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of this stemmed from the implanted Copula within me.
    After the two-hour training session, Nate and I got hot and decided to jump into the water to cool off. Ezra came down to the beach from the house. Nate and I swam to shore. We exited the water and grabbed our towels.
    Nate spoke first. “What’s up, Ezra? Everything alright?”
    Ezra’s arms were crossed over his chest. He wasn’t angry though. He had a peaceful look on his face. “Everything is fine. Uh, Nate, go ahead and go in. Jes and I are going to talk for a bit.”
    Nate and I looked at each other briefly. Ezra was as subtle as a flying brick, but I could feel that he was being sentimental about something.
    I interjected to end the uncomfortable silence. “Uh, yeah, I need to talk with you, too. I’ll catch up with you later, Nate. We can ride into the store together, okay?”
    Nate looked at Ezra, who was still standing stoically, gazing over our heads at the rolling waves.
    Nate glanced back at me and smiled. “See you in a bit.”
    He grabbed his shirt from the ground and jogged up to the house. I couldn’t help but give in to the temptation as my gaze followed his movements up to the villa.
    Ezra pulled me to him by the shoulder, and we started walking down the beach.
    I rolled my eyes a little at his obvious attempt at distracting me away from Nate. “What’s going on, Pop?” I looked up to see him grin.
    “Oh, not much, Daughter. Just wanted some time with you—minus Nate.”
    We walked silently for a while.
    Ezra spoke nervously. “Jes, when you were training just now with Nate…I thought of your mother. She was strong like you. She was full of life. She too had abilities that were beginning to evolve when she…” He stopped short. He pulled my shoulder tighter toward him now, placing his mouth on my head.
    At first, I was shocked. Ezra was not an affectionate guy. He had given me hugs and pats on the back, but he had not attempted this particular fatherly instinct before. I got a little choked up from his gesture. I swallowed it down quickly and closed my eyes.
    He spoke into my hair. “Oh, Jesca, our world is evolving. We must adapt and evolve as well. Do you feel the change in the atmosphere?”
    I nodded under his mouth that was still on my head. If I spoke, I knew my voice would crack. Every day since the first vision with Sebastian, I had been a more conscious observer of the changes in humanity and the climatic atmosphere. It was something humanity had never witnessed in its recorded past.
    He stopped and turned me to look at him. “We have been given a great responsibility, and, God, I know it’s overwhelming. We have knowledge that puts us in the forefront of this battle with the understanding that we individually inherited our abilities at the exact moment in time when we were meant to receive them. We are beyond the questions of how and why this is happening, but one thing I am certain of in my heart is you, Jesca. There will come a time when you are asked to do something or be something you don’t think you can do. Remember that you are being given the challenge from a greater place—from a greater being that knows your abilities and capacity just as you have evolved to know things others do not.”
    I looked into his eyes and listened intently, hearing his wise words.
    Ezra pulled me into him.
    The knot I held in my throat released, and I gasped for air that turned into a low, but audible sob. “I love you, Dad.”
    He hugged me tighter. His lips were on my head. “Love you, too.”
    * * *
    I blink the tears from my eyes now and toss the pillow from my chest. I take a deep breath as I leave my room and walk down the hall to Ezra’s suite.
    The door is partially open. I knock softly.
    Ezra calls from within. “Come on in, Jes.”
    I walk in. Ezra is pulling out his suitcase and duffel bag. I have not been in his room since we moved in. To be honest, it looks pretty much the same as it did the first night I walked through