Dear Terri,
Hey! How are you doing?
I know what you must be thinking: Me?! Never mind me, how are you doing, Mountain Maiden?
You may flatter me, but climbing Changzheng Ri (Mount Everest is too predicable, don't you think?) to reach zen, clear my mind, and improve my bodybuilding and kung fu skills - it pales like useless, fragile ice crystals in comparison to your firefighting and actually saving lives in LA.
And I do mean firefighting in the literal sense, as you are a superhero. A superhero, imagine! You're finally there!
Emberess! It is so, well, cool wouldn't be the right word, would it? How about hot? Scorching? Bright? Inspired? Enlightened!?
Well, whatever, the point is you are far more impressive than me, though you must admit I am getting by splendidly without powers, and will hopefully come back stronger, faster, and smarter than ever after my trek through the freezing mountains.
It is a godlike task just to keep warm and never run out of food up here. That reminds me, I never want to see another dry protein bar for a very long time after this.
Oh, should I have started this letter calling you Emberess, instead of your real name? Who knows who might intercept and read these. Villains have mastered the art of being too predictable yet dangerously, scarily unpredictable at the same time these days. They are certainly growing more daring, ruthless, and sociopathic.
Anyway, I'm cold, I can no longer feel my fingers and toes, I'm hungry, and I'm enlightened and all-knowing (except for what is going on outside of this isolation, hence the letters). And I'm missing my husband, my daughter, and you.
I really hope this gets to you soon, and you can write back to me, permitting any of the monks will allow any personal correspondence from the outside world. I've written to Ken already, and I'm expecting a full five-page account of everything our little Sage is doing, pictures included - photos and her hand drawn masterpieces cleverly disguised as doodles. I want to see how she's taken to another kind of art, too. Oh Sage, following in her mommy's footsteps. Getting a kick out of martial arts.
Mom jokes aside, I want the details of what has been going on in your life since I departed to China on my quest for enlightenment. Who you've saved, how you are with your powers, and how things are with Lydia. I hope Ella isn't pushing you too hard.
Remember, your fire is your spark. It is a part of you. It is your gift. It is who you are. And you are more than Emberess, though she is you, and you are her. Together, you are whole.
Be proud. And I am proud of you, no matter what.
(Ooh, am I becoming enlightened already? Or maybe it's the cold and hunger delirium writing. Frostbite and famine are no joke.)
Stay strong, stay safe, and stay super!
Super you! With self-care! (Better than me right now!)
Love, Lola
P.S. I'm thinking of conquering the Tian Shan mountains, Mount Kailash, Kunlun Goddess Peak, the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Pumori, and Lhotse in the following years. I might even take Sage with me.
Dear Lola,
It is great to hear from you!
Yes, I got your letter (safely and securely), and I can write you back (safely, the monks guarantee it), as you're climbing those mountains and reaching pure zen.
I really needed your words of encouragement, and I thank you. Truth be told, I still get anxious. I'm still a little afraid of my powers. It can never be overstated enough how big a responsibility being a superhero is, especially when you have pyrokinesis. You are always expected to save everyone, but when you can light a fire or fuse with just a wayward thought and sudden, confused emotion, you are more likely to kill than save anyone. I have to be extra cautious when rescuing people from burning buildings (which, to clarify, I am not the cause of any of them), and even getting a cat down from a tree is a fire hazard for me.
Ella has been firm but fair with my training, and things have been going well with dear Lydia.
Lydia. She's a genius, constantly inventing new tech to help me keep my powers in check whenever I have anxiety attacks. Her non-claustrophobic - and sleek and slick! - suits are improving all the time. Yet her presence alone burns me, but in a deep, feelgood, exhilarating way. She causes my heart to race, safely and smoothly. She calms me, and makes me happy.
Pun coming up, apologies in advance: Lydia warms me. She warms me more than my powers do. Suits and tools in hand, she assists me in managing them, with no fear, no hesitation, and no complaints. She cares for me, maybe more than her inventions. She sees me. I am so lucky to have this bright, shining, beautiful star in my life, when I most need her.
You are right, I am Emberess. She is me and I am her. She makes me whole (though of course Lydia makes me feel whole on a deeper, subterranean level).
I wonder, what do you think your superhero name will be? Mountain Maiden sounds epic, but it's a bit of a mouthful, isn't it? You wouldn't have time to announce it dramatically before a villain kills you and nearby civilians.
Oh, and I am keeping touch with Ken and Sage. They are receiving your wonderful letters, too. Little Sage is as shy and unsure of herself as I am, but she's strong, and she perseveres, just like her mom.
Oh, could Mountain Mom be your super name? Or Mighty Mom, for simplicity? Or maybe no attention should be brought to you being a mom, secret identities and all.
Thanks again for your amazing words. You're amazing.
I know you will save the world some day, and make less of a mess of it than I could ever pull off.
But you are already a hero. All mothers are heroes. All women are heroes. All women are magnificent goddesses.
Good luck on your quest, and come home soon, Lady Rock.
(Oh wait, that sounds like the distaff counterpart to a wrestler, doesn't it? How about Lady Ice? Too soon? Oh my godesses, what about Geode?! Just Geode! You can see the symbolism there, can't you?)
Love, Terri, aka Emberess!
