"We are talking right now."

My voice was resolute. A bulb had lit in my brain, and I had made a decision. I let him have the framed photograph. It had served its purpose.

Tom was taken aback. I realized how I might sound to him. I raised my hands slightly, "Tom, please, tell me truthfully who is that in the picture. Please tell me that the picture is an edit, photoshop, and not real. Right?"

He was thinking of how to calm me down as I was on verge of having a panic attack, but I resumed, "Because if it's all real, then you need to know something about me too. And you need to call your son as soon as possible."

I knew I might be scaring him. But I was scared too.

Something ticked in his head as well. He placed the frame back and brought me to sit on the couch like you would a dangerous criminal to buy time to formulate a plan. He gave me a glass of water which I barely sipped. He looked intently at me.

"I don't have to tell you anything, Anna. I believe you already know the answer to the questions you are asking."

Of course, I knew, but I didn't want to admit them, even to myself. Because that would mean, my planet really got destroyed. That my family really is lightyears away from me. And I just didn't want to accept that.

I broke down.

Once I began crying, Tom must've realized I was no threat to him. He coaxed me slowly to even my breathing and I began telling him what needed to be told.

If he truly was The Thomas Curry, father of The Arthur Curry, The Aquaman, then I didn't need to hide anything. These were good people, they could help me.

But the fact that this universe was real, had always been real, and now I was here was mind-boggling to me.

I told him everything. Sometimes emotionless and other times crying. I missed my daughter but the moment Tom admitted that my suspicions were correct and I really was in the DC universe, I just stopped to digest it.

Tom had been a great help the whole evening into the night. He reassured me by sending the signal to his son to come soon. And then we bid each other good night. Hoping that sleeping on all this information would do us both some good.

Even though Tom was used to extraordinary things happening, this was his first time dealing with an alien who lost her planet and had no place anywhere, in any universe.

The next morning, I was more tired than when I had gone to sleep. The whole night I was plagued by nightmares, sometimes of space, sometimes of crashing waves drowning me, and sometimes my crying daughter as she exploded with the exploding Earth. Somewhere I heard the word 'superhero' in my dream too.

Tom had been awake before me and had already prepared breakfast. I greeted him politely but other than that we had no idea what to talk about or how.

My mind was still trying to wrap itself around the fact that Aquaman was real and now I was in his father's home. I guess I was only going to believe when he would be right in front of me.

Tom and I later had a walk back to my space shuttle. He assured me that no one comes there and that my secret is safe. I tried to fix the thing in vain. No amount of reconnecting random wires and kicking turned the A.I. on again. By lunchtime, I had given up and returned to the lighthouse to figure out my first layer of riddle on the TSRS.

There was only one symbol being repeated on all six sides of the cube. I spent hours pressing randomly on the box, to no avail.

By dinner time, I offered to cook for Tom. He was an old man after all, and he was being so kind to me, it was only fair to use the skills my mother gave me and thank Tom for his help.

Since we knew about each other's secrets, talking finally became easier.

He talked about his family and me about mine.

Hours turned to days and days into weeks. We got a small message from Arthur about some problems in Atlantis, his underwater kingdom, so he'll be late. Tom had kept details about me from him until we come face-to-face. I spent my days helping Tom and trying to uncover the first layer of the black box.

So far, unsuccessfully.

And then one day, I came back from groceries. Tom had let me drive his truck to the nearby town. The weather had been nice, clouds had been gathering in the sky blocking the Sun. I used to love clouded weather.

I entered the lighthouse to overhear arguing. Tom didn't say we had guests. I hesitated if I should wait outside or enter and let my presence known.

After a minute I decided to enter, some of the groceries needed to be refrigerated.

"Even if that was the case, you should've told me sooner." I heard a man say in a deep voice. I immediately recognized the voice.

Aquaman was home.

"Seems like you don't trust the judgment of your old man these days." Tom sounded, not at all offended.

"It's not about trust. It's about-"

Whatever he was going to say got interrupted when I entered the room, grocery bags in hand.

"Um, hi." Was all I could muster against the superhero who was looking like I was the most dangerous criminal he had yet encountered.

Arthur took a step toward me and Tom quickly stepped between us. "Anna, why don't you put the groceries in the kitchen, then we'll get to the introductions?"

I silently moved knowing Aquaman was keeping an eye on my every movement. I felt self-conscious not only because I was being suspected but also because Arthur Curry was more gorgeous than what I had imagined him to look like.

I could feel his strong aura and authority radiating off him from the kitchen. His voice was deep and sent chills down my spine. I definitely didn't want to anger a person like that. The thing that most surprised me was the uncanny resemblance he had to Jason Momoa. I had seen the photograph but to see him in person was a totally different experience.

In a few minutes, we were all seated around the small dining table and my interrogation was in order.

"So, let me get this straight." Arthur spoke after hearing the whole story alternating between me and Tom, "You both decided to tell each other truths about yourselves without even thinking twice that the other could be lying?"

Tom and I exchange a sheepish glance.

"Well," Tom began but didn't finish. Arthur looked at me and I shrugged.

"Sir, I took a leap of faith. The worst that could happen if Tom was lying, could be my death. And after everything that has happened to me, I don't mind that possibility anymore." I had gotten hopeless and Tom looked at me with pitiful eyes.

"Arthur, the truth remains, she needs your help and that of your friends." He placed a hand on his son's shoulder. He was taking my side and I was grateful for that.

Arthur didn't speak or look at either of us for a few long minutes, then he sighed and sat straight as if finally reached a decision, "Show me the box."

I knew what he was asking and rushed inside to get the TSRS. He examined it in silence and then observed the same thing I had, "There is only one symbol being repeated. We need to figure out what it means."

He has said 'we' which meant he had made up his mind to help me, I couldn't be more grateful.

Suddenly he stood up with TSRS, "I'll take this to Atlantis. See if anyone knows about this symbol. I'll get back as soon as I can."

"Thank you so much, sir. I owe you-" I began but got instantly interrupted.

"Just Arthur is fine. And thank me when I get back with the answer, who knows if I'll even find one." If I didn't know better I'd say he was embarrassed, maybe because I had called him sir or maybe all I was doing was thank him over and over again.

He then asked me, "You said you came in a space shuttle, where is it?"

"On top of the hill that I crash-landed on." I pointed in the general direction.

"Is it working?"

"No, it doesn't even turn on."

"Anyways, it's not safe to leave it there. If it rains we'll lose all chances of getting fixed. I'll get it here." He sighed and stood up, and I followed suit.

"I'll lead you but fair warning, it's heavy." I was partially joking and ended up covering a giggle when he responded with a proud,

"I am Aquaman."

Even my ex-husband had never been able to make me giggle like a teen whose crush just told her she looked pretty. I guess I was under The Aquaman effect.

We hiked up the hill slowly, he was faster than I but tried to keep pace with me as I had soon started huffing. I was never the outdoor type.

Once we reached our destination we heard thunder. The soft white clouds were turning grey.

"Let's move quickly before it starts to rain." I nodded and stood in awe as he felt the space shuttle and then in one sudden move began dragging the whole thing like it was a huge garbage bag, down the hill. I silently followed.

We were halfway down when it began to rain, my dress began sticking to my body as I tried to avoid looking at the superhero flexing his giant muscles as he dragged my spaceship. His long locks dripped with rain as the wind picked up the pace and I shivered. I was glad my dress wasn't a thin cotton material, or it would've been see-through due to the heavy downpour. I had always been insecure about my body, so I was actually glad that I wasn't wearing a tank top and jeans.

Finally, we reached the lighthouse, Tom had already warmed up the place and prepared hot beverages for us. Arthur put the space shuttle in the basement and I went to change into a dry dress.

I loved long loose dresses as they covered up whatever was under, just the way I preferred. I wasn't very fat but I was curvy and my ex-husband had me believing that I was the wrong size and needed to cut down my weight to be able to wear jeans proudly.

I was sitting with Tom in the living area when Arthur entered. He hadn't changed and his shirt was still sticking to his godly pecs and abs. I felt my face heat up as he came closer to us only to announce his departure.

He moved towards the door leading to the ocean as Tom tried to get him to stay for dinner but he seemed in a hurry to get back.

And just like that, Aquaman dived in the deep blue as Tom and I stood watching him disappear under the cold angry waves of the upcoming thunderstorm.

Later I made dinner and Tom and I had a long conversation about everything and anything. Now that I didn't have TSRS, I had no idea what to do. We had no idea how long would it take for Arthur to return.