The Gifted (ONC 2023)

Chapter 7 Godsend

For most of Aleks' life, coming home was a welcome respite from her busy life. There was something otherworldly in returning to the small terraced house cramped with old memorabilia and faded family photos. When she and Toni crossed the front door, their senses were assaulted by delicious scents of traditional Polish food ─ different kinds of dumplings, sauerkraut, potato pancakes and sour rye soup. But today, Aleks' mind was so occupied with other matters that even her favourite dishes did nothing to disperse her anxiety.

While Toni nagged their mother for cooking such a feast for what was supposed to be a regular Saturday dinner, Aleks stood in a hallway staring at a photo of her smiling father. He wore his police uniform and puffed out his chest, presenting a shiny Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. She gently stroked the glass behind the frame. Her memory of that day was still clear as the whole family gathered to celebrate the occasion.

But not even two weeks had passed, and her brave father was gone, stabbed to death during an intervention in what was supposed to be a regular bar fight.

"What would you do in my place?" she whispered wistfully. It was moments like this when she was struggling and could use advice from a person she trusted the most that she felt how huge a gaping hole his death left in her life.

"Ola! Dinner is ready. Come before all the food gets cold!" her mother called from the kitchen.

Aleks gave a photograph one last, longing gaze, then brushed the hair off her face and walked into the kitchen, but she stopped short when she saw the table laden with many different dishes.

She raised her brows and sat on the chair, glaring at her mother. "Seriously, Mum. Why are you making so much food every time we come? We can't possibly eat even a fraction of that."

"Because you so rarely visit me nowadays, and I want to make sure at least at home you eat properly. I have no idea what they feed you in that workplace, but you look skinny, Oluś. Here, I made lazy dumplings. I know they are your favourites." She pushed a heavy plate almost in Aleks' face.

Aleks only sighed in surrender and accepted the plate. There was no arguing with her mother when it came to food. Grażyna Leszczyńska was a stout woman with a shock of brown-grey hair and a round face marked with wrinkles of happiness and worry. As she put a couple of steaming dumplings on her plate, she looked and Aleks and said, "So... Antoś said you had some private talk with your supervisor yesterday."

Aleks gave her twin a death stare, but he was too busy stuffing his face with food even to notice that. She pushed her dumplings around her plate. "I did, yes."

"What was that about? Come on, don't keep us in suspense, sugar. You got assigned to that big project, no?"

Aleks swallowed her food through the lump in her throat and put down her fork. Even the best food was tasteless when she was upset. "Regan wants to move me into back office support."

Her announcement was met with a brief silence. Toni's eyes widened, and she knew he knew all her thoughts without asking.

Grażyna blinked several times, slowly chewing on the last bite as she considered the news. "I'm glad."

Aleks narrowed her eyes. "You're glad?"

"Yes. At least I won't have to worry about both of you. Working in the office is much safer for you."

"I didn't choose this job to sit behind the desk and do paperwork, Mum," Aleks replied, and the words sounded sharper than she intended.

But the older woman was not phased by her tone. "There are many ways to help people, Oluś. You don't have to risk your life daily to do that. Look at me. I've never been in danger, yet I saved countless lives."