CHAPTER 59

FOREVER HIM, ETERNALLY HER

Loud footsteps beckoned Aya and Tyson to look up from their phones and at the staircase leading upstairs. A few moments later, a young boy and a girl came blasting into the kitchen, the former holding a water gun and shooting it at the girl who kept crying out for him to stop, until eventually tucking behind Tyson’s back and pulling a face at the boy.

“Stop hiding behind dad, it’s not fair!” the young boy cried out, trying to circle around the table.

“You stole my gun, you’re unfair!” the young girl replied.

“Why do they always dance around me?!” Tyson cried out as well, complaining to Aya who was already smiling. “I’m the one always getting wet! Oh, wow, I don’t think I’ve ever been so thankful the kids are yet to grow up.”

“Ha ha, just let them be. You accomplished your dream of being a ‘cool dad’. Shouldn’t you be happy?” Aya said.

“Cool dad? I’m more like a floorboard they just feel it’s okay to step onto as it won’t spring up and punch them in the face.”

“Dad, move!” the young boy said as he realized he was unable to get past Tyson and shoot the girl.

“Dad, if you move I won’t speak with you for two days!” the young girl said.

“See?!! She’s barely seven and she’s already commanding me and blackmailing me!!”

“Ha ha ha, like mom like daughter, I suppose.” Aya said, winking.

“Hey, you at least have grace and dignity to be subtle when blackmailing me. She just outright does it! Ally, how can you be so cruel to your dad?!” Tyson asked the little girl.

“I’ll tell mom how you snuck out of the house two nights ago and watched basketball game in the middle of the night!”

“...”

“... like mother like daughter, eh?” Tyson said to Aya, smirking.

“Shut up.”

“Dad, seriously, move already! I’ll shoot you too if you don’t!”

“Alright, that’s enough! Nobody’s shooting anybody! Put that gun down James or I’ll change the wi-fi password!” a mere second later, the gun was on the floor while the boy was sheepishly grinning at him. “Good, now go wash up and get your mom to make us a breakfast.”

“... isn’t it your turn?” Aya asked, arching her brow.

“Nope, I have no idea what you’re talking about, what do you mean my turn, I would never deceive you because I’m too lazy to get up and smoke some eggs or stuff.” Tyson said in a single breath.

“I want pizza!” James shouted as he ran toward the bathroom.

“I want cereal!” Ally shouted right after him, both quickly leaving the room.

“Alright, be honest with me,” Tyson said. “Neither of the two is mine, are they? They’re nothing like me!”

“What do you mean nothing like you? Didn’t you just hear James? He likes pizza too.” Aya said.

“Everyone likes pizza!!”

“Well, now you’re just generalizing...”

“Aah, what do you want for breakfast?” Tyson asked, listlessly getting up.

“They’re really smacking you at work, huh?” Aya asked in a worried tone.

“Ah, no way, how can that be? I’m totally into pulling forty-eight-hours long sessions as a pizza-eating, beer-drinking, angry-looking thirty-seven-years old dude.” Tyson said.

“... yeah, I don’t think drinking beer twice a month qualifies you to be a ‘beer-drinking dude’.”

“Oh, shut up. What do you want?”

“I’ve ordered us a pizza already,” Aya said, getting up and pulling his arm over, sitting him down. “It’s Saturday and you’re finally off from work. Just relax. You know? Let the waves cruise. Let the light shine. Let the stuff be gotten.”

“You lost me.”

“Yeah I’ve lost myself halfway through but just felt it’d be even weirder if I just stopped all of a sudden.” Aya said as she sat on his lap and leaned against his shoulder.

“Let’s go someplace this summer,” Tyson suddenly said. “I mean, we haven’t been on a vacation in three years. James came up to me last week and told me I have to take him someplace because his friends are getting bored of him bragging about all the places he’s traveled to.”

“... and you see nothing wrong with that?” Aya asked, rising her eyebrow.

“Eh? What’s wrong with it? He’s sharing the stories of a beautiful world with young, impressionable minds, teaching them that it’s all the same no matter where you are. He ought to be congratulated, actually.”

“Riiiiight. I really ought to be checking on you guys during your ‘father and son’ time. God knows what you’re teaching the brat in that hour.”

“What do you mean? Just yesterday, Ally called me at work and told me to buy her a huge pack of chocolate because she’s, and I quote, ‘having lady issues’.”

“So?”

“SHE’S SEVEN!”

“... she must have heard it elsewhere.” Aya said.

“Yup, sure. Our kids are definitely being fed crap by some jealous people, aren’t they?”

“Yeah, it’s terrible. We should get a better place in a better neighborhood.”

“Yeah, yeah, of course. Let me just sell my other kidney so we can pay off the loan for this one.”

“I can contribute one of my boobs. You’ve been obsessed with my left one recently, it’s like I don’t even need the other one.”

“... is it inappropriate here to make a breastfeeding joke?” Tyson asked.

“Yup.”

“I’ve just been into all-things-left these days, you know? Like when I pee, I shrug it toward left, or when I read stuff I read from the left, or when I drive I just take left turns until I get home... there’s just something wrong with my brain, you know? I should go and get it checked out.”

“Eh, that train has left the station years ago... remember that family dinner last Christmas?”

“... no, what are you talking about, we never had a family dinner last Christmas, are you trying to tell me that I’m already forgetting stuff?” Tyson mumbled out quickly.

“So you mean to tell me that I only imagined you telling our whole family that we made Ally in a McDonald’s bathroom and James in a blow-up pool?”

“... no comment.”

“But, you’re right. We really should go somewhere this year,” Aya said, sighing lightly. “I’ll see if Doris will give me pay in advance, and I can ask my mom to lend us some more.”

“Just invite her, it’s even better. She’s gonna pay for everything kids want.” Tyson proposed.

“Goddammit, you’re a genius!”

“I don’t get why we don’t exploit our parents more,” Tyson mumbled, stroking his chin. “Like, when I went to visit my dad last month with James, he bought the kid everything. Everything. I’m pretty sure he leaped me over on the scale of love in kid’s eyes.”

“I know! It’s like it’s their mission to make sure kids love them more than us, and then brag about it when we go visit them!” Aya cried out.

“Ah, old people. They gotta have fun in their own ways, you know?”

“Will we be like that when we grow old?” she asked.

“Like that? C’mon, we’re gonna be ten times worse and you know it.” Tyson said.

“Yeah I do.” she added, smiling. The kids suddenly burst out into the room, breaking the tranquil atmosphere the two had going for them.

“Ah, the group-hug-time!” Ally screamed out as she leaped onto Aya’s lap, causing the latter to grunt. James, on the other hand, remained standing in the spot.

“... how lame.” he said.

“Yup, he’s my kid.” Tyson said, nodding lightly.

“Right?” Aya added, smiling while stroking Ally’s hair gently. “Give him fifteen years and he’s gonna be seducing girls with red cheeks and awkward, self-deprecating humor.”

“And it’s gonna be glorious.” Tyson added. “Come here.” he waved toward him. “Give your mom and dad some love.”

“... so lame.” though he said that, James still walked over and joined the hug.

“Did you imagine us like this on the first date?” Tyson asked suddenly.

“Like this? Please,” Aya said, rolling her eyes. “I imagined at least eleven kids.”

“... yeah, I don’t think your you-know-what can handle that.”

“... you mean that your you-know-what couldn’t handle my you-know-what being like you-know-how?”

“My you-know-what could totally handle your you-know-what being like you-know-how!” Tyson said. “I love everything about you, not just your you-know-what!”

“... what are you two talking about?” Ally asked innocently, tilting her head sideways.

“... goose... and stuff...” Tyson said.

“Goose? Seriously?” Aya asked, bursting into laughter. “They’re old enough to know that we’re talking about cars, Ty!”

“... what are we even doing...” both Aya and Tyson sighed and mumbled out at the same time, shaking their heads, while the two kids glanced at each other before James pulled out a water gun from his pocket and shot Ally with it, causing the whole group-hug-situation to immediately collapse into your everyday, family chaos, one that would hardly ever cease for many years to come.

THE END