Off

"Talk about glamping." Nika says while she turns the flashlight on her phone on, preparing it for later use. She looks a little further up and sees her father attaching a sign that says "Smith's Palace" to the top of the tent he bought "for emergencies". This is the first and likely last time the tent will be of use as the Smith's generally despise the outdoors and everything natural. Not because of their pension for technology, or growing up in such a crowded city, but for fear of being found out.

Their house has a back yard technically. Though the neighbors consider it an eyesore, with a bit of TLC, it could be a nice play for their dog to do its business. Though Spot would rather not, as he was trained to disdain going anywhere other than the street or even smaller patches of dead grass. He's a good boy, and even in this time of no power, knows to keep to himself. The other dogs on the street walk to the other side as he passes. Not out of fear, but out of respect that he is entirely disinterested. He stays in his crate and because the power is out, is convinced it is nighttime. It is 4PM.

Nika sees her father almost fall off of the mini step stool and can't help but laugh. Luckily it is quiet so he does not hear. "You good?" she asks, making sure to wait a beat so he doesn't know she knows. He definitely knows. "Yes, and don't you even tell your mother." David was getting a bit clumsy over time and often worried his wife. "I'd never!" Nika noted, as she put her hands on her hips. They both know she would. She and her mother were pretty much the same person, and he was neither jealous, nor elated by the pseudo sisterhood he lived around.

Verona is a nurse and oversees several patients with Alzheimers and Dementia, so she is always being "vigilante" about symptoms, and often projects them on others. Though Nika knows this is a problem, she does not know how severe. Any time David so much as moves his hands when he sneezes, Verona is on high alert. This is her superpower, as she has saved many people's lives while on duty and this sharpness is something she instilled in her family.

Verona is off work for the first time in two weeks straight and feels like it is Karma that the lights went out during her shower. She's not particularly afraid of the dark, but rather afraid her hard earned food is going to spoil if the power does not turn back on by tonight. She wraps her hair in a towel and drips over to her vanity. She cannot see herself, but knows she must look tired. Lately, she feels as if all the power is being drained from her and given to her hospital. "I need a vacation." She whispers.

David immediately took the outage as an opportunity to try to bond. He was a gentle giant and truly wanted the best for everyone. He used his height for intimidation only twice ever. And Verona remembered that both of those times were to protect she and Nika. She smiled quickly, hoping he wouldn't catch it so he didn't see the dramatic difference from her smile and her tired eyes. Verona sighed slightly and agreed. He knew her sigh was for show, and remembered how vibrant she'd always been. How the light in her eyes has recently dimmed slightly. There are no words for how her light keeps him going, so instead, they silently remember separate but equal shares of their love.

Verona started to make a ceviche because it didn't involve the oven. David requested a barbeque, as is his own inside joke. He laughs too loudly and a bit too long at the reality of being his own best audience. He laughed despite knowing there is physically no space for a grille in the yard without the neighbors filing a complaint for the potential fire hazard. The Smith's knew better, and played by the arbitrary rules.

In their house, they had their own set of rules which were vast considering how liberal they were. Nika must be home and practicing by 5PM. She could only have friends over on Saturdays and never for sleepovers. She could only sleep over at friends places on Fridays, but had to be chauffeured by her father and the friends had to live in a walk-able distance away.

Sundays were reserved for practice and gratitude. David and Verona knew that because they just had Nika, she would be more powerful than the both of them combined. They wanted to ensure now that she was a teenager, she could handle and harness the gifts she was given. She was just beginning to understand because the week prior, she sneezed and the fridge teeter tottered to its side, making a diagonal line and hitting the sink.

She almost didn't want her parents to see because she thought she was just going crazy and was accepting that as her truth. "I'll just be the girl who gets carted away." She thought. Her dad must have read her mind and as he pushed the fridge back into place he joked, "That was crazy! Your friends better watch out if your allergies kick in." She smiled. "Thank you dad. I'll be sure to sneeze only around the kids who pick on me." David did not laugh, but caught Nika's eye to know she would never actually be so cruel.

Her school was within walking distance and her body recalled the route so well she knew exactly when to side step certain people's feet and which cracks to avoid so her sneakers wouldn't get caught. On the way home the day the power went out, she tripped over something new, and the hair on her arms shot straight up.

She ran home and found her father finishing up the tent. She crawled in and found a sprawling den that resembled the palace of a Maharajah. "Dad, you outdid yourself!" She said, rolling across several pillows and throwing her phone to the side. The space was well lit and so warm. The ooey gooey air enveloped her and she knew tonight would be magical. Power or not, she knew she'd be safe with her family.