A/N Nobody here believes anybody other then Diane Duane owns these characters, do they? Or that I'm said author? Good, good, moving on to the crack. I'm serious. You're not supposed to take this seriously. I don't even take this seriously.
Observation is often the revealer of the greatest truths. What rankles Nita is that it is not her observations that uncovered this truth, but those of the first eleven year old wizard to show up on her and Kit's doorstep after they make advisory.
Little Eliza Perkins insists that she's seen the North American Continents Ranking Seniors (better known in this household as Tom and Carl) kissing in a crossings restaurant.
"But don't you see?" she insists, when Nita tries to set her straight. "Those two are so obviously a couple. I mean, they've lived together for years in that big house, and neither one dates. And everybody always talks about them like they're one person, and you only do that when you're talking about a couple." She pauses for breath, looking up at Nita with sudden curiosity (Nita's curious about she can go so long without having to take one, and wonders if she ever did that when she was that age). "Haven't you ever at least wondered about it? They've been your seniors for a long time now, haven't they?"
Yes Nita thinks, OUR seniors. But doesn't say it that way because that just sounds petty and she doesn't think petty is one of the virtues that led the powers to giving her a position of wizarding authority.
Kit's response, much later that night, is to hum the chorus of "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa", which doesn't provide much insight to the problem but does allow Nita to belt him in the face with a well thrown pillow, which makes her feel slightly better.
Not too long a time later, they're making a pit stop at the crossings on the way home from a conference on Signit 3 when Kit nudges her and points towards two familiar figures chatting amiably on the other side of a nearby restaurant window.
"Wouldn't it be funny…" he starts to say, but stops when Tom reaches out and pulls an unresisting Carl towards him with one finger looped through the knot in his tie.
As their lips meet the sounds of the busy hallway around them fade away, and all Nita can hear is little Eliza's voice.
Don't you see?
Yes, she finally does.
Tom and Carl's expressions are priceless as they approach the table, even before Kit asks if they mind making this a double date.