Page 35 of Out of Sight

She shrugged. “It has been a very long decade without touch or communication. If you didn’t leave your phone and computer on, you wouldn’t have known I was there yesterday. I have been to hundreds of family events, watching and listening. There was nothing else for me to do, so I was nosey. It was hard to occupy my time, so I started to visit the children. Their senses were better, and they could see me, sort of.” She smiled. “They certainly interact with me.”

She looked at her audience. “It was when all the little ones started arriving three years ago that I got hope. The ones with enhancements, their energy resonates with mine, and they can sense me.”

Aurora smiled, “Cici!”

“Indeed. They can sense Cici.” She looked down at Anya, who still had her arms clamped on. “Nanna Anya, you can let go. I have a new body now, and I am enjoying the thought of seeing what it can do.”

Anya leaned back, and Lucia felt the press of her talent. “You... had no body.”

“Nope. It was destroyed in my third year of the curse. My spirit didn’t disappear. That was a shock. I thought I would fade with my cells, but no. I didn’t. At first, it was fun, but then it was frustrating, and after that, depression kicked in. You know how that went.”

Her grandmother nodded, and tears seeped out.

“An international sculptor made this body, so it’s worth more than I ever was, and now I weigh close to three hundred pounds. That is a niche dating market. I have thwarted you at last.”

Anya paused, spluttered, and started laughing.

Ted was grinning in relief.

Lucia hugged her small grandmother, and she leaned down. “I am sorry that this is all you have ever seen of me.”

Anya’s eyes sparkled a little. “I see you in the arms of a giant. What do you know about that?”

Lucia eased away from the small woman. “Uh, I think dementia has kicked in.”

Ted snickered. “If you want to interview him, Nanna, I have his number.”

Lucia glared at her. “You are just begging for a computer virus the likes of which even god has never seen.”

Ted grinned. “Bring it.”

“When you least expect it,” she quipped, but she was looking at her parents and their confused expressions. “It’s okay, Mom and Dad. You can still pretend I am at school and that I just never graduated. This is a lot to adapt to.”

She looked over at her brothers. “Those of you who are married, I know your wives are the ladies of the house. I am not here to boot them out or edge them out. I just want to live again and am working out what that means.” She looked at Anya. “Nanna, Ted needs to learn how to do dumplings.”

Ted glared at her. “Really?”

“Told you, you wouldn’t expect it.” She smirked.

Ted paused and grinned. “Guess who I just texted?”

Lucia held up her own phone. “Guess who I just texted? The orc and giant are on their way.”

“You didn’t type.”

“Honey, I just sent the message to their phones. I don’t need silly fingers for texting.” She smirked.

“Wait. Orc? The mage? How did you know?”

“Ted, you always had a very obvious tell when you liked a guy.”

“I just got my family back.”

Lucia winced but said, “And they aren’t going anywhere, but he has been waiting to start courtship for ten years.”

“I just met him yesterday.”

“And in that time, time has looped a decade around. He’s been waiting and watching for you.”