“Look, Ryan and I will be in touch. And in a few months, we’ll have time to pick him up.”
I can hear the “maybe” floating between us. My brother has always been passive, with my sister-in-law prioritizing their circus shows and lavish nightlife. They’re the belles of the ball among coastal monster entertainers. They’re good at what they do, but I thought being parents was one of those things. I assumed they would have settled down on dry land by now.
As I grip Aisen’s luggage, it dawns on me how wrong I was.
“You’ll give him stability. Teach him about working, reading, and arithmetic, or whatever. Show him right from wrong. You’re better for him, Reed.” Shannon turns around and strides to her car. “Sea monsters of a feather gotta swim together, right?”
Frowning, I slowly close the door. I really don’t like her calling us sea monsters, even though it’s technically true. Another truth I need to accept: I’m going to be looking after Aisen for a lot longer than usual.
(Today)
I grip the steering wheel as we drive downtown. The silence is thick, but my nephew hasn’t been much of a talker since his voice began to drop. Typical puberty. But this car ride is a special occasion, so I need to power through.
“Sooo?” I ask in an almost musical tone.
Aisen looks at me from the passenger seat. He’s all shaggy black hair and surly attitude, but to me, he’ll always look like the baby my brother brought home from the hospital.
“What?”
“Today was your first afterschool program in high school.” I grin at him when we hit a red light. “Give me the deets! Do teenagers still say deets?”
“No.” He readjusts his seatbelt. “And I don’t know, it was fine.”
They don’t say that anymore? I glance at myself in the mirror; my Korean genes keep me looking young, but the occasional gray hairs on my temples remind me that in a few years I’ll be forty. I glance at Aisen again and continue driving through the green light.
“Just fine? It was your first monster club, that sounds pretty fly.” Kids don’t say that anymore either, I bet.
“It was Monster Pride Union.” Aisen fidgets, and discomfort radiates from him. “And it was okay.”
“Okay?” I frown as we get closer to the house. We didn’t have support groups for shifters growing up. Then again, I was already a college freshman when the Halloween Wave turned a third of our population into monsters. Aisen is lucky he won’t have to live through those first years of adjustment. It’s hard to blame the populace for losing their minds when zombies, werewolves, phoenixes, mummies, and so many other monsters appeared overnight. Neighbors, friends, and family became shifters, and we all had to get used to it.
Aisen’s generation was born into a world of monsters. He has a club in high school for his kind. Meanwhile, I had to learn all the shifter life lessons the hard way.
“Come on, my dearjoka, there has to be something cool happening at the club.”
“Not really.”
“But what about your first week of high school?”
“It’s not over yet. School is tomorrow.” I pull into the driveway, and Aisen continues, “And they just gave me homework.”
“No friends at the Monster Pride Union?”
“No. So far, no one I’ve met is a sea monster.” He sounds so dejected as he hurries to his room.
My smile falls as I walk towards the living room. Aisen’s video games are pushed to one corner, and my work laptop and files are littered about. The evening light streams in from huge windows that face the trees across the street. I’m glad we keep the house pristine; not bad for a single uncle raising a now-teenager.
I’m still not the best cook, as evidenced by opening the fridge and peering at nothing but milk and juice.
“Hey Aisen, you want tacos for dinner?” I holler.
“Sure.” His voice carries as he returns from his room. He’s holding his skateboard, and he’s dressed in a tighter outfit. “Is it okay if I skate to the shore for a swim? I’ll do my homework when I get back.”
“Oh, uh, I thought we’d order dinner together.”
“I’ll be back soon,” he says, barely looking at me. “Just get me whatever.”
“Um, alright.” Before I can say the words, he’s halfway out the door. “Do you want me to go with you?”
