Sight Unseen

In a family where the women were strong with The Sight, Cassie was a child of destiny. While in the womb she was visited by the strongest of the old women who would place their hands on her mother's distended stomach and wait for movement. There was always shock, always awe. To a woman, they proclaimed that this child would be the most accurate seer the family had ever produced.

She was treated like a princess from the moment she was born.

Cassie didn't understand why her young cousins would ignore her, pinch her, or isolate her as a child. She didn't understand why her aunts and other women visiting would smile evilly when her mother wasn't looking, and they saw no evidence of greatness. Through no fault of her own, she was a celebrity without cause and that brought petty jealousy.

No one cared that Cassie was a cute little girl with a surprising resemblance to Dora the Explorer. No one cared that she didn't know what was expected of her. No one cared that she was smart, kind and talented. Cassie was this generation's daughter, all the signs said so. She had a mantle to assume and this rude child was ignoring the portents with her stubborn averageness.

Her mother loved her, but always seemed worried. Her grandmother was stern and cold, and Cassie's grandfather ignored her. She found refuge in her cats and her beloved father. Everyone was afraid of Grand-mere except Daddy. He was big and he was strong, and he would rage and rage, but never against Cassie. He would yell about bruja and Grand-mere would seem confused and upset and stay away for weeks at a time. He didn't act as men should act around her and it shook everyone to their core.

Daddy called her Princess and told her she was perfect as she was.

Cassie's mother would come to her at night and hold her and tell her that everything was going to be okay. Some old customs said that a child wasn't fully part of the family until their fifth birthday, when they were sure the child would survive. Mother assured her that her fifth birthday would mark her time. That was when everyone would see.

No one saw. It was her fifth birthday and there were smirks from ladies with too much make-up, there were consultations with the important old women, there was some crying from Mother. Daddy had a man bring a pony and Cassie was happy.

Peter Santorini was different. A friendly boy, he sat next to Cassie on the first day of school and he just turned to her and started talking about Dog, his turtle. He had allergies and couldn't have a dog, but he could have a turtle. He assured her that Dog was a very smart turtle and knew Stay and Sit and Stay For A While. Cassie didn't know what to make of Peter. He didn't exclude her and didn't expect anything of her.

Cassie did know that she liked his hair. It was blonde, like some people on TV. Peter was different and she was fascinated. She took out her eraser and put it on his desk when he wasn't looking.

"Okay, everyone. I'm Mrs. O'Malley. Welcome to first grade! In a minute I'm going to call everyone's name and I want you to raise your hand really high when you hear yours, but first, let's go over what you should have brought with you today. Ms. Gould will help you find your cubbies and we'll put everything away. Raise your hand if you have your backpack."

Mrs. O'Malley saw all the hands raised.

"Wonderful! Raise your hand if you have four pencils."

All the hands raised again.

"Excellent. Does everyone have their eraser?"

Cassie's hand stayed down, and Peter searched his backpack frantically. Ms. Gould came over to Cassie and helped her check. No eraser. "That's okay, sweetheart. We'll send a note home to your mom. We have an extra for you for today."

Turning, Ms. Gould ruffled Peter's pretty yellow hair. "It's right here, silly."

He looked down at the eraser with the imprint of the dinosaur and seemed confused but happy. Cassie smiled.

"How do you feel, Cassie?"

Her mother had been asking her that at least once a week since she turned ten.

"Okay."

"No... stomach-ache or anything?"

"I'm fine."

"Good, good. That's... good. Most girls, well, you're 12 now, you're not a little girl. Your Grand-mere believes that when you're a woman is when... well, lots of changes, lots of changes. They'll see."

"Can you ask Dad to get Hawaiian?"

"Hawaiian what, dear?"

"Pizza."

"With the pineapple and ham? That's disgusting. And we're having chicken for dinner."

"It's not gross. Peter says..."

"Enough about Peter. That boy isn't one of us. And we're having chicken."

Cassie heard her mother on the phone later. "Yeah, smelled like sulfur and the edges were grey. I'll return it tomorrow." Pause. "Disgusting." Pause. "Can you pick up Chinese?" Pause. "Okay, love you."

Her father came home from work with a large pie and garlic knots.

It was hard to believe, but Cassie's Grand-mere grew more distant as she aged. Nothing helped. Cassie sang in the school chorus and stood scanning the audience. Her peers had their siblings, parents, grandparents and aunts and uncles. Cassie had Dad and sometimes Mom. She'd grow sad but try to smile for Dad. The smile would turn real when she spotted the boy with the yellowish hair. He'd be sitting in the corner, often on the floor with his books out. Peter would look up and smile shyly when he noticed her looking his way.

She knew that other people's grandparents would hang report cards or papers or artwork from their refrigerator. Cassie loved to paint but gave up sharing her work with Grand-mere when she overheard her yelling at Cassie's mother about how she was receiving trinkets when she should be training her granddaughter's Gift.

Her cousins didn't care much about grades, but they loved football. Three of them played on the school team. Family trips were made to games with dozens of people showing up, including Grand-mere. Cassie joined the softball team. Her father cheered her on and her mother sometimes came and brought snacks. Looking at the bleachers, she would wonder where the rest of her family was. Across the diamond, the boys were on the baseball field. She'd catch glimpses of his bright blonde hair as Pete would beat out a throw to first.

They sat next to each other, backs against the dugout fence. Tryouts were coming up. Cassie reached into his plastic Ziplock and pulled out some gorp. "You should try batting lefty."

"I can barely get the ball out of the infield righty."

"That's why you should try lefty. It makes you more valuable."

"Yeah, I don't know. I think I should concentrate on my swing and getting some pop."

"Okay."

Two weeks later someone grabbed Cassie from behind and swung her around. "I made it! Second base! The coach said they needed a switch hitter. I'm on the team!"

She leaned back into his chest and held his arms tightly around her. After a moment she felt him relax and step back. He was flushed and embarrassed when she turned to face him.

He stammered. "I, uh, yeah, so I made the team."

Cassie smiled wildly. "That's great, Pete. I knew you would. You're the best fielder they have."

"I didn't, uh, mean to grab you and... yeah, sorry."

"It's fine. Maybe we can hit All American after practice? Do you need to get home right away?"

His growing smile matched hers. "No, burgers would be great. I... actually, I should check with Mom. I think she wanted me to watch my brother tonight."

"I think it'll be okay, but definitely check."

Cassie was right. His mother dropped Pete's brother off to play with his cousin.

They had their burgers and talked excitedly about the upcoming season. Pete hesitantly reached for her hand and held it as they walked back towards the middle school. They took a shortcut through some woods and kept talking about choking up on the bat for better control and the best way to break-in a mitt.

Cassie was discussing the best way to develop a pocket. "My dad bought some special oil. We keep the ball in the glove overnight and oil up the leather and then wrap the whole thing in about a dozen rubber bands. It..."

Pete stepped around her and kissed Cassie. It was too fast and too hard. He mashed her lip into her teeth and took her completely by surprise. She was shocked, which was a novelty for Cassie. It was the best three seconds she could remember. Pete pulled back, embarrassed.

"Sorry. I'm so..."

Cassie stepped forward and kissed him. She was slower and gentler. After she stepped back, they stood there staring at each other until goofy smiles broke out. Pete took her hand again and they walked to the late busses.

"Look, I don't need the exact score. Just tell me who's going to be ahead at the half and who's going to win."

"Grandpa, it doesn't work that way. I don't know."

"Bullshit. You aren't so special, girl. I know you have the Sight. You can't give me no particulars, okay, but you sure as hell can give me the winner."

"It doesn't work like that. I..."

He threw his beer can against the wall. "Shut the fuck up with this bullshit! Who's gonna win?"

"Uhm, the blue team?"

"Ya see, was that so hard?" Picking up his phone, he dialed a number. "Hey, it's John. Put me down for three K on Seattle." Pause. "Yeah, I'm good for it." Pause. "Fuck you, I said I'm good." Pause. "Fine, I'll put up the car."

The next day, Cassie was studying when she heard the door fly open and slam into the wall.

"You hear that, bitch? You hear that car? A Toyota! I'm driving a damn Toyota!"

"Grandpa, I didn't..."

She never saw the blow coming. One moment she was sitting in front of a textbook, the next she was on the ground, holding her jaw. He stepped towards her, stopped, stepped forward again and then almost ran out of the house.

Cassie told her parents she tripped and hit her face on the table. Her grandfather was an important man in the family. She couldn't embarrass him or have him hurt her parents. The only person she told was Peter.

She was at the game on Saturday watching her cousins play. Cassie zoned out for a moment and almost yelled when she regained focus. Instead, she pulled out her phone and called her father while walking away from the bleachers.

"Pick up. Pick up, Daddy. Pick up."

"Hey, Case. What's going on?"

"Daddy, you have to get here. I need you here now. It... I didn't slip. It was Grandpa. He kept yelling at me to tell him who was going to win and I didn't know what he was talking about and I finally made something up and he came to the house and he yelled at me about his car and he hit me and I fell and I didn't know what to do and Pete's going to be here in a minute and you need to get here and Pete's going to go crazy and I don't know what to do..."

"Honey, honey, listen to me. I'm on my way to my car now. Stay away from your grandfather and keep Pete away."

Cassie kept watching the area, keeping an eye out for Pete. She didn't see him in time and the 16-year-old boy ran through the crowd and launched himself at Cassie's grandfather. He was pummeling the man when he was pulled off by Cassie's uncles. They were beating him until her father showed up and kicked one in the back.

Pete was on the ground and Cassie's father punched another uncle in the jaw. The grandfather got to his feet, wiped the blood from his face and advanced on Pete. Cassie's father kicked him in the balls so hard that every male spectator winced.

He turned and looked at the assembled family. "Any one of you comes after this boy, I'm gonna find you and open your throat. You understand? And you." He turned to the man moaning on the ground while lying in the fetal position. "You come near my daughter again and I'll kill ya. I don't care who the fuck you think you are, you wannabe Traveler fuck. I'll kill you."

Cassie and her father helped Pete up and took him home.

Attention had been slowly shifting from Cassie to Deborah for years. A dramatic girl who seemed to thrive in the spotlight, she was a year older than Cassie and there were constant rumors of her Gift. She had warned Little Marie to see her doctor. She had a number of them, so it was difficult to determine which one to see, but she came down with meningitis a month later.

In spite of being only 4'11", Little Marie was Cassie's age and one of the few members of the family that treated Cassie like she treated everyone else. Little Marie's parents gave an envelope to Deborah and it was rumored to hold $1,000. Deborah immediately handed it over to Grand-mere and that was it; the door was closed to Cassie's future and place in the family.

Cassie was treated like a normal teenager and reveled in the lack of expectations. Her mother had been hinting that the Gift would fully come upon her after she was with a man, or after she had given birth or after a dozen other portentous moments. Now she could simply be a daughter to a mother and not an unfulfilled promise.

Deborah greatly resented the childhood she had lived without the attention she so deserved. Everything had been about Cassie. All of the hopes, all of the praise, all of the expectations and then all of the questioning had been about the plain, mousy Cassie. That was over and she would make sure Cassie knew it.

Years went by and they were frustrating to both girls. Deborah had everything she thought she wanted. The attention and fawning of the family continued as long as she played her role as the dutiful student to the old women. She had a place in the pecking order of the teens and used that place to keep Cassie in line. Deborah would arrange for events on Cassie's birthday, leaving her ersatz rival without family to celebrate with. She would make bold but vague predictions in public and almost dare Cassie to gainsay her.

As much as she enjoyed lauding her position over Cassie, there was an underlying fear. It was if Cassie could look into Deborah's soul. She'd sometimes look at her and see Cassie smirking back. More than anything, it was the lack of respect that irked Deborah. It was as if Cassie just didn't care. That would have to change.

Deborah began attending baseball games. She already dressed in skin-tight clothes and she reduced the coverage of what she wore. Excuses were found to be near Peter. She needed some help with homework, her nails were too long, and she needed someone to open her can of soda, all the seats were taken so she had to sit near him. The excuses were endless, and he never, ever made a move.

Looking up, Deborah would invariably see Cassie smirking at her.

Eventually, Deborah gave up and began dating a tackle from the football team. Her hatred for Cassie now extended to Pete. If he wanted the failure, he could have her. She redoubled her effort to make Cassie's life hell.

"Jerry, let me be very clear. Get a few of your friends. Try the big stupid ones who spend most of their time in the weight room. Find Pete and do what you have to do. I want visible injuries." Deborah grabbed his crotch. "So you understand, if he doesn't get any, you don't get any. Get what I'm saying?"

"I'm gonna get some? I'm already gettin' some."

"Am I talking to a wall? Jerry, that is over. It's done until I see results."

"Okay, calm down. How about a little incentive? Let me know what I'm doing this for?"

"You've been doing me before and after every game for weeks. You know what you're doing this for."

"Okay, one last time and I'll arrange it so that we take care of it in front of his girlfriend."

"Huh. Well, that has possibilities. Your truck here?"

"Yup."

"Okay, let's go do it, but this is the last time."

Two days later Jerry and two offensive linemen were waiting in the treeline by the woods that separated the middle school from the high school. Rain or shine, Pete walked through those woods every day. Deborah sat in Jerry's pick-up waiting and watching. She frequently checked her phone to get the time.

When her phone rang, she almost jumped, then settled down and answered. "Hello?"

"Hey, we've been waiting, like, forever. What time is it?"

"What time...? Doesn't your phone have a clock?"

"Oh, yeah. Right. Listen, we're gonna give it like another 20 minutes."

"No, you're going to stay there until..." She heard him disconnect. "Did he hang up on me? Did he just hang up on me?"

The sound of a horn drew her attention. Turning, she saw Pete and Cassie in a car next to her. Cassie leaned out the window.

"Hey, Deb. Car trouble? Need a ride?"

When Deborah started cursing, they drove off.

Pete made the varsity team and excelled. He was a slap hitter and could put the ball in a hole from either side of the plate, but he was truly at home on the field. Nothing got by him. They dated exclusively through high school and when he was choosing colleges, she steered him towards a university with an excellent math department.

He discovered a love for statistics and imported his new knowledge to baseball. Sabermetrics had changed the game almost two decades previously and Pete was soon swimming in the deep end of that pool. His excellent college career didn't translate into something in the pros, but he quickly found a job with a minor league team where he could use his Master of Science in Analytics degree.

A week after he was hired, they drove the 130 miles to the ballpark.

He was excited and couldn't stop talking. "You're going to love it! 6,450 seats. It's not huge, but it's a start."

As he took her hand, she purposefully walked half a step behind him so he wouldn't see her tearing up. "It's going to be great, Pete. It's a beautiful park."

She wiped away a tear as he proudly showed her his small, cramped office. He almost dragged her out. "Let's go see the field!"

Cassie had to stop herself from saying yes before it was time. Pete walked her through the dugout and the field, and they made their way to the pitching mound where he had her facing home plate.

"I... I don't know when I first knew that I loved you. I don't know when I first realized what that means. All I know is that you're everything to me and you always have been."

He turned her to face the outfield and she saw the large screen that displayed an image of the ring. When she turned back to him, Pete was on his knees.

"Cassie, will you..."

"Yes!"

The reception was dying down when Deborah approached her. "I hear you're moving away from the family?"

It was a family tradition that the grandparents of the bride gave the newlyweds enough cash to put down for a home. Cassie and Peter knew that wasn't going to happen. They made their own plans and were looking forward to starting their life together.

Cassie offered a sad smile, finally over the rancor and misery that Deborah had tried to instill. "Yes, we leave as soon as we get back from the honeymoon. Not too far, just closer to the ballpark."

"Yes, the ballpark. Where he won't be playing. Don't consider yourselves failures, Cassie. I see children in your future and some small successes."

"Failures? Why would I consider us failures? I've never been a failure, Deborah. It's true, I've never had the big, flashy, powerful insights that you have, but I'm okay with that. You know what I did have? The truth. My visions are true. Every. Single. Time. How often are yours? A third of the time? Maybe? Don't you ever get tired of having to carefully parse your words just in case the Power fails you? You're not a fraud, Deborah, you're just not that accurate. You have the Gift, but it's weak."

"It... weak? How dare you, you miserable cunt? I will be running this family as soon as Grand-mere is dead! You'll be living in a squalid apartment raising some brats and regretting life while I RUN THIS FAMILY!"

"Hold your voice down, bitch. This is my wedding and I don't give a crap who you are. Here's some reality for you from this so-called failure. We will be with this team for three years before Pete moves up to the Rockies' pro team. I'll have my first child, a son, within six months of moving. He'll be followed by two sisters. I will die at 84, surrounded by children and grandchildren. It will be one year and three months after Pete dies in my arms."