don’t feel like editing it. Sorry about that 🤪.)