Empêchement

Sometimes It's Okay to be Selfish

"Did you know that a speck of dust is halfway between the size of an atom and the size of the world?" My brother asked. He had just started college with a major in atomic physics.

Season and I had arrived at my parents' house at eleven thirty-two. After the 'I'm so glad to see you's", and the introductions, my parents insisted that we go to IHop for brunch.

Like usual at our local IHop, the restaurant was too cold and the waiters acted like they'd rather be dead.

I loved it here.

I blinked at my brother "Really?" I took another bite of my pancakes. "That really puts how small an atom is into perspective."

Season nodded next to me. "I remember that in my seventh-grade science book, they said that a pinprick is like, a trillion times larger than an atom. Like, that did not help me understand just how small an atom was."

"I can see how that wasn't helpful.' My brother said. "No one really has a true grasp of how much 'a trillion' actually is."

My dad sighed in exasperation calling everyone's attention to himself. "You can never trust an atom."

"Don't you kind of have to trust atoms by default?" Seasons asked me under her breath.

"What are you talking about?" I asked him.

He shook his head as if in disgust. "They make up everything."

My brother and mom groaned at the same time. Season facepalmed, and I started laughing like it was the funniest thing in the world.

My mom looked at me, obviously ashamed of how amusing I found the joke. "Ever since your brother decided he was going to study atomic physics, your father refuses to stop making that joke." She shook her head. "Every stranger we meet, all of my coworkers..." she trailed off.

"I'd refuse to stop making that joke too!" I said, "That was awesome, dad."

He looked at my mom smugly "At least someone appreciates my jokes."

My mom looked at my dad, "Well you and your daughter have always been the 'special' ones of the family." She air quoted 'special.'

I feigned offense by bringing my hand to my chest dramatically. "All I wanted was a nice reunion with the people I love most," I shook my head, unable to keep a smile off my face, "and instead I get attacked by them."

Everyone laughed. It was comforting to be home again. In the short time I'd been here, I felt a knot in my stomach that I didn't know I had relax and fade away.

"We're really glad you're home again, sweetie." My mom said. "I'm glad to know that whoever they are, they're taking care of you."

My dad nodded. "But that's not going to stop us from demanding answers once we're home."

I shrugged and took another bite of my pancakes. They could ask all they want, but I can't tell them what I've been involved in for the past several months. If I did, I'd have to face either Cinders or Nathans wrath, and I didn't need that, even if they make the 'consequences' sound worse than they probably were.

Nathan would probably make me run a mile on the treadmill, then some pushups and sit-ups. Then he'd force me to do it again. Cinder would probably sit there and scold me for hours at a time.

Yeah, I didn't need that.

Soon, we were paying the bill and packing into my mom's little car. It sputtered once, then caught. Mom's car has always been trusty, despite it being a fixer-upper.

Her cars' sputtering reminded me of my old truck. Another wave of excitement washed over me, I wanted to drive it again. It would have been the first time I drove anything in like four months.