The Curran Sea

Growing Pains

"Look, I know you don't have a lot of time, but this isn't our place we're staying. I mean, technically it is, but it really isn't. They can't agree, 'cause like we said, it's pretty crowded, and we'd have to build another house. Mer lady's gonna come say hi, sort of like this, but in your head. She's gonna see how things stand. Currans need hard facts to decide."
   He laughed once. "So did Mom, actually. Remember how she'd vet your friends 'fore you could sleep over? Now imagine you're asking to move in somewhere. Make sense?"
   "Yes, Shawn," Nero said. He sounded so small, Judah almost gave in.
   Almost.
   "But we'd have our own house?"
   Palms slapped faces around the room. Of course he'd latch onto that!
   "There's no wifi, though. Hard to hack from the middle of nowhere. Norris wouldn't have a sports team, and Nina would have zero paperwork to push around. Just thought you'd like some hard facts, too."
   "Can we at least visit sometimes?" he wheedled.
   Shawn looked to Judah.
   "We have no extra beds," he said again. "We can... discuss building a bunkhouse, or guest house. That is all I can promise, is to discuss the matter with the other adults."
   "Okay," the youngster said sadly. "Guess I oughta go to bed, so I can take that call, huh?"
   The first hints of laughter tittered out.
   "You do that. And Nero?"
   "Yeah?"
   "Don't tell Nina or our grandparents, huh?"
   "Jamie, do I look like an idiot?"
   More laughter, a little more genuine, lightened the room.
   When he'd hung up, Judah Dad Stared at the Smith children. His massive arms even crossed, as Ibrahim was wont to do. Their eyes teared up a little, he looked so much like their Papa.
   "And how long would you have tested that air mattress, before telling us you intended to stay?" Only he didn't glower, or roar, or even rumble.
   "We didn't know we wanted to, until yesterday," Mary said softly.
   His arms uncrossed. "And all three of you want to stay? Even you, Mary lass? Knowing what Halcyon might try? Jamie, with no sports teams to play for?" He already knew where Shawn was leaning.
   Mary shrugged. "I haven't decided for sure, but I never figured out what I wanted to do with my life. The alpacas seem to like me, and it's warm." She shrugged.
   He looked to Jamie, who also shrugged. "Swimming is as good as sporting. Funny, the whole mermaid dream thing kinda made me wanna hang around, see what they're like. I know, I know, not that way, but... Aliens are so last decade!"
   Given the fate of their smallest brother, he couldn't really blame them.
   "Okay, Jonah, bracers up!"
   The Smith kids looked between them with apprehension.
   "Vote to build Smith kids already here their own house," he said as he typed. It would have taken dictation, but they needed to know what he was doing. "Confirm/deny?" He added that votes were always kept confidential. He did not say that they could see who voted how, only that the kids wouldn't know who said what.
   Alfie was fine with it. Jonah was down, as were... well, all of their half siblings. Edison echoed Jonah's earlier concern, saying they'd have to let more trees go wild, to cover another house. Ibrahim was with Edison. Liam and Pierre wanted to know whose side would get neighbors. They bickered good-naturedly with Ibrahim, Liam pointing out that they were his kids.
   You just want your love nest intact. They could almost hear the growl.
   Smelters, Ibro. I'm not saying you're wrong, but they're my ace in the hole.
   If anyone says anything raunchy about holes, Alfie typed, I'm changing my vote.
   Judah and Jonah had to stifle snickers.
   "What?" Jamie stood on tiptoe, trying to see around Judah's massive forearm.
   He just smiled and said "There is much bickering, and joking. You are too young for this conversation."
   He showed Orla, who blushed, and hid her face in his shoulder.
   The youngsters burst into laughter.
   Then his bracer vibrated.
   He looked down, suddenly as nervous as Ibrahim's children were.
   "Oh! My sister is coming."
   His eyes squeezed shut. "Thanks for that..."
   Saoirse did knock first. Orla brought her a robe, knowing she would be undressed. She slipped it on, on the porch, and tied the belt tightly.
   "I am here to read your hearts, children. There are many secrets, above and below. My people would know that you will keep them."
   Seeing that there were two hot mer babes made Shawn's Adam's apple bob.
   All three Smiths nodded, with varying degrees of trepidation.
   Mary was a quick skim, tears in her golden eyes, and a kiss on the top of her head. Though she could not say as much, these would be her children, too, soon enough.
   Jamie took longer, and there were more tears, but he, too, earned his place on the Curran C.
   Shawn required the longest. Ibrahim would have known that she healed the damage each had incurred, as she read their intentions. Little Jack had been there for the worst of it, had been the oldest when Ibrahim died the second time. She privately thought that the knowledge of his survival would do as much harm as it did good, but she would recommend that they did know, after his last cloning.
   She was quite certain that he would do as his great-grandfather bid, though he did not know what he asked. She was equally certain that he would survive the process.