The Lamb and the Gray Battle

August 1, 2021

Mam, Please come. Everyone will be here. A-Die promised that he wouldn't bother you. If you don't want to see A-Die at all, you can come early and he will arrange to be away.

Evie had been furious. That meant ZangZang had told Ren they were writing. True, it had been twenty years since their first correspondence, but he had promised to keep their relationship secret.

It was the following week that ZangZang sent her another letter.

Mam,

Please don't be mad. And don't ignore me. Fuqin said you wouldn't come and that you'd stop writing. I hate it when he's right. Please don't make my father right.

I love you.

Z

Evie picked up a pen right then and there, scribbled out a flurry.

I told you not to tell your father about me. How dare you lie to me and go behind my back like that.

The response was instantaneous.

I'm sorry, Mam. Fuqin found out when we first started writing. He's known the whole time. He doesn't ask to see the letters and I don't show him. He encourages me to write and be close to you. He warned me to never ask you to come here, but I had to. You have to come. You've never been to a single birthday party of mine and this one is a big one. I won't get another big one for twenty-five years. A-Die says I'm not a child anymore and birthday celebrations are for babies.

Evie couldn't stand to reply then. Gran yelled at her to stop crying.

"It wouldn't hurt you to go to your son's birthday party. You can be in the same room with the arse too."

A few weeks after the party, Evie received this framed picture. Though she'd watched the whole thing on the news. Her neighbor at the time let her take over his living room and she munched on chips and drank Cokes, all the while watching the news coverage of her baby announcing his favorite songs. Tokimonsta & VanJess, Say Yes, Farruko, Pepas, Kah-Lo, Fire. Of course, most of the music was garbled.

Then ZangZang went up to the mic to thank everyone for coming.

"I'd like to give my father a special thank you."

He beckoned Ren, but Ren just bowed his head slightly, the diplomatic smile on his lips. ZangZang went over to his father and dragged him to his side.

"I want the whole world to know that I have the best father ever."

And then he landed a huge kiss on his cheek.

Ren squeezed his eyelids tight and his expression changed to that 'ick, too much vinegar' face. But for just a second, Evie saw something else. A tear in his eye. But it was brief. Ren threw his giggling child off, tapped a finger to his lashes.

And this photo in Evie's lap was of that moment, of her son declaring that Ren was the best father ever and kissing him in front of everyone.

The note that came with it said, "Wish you were here."