Jack and Riley, now eight years old, were outside playing in the yard. They were playing tag and chasing each other, full of glee and hyperactive energy.

As Jack was about to tag him, Riley declared, "You can't touch me! I'm Manitoba Smith, and I'll get my pet snakes and spiders to eat you!"

Jack grinned and met his challenge. "Oh yeah? Well I'm Vito, and I'll punch anything you send at me!"

This was their favorite game, pretending to be Mike's alters. They would play it for hours, and this time was no exception.

As dusk was setting in, the two boys sat down in the grass to catch their breath from playing so hard.

"Dad is so cool, isn't he?" said Jack out of the blue. "I mean, we pretend to be Manitoba and Vito, but he really is them. It's like he's a superhero in real life."

"I wonder how he got his powers," Riley said thoughtfully. "Do you think he was born with it, or did he get it later on? Do you think we could get it, too?"

"I hope so, it would be the best. I hope I get to be like Vito, he's the coolest guy ever," said Jack.

"I could be like Manitoba," said Riley enthusiastically.

"You be like Manitoba? No way, he's much cooler than you'll ever be."

"I could be someday!" Riley argued.

"Don't get your hopes up for any miracles, bro."

Riley pounced on his brother and they rolled around in the grass fighting. As this was going on, a car pulled up in the driveway and honked the horn. Sixteen year old Noel had been waiting at the door and grinned.

"Alejito's here!" she announced. "Bye Mom and Dad!"

Noel ran out to get in the car with him. Mike went to the door and called, "Have fun and be back by eleven!"

"We will!" she said with a wave. Alejito's car sped off, and Mike was about to go back inside when he saw his sons at each others throats. He ran over to put a stop to it before it got out of hand.

"Hey, break it up!" he said as he forced them away from each other. "What's going on, guys? You shouldn't be fighting."

"Dad, tell Jack I could be like Manitoba someday!" said Riley, glowering at him.

"What do you mean?" Mike asked, cocking his head to one side.

"If we get superpowers like yours, I want to be like Manitoba," Riley explained. "But Jack thinks I can't."

Mike's mouth dropped when he heard that. For a moment he couldn't think of anything to say to that, it took him completely by surprise. When he found his voice, he said, "Riley, buddy, it's not a superpower."

"It's okay Dad, you can tell us," Jack encouraged. "We won't tell anyone your secret, it'll be just between us."

Mike didn't even know where to begin in explaining this to his sons. Explaining DID was hard enough, but to two eight year old boys who thought they already had it all figured out would be next to impossible.

"What's going on, guys?" Zoey had come outside to join them.

"Mom, while we're on the topic, when did you find out about Dad's powers?" Jack asked.

Mike and Zoey exchanged glances. They sat down in the grass and gestured for the boys to do the same. Jack and Riley looked at each other eagerly, finally about to learn their father's secret.

Zoey took Mike's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze before he began. "Jack, Riley, I'm not a superhero, I can assure you of that. What I have isn't a superpower, it's very different. It's a condition I developed when I was close to your age. It's called something different now, but the name for it that's easier to understand is Multiple Personality Disorder. Have either of you ever heard of that?"

Riley shook his head no, but Jack timidly said, "I heard a teacher at school say it once, she was talking to another teacher. I think they were talking about you, but when I asked what it was, she wouldn't tell me. She said I would find out when I was older."

"That's what grownups say about everything," Riley grumbled.

"Well, what it basically means is that I have other personalities living inside my mind," Mike explained. "They're not real people, they're all parts of who I am. They came when I was a kid, I wasn't born with them. Sometimes they take over, and when they do I don't remember any of what they did. I'm not myself when they're in charge. It's not a disease and you can't catch it, it's just something I have to live with. My brain works differently, that's all."

"So… you mean we can't get it?" Jack asked, trying to make sense of it.

Mike looked very seriously at his son. "It's not something you would want to have, Jack. I know Vito and Manitoba Smith are cool, but it's not like a superpower in comic books. It's made my life difficult in ways you can't understand yet. What's worse is the way it came. You know Grandpa Jack? He's not my birth father, he and Nana Holly adopted me when I was a little older than you are now. My birth father was a terrible person, he hurt me even though I was his son. Because of what he did, I became this way as a way for me to survive."

Jack and Riley gazed at him with wide-eyed expressions. They had never known before that their grandparents weren't Mike's biological parents, and Mike had gone out of his way to make sure they knew nothing of his life before his adoption. To think of their father being hurt by someone else, by his own father, was scary. It was hard for them to imagine anyone wanting to hurt their daddy.

"What happened to him?" Jack asked in barely over a whisper.

"He died many years ago," Mike replied solemnly. "You don't have to be afraid of him, Ma- he can never hurt you."

"You almost said Mal, didn't you, Dad?" said Riley hesitantly.

Mike's head whipped around to look at him and Zoey's eyes widened at her son. "Where did you hear about him?" he asked.

"I heard you and Mom talking about him once," Riley replied sheepishly. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, it was an accident. But I heard you talking about him, and you both sounded scared and sad. I didn't ask because I didn't want to upset you."

Mike didn't want to tell them about Mal. Mal was the stuff of nightmares, he didn't want to frighten them further. He thought of poor Noel at their age, of what she had gone through at his hands. But they would find out sooner or later, it was just a matter of time. It would only make things worse if they found out about him from a stranger. This wasn't the way he had wanted to tell them, but things rarely went as planned.

"Mal is one of my alters," said Mike slowly. Zoey gripped his hand harder, serving as his anchor. "He's not like the others, he's not nice or friendly. He hurts people and doesn't care about anyone or anything. You've always wondered how Noel got her scars. He gave them to her. I won't give any more details now because I don't want to scare you, but he did hurt her."

Mike looked down, too ashamed at the moment to look his sons in the eye. Zoey put her arm around him and held him close. This was hard on her, too.

Reluctantly, Jack asked, "Will he hurt us, too?"

"He would if he could. But I won't let him, I've kept him locked away for all these years. He's never getting out again, I promise you that," said Mike resolutely.

He looked to Zoey, who gave him an encouraging smile. She said, "Your father's right, boys. He's kept Mal trapped all these years, and I am so proud of him. He's the strongest and bravest man I know."

Mike gave her a small smile.

The twins were having trouble taking it all in, it was a lot to wrap their heads around. Mike didn't expect them to completely get it with the first explanation, so at his next therapy appointment, he took them with him to let the psychiatrist explain it again and help them better understand it. After that, he gave them a few days to process it before he brought it up again.

He took them to the park and brought a picnic just for the three of them. Jack and Riley looked uncomfortable, and Mike dreaded bringing this topic up again, but it needed to be settled.

"I know our talk dumped a lot on you to think about and try to understand, and I'm sorry about that," he began. "What we need to talk about now is, what do you think of it all?"

The twins were hesitant to respond. They both looked to the other to go first. Jack finally spoke up and said softly, "I liked it better when we thought you were a superhero."

Mike looked down for a moment and said, "It would be a lot less complicated that way, wouldn't it?"

"What does it feel like?" Riley asked, his voice barely over a whisper.

"It's scary sometimes, and there are days when it feels like I won't make it," Mike answered honestly. "But every time I believed I couldn't go on any farther, I did. You two are a big part of what's kept me going over the years."

"So it's not too bad?" Riley asked.

"Not as bad as it once seemed," Mike assured him. "You don't need to worry about me, I promise. But how do you feel about the others?"

"They haven't changed just because we know what they are now," said Jack. "And as for Mal… if you believe he can't come back, then I trust you."

"I do too," Riley concurred.

"I'm glad you trust me, but don't be afraid to tell me if you are a little worried," said Mike. "It's okay to be scared, and if you tell me we can work it out together."

The talk eased the tension and they were able to enjoy their picnic. Over the course of the next few days, the boys got over their discomfort and unease, and they went back to normal. Knowing about their father's condition made them feel older and more trusted, and they were all glad that that unpleasant obstacle had been dealt with and put behind them.

And to Jack and Riley, even though their father might not have any superpowers, he was still a superhero to them.