Chapter 69.1

Amara nervously bounced her leg as she stared out the window. The glittering skyscrapers of downtown Chicago loomed large in the distance, their heights matched only by Amara’s apprehension as they officially crossed into city limits. The last two hours had passed excruciatingly slowly. She hated driving, she hated being trapped in a tiny metallic box while watching the clouds happily soar through the sky. She could have made this trip herself in half the time. Heck, if she had a photo, she could have crossed the same distance in mere seconds. As she fiddled with the bag sitting in her lap, she tore her eyes away from the surrounding neighborhood to look at Vee’s phone. A small, stylized image of a car slowly inched along a green path, at the end of which sat a bright blue pin. At the bottom of the screen, just above the widget that shared details of the current song, it read “6 Minutes.”

Six minutes of driving. Six minutes of fear and excitement and panic and worry. Six minutes of “Will they like me?” and “What if they don’t?” and “What if I say something stupid and embarrass myself?” Six minutes until Amara finally, after years and years of loneliness, met her family.

Vee reached across the car and grabbed Amara’s hand. “It’ll be alright, love. You’re the most amazing person I know; they’re going to adore you.”

“But what do I say?” Amara protested. “I’ve been trying to think of a way to introduce myself and every time I think of something halfway decent I panic! What if they make fun of me for not knowing Spanish? What if they’re secretly terrified of demons and they’re only pretending to like us because they’re scared that we’ll burn down their house otherwise? What happens if I finally meet Rosie and we have nothing to talk about and it’s super awkward and—” A tiny flutter of Enochian sparks danced across Amara’s face, interrupting her train of thought as she flinched in surprise.

“Amara, you’re overthinking this,” Vee said, her magic receding. “I’ll bet they’re just as nervous as you are, but you’re family. They want to like you.”

Wrinkling her nose for a second, Amara sneezed. “Well, yeah, but—”

“But nothing! I know for a fact that, come tonight, you’ll be ranting and raving about how much fun today was.”

From the backseat, Evelyn chipped in. “And it’s not like you’re facing this alone, love. I’ll be with you every step of the way. Plus, while I can’t speak for the entire family, I know for a fact Rosie is going to love you.”

When faced with the calm reassurances of both Vee and Evelyn, Amara found it difficult to maintain her anxious rambling. “I know, I know, I’m just… I’m nervous. That’s all. I’ve dreamt of something like this happening for so long, and now it’s finally here. I want it to be perfect.”

Hoping to distract herself, she decided to unclasp the bag in her lap. It was a small, black, rectangular case with a leather shoulder strap, and inside sat one of Amara’s most prized possessions: a vintage Polaroid instant camera. Evelyn had given it to her as a birthday present several years ago, and Amara had instantly fallen in love with it. The clicky-clack of the controls, the way the gears whirred after every picture, the satisfying thunk of sliding a new cartridge into place. Earlier this morning, when she’d woken up an hour before her alarm, she’d painstakingly cleaned the rollers and checked all its tiny components to make sure it was working perfectly.

Something about pairing this old, analog piece of equipment with today’s family reunion seemed oddly fitting. Maybe it was the way that Amara associated Rosie with the Great Depression, or perhaps it was a way to distance this event from all the magical chaos that had plagued her life recently.

After all, it was the presence of said magical chaos that had fueled their decision to drive into the city, despite the fact that all three inhabitants of this car were capable of flight. According to Evelyn, major cities were always hubs of supernatural activity and surveillance. Countless organizations schemed in the shadows, all of them pursuing secret agendas of their own, and it was impossible to know when a nefarious agent might be lurking nearby. Every time Amara chose something mundane over something magical, she was ensuring the safety of her new family. No flying, no teleporting, no hellfire, no illusions, nothing.

The lack of illusions was yet another compounding factor of Amara’s apprehension. She hadn’t worn real clothes in over three months, and now the familiar trappings of her original wardrobe felt stiff, lifeless, and poorly tailored. Even had she not been trapped in a tiny metal box on wheels, she still wouldn’t be able to summon her true form, and the lack of freedom was incredibly frustrating.

After giving her camera one final inspection, she carefully tucked it back into its case. She’d managed to kill another four minutes, and her heart skipped a beat as she glanced at the GPS one final time. With Rosie’s house so close, it felt silly to do anything other than wait.

She turned towards the window again. Her leg resumed its nervous bouncing, and she eagerly watched house after house pass her by. Tall oak trees devoid of leaves towered over the street, forming makeshift tunnels through which the sun stopped and started. An endless procession of parked cars framed either side of the road, and Amara saw occasional glimpses of strangers coming and going. Every single house Amara saw was unique. Some had faces made of deep red brick, while others preferred light beige stonework. Some had wooden paneling while others were lost behind thick walls of vines and plant life.

When Amara found Rosie’s house, her heart skipped a beat. It was exactly as Evelyn had described it. A lovely garden filled with whatever plants could be coaxed into growing at this time of year. A large bay window that hinted at a crowded interior. An elegant brick awning around the front door.

The car crawled to a stop, and Vee turned to face Amara. “Well. This is it. Are you ready?”

Amara swallowed nervously. “Are you sure you don’t want to come with?”

Vee shook her head. “This is a family event, and it sounds like it’s already going to be pretty crowded. You’ve been waiting for this day for nearly twenty years, Amara. You deserve to face it on your own, with Evelyn by your side. There will be plenty of time to introduce them to your girlfriend later.”

With a quiet smile, Amara leaned forward to gently push her lips against Vee’s. “I’ll text to keep you updated, okay?”

They rested their foreheads together for a brief moment before Vee pulled back. “Well, what are you waiting for? Go meet your family!”

Giggling with excitement, Amara unbuckled her seatbelt and jumped out of the car. Evelyn did the same, closing the door behind her before waving goodbye to Vee. After walking up next to Amara, she pulled her daughter in for a quick hug. “Are you ready?”

Amara stared at the house in front of her, her feet unmoving. She nervously wrung the strap of her camera bag, her eyes darting from the bay window to the front door and back again. “It feels so surreal. I never thought something like this would ever happen, and now it’s here and I just… I dunno. This is real, this is happening.”

“Vee was absolutely right, love. They’re going to love you,” Evelyn said, pulling a loose strand of hair out of Amara’s face.

Tearing her gaze away from the house, Amara stared down at her feet. She tried to summon the strength to unroot them, to push herself towards the family she’d always wanted, but the enormity of this moment held her in place. It felt like something was missing, like she wasn’t acting with enough reverence for the gift she’d been given today. Her eyes briefly lost focus, and she caught herself instead staring at the bag hanging next to her hip.

Of course!

She unclasped the bag and pulled out her camera. Carefully cradling it, she pushed everything into place and raised the viewfinder. When looking through her camera, the house felt infinitely more approachable. It seemed to sing with the history of dozens of different lives, and the promise of dozens more. Her finger found the trigger button, purposely bypassed the flash, and pulled. A satisfying analog click reverberated through the ancient plastic, and a series of gears kicked into motion. They buzzed and whirred, pushing out a single piece of film that Amara gingerly grabbed for herself. The picture wasn’t ready yet; instant cameras were a beautiful creation, but their name was a touch misleading. She tucked the film into a jacket pocket, content to wait as it took the time it needed to develop.

A gentle breeze raced through the neighborhood, tossing Amara’s hair about as she waited. For every tiny detail, she dedicated a moment to preserving it. She noted the temperature of the air, the feel of the sidewalk underneath her feet, the hue of the grass. She listened to the ambient noise of distant cars, the faint hum of people talking outside their houses half a block away.

“Everything okay, Amara?” Evelyn asked, a hint of concern in her voice.

Amara nodded. She reached into her pocket, grabbed the photograph, and turned it around. Captured on film, the house was suddenly unmoored from time. She’d captured the moment and made it hers, and now she no longer feared whatever came next. “I’m ready,” she said, smiling at her mother.

They walked towards the house, and as they climbed the front steps, Amara heard muffled laughter coming from inside. She chuckled alongside her family for the very first time, not even sure what she was laughing at. Beside the entrance, Amara saw a worn sign that read “Calderón” and immediately reached for her camera. She lined up the shot, captured the moment once again, and tucked the film into her jacket pocket.

With nothing left to do, Amara rang the doorbell. Her supernatural hearing told her that the chime had silenced everyone inside. Were they excited? Scared? Nervous? As she waited for someone to answer the door, she realized her camera was still in her hands. Muttering silently under her breath, she opened her case and slid the camera inside, then looked back at the door.

It opened carefully and Amara found herself face-to-face with a slightly older woman. Specks of gray nestled within her gorgeous brown hair, and hints of crow’s feet were starting to form beside her warm, hazel eyes. Faint lines in her face suggested that she smiled quite often, and that very smile appeared as soon as she saw Amara. Despite having never seen this woman before, her smile seemed incredibly familiar. It shared hints of the very same joy Amara had seen on her own face hundreds of times in the past. In the seconds leading up to this meeting, Amara’s thoughts had been frazzled and disorganized. Now, when faced with this woman’s overwhelming warmth, Amara’s thoughts condensed into a single, absolute fact.

This woman was family. Amara knew it in her bones, understood it on a level beyond anything she’d ever felt before.

“You must be Amara,” the woman said, her voice as warm and as comforting as her smile. “I’m Evelyn, though my family and friends call me Evie.”

Not entirely sure what to do with herself, Amara extended a hand. “Uh, yeah. I mean, yes, I’m Amara, and… it’s good to meet you, Evie. I feel like I should call you, I dunno, Aunt Evie or something, but we’ve also just met, and…”

Evie chuckled before batting Amara’s hand away. Instead, she stepped closer and wrapped Amara in a warm, comforting hug. “Well, if my understanding is correct, it’s the other way around. I’m technically your niece, in spite of the forty-year age gap.”

The absurdity of the situation made Amara laugh as well. She happily hugged Evie back, even managing to successfully hold back the urge to tear up.

Stepping back, Evie opened the door even further and gestured inside. “Well, don’t just stand around outside all day! Come on inside, everyone’s so excited to—”

“AMARA!!”

The voice of a child rang through the entryway as a small girl barreled past Evie. She launched herself at Amara, arms outstretched, before latching onto Amara’s waist. “I’m your new cousin, Sofia! Did Evelyn tell you about me? Did she? She told me ALL about you and I was so upset that we had to wait until today but now you’re here!!”

Staggering somewhat from the force of Sofia’s tackle, Amara spun around a few times as she happily indulged Sofia’s exuberance. “She told me a little bit about everyone! I’m super excited to be here too!”

Amara set Sofia down then kneeled to match her height. The girl wore a light floral dress decorated primarily in blues and purple, but with a pair of jean shorts underneath. She had slightly messy brown hair that gathered around her shoulders, and she looked at Amara in amazement. Her eyes shared the same warm, hazel coloration as Evie’s. Once they were on the same level, Amara offered a hug that the girl happily accepted. “It’s great to meet you, Sofia,” Amara said.

Sofia squeezed Amara with as much force as her tiny body could muster. After several seconds of audible exertion, she relaxed and then reached for Amara’s hand. “Okay come on let’s go inside already!”