Conclave (Hypernaturals 3)

Complications: Mom and Dad

My parents, Ben and Sally Sagan, are interesting people. They are pretty amazing. I am their son, so of course, I think highly of them.

Since 'retiring' from their professional careers as a physicist and a medical doctor, they went from busy all the time professionals to busy all the time full-time RV'ers. Their rig is a big diesel-powered house, comfortable, and customized seven ways from Sunday. Dad can not help tinkering with things, which is how he ended up with so many patents. My brother Don, the lawyer, and his PI, Morgan Olsen, make sure no one violates those patents without paying. With those two on the case, it's easier to pay up than to try to steal. They both have reputations, such that if Morgan Olsen shows up at your corporate office, you just write a check. Dad, therefore, has money. He does not really care about it all that much, but he has it. Don manages it for him, and lets Mom know the balances. All Dad really cares about are knowledge and family. I am sort of surprised, in retrospect, they only had three kids.

My parents go to RV rallies around North America, and even elsewhere in the world, renting a rig when they are overseas. Mom being Mom will inevitably end up working in the medical tent or something rather than relaxing. She does not know how to not be a doctor. How not to work. It keeps her young. Her years of travel with various organizations and as a consultant for the Center for Disease Control means she knows people everywhere on the globe. At an RV rally, if someone gets sick, they call her first.

Mom never minds, and Dad is used to it.

I think that their marriage is still close because they are interesting, vital people. Utter hedonists, obviously, from the shower they designed. They still like each other. Respect each other, and maybe most importantly, cede to each other's domain of expertise. Dad will not render medical opinions. Mom does not tell him how to build telescopes or whatever the project du jour is.

Their lifestyle means I never know when they are going to visit. In my pre-Vampire existence, I had no secrets to make the timing of a visit even matter. They drop by whenever they have a hole in their schedule. That was fine with me. Normally.

Now I have things to hide, but that does not mean I am not glad to have them here.

Last holiday season when the family gathered at my place, they met Jessica and Helen and learned about Jessica and I getting married. I knew then that the next time they had any kind of break they would be back to spend time with their new daughter-in-law.

The common law aspect of our marriage is not an issue for anyone in my family other than not being able to be there. We were going to plan a big wedding for the summer when the whole family could show up and join in, although planning for that is on hold until we get past the Conclave. How the babies figure into this is a further complication we need to figure out when we have a moment. By summer, they will both be showing, and that means NO Vampires other than Rachel could attend.

Before the news of Helen's addition to our growing family, Jessica and I decided to wait to tell them until we have an idea what the new baby is going to be. Not whether it would be a boy or girl, but Vampire or not.

Mom would look at an ultrasound and see anything out of the ordinary. We, therefore, want to be sure there is nothing to see. We'll move the big family wedding till after the baby is born if need be. With Helen's baby coming our way, our big wedding is probably going to have another delay. My best guess now is next Solstice.

I wish I could marry Helen too. Human thing, trying to 'legitimize' the baby, in part. Also, turn off the guilt factory, or at least redirect it to having a secret Poly marriage.

Mom and Dad's big RV pulled into its special RV shed, attached to the detached garage. Filtered and softened water, power, and sewer, external propane tank make it a long term living space for them. All I need is a tank of diesel and it would be a full-service stop. It is better than anything they could get at an RV park. It comes with a family attached.

I told my paramours "I guess we'll be getting a dry run on the hiding the pregnancies thing. If you two ladies can hide your pregnancies from my Mom, you can hide them from anyone."

I heard Jessica's heart speeding up a bit. Nervous. "No shit." She said.

We remained seated. They would come in when they were settled, and all hooked up out there.

"It OK." I assured her "You know my parents. They're cool. They are only stopping by here on their way to somewhere else because they want to see their new daughter."

I grinned over at Helen and amended."Daughters: Dad adopted Helen into the clan too and he does not even know about her baby." I rolled my eyes "Sheesh. If they knew about that, Helen, you'd have a shotgun Poly-wedding, clan style. No grandbaby of theirs would be allowed to not be part of the family. They'd rather I break a few local laws about marriage styles than leave you hanging out in the wind, clan-less."

I knew the idea that she needed anyone or anything would get up her literally royal nose even if she liked the idea of being part of the family. Before Helen could fire back, Mom and Dad came in the back door closest to the garage.

We all stood up and exchanged hugs and greetings

"Adrian! You are looking really fit! Married life agrees with you!" Mom said.

Dad patted his newly reduced stomach. He and Mom have been working out and eating better while on the road. "Most men get married and gain weight!" and then gave me a hug too.

Next Dad gave Helen a big hug, telling her "Helen my dear! So good to see you! We hoped you would be here and not on the road someplace!"

Anything Helen might have been ready to fire back at me about her independence evaporated in the welcome. She is happy to see my parents. "Good to see you too Ben, You are looking very fit yourself. I see you stayed with the program."

Mom went to Jessica and gave her a huge hug. Mom thinks Jessica hung the moon. I kind of agreed. "You are looking as happy and healthy as ever Jessica. More so! I am so happy to see you!"

"You too, Mom! What a wonderful surprise!"

I tried not to grin at my wife calling a woman half her age 'Mom'. Age is not everything of course, and my Mom is an impressive woman. Jessica really did love her and feel like her daughter. Besides, if I found that funny, then with me being a fifth Jessica's age, what am I?

Mom squeezed again "I love hearing you call me that." She turned to Lori "Lori, dear! Good to see you again!" Mom and Dad met Lori during the winter solstice holidays, and since she is Danny's girlfriend, that makes her part of the family too. More hugs.

My parents are like that. Family history, to the degree we have any of that, has it that the entire clan greets others with open arms and absorbs them into the family. We married into everything and everyone that would have us. We are the true mutts of the human genetic world.

Hugs and kissing completed, I asked "Did you all eat breakfast yet, Mom and Dad? Plenty of breakfast taco makings here."

"We ate hours ago, but I can't pass up your cooking my boy." Dad enthused

"I made the bacon." Helen offered. Apparently, we are competing. What am I thinking? Of course, we are.

"Even better" Dad replied. Dad really likes Helen, and that is mutual. I think one of the reasons Helen decided not to kill me for getting her pregnant is my family. She tells me often that she has never seen a family like mine, and that I am very lucky. These two people she loves are the source of my half of the genes in our baby. I am sure she likes that even if I am the snake that put them there.

Our baby. God that is still weird to think about.