Thinking Of You

Dirk

 “Mom, how come Rosemary doesn't look like Uncle John?” I asked her after we got home from visiting Aunt Rose's house.

“Has that thought always bothered you?” she answered my question with a question.

My shoulders shrugged. “Sometimes.”

“I'm not really sure though. How 'bout you ask your Dad?” she replied as we saw him kind of jogging quickly inside the house.

“Dad,” I called to him.

“How's about later, cool dude? Got me a crabby guy to chat for a while. Why don't you ask Harley?” and he went straight to their bedroom.

My eyes went back to my Mom

She smiled sheepishly.

“Well,” she started as she guided me to the sofa and sat. “No one really knows, dear. I'm not sure you'll be able to understand yet. You see, Aunt Rose had a girlfriend once, and they had been in love very much. Her name was Kanaya. But Kanaya's actually not human. She's from another specie. A “troll”, as they implied back when we played this game I told you guys about.”

“Was this game really cool and hard?”

She chuckled. “Very. Now, Kanaya and Rose couldn't have babies though. Because they're different from each other. And then when the game ended, we had to leave her planet to repopulate the Earth and have you guys.”

“So, what's the answer why Rosemary doesn't look like her Dad?”

“... I don't know.” :D “I told you, no one really knows, honey. Why don't you ask Rose next time?”

I sighed. “Oh. Okay then. Does Aunt Rose still love this Kanaya though?”

She pretended to think hard and had smiled at me. “I'm sure she still does. I think Kanaya still likes Rose, too.”

“Before she died, that is.” Jake inserted as he walked toward us and sat as well.

“She died??”

“Well, yes.” Mom answered. “Before you guys were born. We were all sad about it though. And-”

Dad's voice boomed out from their bedroom. “MARYAM'S FUCKING ALIVE, ASSHOLES!!! WOOOOOOOO!!! MY BRO FUCKING DID IT!!!”

Silence.

Mom's eyes slowly widened at us from what Dad had yelled.

… “'Fucking'?” Jake repeated with a curious look.

“'Assholes'?” I asked as well.

She looked horror-struck. “Now, k-kids...” she stuttered, “please don't repeat what your Dad said. They're bad words, okay?”

“Hey, guys!” Dad suddenly ran into the living room with us. “Guess who just found out that Maryam's alive?” he had a wide grin on his face.

I saw Mom glare at him. There's glaring, and there's freaking glaring. It was as if she wanted him to bury his own grave starting now.

Dad looked at her, then at us, and his mouth popped open.

Mom punched him on his arm. “How could you swear like that, you fuckass!”

He stared at her, bewildered. “ME?! What about you! You're as bad as I am, Harley!”

“What! No, I'm not! You started it! They weren't supposed to know swear words yet!”

“You just told them one right now!!!”

“ARRRRGGHGHGH!!”

“Stop yelling, Harley! You can be heard all the way from Alternia!!!”

“Apologize to them first!”

“Why don't we both do!?”

.

.

.

They turned to us and then held hands. Huwow.

“We're both sorry for the mention of inappropriate words, kids.” Mom said.

“Yeah. If you two are cool dudes, you wouldn't say those words, too. You know, until after a couple of years, anyway.

Mom elbowed him and shot a look.

Jake and I exchanged glances, then grinned at them.

I love our family.