Leo leaned back on the seat and covered his face with his hands with a sigh. "Listen," He pleaded in his level tone of voice. Though he was the same age as us, he always sounded more reasonable by controlling his voice alone. I wished I could do the same. "I just don't want my mom's dinner to go to waste. Can we please test this...separation situation...out a bit? Just for today?"

I took a deep breath, and the movement not only hurt but also jostled my already unsteady stomach. Leo was right. If we didn't test the boundaries of whatever was happening to us, the two of us could end up being sent to the hospital or even experimented on. Facing my father's fury would have to wait.

"Just for today," I conceded, ignoring Zoey's apparent glee.

Leo's bus stop was before mine. The bus driver didn't say anything about my leaving a stop ahead. Yet, I didn't feel any less guilty as I took hold of the other teen's hand and hopped off the last step. The amber-eyed teen's mother, Paulina, looked nothing like her son. She had curly, soft brown hair and green eyes that were similar to mine. We were both ushered into the house without any hesitation.

"M-my name's Momoiro Takiwa," I said, letting go of Leo's hand for the greeting.

"Paulina Kenari. Leo's mom. This is quite the surprise," She admitted as she gently shook my hand. "Usually, it's Rick that I've gotten accustomed to seeing."

Something about her mannerisms made me feel strangely safe. But, I couldn't bask in the feeling. The sharp twisting in my stomach made me feel like I was knotted as tightly as the ties of my favorite sweatpants after a tumble in the drier.

"Mom, you're not going to believe the insanity," Leo urged as he immediately took hold of my hand again. Had he felt the same way? How was it that he always touched me whenever I needed it the most? "You're going to want to sit down for this."

Unlike my rising embarrassment, a raise of an elegant brown eyebrow was the only reaction Leo's mom gave as she took note of our threaded hands. After motioning towards the living room, she sat in the recliner across from us. The nervousness I felt wasn't nearly as bad as the queasiness from not being close to Leo, but it was still an unpleasant feeling.

On the other hand, Leo looked entirely too comfortable as he explained in detail what happened at school. I was a total wreck from start to finish. I couldn't even help blushing when he mentioned the kiss. Did Ms. Kenari really need to know such details? Paulina's gaze, however, was one of concern when he finally got to the part about our separation situation.

"If I hadn't seen a similar occurrence before, I wouldn't know what to think," she declared.

My mouth dropped in shock at the revelation. "You've actually seen this happen to other people?" I asked, my prior embarrassment forgotten in light of the new information.

"Yes, when I was young, we had an aunt who ended up eloping because no one believed her when she said that she had severe 'withdrawal symptoms' from being too far from a man she claimed to be her soulmate," recalled. "My cousin, Gretel, and I were the closest to her. We felt her forehead and knew she was feverish. But, whenever our new uncle joined her, her complexion improved almost instantly."

"We've been feeling similar things, mom," Leo confessed. His voice cracked, for once, betraying his calm exterior. The fact that he also seemed scared comforted me far more than when he appeared mature. "Whether it's because we're soulmates, it's yet to be confirmed. But, there's definitely some connection that has us joined at the hip."

Paulina looked pensive as her gaze settled on mine. "Momoiro, tell me about your parents. Do they know you're here?" She asked softly.

I felt a sense of dread just having to answer. "N-No. I live with my dad. He works until six. A-and he doesn't know about my dreams or any of this."

"And your mom?"

I squeezed Leo's hand a little tighter. His mother had made it clear that the two of us didn't need to hide the point of contact from her. I briefly wondered if my mother would have been just as accepting of our situation if she was still alive.

"She passed away when I was little," I whispered, suppressing a shiver of fear. "It's just been my dad and me. And he hates it if I'm not home right after school. He never even allowed me to visit my best friend, Zoey."

"Let's get you both something to eat first," She changed the subject as she held a finger to her chin. Though she tried to make it look nonchalant, her eyes appeared calculating. I wondered what she thought of my minuscule family. "Try sitting with your backs against each other so you can free your hands."

Leo looked surprised. I almost laughed aloud at the expression on his face. "You alright?" I asked.

"It's just that I never thought to do that," he responded. Was he embarrassed, perhaps? The thought made me smile.

We did as she suggested, and it did work just as well as the hand-holding. Our skin separated by three layers of clothing didn't seem to matter for the connection to work. Holding our bowls of food was no longer a problem. Though the warmth of Leo's back made me feel self-conscious, I was grateful to be able to savor a delicious home-cooked meal. Ms. Kenari's cooking was heavenly.

After we ate and drank some juice, Leo's mom once again sat in front of us.

"Momoiro," she said as she raked through my hair with her fingers and fixed my shirt collar. A blush formed on my face, but the gentle touch was a welcome one. "Remember not to suffer in silence. Leo's going to walk you home. But, if you feel ill when you get there, don't hesitate to call me, and we will figure something out with your father."

I absolutely hated having to lie to her. "Okay, I will," I replied. If only my dad were half as understanding as she seemed to be...but I knew better. Any conversation Leo's caring mom would have with my father would only lead to her being hurt in more than one way. I refused to allow any harm to come to her.

::

"Your mom is amazing," I admitted with hints of bitterness derived from jealousy. Leo didn't respond at first as he continued to walk me to my house. It was only a minute or two away by bus, but it was a 5-10 minute walk.

"Hey," Leo finally replied. "Are you sure you don't want me to stick around and maybe talk to your dad?"

I shook my head so hard and fast that my neck cracked. What the hell was wrong with him? He clearly didn't know what a nightmare that would be. The last time I tried to visit Zoey's house, my dad had been there, waiting for me in front of the car. He had even threatened my bestie to never step foot in his house. We had only been eight years old at the time.

"No, I'll be alright." I insisted with another lie. "See you tomorrow?" I prompted, eager to urge Leo as far away as possible, for his own sake.

Leo grimaced when we let go of our hands. The headache returned, but the queasiness wasn't as bad as before. We both looked at the ground for a moment. I had to admit that I was scared to walk away. The separation situation was an unpleasant feeling. But, if my dad came home earlier than usual and saw us, it would be all the worse.

"Let me know if you need me over," Leo suggested as he ruffled the top of my head in a parting touch.

"I will." Yet another lie. Someday, all of the lies I kept spouting would surely bury me alive. I looked on as Leo finally jogged away until he turned the corner of the block and was no longer in my sight. Then, I dragged my feet back home, where the door was once again unlocked.

::