As Violet and Helen came down, a delicious aroma floated through the air, and Vi's stomach began to rumble impatiently. This time not because she was feeling queasy, but because she was hungry.
She hadn't really done much today, but even so, she was totally starved. The queasiness had suddenly disappeared.
Helen seated her at the big table in the dining room. Violet sat there alone while the others bustled around and set the table.
"Can I help?"
"You stay here," her father said, pushing her back into the chair.
Within a short time, the table was set.
The dinner was plentiful.
Violet sat between her parents, opposite of Sybille and Dash. Flame and Emely sat at the corners of the table. One place was empty.
"Jack just called. He's coming a little later," Dash explained.
"He's probably dishing up some lame excuse for his girlfriend," Emely said sarcastically.
"Oh, don't be mean," Helen replied, reaching with her elastic arm to grab the salad bowl at the other end of the table.
"What is it with his girlfriend?" Violet asked.
"Nothing. It's just that the two of them have been together for almost three years now, and he hasn't even bothered to introduce her to us," Dash said casually, taking a large piece of roast and putting it on his plate.
"He hasn't told his girlfriend that his family is ... well, different," Flame explained to Violet, trying to keep her up to speed.
"They have been together for three years, and she still doesn't know that he's a Super?" Vi asked incredulously.
"He'll tell her when the time is right. Just leave the boy alone," Helen said, trying to end the conversation.
Violet shrugged. Suddenly, she saw the bowl with the potatoes float above the table directly to Emely. Her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped.
"Emely is a medium!" Bob announced pridefully. Vi turned to her father, taken aback, then shifted her gaze to Emely, who was beaming happily.
"You are ... I mean, you've got super powers too?"
"Sure!" Emely grinned cheerfully. Then her expression changed, and she rolled her eyes.
"But we aren't allowed to use them in public. We need to learn to get along without them," she said monotonously. Apparently, she had heard this a lot of times already.
"It would be too dangerous," Sybille replied to her daugheter.
Vi could understand. After what she had heard so far, Sybille had no super powers - she was completely normal. It must not be easy for her to live in a family full of superheroes.
"Not for me!" Emely argued. Flame gave an annoyed groan.
"What's your ability?" Violet asked the other sister. Flame shifted uneasily in her chair, suddenly taking great interest in her plate.
"I-uhm ..."
"Flame's a human torch," Emely said. "But she doesn't like to talk about it," she added precociously.
"Shut up, M!"
"Don't say "shut up", honey," Sybille scolded.
Flame glared at her plate again, and Violet glanced at her, feeling as though she could relate to what Flame was going through. Flame noticed her gaze and smiled bitterly.
"Oh wow, I can put things on fire .... That is soooo cool ... "she mumbled sarcastically.
"Oh dear, there'll come the day when you'll need your ability," Helen said with a smile, but stopped when she noticed that Sybille didn't seem very enthusiastic about it.
"I mean ... figuratively ..." Helen hesitated, trying to make excuses. Bob laughed.
Just then, the doorbell rang, and Dash rushed to answer it. Not even one second later, Vi could hear the front door open.
He's still pretty fast, She thought.
He returned with Jack.
"Sorry that I'm so late," he said, sitting down at the table. He turned his attention to Violet.
"I made a few inquiries about this Cobra person you told us about yesterday, the one who trapped you in the rubble for thirty years ..."
Violet noticed her father start to tense up.
"So?" Bob asked.
"Nothing ..." Jack replied disappointedly, putting his jacket over the backrest. "The government was real quiet about it. It was as if he completely vanished from the scene..."
"In the truest sense of the word ..." Violet said quietly. An awkward silence ensued as everybody suddenly directed their attention to her.
"I don't think he made it out there alive," she finished.
**************
After dinner, they all sat in the living room. It reminded Violet of her parents' living room. On each side, large windows revealed the garden outside. The futuristic furniture was arranged tastefully.
The others began to tell Vi anecdotes and funny stories, and they explained to her why they were no longer active superheroes. Everyone was cheerful and laughing. After a short time, Violet's stomach was aching from laughter.
There were still some things she didn't understand, but she decided to hold off for the moment.
Apparently, her family decided to leave out all those unpleasant years after Violet's disappearance.
Violet learned many other things. She learned that her rescuer Cornelius Robinson, was actually the founder of the future, and almost all the world now lived under his motto: "Keep Moving Forward!"
She also learned more about what her family members were doing now. Jack worked as a researcher for Robinson Industries. When the topic came up about his girlfriend Susan, he responded slightly irritated, but Dash and Bob just laughed.
A few years ago, Dash had gone into business for himself, and the sporting goods store that he opened was running smoothly. Flame worked there from time to time and received a small salary. However, when they asked her if she wanted to own the store someday, she responded with a fierce shake of her head.
Sybille was a freelance journalist, but worked her way up, and now was the news anchor for a regional television station.
"When did he tell you that he's a super hero?" Violet asked curiously. She was a little confused. After all, Sybille was "normal" - (That is, if you counted a rock climbing, motorcycling, boxing, and skydiving as normal hobbies.)
"I believe the question should be, 'When did he reveal his real name?'" Sybille corrected, grinning at her husband.
"Wait ... you met him as 'The Flash' first?"
"Pretty much," Dash admitted, putting an arm around his wife. "And then she stalked me for three years!"
"I never stalked you!"
"You did!"
"No!"
"She DID stalk me," Dash said to Vi, ignoring his wife's objections.
"She was probably attracted by your witty sense of humor and intelligence," Jack teased.
"Haha!"
Helen and Bob told of their quiet life in Cape Coral. They lived there since Bob's retirement and were enjoying their lives.
"Didn't you always say, 'Golf is only for softies'?" Vi laughed at her father.
"Well, now I can beat all those 'softies'," Bob laughed, starting to light his pipe. But a strict cough by Sybille made him pause.
"Gosh ... not even to celebrate this day?"
Sybille raised her eyebrow.
"This woman doesn't even need to say anything! Make you wonder who is the man in the house..." Bob said jokingly, rising from his seat..
"I'm the man in the house," Dash said loudly, putting his hands on his hips, "but she wears the pants!" he added with a grin.
"I need some fresh air anyway," Bob aid, stretching himself and walking out on the terrace. Dash followed him.
It was getting late, and Violet became tired. Emely was already curled up at the other end of the sofa and sleeping.
Violet leaned against her mother, and Helen put her arms around her comfortingly.
Violet could hardly keep her eyes open. A lot of questions were burning in her mind.
What happened after her disappearance?
What had they done?
Why hadn't they found her much earlier?
Did they simply forget about her?
But she decided that she wouldn't ask these questions ... not today.
********************
Vi woke up the next morning in a wonderful, cozy bed. At first, she thought that she was at home - that she had finally awakened from this nightmare. But when she opened her eyes and stared at the pink walls, she was disappointed again.
Vi sat up and looked out of the large round window. The weather was beautiful.
The whole thing was real. She was really here, and had really slept in her niece's bed...
Vi sighed, and laid back on the bed.
Flame and Emely were sitting in the living room in their pajamas watching TV when Violet came in. They gave her a friendly greeting.
The adults were sitting in the kitchen, discussing what should be done about Violet now.
"Good morning," Violet greeted, as she came into the kitchen.
"Morning, my darling!"
"So? What now?" Violet asked. Dash blinked sleepily at her, and her mother rose from her chair to speak.
"This is what we discussed. Dash has enough space and two children who still go to school ... so, maybe it would be better if you stay here ... "
"But -"
"Only until we've handled our affairs in Cape Coral. We'll sell the house and look for something in TodayLand. What do you think?" her father asked.
Just nod and say yes, Vi told herself disappointedly. She was sorry ... sorry that she suddenly intruded into their lives, sorry that everything turned upside-down because of her.
On the other hand, it was the least they could do.