My Mom & My Dad

Chapter 5: Frozen and Fried

Emily:

About two months had passed since my mom's "monumental day off." (That's what she has called it to this day.) She and I saw the Queens at the park less during weekdays since school started for Stephen, but Friday afternoons there became a regular for the four of us. We took turns hosting a mini picnic on the grass near the playground and her park bench. Mom and Oliver spent a lot of time – the entire afternoons, I suppose – talking, while Stephen and I played.

It had been a really good summer, if you ask me. Not only did I have a playmate to speak of, I felt like I had an unofficial big brother who was fond of me. Stephen was cool. He taught me how to throw and catch, but he gave up trying to teach me how to dribble. (What? Give me a break! I wasn't even half his size back then.) He was patient enough to play with me in the sandbox for at least fifteen minutes each time, before he thought of something to do by himself, even if I could sense it wasn't really his thing. I guess he felt like he was stuck with me, so he probably figured he'd make the most of it. But he sure was kind. He'd open a bag of chips or a pack of biscuits for me, wipe ketchup off my face, and look after me each time my mom and his dad had gotten totally lost in "their moment" and had forgotten there were two other human beings on the planet, running around the park, that needed their care and attention. Over the summer, I had realized how much fun it was to have an older brother...

And someone like... Oliver. Oh, he was way cooler than Mom in many ways! He actually spoiled me and treated me "like a Queen." (Get it?) I sometimes wondered if he had superpowers like the one Jean Grey or Charles Xavier in X-men had. He could make my mother change her mind without making her upset. I'd ask if I could play a little longer, and she'd say it's time to go. But he'd say, "Five minutes won't hurt." When I'd ask Mom if I could have some of Stephen's gum or drink a little Coke, she'd say, "Absolutely not, young lady." But Oliver would smirk at her and say, "Come on, Felicity, you must have had some of that when you were as young and cute as she is now." Mom would blush, and always... he always won. He would wink at me, his loyal partner in the crime of getting my mom to surrender to our whims.

I remember a time when I was running around the basketball court with Stephen. My mom had gone off to buy some ice cream and Oliver stayed behind to watch us. I tripped and fell flat on my face. It hurt so bad! Stephen, of course, came quickly to help me up, as his dad walked briskly towards us. Oliver picked me up and looked at my face. "Looks like you skinned your chin. Your mom's not gonna like this," he said.

He carried me back to the park bench and rummaged through our gigantic Disney bag with one hand, looking for the first aid kit that he knew was supposed to be there. When he found it, he put me down. He cleaned and treated my chin so gently that I didn't feel any sting, and then plastered a neon orange Band Aid over the scratch. "There. All done. You're as good as new, Emily," he said, proud of what he had accomplished.

I was so touched I just had to hug him tight. "Thank you, Oliver." I kissed him right on his lips and giggled.

That was when my mom came back, and he told her what had happened. After hearing the short story, Mom smiled and said, "I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks, Mom!" I replied.

But she said, "Oh, I wasn't talking to you, sweetie. I was talking to him," she said, fixing her gaze on Oliver. That time, he was the one who blushed.

I could tell you more stories, but I think you already get the picture. Oliver had made me begin to wonder what it must feel like to have a dad. I had never known. Don't get me wrong. Mom's great, and I love her with all my heart. But having Oliver around was different. I felt... safe. Mom and I were safe. I didn't have to analyze his actions and behavior (like I'm doing now) to know that he'd been learning to care deeply about us, because I had felt it... with every kind word, with every warm smile, every silly joke... by how much time he spent getting to know us more, and by the way he behaved around my mom.