Like Mother (Rhiannon's Epilogue, Part 2) October 19, 2028 Somewhere in the USA
Rhiannon sat on a fire escape, her legs dangling off the platform, hands loose in her lap. At just past sunset, the air was already crisp with an autumn chill. She loved that cold feeling on her cheeks and the smell of leaves falling. Each time the breeze blew, she heard them scuttling along the road. Scrape, scratch. Fall was her favorite time of year to go hunting. Though it was no longer a nightly duty, she cherished the opportunities to spend time outside doing what came naturally to her. The aches and stiffness of middle-age gave way to exhilaration when her feet hit the pavement. She still felt as fast as the wind, and she remained a woman to contend with.
"How do I know if there's a vampire?"
Looking sideways, she stroked her daughter's hair off her forehead. It was Maya's eleventh birthday and after all the presents her daddy showered on her (God, he spoiled her), she still begged for one more thing: to go monster hunting. Reluctantly agreeing to take her -- just to watch, she promised Joseph -- had sparked off a round of pleas from Daniel, but the eight-year-old would have to wait a few years for his turn.
"You don't have to be a Slayer to find a monster, Maya. Every single person has instincts that warn them when trouble's around. You know that spooky feeling you get on the back of your neck?" She tickled it and smiled when the dark-haired girl laughed. "Always listen to it, even more than your ears."
Rhiannon put an arm around her shoulders and drew her closer. "Listen."
As her daughter literally leaned forward in her eagerness, she smiled and watched her profile. There was so much of her father in those cheekbones. Later, she would draw what Maya looked like with her gloves on and a stake clutched in both hands, another little fighter whose story she would tell in pictures.
Down the street, a pair of heavy feet trampled the leaves. Maya's eyes widened and she peered past her mother, trying to discern if the dark figure was just a man or something more. It was too dark, and he too far off, to tell for sure. But eventually something set off her inner radar and she feverishly patted her mother's leg.
Rhiannon's mouth curved in what was definitely a proud smile. Beginner's luck? Probably. But when they got home to relay the tale later on, she'd never say so out loud.