Hunter
When Blue and I returned to the lunch table, we acted like we hadn’t tried to eat each other by the fountain area just a moment ago. Instead, I picked up my mini-pizza and took a large bite off it, and reached out to get the Tuna Greek salad wrap. Elaine and dad knew what had happened of course; their faces told me they weren’t oblivious. If anything, they appeared to be content with this new development, i.e: me getting serious with a woman in my life. The mermaid part, they didn’t need to know.
I noticed Elaine’s plate filled with her usual vegan food. Not that I hated vegan food, it’s just that I couldn’t make a habit of eating it to save my life.
“Blue and Hunter were swapping saliva out there. I saw you.” Elliot spoke to me with a mouthful of sausages.
Aunt Paige sighed and shook her head. She picked up her plate, and reached out to grab Elliot. “Let’s go sit and eat with Hannah, sweetie...”
Elliot pulled his hand away. “No. I’m sitting here with Blue.”
“Come, Elliot.” Aunt Paige warned having had enough.
“Nooooooo....”
“You’re not going to the Carnival next Sunday.” Aunt Paige said. She’d pulled an ace out of her sleeve. I realized she must be doing this often.
Elliot jumped down from the table. “Where’s Hannah? Let’s go sit with her.”
I watched as the mother and the kid walked away from the table and that made this even more awkward. At least Elliot played as a good comical distraction between our conversation.
“So Blue, what are you planning to pursue as a career?” Dad asked.
"Haven’t really thought of any career as of now.” She said.
Good girl.
I’d predicted my dad’s list of questionnaire for Blue and had told her specific answers to those questions, so far nothing had been asked out of the book.
“Surely you have something you aspire to become.”
Blue thought of that for a while.
Oh god, no.
This wasn’t even rehearsed. Blue was walking into dangerous territory.
Before I could tap her knee, she said, “I’d like to become anything that Hunter would like me to become.”
Huh?
clear as day. Dad narrowed his eyes at me; even my step-mom was giving me cold stares now. What were
dictate your life. Do what you want
a possessive boyfriend and keeping Blue from doing what
the face and the body. Why haven’t to
shrugged. “I don’t know
wanted to be
mother. I just saw a mother while I was going to work the other day, and I really wish I could have
was two seconds
to eat my food like Blue hadn’t just admitted to my parents that she aspired to become a mother. Someone needed to tell this beautiful mermaid-girl that ‘becoming a mother’ didn’t constitute as a career option. It was more of
dead silence dragged on when dad asked, “How could you?” And that
done?” That was my
was supposed to go in my mouth. I looked at the two of them. “What did I do? Why are you guys looking at me like I’m some
in front of guests unless she was downright pissed. Blue appeared to
have a right to spoil a woman’s life, or her career.”
so sorry, Hunter. I
going to drive me fucking mad. “I have no idea what you
Hunter?”
“Preg…what?” Blue asked.
tried to hold in my laughter. I understood why they assumed Blue was pregnant. First, her answer to their question and secondly, it
I’d
playing with his non-existent grandchild. “I understand things like these could happen, she got pregnant but so what? Both of you are still young, but it
charity events and show off to her circle of posh ladies. “You can have a kid and still manage it. We will
responsibility for the young lady and the child. We have enough money to make sure the child gets everything he or she needs, you only
rambled on. Could either of them stop talking to
Blue’s parents. They have nothing
giddy with happiness; she took Blue’s hands in hers. “Forgive me, honey, but I’m so excited for this. Can we have a baby shower
filled with a warm fuzziness that I couldn’t even describe. It was like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. To have my father admit that he cared for me enough to say that he would support
could I become so
you…”
blank expressions for so long that I thought I’d
“We…we thought…oh never
sorry that I’m not pregnant.” Blue said innocently. “I tried to…I
when she looked at me in question, I slowly shook my head.
one most excited. He eyed the steak accusingly, like it was to blame for the misunderstanding. “Mrs. Timble,
faces, I kinda wished Blue was pregnant with
you.”
his silver-gray eyes which were much like mine assessed me.
I caught Blue’s hand once again and just held it so I could have her strength, her courage to speak what was on my mind because I needed it. “I’ve caused you a lot of trouble; I’ve messed up more times than I can count, and you’ve always had my back. I hated you for cutting my financial
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