It's a chilly, rain-soaked day, typical for January in Coldor City. May rushes inside, closing the door behind her and setting aside her dripping umbrella. She and her mother, Clara, have resumed their duties as housekeepers for the Lanes, and May has just returned from her usual shopping trip. As she enters the kitchen, the aroma of cooking and the sound of laughter pique her curiosity. She finds Clara with Gabriel, the Lanes' third son.
Seeing them together, May can hardly believe they only met today. Both being recessives must have created an instant connection. Remarkably, they are using sign language! Clara, being deaf and mute, usually communicates with the Lanes through telepathy, as they transmit their thoughts to her mind and read hers in return. Though not common, this can be achieved at a close distance with eye or skin contact, when the recessive fully trusts and opens up to them. May also uses telepathy with her mom for convenience. Witnessing the use of the old, forgotten sign language feels both strange and amusing to her.
"What are you doing?" May asks, using both telepathy and her voice.
"Hi May!" Gabriel responds with a smile. He is wearing an apron. "I'm trying to make a dish. Clara has been a great help."
"I didn't do much. He's so skilled with the knife. I never thought I'd use sign language in this house. Can you believe it?" Clara signs gracefully, her eyes sparkling with joy.
"Are you enjoying it, Mom?" May asks, joining in with hand gestures.
"You have no idea, lassie!" Clara rolls her eyes. "Telepathy is fine, but there are thoughts and feelings I would like to keep private. This way, my privacy is totally respected. It's wonderful!"
"Really? Why didn't you tell me sooner?" May asks, flustered. "I could have changed how I communicate with you."
"But the other Lanes couldn't. I didn't want to trouble them with my trivial preference." Clara shrugs as she puts away the items May bought.
May looks at Gabriel, still puzzled. "Did you learn sign language before?"
"Yes, as part of my training program." Gabriel nods.
May is about to ask more about this training program when Clara's enthusiasm interrupts her. "Our third young master is as kind and gentle as his mother. I could talk with him all day!"
"Please, just call me Gab," Gabriel says shyly.
"Okay, my dear Gab! Haha!" Clara giggles, patting his back as if joking with her own son. May's jaw feels like it's dropping at that sight. Have they seriously become that close in less than a day?
Little do May and Clara know, this cozy atmosphere won't last long. In the evening, Mary, Daniel, Jason, Kyle, and Anna return home one by one. It's the weekend, so they are having dinner together as promised. Gabriel has been eagerly anticipating this meal, as it's his first family dinner in a long time. The dining room is large and ornate, with complex dining etiquette, but Gabriel tries his best to adapt. This is his chance to reconnect with his family.
As Gabriel waits nervously in the dining room, his parents and siblings enter, dressed casually. The room becomes lively with chatter. Gabriel, at his parents' signal, sits next to Daniel, who is at the head of the table. Jason is on his right, Mary across from him, Anna next to Mary, and Kyle at the end. May and Clara bring in the food on a trolley like professional waitresses.
"That smells wonderful!" Anna compliments.
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"What do we have today, May?" Kyle asks eagerly.
May smilingly glances at Gabriel as she places the first dish in front of everyone. "Try it and guess!"
They chuckle and take their first bites. A long pause follows, during which Gabriel feels like he can hear his own heartbeat.
"I know this taste," Mary says first, looking at Gabriel with nostalgia and tears in her eyes. "Did you make this, Gab?"
"Yes, I did," Gabriel replies, a bit surprised by her reaction. "Is it... okay?"
He looks at everyone else nervously. It's just a simple rolled omelet he used to make for them at their old, small house, but it already feels like forever since those days. He's not sure if it's still up to their taste.
"What are you saying?" Kyle responds strongly. "It's delicious!"
"Thanks, Gab!" Jason smiles gently. "I'll eat a lot!"
"Isn't this An's favorite?" Daniel asks, waving at his youngest daughter. "You used to cry for Gab's signature omelet all the time, remember?"
For a brief moment, it feels like they are transported back to cherished memories. Gabriel's goal is to break through the emotional barriers, especially with Anna, who has been the most resistant. He hopes to improve their relationship with the dish she liked the most as a child.
But when Gabriel looks at Anna, his heart drops. She gazes coldly at the cute-looking plate before her, then pushes it away with a grim expression. "No, it isn't. Not anymore."
The room falls silent.
"Hey! What's wrong, honey?" Mary asks, touching Anna's shoulder.
"I'm not feeling well. I'm going upstairs," Anna says, standing up and leaving. The others look at Gabriel awkwardly. The rest of the dinner is quiet and strained. Gabriel barely notices what he's eating, chewing tastelessly. The family feels bad for him but they leave him alone out of consideration.
"What? Gab committed murder?" Clara nearly drops the plate she is washing.
"Yes, that's why he was in juvie and jail for the last seven years," May replies telepathically, looking around the kitchen as if worried someone might overhear.
"Oh my! That boy is so sweet... You really can't judge a book by its cover," Clara thinks, clearly disappointed. "No wonder there's not a single photo of him in this house. They never mentioned him. For a dignified family like that to have a criminal son, they must be ashamed."
"Mom! Don't be so harsh. We don't know what happened," May reminds her softly.
"You saw how An reacted. She wouldn't behave like that for nothing. You should keep your distance from him," Clara warns. "It's the innocent-looking ones that are the most dangerous!"
Late into the night, Anna tosses and turns, breathing heavily with her eyes tightly closed. She has been having frequent nightmares—the same ones that haunted her years ago—now returning with Gabriel, her third brother.
In that dreadful dream, Anna finds herself as her frail, powerless nine-year-old self once more. She is back in the old, dimly lit alleyway, where shadows stretch long and menacing. Her small frame trembles uncontrollably as a steel-like arm grips her neck. Anna tries to scream for help, but her choked, suffocated throat can't produce a sound.
"S... stay back! I said stay back!"
Unexpectedly, the large man holding Anna is just as terrified as she is. He points the gun in his hand at the dark, looming figure before them, screaming. The figure stands still for a moment, then slowly collapses, becoming a motionless body. His soulless eyes are wide open, blood flowing from his carotid artery and pooling on the ground. The sight and stench make Anna nauseous and dizzy. In her blurry vision, a sixteen-year-old Gabriel stands over the fallen man, looking down at him. His chest heaves, his hands stained with red. He looks up at the man behind Anna, his eyes wild and haunted, with no trace of the kind, gentle brother he once was.
"Don't come any closer!" The man grabs Anna so tightly it hurts her, pointing the gun at her head, wheezing menacingly. "Or I'll kill her!"
Gabriel remains unfazed. He tilts his head as if calculating something, then charges forward like a flash. The kitchen knife in his hand glistens in the dim streetlight.
A thunderclap rumbles through the night, jolting Anna awake from her nightmare. She screams in horror as Mary comes running from her room, hugging her shaking daughter in her arms.
"What's wrong, honey? Is it that nightmare again?"
Anna weeps silently on her mother's shoulder, her telepathic thoughts shaky and unsteady.
"He was smiling," Anna shudders, remembering her brother's chilling sneer. "Gabriel, he was enjoying it!"