As I Breathe (One Breath at a Time: Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page B

apparent to me that Brielle has the curse. The same one you have and the same one—” My mother’s words suspended in mid air.
    The same curse as whom? I wondered.
    What the heck was she talking about? I had inherited a family curse. That was what she called it.
    A sudden feeling of guilt swept through me for spying on them in the first place. But, just as much as I felt guilty, I wanted to burst through the door and demand to know what the curse was. Instead I waited quietly, hoping that I would hear more.
    I felt very confused. My mother was crying and it hurt me terribly to see her crying again over me. I thought I had hid the voices from her pretty well. Apparently, she had a bad case of spying on me too, so my guilt subsided, somewhat.
    From what I could overhear, she feared that if people knew that I talked to unknown voices in my head I would be labeled a freak, crazy, or, worse yet, that I would be locked up one day. I’d heard most of this from her lips before, but I had never heard that I was at risk of being locked up.
    “Brandy, she is not cursed. How can you say such a thing? And neither am I.”
    “ You know how cruel people can be, Mom. You’re an adult and know how to deal with this and how to hide it from others. Brielle is different. She has no filter. She’s outspoken and too curious about everything. She’s different than you. She’s open and talks too much. Times are different now. Mom, when you were a kid you knew how to keep certain things to yourself—she just won’t—and doesn’t. She even tells on herself when she does something wrong. What kid does that?”
    “ True.” Grandmother nodded, batting her lashes. “You’re right—and wrong about this though. People aren’t as judgmental as they used to be. They understand things of this nature nowadays. There’s a whole other world out there, a spiritual one. People are open to the idea of this—and Brielle is innately connected to something really powerful—she’s special. My wish is that you would finally just accept this, sweetheart.”
    My mother just shook her head.
    Grandmother Katie calmly continued to explain her point of view. “You know there’s no such thing as a curse—this is not the case—there’s absolutely no truth to what you are saying! She paused and shut her eyes for a second.
    “ Truth?” My mother questioned rather loudly and incredulously.
    “ May I have some more tea, dear?” Grandmother lifted her teacup slightly from the table. “And please, lower your voice, someone might hear you.”
    My mother sluggishly retrieved the teakettle from the stovetop. “What did the truth get us when we—oh Mother, they will say she is practicing witchcraft or, worse yet she’s mentally ill...like—” My mother’s words shattered into tears. Her hands shook as she filled their teacups.
    Grandmother patted my mother at the waistline around her lower back. “No, no. Calm down. This is not the same situation.”
    Mom pulled back, stepping away and out of the reach of my grandmother’s loving arms. She flopped down in the chair next to her and put her elbows on the table, resting her chin in her palms. She looked as if she was pouting like a teenager.
    “Brandy, don’t be this way. What you’re saying is a bad example, and you know it—call it what it is—we both know this is not the same as...and...” She stuttered and abruptly paused. “Maybe...well, maybe, we were mistaken before—maybe everyone was,” Grandmother said dully, and then sipped her tea. I loved how she held her pinky finger pointed elegantly in the air beside the teacup. “It’s a gift,” she added.
    “ Mother, please. Do not support this ‘gift’ or whatever you choose to call it. It’s not normal. You know how this will end and it’s not good.” My mother’s voice trailed to a weak and somber end. She folded her hands into her lap, defeated. She knew she’d tried to win an argument where there clearly could be no winner.