I closed the door to Canary's room in a hurry. We'd lied and said Ember felt a little unwell to have some privacy.
"You're dating my teacher's son?" I asked in dumbfounded disbelief, "You're pregnant with Divi's grandchild?"
"That's a yes to both questions, but don't forget that I knew Tam waaaay before Mr. Divine ever became your teacher. Never in a million, trillion years would I have predicted you and Gilly would end up in his class. Hell, I honestly never imagined getting the chance to meet Tam in the flesh. Our relationship was so casual before we moved here. I thought the two of us would find our feelings fizzling out eventually. Then we did move here..."
"No wonder you said it would be awkward to know who your boyfriend is."
"I can't believe it just came out like that. I had no idea they would be coming to the party. It's making me incredibly nervous what with Tam being right in dad's sight. I feel like if I go down there dad'll just somehow read my mind and put it all together. It's my first time meeting Tam's parents too. At least they're in the dark about this so far."
"Yeah, about that..."
Ember raised a suspicious brow at me.
"Divi knows you're pregnant." I admitted sheepishly.
"...What?" Ember wondered somewhat dangerously, "How the hell does he know?"
"Gilly and I...we were talking to Ethie and Ephie at school about you being pregnant, and we didn't know he was nearby. He overheard us. Ethie and Ephie have sworn to keep the secret though! Divi obviously isn't going to say anything either, and it's not like he does know you're carrying his own flesh and blood. That's good, huh?" I rambled nervously.
"Dianthus..." Ember sighed.
I gulped, and I desperately changed the subject.
"S-So, how did you and Tam meet anyway?"
"You know that Starworld Online website? The one where you can make an chibi avatar, buy a bunch of varied clothes for it, play flash games, and that sort of thing? We met on the roleplaying section of the forums there," Ember laughed nostalgically, "I was twelve. There was this thread where the plot was a feud type situation going on between a pack of wolf shapeshifters and fox shapeshifters. I played one of the young fox kits, and Tam played one of the lesser rulers of the clan who comically got stuck babysitting the kits. Several of us users became good friends from that thread, and we kept joining other threads together over the years. Tam and I got along especially well. We were both kids just having fun pretending to be silly stuff. As we got older, things naturally changed a bit."
Ember gave me a pleading look.
"We realized our feelings back when he was a minor too. Tam's only twenty, and he seriously only just turned twenty. Like, two weeks ago. It's basically only a two year difference between us. It's not that bad! There would hardly be any of this fuss if I was simply a few months older, and it's not like a few more months is going to change me that greatly if it makes much of a difference at all. Besides, anyone who thinks Tam has a thing for younger girls is completely wrong! It's only because it's me and he loves me that he felt anything like that. I'm the one who pressured him to do those things! I-"
"It's alright, Em. It's alright," I stopped her with a small laugh, "You don't need to convince me. I'm on your side."
My sister became relieved at that, and she let me off the hook for inadvertently telling her baby's grandpa that he was going, potentially, to be a grandpa. However, Ember still needed a moment before returning downstairs. Tamarix was right there, so they had to act like they'd never met. I guess it was something Ember found extremely difficult. Me though, I desired to get a better read on the guy now that I could actually talk to him. Tamarix appeared harmless enough going by appearances. He carried himself as if he had some build, but overall he gave off more of the kind, bookworm aura.
"So, Divi's your dad, huh?" I meandered my way up to him.
Tamarix was outside by himself near the pool. Given how he'd been standing more tensely, I figured he'd also been taking a moment to collect himself.
"Yeah," he confirmed with a small smile, "You're in his class, right? You and your twin sister? I heard about you guys a lot towards the beginning of the school year. It's not common to get transfer students so suddenly."
"I heard we got pretty lucky, yup. You're attending the college, I see. What classes are you taking?"
"I'm a literature studies major, so lots of reading and writing. I can't stand math." Tamarix began in amusement.
"Me neither. So, what are you planning to do with your major?"
"The plan is to go into the publishing field. I'd also like to write my own book one day, which hopefully shouldn't be a pipe dream. Goodness knows I've been writing stories forever."
"You know, you should talk to my sister, Ember," I threw that out to give Tamarix a reason to approach my sister, "She likes to write too. A lot of her time goes to roleplaying on different sites. I've even overheard her saying she might want to go to college for a literature studies major too. Maybe you could give her some tips."
"Ah, uh, maybe," Tamarix agreed, stumbling over his words more than he meant to, I'm sure, "She's the one one with the, um, the purple hair, right?"
"Yup!"
The sound of the door opening and closing behind us briefly stopped the conversation.
"Hi, Divi." I greeted my teacher.
"Hello, Dia."
"That's still such a weird nickname to hear for you." Tamarix addressed his father.
"I've gotten used to it," Mr. Divine laughed, "I quite like it too."
"Oh, Divi, I heard from Ethie and Ephie that you'll be moving up to teach at the high school after next year. Is that true? You haven't said anything about it in class." I asked.
"It was meant to be a secret that I was going to announce at the end of the year, but it has gotten around, hasn't it?" he shrugged in amusement, "I actually started discussing it with the administration five years ago, but it takes time to push these things through."
"How so?"
"Most teachers at Zenith Peak rotate through the elementary, middle, and high schools at some point in their career. I had to wait until there were other teachers willing to switch, and those teachers also had to be finishing up their complete stints with a class. Mr. Endive from the high school is moving to the elementary, and Mrs. Sorrel from the elementary will be taking my place at the middle school."
"I still think you should pull a Tansy." Tamarix prodded his father with a huge smile on his face.
"A Tansy?" I repeated in confusion.
"He's referencing Mrs. Tansy, a now retired teacher. She decided to move between schools at the right time to stay with one class for their entire required educational career- the only teacher to ever so do. It'd be interesting to accomplish, but by the time I finish with your class, Dia, and then go through another twelve years I'd be past the point where I want to retire." Mr. Divine mused.
"Oh yeah, I keep forgetting you're that old," I spoke without thinking at all, "No, I mean-"
Tamarix already burst into laughter, and at the very least I was glad to see the talking was loosening him up.
"It's fine." Mr. Divine reassured through his own chuckles before giving Tamarix a friendly push.
For about fifteen minutes we forgot about the rest of the party. The cheerful conversing pressed forward, and my research made it a struggle to say Tamarix shouldn't be with my sister. He was a good guy. My opinion ultimately fell under the conclusion they should have been upfront about their relationship, and they definitely should have waited to sleep together. However, since the past couldn't be changed there was no need to vilify them. Consequences had to be had, but Ember was right. Tamarix wasn't some creepy old man coercing her through money, power, or what-have-you.
The party ended. The day ended. Enough days ended, in fact, that it became problematic for Ember to fit into the majority of her clothes. Her school uniform was loose enough for her to still keep her secret from getting out at school, but at home what she chose to put on highlighted that something developed. The growing of her belly also grew within all our minds one big suspicion. Time remained for Ember to get rid of the baby, yet she spoke no plans of doing so. She spoke no plans of keeping the baby either, but when mom brought her home from her appointment and my sister had the giddiest grin on her face from learning her child was a boy the clarity of which way Ember leaned rang loudly.
Aunt Mimi arrived the following day.
"Mom, I'm sorry." Ember apologized quietly as she melted into her arms.
"It's alright. Believe it or not, this is hardly the most complicated situation our families have had to deal with," Aunt Mimi smiled tenderly while stroking her hair, "You're okay, and that's what's most important. Everything else we can work out."
I'd been excited for Aunt Mimi's arrival until she spoke those words. My mind brought to the forefront the truth I'd otherwise forced myself to ignore. My aunt held my sister so lovingly. Dad embraced Aunt Mimi so hard her feet lifted off the floor. My mom treated her sister with no animosity. Everyone else had long swept the painful emotions behind them, yet I, who had nothing to do with any of it, battled a gentle though constant bubble of rejection in my gut. Such a thing wasn't lost on Aunt Mimi. It wasn't a great surprise when she noticed something was up given how I kept my distance as politely as I could.
"Is something wrong, Dia?" she questioned openly, sitting down next to me in the quiet living room later that evening.
"No." I lied.
"Are you sure? I just...I'm getting the impression you're not happy with me, and you keep-"
As she spoke, she reached to place her hand on mine. I hurried yanked it back before cringing in guilt.
"...Drawing away from me." Aunt Mimi finished her sentence softly.
"I..." I mumbled, blinking quickly to banish the threatening warmth of my eyes, "I don't want to be upset with you. It's not my place to be upset with you. But, through a certain circumstance Ember had to tell me of what you wanted to wait to reveal to Gilly and me. How you harassed dad. How you attacked him at the hospital and stalked him. How you pretended to be mom to force him to sleep with you, and how you threatened to get rid of Ember to manipulate him further..."
Guilt flashed across Aunt Mimi's first face. Embarrassment followed. She looked away for a moment, seemingly stopped breathing, and fiddled her fingers on the hem on her dress before she broke the thick silence.
"I'm sorry, Dia. I don't know what happened that made Ember need to tell you, but it's not wrong for you to be upset. You love your father, mother, and sister greatly, and I acted despicably towards them. It doesn't matter that what happened occurred in the past. I've broken your trust. The person you've believed me to be is partly a lie."
"It's not though. You're exactly how I know you to be, otherwise I don't think dad would have let you step a foot past the door." I continued to mumble.
"I suppose that's not entirely untrue, but there remains a lot we purposely didn't tell you. That's lying to me. I am sorry. I understand if you need some time or if you can never look at me the same way again. From what I can gather, you've only talked to Ember and now me about this. You might be afraid revealing that you know to your parents will get you in trouble, yet if you need to talk to them you should. They'll understand."
"I really don't want to be upset with you though." I sniffled.
I completely got what Ember talked about in that moment. How Aunt Mimi being so open allowed her to forgive her. There my mom's sister sat fully willing to accept any judgment I passed upon her. I could hate her or find her disgusting for forever, and she wouldn't fight me or try to change my mind. To claim the responsibility and consequences for her actions was as crucial to her as it'd been all those years before I'd been born.
"I love you, Aunt Mimi." I found myself tossing myself against her with eyelashes still blocking back tears.
"I love you too, Dia." Aunt Mimi accepted me warmly, wrapping her arms around my shoulder and petting my hair.
Thankfully, things became a little easier after that. Admitting the truth to Aunt Mimi relieved a weight from my chest, and her knowing why I required time to be somewhat distant from her allowed me to relax until, by the end of the week, I'd worked through the majority of the dilemma. A twinge of pain stayed in my chest at the thought of dad being hurt, but I could handle that. I forgave my aunt. That same afternoon, Ember got me in my room when I was alone. She revealed what we'd all assumed- that she was going to have her son. I got her the phone so she could call Tamarix to let him know. Overhearing the conversation, Tamarix persisted in his determination to come forward properly. Ember, however, begged him to wait longer. Tamarix wasn't too happy with that, but it seemed as if he would stick to Ember's wishes. Then two weeks went by.
"We start filming in a month. Given the hype for the show and strong backing, the parent company has even greenlighted a second season already." Pumpkin gushed one morning before school.
"That's amazing. It's about time those silly people gave you a role." Morning praised in excitement.
"Indeed. You were great in the Christmas play." Gilly added.
"We'll make sure to watch every episode and buy every poster with your beautiful face on it." I promised.
"Haha, thanks, Dia."
Pumpkin was one of the best actors I'd known. Way better than Lupine, who was considered a genius. Still, Pumpkin hadn't found much in the way past doing the odd commercial for reasons I'm sure had to do with his green eyes. However, a prominent role in a much anticipated television show had finally been gifted to him after a grueling audition that included several other classmates in our grade among the thousands of others from across the country.
"Oh, hey, Divi!" Morning called to our teacher who approached in our direction once more from the administration office, "It's amazing! Pumpkin got the role of Mallow in Dark Adaptation!"
"Did you now? That is amazing. Congratulations, Pumpkin."
The four of us stared at our teacher. Mr. Divine had his off days like everyone else, but as he stood next to us he looked every bit his forty-eight years. His shoulders sagged with exhaustion and stress, and after a moment I noticed he only glanced at Morning and Pumpkin.
Mr. Divine soon excused himself into the classroom, which proved to be even weirder. Normally incredibly supportive of his students' efforts to get their entertainment careers off the ground and doting when they met success, his general brushing off of Pumpkin's huge accomplishment heightened the confusion and hint of worry in our chests. Nothing could really be done though. Class started soon, and no matter how close we were with our teacher we still didn't break that boundary of digging into his private life. I know I thought at first anyway that he'd simply gotten out of the wrong side of the bed that morning. Mr. Divine was having a stronger bad day than normal, but it was just a bad day. Nothing to think too deeply about.
"Is it just me, or is he not looking over this way at all today?" Cream leaned back to whisper to Gilly and me.
We both nodded, for it was reality. Mr. Divine wasn't walking around his table in the center like he typically did. For the most part, he stayed at the end farther away from us and never turned his head enough to see past Ethereal. That was after he had turned to face our back corner once, and as soon as he made eye contact with me he proceeded to rip his gaze away completely.
A buzz went around the classroom after lunch. Mr. Divine rode back to the middle school with us, but when the time came for classes to resume a purple woman walked in instead. I recognized her as Mrs. Fig, one of the librarians.
"Mr. Divine is feeling under the weather today," she announced to silence our curious whispers, "He went home to rest, so I'll be finishing up your classes for today."
"We were going to watch that war movie for History." Ivy, the green boy on the other side of the room, spoke up.
"Nice try, but I have your teacher's class notes right here," Mrs. Ivy gave him a teasing smile, "It says you're presenting your Health reports today. I think I've got someone in mind for who should go first."
The rest of the class laughed while Ivy grumbled as he set up his folding poster board. To his credit, his project was fine. One would always take watching a movie over giving a report though. I volunteered to go next when he was done, and the school day finished normally from there.
Ethereal, Ephemeral, Cream, and Morning wouldn't stop talking on the shuttle ride to the pick-up parking lot though of how bizarre it was for Mr. Divine to go home. He apparently hadn't missed a day of classes in six years. I thought it wasn't bizarre at all, at least in theory. No matter how good his attendance, of course a day would come where he felt sick and needed to rest. However, my silent concern came from the fact that Mr. Divine hadn't looked sick. Stress and embarrassment were the two major things he radiated off for me. An idea popped into my mind of the cause, and when my siblings and I arrived home dad helped confirm it.
"Do you two want to give me a heads up as to why I got a message from your teacher asking to come over tonight to discuss an extremely serious matter?" he questioned in contained disapproval.
"No, I-I have no clue why he wants to come over like that," Gilly answered first, and her nervousness confused me until I remembered my twin didn't have the same knowledge I did, "Dia and I haven't done anything. I swear."
My sister glanced at me for confirmation, and she fretted upon reading my expression. She could tell I did know what this was all about, and dad could tell it too.
"I know why he's coming," I revealed, "But it has nothing to do with us. I'm going to let him reveal this 'extremely serious matter' as well. It'll make complete sense when he gets here."
"Dianthus." dad spoke even more disapprovingly.
"I mean it- it has nothing to do with us. Gilly and I are best off going to our room and starting our homework."
My confidence wavered dad's own. His expression softened.
"Fine," he caved, "Let me know if you need any help."
Gilly did her best to wriggle what was going on out of me, but my lips were sealed. She pouted heavily while working on our math homework after that. I got halfway done with that myself before I couldn't stand it any longer. Moseying my way to my sister's room that she was sharing with her mom, relief hit me when I found Aunt Mimi wasn't there.
"Hey, Em? You haven't talked to Tam since that last phone call, have you?" I asked quietly.
"No. Why?"
"I think he might have told his parents."
"Told his parents...what?" Ember asked tentatively, clearly not wanting the conversation to go in this direction.
"That he's your boyfriend and the baby's dad."
"W-What makes you think he told them?"
"Divi came in looking super stressed this morning. He refused to even look in mine and Gilly's direction, and he went home 'sick' after lunch despite not being sick. He's also apparently talked with dad for him to come over tonight to discuss an important matter with him."
"That's just a coinci..." Ember trailed off in defeat, "Damn it. Can you get me the phone? I have to call Tam now."
However, Tamarix didn't pick up. Ember left him several voice mails, but her tries went unrewarded. I suspect that had something to do with the fact that Tamarix was already on the way to our house. Dad had only mentioned Mr. Divine coming over, but our teacher, his wife, and Tamarix all walked through the door. Mr. Divine hardly appeared any better than he had that morning, and given the tight expression on Rouge's face and Tamarix's guilty expression it was safe to say my assumption had been correct.
"We're sorry to intrude like this, Mrs. Vivid," Mr. Divine addressed Aunt Mimi, who had let them in, "This wasn't something I anticipated having to do today."
"It's no bother at all. You might want to save your words for why you're here though as I'm not Mrs. Vivid." Aunt Mimi explained with a lightly merry smile.
"That's Aunt Mimosa, my mom's sister, who's staying with us for a while" I revealed as I came down the stairs to clear up my teacher's vast confusion, "They're identical twins. Aunt Mimi is also Ember's mom."
I got that tidbit of information out there as soon as possible. Mom then walked around the corner from her room, and Mr. Divine did a double-take.
"I see how I mixed the two of you up now. My apologies. I did think something was different."
"It's no problem. Happens all the time," mom comforted, "Now, what can we do for you three? Coal said you were coming, but Dia is apparently quite adamant it has nothing to do with her and Gilly. Is that right?"
"I-It is, but how did she know that?" Mr. Divine mostly glanced at me.
"I know everything about what's going on. Known it for a while now." I went ahead and admitted since everything was clearly coming out soon.
"How?" mom questioned suspiciously while Mr. Divine and Tamarix both shifted even more in humiliation at my words.
"By doing stuff that I totally should have gotten grounded for." I shrugged.
"Dianthus..." mom sighed.
"Hey, at least I didn't fall into a lake and almost drown this time around." I pointed out merrily.
"What?" Mr. Divine questioned in concern.
"A story for another time," I waved him off, "You should probably go ahead and get down to why you're here. I'll go get dad and Ember."
Clearly, mom found it bizarre that I mentioned bringing Ember out. She stared at me without blinking, and her mind whirred through all the explanations given the information she had to put it together by the time I walked by. Mr. Divine coming over to speak with my parents about something not related to Gilly or me made little sense as it was. Him bringing his wife and son signaled an especially stranger reason. With Ember's mention and the way frightened Tamarix tried his best to stand brave under her scrutiny though, reality hit mom easily enough. She spoke nothing while Aunt Mimi asked my teacher and his family some casual questions about themselves to combat the tenser air developing around the group. Dad, however, he got it right away. As soon as he saw Ember and Tamarix within the same ten feet shifting awkwardly but longingly in the presence of the other his eyes narrowed. He took a deep breath and offered a seat in the living room to everyone though. With no seat space for him, he took up an intimidating presence behind my aunt and sister.
"Is this a discussion that requires me? There's clearly something serious going on, and I don't want to intrude." Aunt Mimi wondered.
"This definitely requires you, Mimosa," dad confirmed, giving a terse glance at Mr. Divine, Tamarix, and Rouge in turn, "Doesn't it?"
"Yes." Tamarix answered evenly, although quietly.
"I'm perplexed as to why."
"Tam is the mysterious, secret boyfriend who's the baby's dad." I half-whispered to her as I leaned on the couch between her and Ember to point at Tamarix.
"Ohhh." Aunt Mimi replied more in satisfaction at having her question answered than being bothered by the news.
"This conversation doesn't require you though." dad gently began pushing me away.
"But daddy-"
"No 'but daddy'. Go to your room and finish your homework. I know you haven't done it all."
"Fine." I huffed slowly in defeat.
Gilly's head peaked out to greet me as I shuffled over.
"What's going on? I heard Divi's voice, but there were other voices too. Who all has come over?"
"People."
"Diaaa!" Gilly whined, "Stop being mean and just tell me!"
"Nope."
Mirage wandered by my feet, so I picked her up to ignore my sister.
"You know I can go out there and just find out right?" Gilly pouted with her hands on her hips.
"You might see the people, but as soon as dad sees you he's going to demand you come right back. It's best to just let them have their talk, decide what they want to do, and let them tell us what they feel is appropriate to reveal." I spoke more seriously.
"If the situation is serious like everyone's been saying it is, I guess I understand that. How did you get to know about it all though?"
"Reasons."
Gilly gave me a stern look. Then the gears in her head finally began piecing everything together.
"Oh!" she gasped, "That day you and Ember snuck out! When you went to go meet with her boyfriend! Is that who's here? But why would Divi be involved? Oh...oh my god. Is he the dad!?"
"Gil, no," I laughed, "It's not him."
"Then..." she paused before snapping it into place, "But he does have a son who's in college, doesn't he?"
"He does indeed."
That was all I said, but Gilly recognized the confirmation in my tone.
Once she knew, however, my tongue could hardly keep back the rest of the details. For the first time probably ever, I buried myself in my math homework with utmost devotion. I completed it, double-checked it, and went on to do everything else for the other classes. Given that we'd just had a presentation day for one subject, the assignments weren't heavy and demanding. I put my all into them though, and I even read an extra chapter in our assigned reading book. Gilly and I then distracted ourselves with television. If we were quiet enough, the two of us could catch the talking coming from the living room. On and on it went, and that there was no angry voices or loud tones hinted things were proceeding cordially enough. However, Gilly and I had to intrude eventually though. We simply couldn't stand it.
"Mom," I whined, interrupting the older ones talking surprisingly comfortably with one another, "Are we going to eat? We're starving, and it's already past six."
"I'm so sorry. We weren't paying attention to the time at all. Let's see what we can whip up quickly." she apologized.
"Pizza!" Gilly suggested eagerly.
"We had pizza two nights ago."
"So?"
"I bought a bunch of hot dogs for a barbecue on the weekend. I'm sure Uncle Blaze won't be opposed to grilling them up." dad offered.
"That sounds good." I accepted.
"Do you three want to stay?" dad asked our three guests, and his calm demeanor after seeing him that afternoon when Ember first revealed her pregnancy filled me with a strange sense of pride.
"Thank you, but we'll take our leave. We did stay longer than intended, and we seem to have covered everything properly for the moment. We thank you for your time, and we hope you have a good evening." Mr. Divine excused his family out politely.
Blaze jumped at the opportunity to produce an endless amount of hot dogs for us to devour. He had the grill heated before we could blink, and the scent of cooking meat severely pleased my nose when I stepped outside. Mom, Aunt Mimi, and Ember were talking, so my sister and I wandered over to dad to satisfy our curiosity.
"So?" Gilly questioned.
"So?" dad repeated teasingly.
"Don't even start." she frowned.
"In case Dia didn't tell you, Tamarix, your teacher's son, is Ember's boyfriend," dad relented, pressing on when the news obviously didn't phase her, "Ember wanted him to keep his identity secret until she turned eighteen, but he decided to come clean to his parents last night. Tamarix wanted to prove he was serious by coming forward honestly and taking responsibility. He reassured multiple times his feelings for your sister are genuine and that he never had any ill intentions. While I don't think anyone can say for certain whether they're meant to be together forever, I can't deny that it's not impossible for them to be truly in love at such young ages."
Dad's words slowed as he paused for a brief second to glance back at grandpa.
"In any case, after much talking we all came to an agreement. I do believe that Ember loves Tamarix in this moment, and that he loves her. Mimosa and I will allow the two to see each other under close supervision until Ember both becomes an adult and graduates from high school. Ember's chosen to have the baby, so it's not like we can keep them apart. Once she is an adult, there's little reason for me or anyone to protest their relationship. The age difference is hardly bad. Ember will also have every right to make her decisions for her own life. Where she will end up living after all this, that we still have to work out."
"Oh yeah, I guess she'd want to stay here." I realized dismally.
The man she loved was here, and she'd certainly want to stay nearby for them to raise their son together. Saying goodbye to Uncle Prism and them was a sad enough thought. It really hurt to think of Ember also being so far away. My sister had always been right there next to us.
What could be done though? My selfish wish of never wanting her to be so far apart from me wasn't any sort of reason enough to halt the plans everyone else maturely made. Tamarix came around for a visit once a week at first. Dad, despite doing his best to accept the guy, couldn't handle more than that at the beginning. That once a week turned into twice a week eventually. Then it was three times a week. Then it was every other day. By that point, Ember could no longer hide her stomach. She had to order a specialized uniform, and everyone talked about her at school. They would have talked more if they knew who the father was. We still kept Tamarix's identity secret to everyone else. None of us could say for sure the impact it would have on Mr. Divine and his career. There were naturally no rules preventing the son of a teacher having a romantic and sexual relationship with an underage student of the Zenith Peak school system aside from the national law of Tamarix not being allowed to sleep with a minor, but that didn't mean it was a risk we had to take. Even after Ember was eighteen and graduated from high school, the two of them kept things rather down-low. Perhaps because she, too, realized we would be far one day or because motherly instincts were kicking in, Ember spent a lot more time with us younger ones. So many of her chances she had to go on dates with her boyfriend went to bringing him along to play or hang out with us instead.
From there on, time kept passing. Ember's belly grew and grew, but it stopped being the main thing we focused on. Grandpa and dad went back to Berrybrook after a delay of them being lazy and not wanting to bother. They were there for a month helping with the cleaning and reconstruction, but there was little for them to do anymore past helping to move garbage from the outer sections of the city. The rain was finally gone, and for the most part everything was operational. There were just a few more important matters to take care of.
"I can't believe you just said that." Gilly's jaw dropped in horrified awe.
"The public pool is seriously twenty feet away from our property line. There's no reason to have one of our own." dad explained.
Our old house was long gone. Grandpa had given the city permission to knock it down over the winter. The space sat as an empty lot as it had when he and grandma bought it, and we five hung out in Merlot's room while dad sketched rough suggestions for how the new house should look. Everything had been going fine until dad said it made more sense for us not to rebuild the pool.
"We need a pool!" Merlot spoke adamantly, shaking dad's arm.
"We don't."
"Coal, you do realize you'd be making the exact same complaint if you were their ages?" grandpa chuckled.
"Yes, but I'm not. And we do not need a pool."
"Doesn't matter if we need it. I want one, and it's my lot and my money. We're building one." grandpa declared brightly.
"Oh my god, you are impossible," dad shook his head, although he laughed, "You can tell Holly we won't have room for that garden she wants then."
Discussion about the true final appearance of the house took a long time. Nothing concrete was decided in the slightest by the time Ember went into labor in July. The fact that Flurry, named as an homage to paternal grandpa, Snow Divine, came out with albinism surprised the Divines while not shocking us Vivids in the slightest. We hadn't thought to tell them about grandma's special strain. With Ember carrying that and Tamarix carrying the gene as well, it looked like albinos would be in our family for a time to come. Ember proved to be a good mother, but I hadn't had any doubts about that. There was talk about Tamarix and her getting a place of their own. However, for the moment, Ember stayed with us.
Two months of summer vacation had passed by the time Flurry was two weeks old. Those house plans still remained woefully incomplete, and it wouldn't be that long really until school picked up again. We were all dragging our feet on the matter. When we were nearly the end of the contract mom had made to rent the house here, she, dad, and grandpa called us together for a family meeting to discuss our choices. With no house to go back to yet, with school registration deadlines looming, and with Berrybrook needing more time to recover back to the way we knew it, there really was only one decision we could make. It wouldn't hurt to stay in Tinseltown for one more year.
Just one more year. We agreed.
"Me neither. So, what are you planning to do with your major?"
"The plan is to go into the publishing field. I'd also like to write my own book one day, which hopefully shouldn't be a pipe dream. Goodness knows I've been writing stories forever."
"You know, you should talk to my sister, Ember," I threw that out to give Tamarix a reason to approach my sister, "She likes to write too. A lot of her time goes to roleplaying on different sites. I've even overheard her saying she might want to go to college for a literature studies major too. Maybe you could give her some tips."
"Ah, uh, maybe," Tamarix agreed, stumbling over his words more than he meant to, I'm sure, "She's the one one with the, um, the purple hair, right?"
"Yup!"
The sound of the door opening and closing behind us briefly stopped the conversation.
"Hi, Divi." I greeted my teacher.
"Hello, Dia."
"That's still such a weird nickname to hear for you." Tamarix addressed his father.
"I've gotten used to it," Mr. Divine laughed, "I quite like it too."
"Oh, Divi, I heard from Ethie and Ephie that you'll be moving up to teach at the high school after next year. Is that true? You haven't said anything about it in class." I asked.
"It was meant to be a secret that I was going to announce at the end of the year, but it has gotten around, hasn't it?" he shrugged in amusement, "I actually started discussing it with the administration five years ago, but it takes time to push these things through."
"How so?"
"Most teachers at Zenith Peak rotate through the elementary, middle, and high schools at some point in their career. I had to wait until there were other teachers willing to switch, and those teachers also had to be finishing up their complete stints with a class. Mr. Endive from the high school is moving to the elementary, and Mrs. Sorrel from the elementary will be taking my place at the middle school."
"I still think you should pull a Tansy." Tamarix prodded his father with a huge smile on his face.
"A Tansy?" I repeated in confusion.
"He's referencing Mrs. Tansy, a now retired teacher. She decided to move between schools at the right time to stay with one class for their entire required educational career- the only teacher to ever so do. It'd be interesting to accomplish, but by the time I finish with your class, Dia, and then go through another twelve years I'd be past the point where I want to retire." Mr. Divine mused.
"Oh yeah, I keep forgetting you're that old," I spoke without thinking at all, "No, I mean-"
Tamarix already burst into laughter, and at the very least I was glad to see the talking was loosening him up.
"It's fine." Mr. Divine reassured through his own chuckles before giving Tamarix a friendly push.
For about fifteen minutes we forgot about the rest of the party. The cheerful conversing pressed forward, and my research made it a struggle to say Tamarix shouldn't be with my sister. He was a good guy. My opinion ultimately fell under the conclusion they should have been upfront about their relationship, and they definitely should have waited to sleep together. However, since the past couldn't be changed there was no need to vilify them. Consequences had to be had, but Ember was right. Tamarix wasn't some creepy old man coercing her through money, power, or what-have-you.
The party ended. The day ended. Enough days ended, in fact, that it became problematic for Ember to fit into the majority of her clothes. Her school uniform was loose enough for her to still keep her secret from getting out at school, but at home what she chose to put on highlighted that something developed. The growing of her belly also grew within all our minds one big suspicion. Time remained for Ember to get rid of the baby, yet she spoke no plans of doing so. She spoke no plans of keeping the baby either, but when mom brought her home from her appointment and my sister had the giddiest grin on her face from learning her child was a boy the clarity of which way Ember leaned rang loudly.
Aunt Mimi arrived the following day.
"Mom, I'm sorry." Ember apologized quietly as she melted into her arms.
"It's alright. Believe it or not, this is hardly the most complicated situation our families have had to deal with," Aunt Mimi smiled tenderly while stroking her hair, "You're okay, and that's what's most important. Everything else we can work out."
I'd been excited for Aunt Mimi's arrival until she spoke those words. My mind brought to the forefront the truth I'd otherwise forced myself to ignore. My aunt held my sister so lovingly. Dad embraced Aunt Mimi so hard her feet lifted off the floor. My mom treated her sister with no animosity. Everyone else had long swept the painful emotions behind them, yet I, who had nothing to do with any of it, battled a gentle though constant bubble of rejection in my gut. Such a thing wasn't lost on Aunt Mimi. It wasn't a great surprise when she noticed something was up given how I kept my distance as politely as I could.
"Is something wrong, Dia?" she questioned openly, sitting down next to me in the quiet living room later that evening.
"No." I lied.
"Are you sure? I just...I'm getting the impression you're not happy with me, and you keep-"
As she spoke, she reached to place her hand on mine. I hurried yanked it back before cringing in guilt.
"...Drawing away from me." Aunt Mimi finished her sentence softly.
"I..." I mumbled, blinking quickly to banish the threatening warmth of my eyes, "I don't want to be upset with you. It's not my place to be upset with you. But, through a certain circumstance Ember had to tell me of what you wanted to wait to reveal to Gilly and me. How you harassed dad. How you attacked him at the hospital and stalked him. How you pretended to be mom to force him to sleep with you, and how you threatened to get rid of Ember to manipulate him further..."
Guilt flashed across Aunt Mimi's first face. Embarrassment followed. She looked away for a moment, seemingly stopped breathing, and fiddled her fingers on the hem on her dress before she broke the thick silence.
"I'm sorry, Dia. I don't know what happened that made Ember need to tell you, but it's not wrong for you to be upset. You love your father, mother, and sister greatly, and I acted despicably towards them. It doesn't matter that what happened occurred in the past. I've broken your trust. The person you've believed me to be is partly a lie."
"It's not though. You're exactly how I know you to be, otherwise I don't think dad would have let you step a foot past the door." I continued to mumble.
"I suppose that's not entirely untrue, but there remains a lot we purposely didn't tell you. That's lying to me. I am sorry. I understand if you need some time or if you can never look at me the same way again. From what I can gather, you've only talked to Ember and now me about this. You might be afraid revealing that you know to your parents will get you in trouble, yet if you need to talk to them you should. They'll understand."
"I really don't want to be upset with you though." I sniffled.
I completely got what Ember talked about in that moment. How Aunt Mimi being so open allowed her to forgive her. There my mom's sister sat fully willing to accept any judgment I passed upon her. I could hate her or find her disgusting for forever, and she wouldn't fight me or try to change my mind. To claim the responsibility and consequences for her actions was as crucial to her as it'd been all those years before I'd been born.
"I love you, Aunt Mimi." I found myself tossing myself against her with eyelashes still blocking back tears.
"I love you too, Dia." Aunt Mimi accepted me warmly, wrapping her arms around my shoulder and petting my hair.
Thankfully, things became a little easier after that. Admitting the truth to Aunt Mimi relieved a weight from my chest, and her knowing why I required time to be somewhat distant from her allowed me to relax until, by the end of the week, I'd worked through the majority of the dilemma. A twinge of pain stayed in my chest at the thought of dad being hurt, but I could handle that. I forgave my aunt. That same afternoon, Ember got me in my room when I was alone. She revealed what we'd all assumed- that she was going to have her son. I got her the phone so she could call Tamarix to let him know. Overhearing the conversation, Tamarix persisted in his determination to come forward properly. Ember, however, begged him to wait longer. Tamarix wasn't too happy with that, but it seemed as if he would stick to Ember's wishes. Then two weeks went by.
"We start filming in a month. Given the hype for the show and strong backing, the parent company has even greenlighted a second season already." Pumpkin gushed one morning before school.
"That's amazing. It's about time those silly people gave you a role." Morning praised in excitement.
"Indeed. You were great in the Christmas play." Gilly added.
"We'll make sure to watch every episode and buy every poster with your beautiful face on it." I promised.
"Haha, thanks, Dia."
Pumpkin was one of the best actors I'd known. Way better than Lupine, who was considered a genius. Still, Pumpkin hadn't found much in the way past doing the odd commercial for reasons I'm sure had to do with his green eyes. However, a prominent role in a much anticipated television show had finally been gifted to him after a grueling audition that included several other classmates in our grade among the thousands of others from across the country.
"Oh, hey, Divi!" Morning called to our teacher who approached in our direction once more from the administration office, "It's amazing! Pumpkin got the role of Mallow in Dark Adaptation!"
"Did you now? That is amazing. Congratulations, Pumpkin."
The four of us stared at our teacher. Mr. Divine had his off days like everyone else, but as he stood next to us he looked every bit his forty-eight years. His shoulders sagged with exhaustion and stress, and after a moment I noticed he only glanced at Morning and Pumpkin.
Mr. Divine soon excused himself into the classroom, which proved to be even weirder. Normally incredibly supportive of his students' efforts to get their entertainment careers off the ground and doting when they met success, his general brushing off of Pumpkin's huge accomplishment heightened the confusion and hint of worry in our chests. Nothing could really be done though. Class started soon, and no matter how close we were with our teacher we still didn't break that boundary of digging into his private life. I know I thought at first anyway that he'd simply gotten out of the wrong side of the bed that morning. Mr. Divine was having a stronger bad day than normal, but it was just a bad day. Nothing to think too deeply about.
"Is it just me, or is he not looking over this way at all today?" Cream leaned back to whisper to Gilly and me.
We both nodded, for it was reality. Mr. Divine wasn't walking around his table in the center like he typically did. For the most part, he stayed at the end farther away from us and never turned his head enough to see past Ethereal. That was after he had turned to face our back corner once, and as soon as he made eye contact with me he proceeded to rip his gaze away completely.
A buzz went around the classroom after lunch. Mr. Divine rode back to the middle school with us, but when the time came for classes to resume a purple woman walked in instead. I recognized her as Mrs. Fig, one of the librarians.
"Mr. Divine is feeling under the weather today," she announced to silence our curious whispers, "He went home to rest, so I'll be finishing up your classes for today."
"We were going to watch that war movie for History." Ivy, the green boy on the other side of the room, spoke up.
"Nice try, but I have your teacher's class notes right here," Mrs. Ivy gave him a teasing smile, "It says you're presenting your Health reports today. I think I've got someone in mind for who should go first."
The rest of the class laughed while Ivy grumbled as he set up his folding poster board. To his credit, his project was fine. One would always take watching a movie over giving a report though. I volunteered to go next when he was done, and the school day finished normally from there.
Ethereal, Ephemeral, Cream, and Morning wouldn't stop talking on the shuttle ride to the pick-up parking lot though of how bizarre it was for Mr. Divine to go home. He apparently hadn't missed a day of classes in six years. I thought it wasn't bizarre at all, at least in theory. No matter how good his attendance, of course a day would come where he felt sick and needed to rest. However, my silent concern came from the fact that Mr. Divine hadn't looked sick. Stress and embarrassment were the two major things he radiated off for me. An idea popped into my mind of the cause, and when my siblings and I arrived home dad helped confirm it.
"Do you two want to give me a heads up as to why I got a message from your teacher asking to come over tonight to discuss an extremely serious matter?" he questioned in contained disapproval.
"No, I-I have no clue why he wants to come over like that," Gilly answered first, and her nervousness confused me until I remembered my twin didn't have the same knowledge I did, "Dia and I haven't done anything. I swear."
My sister glanced at me for confirmation, and she fretted upon reading my expression. She could tell I did know what this was all about, and dad could tell it too.
"I know why he's coming," I revealed, "But it has nothing to do with us. I'm going to let him reveal this 'extremely serious matter' as well. It'll make complete sense when he gets here."
"Dianthus." dad spoke even more disapprovingly.
"I mean it- it has nothing to do with us. Gilly and I are best off going to our room and starting our homework."
My confidence wavered dad's own. His expression softened.
"Fine," he caved, "Let me know if you need any help."
Gilly did her best to wriggle what was going on out of me, but my lips were sealed. She pouted heavily while working on our math homework after that. I got halfway done with that myself before I couldn't stand it any longer. Moseying my way to my sister's room that she was sharing with her mom, relief hit me when I found Aunt Mimi wasn't there.
"Hey, Em? You haven't talked to Tam since that last phone call, have you?" I asked quietly.
"No. Why?"
"I think he might have told his parents."
"Told his parents...what?" Ember asked tentatively, clearly not wanting the conversation to go in this direction.
"That he's your boyfriend and the baby's dad."
"W-What makes you think he told them?"
"Divi came in looking super stressed this morning. He refused to even look in mine and Gilly's direction, and he went home 'sick' after lunch despite not being sick. He's also apparently talked with dad for him to come over tonight to discuss an important matter with him."
"That's just a coinci..." Ember trailed off in defeat, "Damn it. Can you get me the phone? I have to call Tam now."
However, Tamarix didn't pick up. Ember left him several voice mails, but her tries went unrewarded. I suspect that had something to do with the fact that Tamarix was already on the way to our house. Dad had only mentioned Mr. Divine coming over, but our teacher, his wife, and Tamarix all walked through the door. Mr. Divine hardly appeared any better than he had that morning, and given the tight expression on Rouge's face and Tamarix's guilty expression it was safe to say my assumption had been correct.
"We're sorry to intrude like this, Mrs. Vivid," Mr. Divine addressed Aunt Mimi, who had let them in, "This wasn't something I anticipated having to do today."
"It's no bother at all. You might want to save your words for why you're here though as I'm not Mrs. Vivid." Aunt Mimi explained with a lightly merry smile.
"That's Aunt Mimosa, my mom's sister, who's staying with us for a while" I revealed as I came down the stairs to clear up my teacher's vast confusion, "They're identical twins. Aunt Mimi is also Ember's mom."
I got that tidbit of information out there as soon as possible. Mom then walked around the corner from her room, and Mr. Divine did a double-take.
"I see how I mixed the two of you up now. My apologies. I did think something was different."
"It's no problem. Happens all the time," mom comforted, "Now, what can we do for you three? Coal said you were coming, but Dia is apparently quite adamant it has nothing to do with her and Gilly. Is that right?"
"I-It is, but how did she know that?" Mr. Divine mostly glanced at me.
"I know everything about what's going on. Known it for a while now." I went ahead and admitted since everything was clearly coming out soon.
"How?" mom questioned suspiciously while Mr. Divine and Tamarix both shifted even more in humiliation at my words.
"By doing stuff that I totally should have gotten grounded for." I shrugged.
"Dianthus..." mom sighed.
"Hey, at least I didn't fall into a lake and almost drown this time around." I pointed out merrily.
"What?" Mr. Divine questioned in concern.
"A story for another time," I waved him off, "You should probably go ahead and get down to why you're here. I'll go get dad and Ember."
Clearly, mom found it bizarre that I mentioned bringing Ember out. She stared at me without blinking, and her mind whirred through all the explanations given the information she had to put it together by the time I walked by. Mr. Divine coming over to speak with my parents about something not related to Gilly or me made little sense as it was. Him bringing his wife and son signaled an especially stranger reason. With Ember's mention and the way frightened Tamarix tried his best to stand brave under her scrutiny though, reality hit mom easily enough. She spoke nothing while Aunt Mimi asked my teacher and his family some casual questions about themselves to combat the tenser air developing around the group. Dad, however, he got it right away. As soon as he saw Ember and Tamarix within the same ten feet shifting awkwardly but longingly in the presence of the other his eyes narrowed. He took a deep breath and offered a seat in the living room to everyone though. With no seat space for him, he took up an intimidating presence behind my aunt and sister.
"Is this a discussion that requires me? There's clearly something serious going on, and I don't want to intrude." Aunt Mimi wondered.
"This definitely requires you, Mimosa," dad confirmed, giving a terse glance at Mr. Divine, Tamarix, and Rouge in turn, "Doesn't it?"
"Yes." Tamarix answered evenly, although quietly.
"I'm perplexed as to why."
"Tam is the mysterious, secret boyfriend who's the baby's dad." I half-whispered to her as I leaned on the couch between her and Ember to point at Tamarix.
"Ohhh." Aunt Mimi replied more in satisfaction at having her question answered than being bothered by the news.
"This conversation doesn't require you though." dad gently began pushing me away.
"But daddy-"
"No 'but daddy'. Go to your room and finish your homework. I know you haven't done it all."
"Fine." I huffed slowly in defeat.
Gilly's head peaked out to greet me as I shuffled over.
"What's going on? I heard Divi's voice, but there were other voices too. Who all has come over?"
"People."
"Diaaa!" Gilly whined, "Stop being mean and just tell me!"
"Nope."
Mirage wandered by my feet, so I picked her up to ignore my sister.
"You know I can go out there and just find out right?" Gilly pouted with her hands on her hips.
"You might see the people, but as soon as dad sees you he's going to demand you come right back. It's best to just let them have their talk, decide what they want to do, and let them tell us what they feel is appropriate to reveal." I spoke more seriously.
"If the situation is serious like everyone's been saying it is, I guess I understand that. How did you get to know about it all though?"
"Reasons."
Gilly gave me a stern look. Then the gears in her head finally began piecing everything together.
"Oh!" she gasped, "That day you and Ember snuck out! When you went to go meet with her boyfriend! Is that who's here? But why would Divi be involved? Oh...oh my god. Is he the dad!?"
"Gil, no," I laughed, "It's not him."
"Then..." she paused before snapping it into place, "But he does have a son who's in college, doesn't he?"
"He does indeed."
That was all I said, but Gilly recognized the confirmation in my tone.
Once she knew, however, my tongue could hardly keep back the rest of the details. For the first time probably ever, I buried myself in my math homework with utmost devotion. I completed it, double-checked it, and went on to do everything else for the other classes. Given that we'd just had a presentation day for one subject, the assignments weren't heavy and demanding. I put my all into them though, and I even read an extra chapter in our assigned reading book. Gilly and I then distracted ourselves with television. If we were quiet enough, the two of us could catch the talking coming from the living room. On and on it went, and that there was no angry voices or loud tones hinted things were proceeding cordially enough. However, Gilly and I had to intrude eventually though. We simply couldn't stand it.
"Mom," I whined, interrupting the older ones talking surprisingly comfortably with one another, "Are we going to eat? We're starving, and it's already past six."
"I'm so sorry. We weren't paying attention to the time at all. Let's see what we can whip up quickly." she apologized.
"Pizza!" Gilly suggested eagerly.
"We had pizza two nights ago."
"So?"
"I bought a bunch of hot dogs for a barbecue on the weekend. I'm sure Uncle Blaze won't be opposed to grilling them up." dad offered.
"That sounds good." I accepted.
"Do you three want to stay?" dad asked our three guests, and his calm demeanor after seeing him that afternoon when Ember first revealed her pregnancy filled me with a strange sense of pride.
"Thank you, but we'll take our leave. We did stay longer than intended, and we seem to have covered everything properly for the moment. We thank you for your time, and we hope you have a good evening." Mr. Divine excused his family out politely.
Blaze jumped at the opportunity to produce an endless amount of hot dogs for us to devour. He had the grill heated before we could blink, and the scent of cooking meat severely pleased my nose when I stepped outside. Mom, Aunt Mimi, and Ember were talking, so my sister and I wandered over to dad to satisfy our curiosity.
"So?" Gilly questioned.
"So?" dad repeated teasingly.
"Don't even start." she frowned.
"In case Dia didn't tell you, Tamarix, your teacher's son, is Ember's boyfriend," dad relented, pressing on when the news obviously didn't phase her, "Ember wanted him to keep his identity secret until she turned eighteen, but he decided to come clean to his parents last night. Tamarix wanted to prove he was serious by coming forward honestly and taking responsibility. He reassured multiple times his feelings for your sister are genuine and that he never had any ill intentions. While I don't think anyone can say for certain whether they're meant to be together forever, I can't deny that it's not impossible for them to be truly in love at such young ages."
Dad's words slowed as he paused for a brief second to glance back at grandpa.
"In any case, after much talking we all came to an agreement. I do believe that Ember loves Tamarix in this moment, and that he loves her. Mimosa and I will allow the two to see each other under close supervision until Ember both becomes an adult and graduates from high school. Ember's chosen to have the baby, so it's not like we can keep them apart. Once she is an adult, there's little reason for me or anyone to protest their relationship. The age difference is hardly bad. Ember will also have every right to make her decisions for her own life. Where she will end up living after all this, that we still have to work out."
"Oh yeah, I guess she'd want to stay here." I realized dismally.
The man she loved was here, and she'd certainly want to stay nearby for them to raise their son together. Saying goodbye to Uncle Prism and them was a sad enough thought. It really hurt to think of Ember also being so far away. My sister had always been right there next to us.
What could be done though? My selfish wish of never wanting her to be so far apart from me wasn't any sort of reason enough to halt the plans everyone else maturely made. Tamarix came around for a visit once a week at first. Dad, despite doing his best to accept the guy, couldn't handle more than that at the beginning. That once a week turned into twice a week eventually. Then it was three times a week. Then it was every other day. By that point, Ember could no longer hide her stomach. She had to order a specialized uniform, and everyone talked about her at school. They would have talked more if they knew who the father was. We still kept Tamarix's identity secret to everyone else. None of us could say for sure the impact it would have on Mr. Divine and his career. There were naturally no rules preventing the son of a teacher having a romantic and sexual relationship with an underage student of the Zenith Peak school system aside from the national law of Tamarix not being allowed to sleep with a minor, but that didn't mean it was a risk we had to take. Even after Ember was eighteen and graduated from high school, the two of them kept things rather down-low. Perhaps because she, too, realized we would be far one day or because motherly instincts were kicking in, Ember spent a lot more time with us younger ones. So many of her chances she had to go on dates with her boyfriend went to bringing him along to play or hang out with us instead.
From there on, time kept passing. Ember's belly grew and grew, but it stopped being the main thing we focused on. Grandpa and dad went back to Berrybrook after a delay of them being lazy and not wanting to bother. They were there for a month helping with the cleaning and reconstruction, but there was little for them to do anymore past helping to move garbage from the outer sections of the city. The rain was finally gone, and for the most part everything was operational. There were just a few more important matters to take care of.
"I can't believe you just said that." Gilly's jaw dropped in horrified awe.
"The public pool is seriously twenty feet away from our property line. There's no reason to have one of our own." dad explained.
Our old house was long gone. Grandpa had given the city permission to knock it down over the winter. The space sat as an empty lot as it had when he and grandma bought it, and we five hung out in Merlot's room while dad sketched rough suggestions for how the new house should look. Everything had been going fine until dad said it made more sense for us not to rebuild the pool.
"We need a pool!" Merlot spoke adamantly, shaking dad's arm.
"We don't."
"Coal, you do realize you'd be making the exact same complaint if you were their ages?" grandpa chuckled.
"Yes, but I'm not. And we do not need a pool."
"Doesn't matter if we need it. I want one, and it's my lot and my money. We're building one." grandpa declared brightly.
"Oh my god, you are impossible," dad shook his head, although he laughed, "You can tell Holly we won't have room for that garden she wants then."
Discussion about the true final appearance of the house took a long time. Nothing concrete was decided in the slightest by the time Ember went into labor in July. The fact that Flurry, named as an homage to paternal grandpa, Snow Divine, came out with albinism surprised the Divines while not shocking us Vivids in the slightest. We hadn't thought to tell them about grandma's special strain. With Ember carrying that and Tamarix carrying the gene as well, it looked like albinos would be in our family for a time to come. Ember proved to be a good mother, but I hadn't had any doubts about that. There was talk about Tamarix and her getting a place of their own. However, for the moment, Ember stayed with us.
Two months of summer vacation had passed by the time Flurry was two weeks old. Those house plans still remained woefully incomplete, and it wouldn't be that long really until school picked up again. We were all dragging our feet on the matter. When we were nearly the end of the contract mom had made to rent the house here, she, dad, and grandpa called us together for a family meeting to discuss our choices. With no house to go back to yet, with school registration deadlines looming, and with Berrybrook needing more time to recover back to the way we knew it, there really was only one decision we could make. It wouldn't hurt to stay in Tinseltown for one more year.
Just one more year. We agreed.
Aww little Flurry is soo cute!! I had a feeling she'd have a little albino.
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