I'd come home from college for spring break, shortly after my twentieth birthday. I walked into the house. My father was escorting a client out.
"Thank you, Mr. Scott," she said to my father, "I can't thank you enough for helping me get out of the foster system."
"If you're ever in trouble or need help, just call me that will be thanks enough," my father said, "And enough with the Mr. Scott. Charles will do just fine."
"Ahem," I said, making my presence known.
"I see my son has come home," my father said, "Tyler this is Kellie Riley, she's a client of mine."
She looked at me for the first time and I was struck by her blue eyes. The color wasn't the only thing that captivated me. I could literally see to the depths of her soul; some one who's life had dealt them a bad hand, someone who had survived, but been left jaded and scarred. God, she was gorgeous to boot.
But what attracted me the most to her, I think was the idea that she somehow still had the ability to see the good in the world. And the idea that I could help her with that.
What fascinated me about her wasn't this feeling that should she possessed something untapped inside her; a power I guess that should it choose to manifest itself would come across as dangerous, yet mysterious. Of course, knowing what I know now about her bloodlines, one could almost say it was her destiny.
I was so busy staring at her as I couldn't tell you what she said next. The next I knew she was leaving.
"She's only sixteen," my father said, bringing me back to reality. He let that thought sink in. Then he said something about looking into law schools. I wasn't really paying attention. I kept telling myself she was only dad's client and I'd never see her again. Little did I know how wrong I was.