"Ah, so Colin's said. Surprise!" Aislinn raised her eyebrows and gestured towards the teapot. "Tea?"
"Yes, thank you."
Aislinn busied herself with pouring tea into two thick blue cups, lightly glazed with a pattern of white. They were lovely and Keelin suspected they were homemade. She said as much.
"Ah, yes, for a brief moment in time I fancied myself a potter. I've moved on since then." Aislinn gestured with her cup at the various types of art that cluttered the studio. If she was a study in contrasts as a person, her art mirrored that taste exactly. From soft watercolors to edgy black-and-white photos, Keelin was surprised the same person had created it.
"All of this is yours?"
"Yes, I have trouble staying focused on one thing for long."
Keelin walked the room and examined the various displays. She knew immediately the lace doilies she would be sending home to her Mother and set those aside. She stopped in front of a black-and-white picture of Grace's Cove. Taken late in the afternoon, Aislinn had captured the rising moon and the setting sun in one photo. It was stunning and Keelin had to have it.
"This is amazing. I must have it. How much?"
Aislinn studied her for a moment. "You know, for a long time I hated you. It was only recently that I began to pity you."
"Pity me? Why?" Keelin ran her hands through her hair. She was no good at these family relationship things. She took a deep breath and tried to call on her other power to muddle through this.
"Of course. The great Keelin. The apple of my father's eyes. His little girl. You weren't there to fight with so you were easy to hate. I've decided to be mature though and look at things from another perspective. You had no father at all. I suppose that wasn't easy either," Aislinn said casually as she tucked a picture in a frame and finished sealingthe back of it. "Plus, you healed Finnegan. So, I'm prepared to like you for that alone."
Keelin recognized her second olive branch of the week. She breathed a sigh of relief.
"Well, I can tell you that I've always wanted a family. I wanted a sister or brother. Someone else for my mother to focus her attention on. Without a husband, or other kids, I was my mom's only focus. It's not easy to live in that situation. I never even got to have a puppy. Now, I come to Ireland and I have two siblings and a dog in a matter of weeks. I'm trying to roll with the punches, but this has all been a little overwhelming for me. I guess I came here hoping to, I don't know, just get to know you a little bit. I don't expect us to be sisters or anything." Keelin rushed it out before she got too nervous to say it all.
Aislinn studied her.
"I guess that makes sense. I don't really know what to do with you either."
They both burst out laughing.Aislinn walked over to the picture of Grace's Cove and took it off the wall and handed it to Keelin.
"Here. A welcome gift of sorts. Welcome."
Keelin was touched. It was a stunning photograph, and a quick peek at the price revealed it not to be cheap either.
"Thank you, I'll treasure it always. So, does this mean we can be friends?"
Aislinn nodded. "I'd like that. I think. As long as you aren't too bitchy or high maintenance. Colin's superstressed out all the time and I can't always deal. I need my alone time and I need to let my creative flow…well, flow."
"I could see that. Colin did seem wound a little tight. Though he'd just gone through a pretty stressful experience."
Aislinn turned and looked into Keelin's eyes.
"So, what's the deal with all that? How can you do that?" Keelin was startled yet she saw more than curiosity in Aislinn's eyes. Aislinn really wanted to know.
"I'm still figuring that out, I guess. I don't even know what it's all about. This is Fiona's thing but it seems like I have a knack for it. Or something. I don't really know." Noncommittal, she watched Aislinn as she nervously played with a silver chain around her neck. Since they were sisters, she decided to be blunt.
"Do you have this too? Can you heal?"
Aislinn dropped her necklace and straightened quickly.
"No, no. Why would you say that? Of course not." She didn't meet Keelin's eyes. Keelin pounced.
"You do! You have something." Without thinking she grabbed Aislinn's hand and read her. Images flooded her head of a young girl who saw colors around people and drew them.
"Are you empathic?" Keelin asked.
Aislinn sighed. "I should have known that I wouldn't be able to keep my secret from you. I could tell right away when you came in. Your power is strong, as is your light."
