Moonstruck at Midnight

Chapter 7 - Arrival

April 16, 2009

CALEB SHOWED UP at the airport twenty minutes after we arrived. So for a second there, I panicked. My dad asked him to pick up some documents at the last minute, so that's why he didn't ride with us to the airport. But he showed up, and everything was as it was supposed to be.

Before we even took off, my father had a mobile office installed in front of him. So I knew I couldn't count on him for conversation. That's why I made Caleb sit in front of me for most of the flight because God knows I've so much trouble sleeping on planes.

We arrived home on April 12th. I stayed in my father's apartment for a few days because mine wasn't ready yet. But it was ready now, and Caleb was driving my father and me there, alongside Aaron, for a change. He wanted to familiarize himself with driving around New York.

I couldn't believe I was finally going to move into my own place.

Caleb was thriving in New York. He seemed thrilled. His reflection in the rearview mirror gave him away. He kept biting his lower lip, probably hoping to prevent an over-enthusiastic grin from sneaking out.

Aaron was being Aaron: calm, cool, and collected. His navy-blue eyes stared out the window and through the side-view mirrors, casually looking out. He always managed to look relaxed yet in control of the situation.

My father refused to let go of my hand. His embrace felt warm and safe, and although we were home, I could feel his reluctance to keep his word regarding my second birthday present.

At some point during the flight back to New York, my dad closed his laptop and asked me to sit next to him to talk through the conditions attached to his gift. We both had to compromise but finally found common ground after a few rounds of negotiation.

My father asked for three conditions. The first one, he said, was a simple request. I had already transferred my credits from PCA to Parsons, but my father wanted me to enroll in a summer course. He didn't want me lazing around all summer.

I agreed. It was a perfect idea because I would get to know the school before starting the fall semester.

His second request consisted of having Mrs. Mullins as my housekeeper.

A trap. I was getting a nanny.

Mrs. Mullins's job would surely include a weekly report to my father. And again, I was okay with it as long as I could experience a more independent life.

My father said I met Mrs. Mullins (or Mimi, as he called her) when I was a child. And after years of having so many people living with us, I realized it couldn't be that awful to have just one person helping me out.

Lacking real privacy was exhausting, and my father knew that. But it wasn't an unknown fact that I couldn't cook. So for my safety and for the safety of those living in my building, it was best to have Mrs. Mullins handling the cooking for me.

And last but not least, a third security agent. Yup. Necessary and non-negotiable—that's what my father kept repeating on the flight. The new agent would come directly from the DSS, unlike Caleb and Aaron, who were approved by the DSS but hired independently. I had overreacted to this request, and it incited a heated debate. It felt unfair, like going backward instead of making progress in this specific area of my life. But I had to agree with him if I wanted to "roam freely" in New York City.

My dad explained how I would still have only two agents on duty. The third agent would provide rotation to their schedules. My father supposed I would have a more demanding agenda in New York.

I had my doubts.

This was going to be my first attempt at living a life of my own. It was frightening as hell, but I needed it. I owed it to myself. Feeling trapped had been the norm to the point that I'd become unaware of the comfortable cage I lived in.