Quig's Apartment that Same Night
"Poppa Quig, can we switch bedrooms? Mine is haunted."
Quig opened a door painted to look like a bookshelf. Shadows danced on the wall above Betsy's pink bed. "See no ghosts." He pulled on a casual muted green suit jacket without his matching tie.
Hisses filled the room. Zoreon's face appeared briefly on the wall, and then an image of a skull covered his face.
A woman with translucent skin flickered in and out of the room. The lights faded and screams filled the air. "Help me! I'm dead."
Quig gulped. "Okay, I guess I'm sleeping in the kitchen."
They walked to the kitchen, and a birthday cake covered the table.
Quig lit the candles, and they sat down.
His warm breath extinguished the twenty-five candles on his piece of birthday cake. He placed two new candles on Betsy's piece. "Each of my guests should receive one wish, but nobody else can attend, so you get them. Why do I care? My wishes won't come true." He lifted his fork toward his mouth, but he didn't eat.
Scents of burning wax, vanilla, and chocolate mint filled the air.
"Poppa Quig, they count." Betsy stuck her fork in the frosting.
"I wish Grew-Ella was here, and we could have a little party." He chewed and swallowed. "And that I win back custody of you because you're my princess."
"Poppa Quig, do you wish to remove your wings? Like a birthday wish?" Betsy asked. "Mine are tiny, but I like them even if I never fly. Only dragons can fly above buildings, so it doesn't matter much."
"I might remove one, if medically necessary, or if I needed to flee the kingdom, but not to fit in." He dug into the frosting. "Share your wishes, or they won't come true. I wished to have a birthday party, but I doubt that will happen."
"Poppa Quig, I'll wish for something better. I wished for you and Grew-Ella to marry, and you both get full custody of me." Betsy blew the tiny flames out, shoved the piece in her mouth, and chewed.
He forked the last mouthful of cake, trying not to sob.
"Ida had to have signed the cancellation of my adoption papers. I know what you wished for, but I wish I didn't ever have to see her again." Betsy hugged him. "My so-called-mother is supposed to be saving the world, but she really doesn't do much. Why would she be fighting for custody when she's only visited me three times this year?"
"Because your birth father can't legally visit without her, even before the custody issue..." Quig paused. "Time for church." He guided her to the living room.
Murals of wild animals covered his teal walls. Karen's signature looped under a fox wearing a top hat. He opened another door.
They walked to a simple home church altar tucked in a corner of the room.
Once a broken end table, but repainted and plastered with fish stickers. He set scriptures, a painting of Jesus, two electric candles, incense, and a lesson book on top.
After they prayed, Quig moved hiking gear off the couch and left it in a closet.
They ate veggie cheese crackers, watched movies, and played video games.
"Time for bed," Quig said.
He left her in his bedroom.
After washing in the guest bathroom, he played holographic video games alone in his bunny pajamas, edited his novel, and graded papers on his laptop.
YOU ARE READING
Conform or Suffer: A Romance: Long Chapter Edition.
Romantik(This book is a standalone and while the books contain Easter eggs, they can be read separately and out of order.) Never say I love you. If Grew-Ella tells her best friend, Quig, she loves him, they'll come for her, or worse, him. Quig and Grew-Ell...
