Rising Shards

Our little family unit was an awkward mess as we finished our run through of the exhibit. I could barely form a sentence because I was still reeling from Evy calling me her soulmate/future wife. Zeta was pouting because Evy told her to not touch one of the art pieces. Evy didn’t have the same issues I did with sentence forming, but was chatty as hell from all the drinks. Suffice to say, it was a bit awkward when we got into the car.

”Do you have the keys?” I asked, forgetting to check with Evy on that before I took the wheel.

”That I most certainly do,” Evy said, fishing through her pockets. ”Somewhere in here.”

After Evy handed me the keys, I adjusted the seat and the mirror, all of it needing a fair bit of adjusting with the height difference Evy had on me. Zeta was still pouting as I fixed the mirror.

”So, did you get everything you need for that assignment?” I asked.

”I wasn’t gonna really touch it,” Zeta said.

”That wasn’t really my question,” I said.

”Kay, maybe I was gonna touch it, but nothing would have happened!”

Another thing that happens when she’s in hyper world, she gets in her own world a bit. I could have said our family are actually descendants of famous space aliens and she probably would have responded the same.

”Sorry, that was really harsh,” Evy said. ”I didn’t mean to shout or anything. You’re a good kid, you know?”

”I...” Zeta wasn’t prepared for that response to the point that it stopped her mid-hyper mode. I wasn’t really either, I usually ended up talking about nonsense while Zeta did the same until she calmed down. Evy was a new addition to this.

We were still just waiting in the parking lot, during the awkward silence as we warmed the car up, I tried to think of something to say.

”I don’t want to be too harsh,” Evy said.

”Evy...” I started driving, figuring we could all use some time at home. From the glimpses I took of her, Evy looked like this was tearing her apart. It didn’t need to, she didn’t do anything really out of line at all, but maybe the drinks were heightening her emotions.

”I might have gotten a little overprotective, I just flashed back to lots of other breaking things, but it’s not fair to hold that against you,” Evy continued. ”And it’s not fair to snap at you when I still haven’t got the hang of...hell it’s parenting, right? Canon mom business? Or, you’re canon daughter, yeah...” She was a few heavy drinks in so it wasn’t exactly the most well worded venting, but the emotions felt true enough that I didn’t really fret any stumbles. ”So, yeah. Sorry about that one, bud. And I’m sorry Stella, I was trying to not be an ass, but I was kind of a total ass tonight.”

”What?” I said. ”You weren’t, at all.”

“Um, if I could chime in,” Zeta said. ”I don’t think you’re too harsh.”

”You sure? You can say so, I won’t be mad,” Evy said.

“I don’t think either of you are,” Zeta said. “Everyone’s a butt sometimes.”

”Yeah, I guess so,” I said.

We didn’t say much until we got home.

”I don’t want to jump on this immediately, but I do want you to finish that essay, then you can watch your Raina shows,” I said.

”Yeah, yeah,” Zeta said. I braced for more pouting, or her ignoring that suggestion entirely, but she got to work right when we got home. Evy pretty much collapsed on the couch, needing more than a few glasses of water to recover.

I didn’t think a little art show trip would be so...dramatic? It wasn’t really anything too crazy, but it felt like it. Now that we were home, I let myself get excited about the whole Evy calling me her wife thing again. I really liked how it sounded. I sat by her and rubbed her back as she

After finishing her hessay, Zeta presented us with one of her trademark apology cards. “I’m sorry I was being a butt.”

”You were just hyper, it’s all good,” Evy said. ”It’s good that we figure this all out.”

”Yeah!” Zeta said. She yawned. ”Kinda beat though. I’m staying the night here, right?”

”Yeah, we can drop you off when we go to work tomorrow,” I said.

”Cool, cool,” Zeta said.

She retreated to her basement, leaving me and Evy alone. I didn’t want to be awkward about it, but I had to ask right away.

”So...soulmate, huh?” I said.

I grinned as Evy blushed as hard as I had been and buried her face in her hands. ”Sorry if that was super awkward.”

”Nah, I thought it was great,” I said. ”Maybe we should talk about it a bit?”

”Probably,” Evy said.

”Maybe now would be a good time?” I suggested. ”Here, let me get a glass of wine in me to make us even.”