Grab N' Go [Robin Arellano]

47: Wish You Were Here

Robin told Alma everything.

He told her about his own kidnapping. About the pain he endured, down to the last detail. About how his mom turned her back on him. About how he secretly lived in her home for over a month. About how much he loved Valentina. About how he was the one to report her missing. About Gwen's dreams. About everything they knew up until now.

By the end of it all, he sits there trembling in his seat, tears of shame silently spilling down his cheeks as he keeps his eyes from meeting hers.

Through it all, Gwen has silently listened in the back seat, just as nervous as him. Of course, she realizes that there's less on the line for her.

By admitting all that, Robin was risking the only safe place he had to call home. He could never go back to living their in secrecy after this. Though, Valentina's and Finney's safety were clearly a higher priority to him.

Alma sits there for a long time processing everything with an unreadable expression.

The only sound keeping the vehicle from drowning in silence is the sound of rain pattering against the windshield and the motor running.

Then, finally, her face shifts into a softer, understanding look before she turns to face forward in her seat and drive.

"Thank you for telling me," she softly states.

Gwen perks up, leaning forward in her seat, "y-you believe us?"

Alma sighs, "it's like I said...My daughter trusted you both. So I have to now too....plus....brujería is no joking matter. It can be a very powerful thing, mijita. You have a gift, and we are going to use it."

Gwen freezes.

A gift. She called it a gift.

Her whole life, her father has treated it like the opposite. A curse. Even when her mother was alive, he would deny and deny her visions. When it lead to her eventual death, the simple mention of anything beyond human norm brought out the untamable anger within him. At the mention of any dreams, he would beat her into submission, making her repeat that her dreams were dreams. That she was normal.

Yet, here she was. With someone finally telling her that it was anything but a curse.

She isn't sure how to react or feel, but when she sits back in her seat, she knows deep inside that she feels far lighter than she ever has before in her life.

They drive down the rainy street for a few minutes.

Alma grips the wheel tightly, doing her best to keep her composure and drive without crashing. The rain makes it harder, but she manages just fine.

That is until Gwen is leaning over the seat and screaming loudly.

"STOP!" She yells in a frightened scream, lighting and thunder striking right as she yells this.

Alma's eyes widen at the sudden outburst, foot slamming on the breaks and sending them all flying forward in their seats. Thankfully, the seatbelts catch them, but leave a stinging and sore sensation on their chest and collarbones.

"W-What?!" Robin replies, frantically looking around.

Gwen looks pale, as if she's just seen a ghost.

And that, she has. Multiple, actually.

She doesn't take time to explain to them, just unbuckles her seatbelt and hops out the car.

Robin quickly follows, rounding the side she's on.

Alma puts the car in park in the middle of the street and jumps out as well. She shields her eyes from the rain and looks around in confusion.