Mom's leg just stiffened. I look up and see Dad standing in the entrance to
the restaurant. I want to push her out of the booth, but she has to go on
her own. She finally gets up and walks over. Lets see how Will does on his
exam.
A two year old would have caught the look of pure venom that was pointed in the direction of my father. To me, Will's relationship with my mother is like an open wound. The more she is exposed, the greater risk of infection. I have a goal for this trip. By the time we leave, Will cannot be a contact. He will cut from my family's life, exactly like before. She didn't see him for 16 years, she can get used to not seeing him again.
I'm not saying that I don't believe my parent's love won't survive. I'm scared that something will have changed. This small man could start fights. I have never heard my parents fight. Never.
My fingers are twitching again.
Will sees me staring at him. He knows he's caught. Good. I like a challenge.
"Oh my god child. Your dad is one handsome man." Francie blurts out, jaw dropped. Her observation makes me smile. I've gotten that reaction before. All my friends have crushes on my dad. I've never really minded. He could be fat and bald.
They're walking over. Will has his face masked now. No expression. I laugh inside. That poker face may work on unsuspecting civilians, but not on three highly trained CIA agents (I count myself as one because I'm trained as one).
Mom will have to know. Between my fingers and Will's face, something will click.
Introductions are made with smiling faces. Even Will managed a small, tight smile. Dad kisses me hello and then pulls out a chair to sit by Mom and Francie. I don't think Will's vocal chords are working right now, because Francie asks the first question.
"What do you do up where you live?"
"I teach high school French. Our school only had a Spanish teacher, so Sydney and I decided to expand the language department. My class is considered one of the easy ones, because half the kids already speak it fluently." Dad says the same thing every time someone asks what he does. Mom has to add in her bit.
"Of course, he got the easy class and I was stuck teaching Chinese, Taiwanese, and Japanese. I get all the over-achieving students. Including Emily." That's true. I think I'm the only person that has passed her classes with a 99%.
"Kids always thought Mom was passing me because I'm her daughter. They made me prove it by getting someone else that spoke Taiwanese and making me have a 5-minute conversation with them. No one ever doubted me after that." That kid is now my best friend. She didn't know anyone who spoke Taiwanese besides Mom, so we bonded quickly.
"The only problem was the principal found out and now uses Emily as a translator to new students." Everyone present starts laughing. There are good things about my multi-lingual status. I have gotten the chance to meet lots of people and I can usually get out of class for a good half an hour.
"I know this is going to be a typical adult question, but I have to ask. Do you like school?" Usually I hate adult questions, but because it's Francie I'll give her a real answer.
"It's mostly too easy. I don't mean to brag, but I get bored easily. Mom and Dad taught me everything at an early age, so I don't get a lot of challenges." I brace myself for more questions about school. "I'll give you 10 questions and you can ask whatever you want, but after that no more. Deal?" My bargain brings out two sets of dimples at the table. My parents always smile at my bargaining skills.
"Deal. What's your favorite class?"
"AP World History."
"Why?"
"History can never change. Its always the same, even after everything else has grown." I've wanted to know about my parents past, but I never got answers. I decided to find out about other people's past.
"Do you sing or play an instrument?"
"I sing and play the guitar. Not electric. Acoustic." I started when I was five. Told my parents I wanted to be a guitarist.
"Do you have a band?"
"No, but my friend writes songs and I add music to them. I usually end up singing the songs." Which, by the way, are pretty good. I have actually written five or six songs, but I've never performed them for anyone besides my dad.
"Will you play one tonight if I can get you a guitar?"
This question breaks out my dimples. "Sure, but you have to get an electric one too. Don't ask why, its a surprise." I have a big surprise for Mom. I was going to wait until her birthday, but nows as a time than any. "Five left," I remind her.
"Alright, I promise to make them good. Got a boyfriend?"
"No." I don't trust Canadian boys. They try to woo you with the French accent. They got one of my friends pregnant and then ran when she told him. He moved here. I'm not taking my chances. He couldn't even be found when the baby died. I don't trust Canadian boys.
"Play any sports?"
"I do martial arts. Kung Fu, Judo, you name it, I can do it." I actually started the martial arts class at my school. Mom and I run it. We've come a long way in two years.
"Do you have a job?"
"I baby-sit for twins. Corey and Dori. They can be a handful." I love babysitting. The girls have such vivid imaginations. Our games get really extensive.
"Are you surprised about your parents?"
"A little. I knew that there was something bad because it was never discussed. I never thought they were... what they were. One left." That's not the whole truth. There's always been the same nagging thought in the back of my head. What if this is all a lie? What if my parents are wanted criminals? What if they're ex KGB? What if questions will drive a person crazy. Whenever I started to ask questions, I played my music. I usually forgot. Usually.
"Then I better make this one good. Have you ever met any of your other grandparents?" This question makes Will's eyes widen. I look at Mom. Her eyes are glazed. Something's wrong. Even Dad looks uncomfortable
I answer what I've been told my whole life. "No. Poppa is the only one who's still alive." Mom's eyes are still glazed. She must not have told me everything. It must be her mother, but I don't know how she could still be alive. She died when Mom was seven. How could you drive into water and survive? And why wouldn't she have come home right away?
Looks like I need to have another pier talk with Mom.
***Authors Note: I had to bring Sydney's mom in sometime. Poppa may be making an appearance very soon. And I promise Emily will sing and Weiss will visit too. Its all coming people!
A two year old would have caught the look of pure venom that was pointed in the direction of my father. To me, Will's relationship with my mother is like an open wound. The more she is exposed, the greater risk of infection. I have a goal for this trip. By the time we leave, Will cannot be a contact. He will cut from my family's life, exactly like before. She didn't see him for 16 years, she can get used to not seeing him again.
I'm not saying that I don't believe my parent's love won't survive. I'm scared that something will have changed. This small man could start fights. I have never heard my parents fight. Never.
My fingers are twitching again.
Will sees me staring at him. He knows he's caught. Good. I like a challenge.
"Oh my god child. Your dad is one handsome man." Francie blurts out, jaw dropped. Her observation makes me smile. I've gotten that reaction before. All my friends have crushes on my dad. I've never really minded. He could be fat and bald.
They're walking over. Will has his face masked now. No expression. I laugh inside. That poker face may work on unsuspecting civilians, but not on three highly trained CIA agents (I count myself as one because I'm trained as one).
Mom will have to know. Between my fingers and Will's face, something will click.
Introductions are made with smiling faces. Even Will managed a small, tight smile. Dad kisses me hello and then pulls out a chair to sit by Mom and Francie. I don't think Will's vocal chords are working right now, because Francie asks the first question.
"What do you do up where you live?"
"I teach high school French. Our school only had a Spanish teacher, so Sydney and I decided to expand the language department. My class is considered one of the easy ones, because half the kids already speak it fluently." Dad says the same thing every time someone asks what he does. Mom has to add in her bit.
"Of course, he got the easy class and I was stuck teaching Chinese, Taiwanese, and Japanese. I get all the over-achieving students. Including Emily." That's true. I think I'm the only person that has passed her classes with a 99%.
"Kids always thought Mom was passing me because I'm her daughter. They made me prove it by getting someone else that spoke Taiwanese and making me have a 5-minute conversation with them. No one ever doubted me after that." That kid is now my best friend. She didn't know anyone who spoke Taiwanese besides Mom, so we bonded quickly.
"The only problem was the principal found out and now uses Emily as a translator to new students." Everyone present starts laughing. There are good things about my multi-lingual status. I have gotten the chance to meet lots of people and I can usually get out of class for a good half an hour.
"I know this is going to be a typical adult question, but I have to ask. Do you like school?" Usually I hate adult questions, but because it's Francie I'll give her a real answer.
"It's mostly too easy. I don't mean to brag, but I get bored easily. Mom and Dad taught me everything at an early age, so I don't get a lot of challenges." I brace myself for more questions about school. "I'll give you 10 questions and you can ask whatever you want, but after that no more. Deal?" My bargain brings out two sets of dimples at the table. My parents always smile at my bargaining skills.
"Deal. What's your favorite class?"
"AP World History."
"Why?"
"History can never change. Its always the same, even after everything else has grown." I've wanted to know about my parents past, but I never got answers. I decided to find out about other people's past.
"Do you sing or play an instrument?"
"I sing and play the guitar. Not electric. Acoustic." I started when I was five. Told my parents I wanted to be a guitarist.
"Do you have a band?"
"No, but my friend writes songs and I add music to them. I usually end up singing the songs." Which, by the way, are pretty good. I have actually written five or six songs, but I've never performed them for anyone besides my dad.
"Will you play one tonight if I can get you a guitar?"
This question breaks out my dimples. "Sure, but you have to get an electric one too. Don't ask why, its a surprise." I have a big surprise for Mom. I was going to wait until her birthday, but nows as a time than any. "Five left," I remind her.
"Alright, I promise to make them good. Got a boyfriend?"
"No." I don't trust Canadian boys. They try to woo you with the French accent. They got one of my friends pregnant and then ran when she told him. He moved here. I'm not taking my chances. He couldn't even be found when the baby died. I don't trust Canadian boys.
"Play any sports?"
"I do martial arts. Kung Fu, Judo, you name it, I can do it." I actually started the martial arts class at my school. Mom and I run it. We've come a long way in two years.
"Do you have a job?"
"I baby-sit for twins. Corey and Dori. They can be a handful." I love babysitting. The girls have such vivid imaginations. Our games get really extensive.
"Are you surprised about your parents?"
"A little. I knew that there was something bad because it was never discussed. I never thought they were... what they were. One left." That's not the whole truth. There's always been the same nagging thought in the back of my head. What if this is all a lie? What if my parents are wanted criminals? What if they're ex KGB? What if questions will drive a person crazy. Whenever I started to ask questions, I played my music. I usually forgot. Usually.
"Then I better make this one good. Have you ever met any of your other grandparents?" This question makes Will's eyes widen. I look at Mom. Her eyes are glazed. Something's wrong. Even Dad looks uncomfortable
I answer what I've been told my whole life. "No. Poppa is the only one who's still alive." Mom's eyes are still glazed. She must not have told me everything. It must be her mother, but I don't know how she could still be alive. She died when Mom was seven. How could you drive into water and survive? And why wouldn't she have come home right away?
Looks like I need to have another pier talk with Mom.
***Authors Note: I had to bring Sydney's mom in sometime. Poppa may be making an appearance very soon. And I promise Emily will sing and Weiss will visit too. Its all coming people!