“Thanks, Skyler,” he says, his voice nearly a whisper. He clears his throat. “This wasn’t how you wanted your Halloween to pan out, was it?”
I lick my lips and stare at the water below us. “Maybe not. But whatever life throws at you, you have no choice but to roll with it, right?”
“Right,” he replies.
And that’s how I spend the next several minutes. I sit by the ocean, chatting with the kraken who’s slowly taking more and more pieces of my heart. All I can hope for is that one day he sees me as more than a friend.
CHAPTER 10- REED
THINGS GO SWIMMINGLYthe days after Halloween, if I do say so myself. The house is clean, and I buy healthy groceries for my nephew’s return. I don’t forget to pick up Aisen from his trip. He’s so excited as he shares the pictures he took at the various museums. We laugh and chat over thejap chaeI managed to cook without burning; if he doesn’t like the dish, he doesn’t tell me. He has friends, had a good weekend, and we share a decent meal that I cooked?parenting win!
On top of that, work at the hospital is blissfully uneventful all week. And when I bring Aisen to the MM Institute, Skyler chats with me like nothing bad happened the previous weekend. He and I have coffee together, and every time I apologize for acting so ferociously, he insists I did nothing wrong. Instead, he asks me about my kraken form, and I happily oblige.
Skyler isn’t grossed out by the sea monster inside me. I’m not sure why that warms the edges of my heart that I haven’t felt in a long time.
The cynical monster inside me knows the other shoe has to drop, and it does on our way back home the following Sunday. I spot a car I don’t recognize in my driveway, and when I see the two faces standing at my front steps, anxiety shivers up my spine.
“Is that my parents?” Aisen mutters.
I knew things were going too well for us.
I park the car, and Aisen awkwardly strides up to his mom and dad. They’re wearing pristine matching track suits courtesyof the circus, like they do every time they visit. Except, those few days were always planned holidays. They’re not the type to visit out of the goodness of their hearts. My jaw clenches with anxiety, knowing something is afoul. What do they want?
“My baby boy! You’re so big!” My sister-in-law sounds jovial as Aisen hugs her. She rubs his back and acts like she’s overjoyed to see him. Where was this energy seven years ago? My brother, meanwhile, has the decency to act somewhat uncomfortable.
“My son!” He holds out his arms for a hug, and I notice the paper gift bags he’s holding.
“What are you doing here?” Aisen asks. I stand, stone-faced, waiting to hear the answer.
“We wanted to see our boy!” Shannon gives me a smile she only uses when Aisen is present. “Aren’t you gonna invite us in?”
I try not to act dismissive; Ryan is my brother after all, and we’ve generally gotten along, even before our parents moved back to Korea. “Sure.” I open the door. “We already had dinner, but maybe there’s, like, some frozen pizza boo-gels or taran-taquitos I can heat up for you.”
“Oh, no thanks. We just wanted to check in on our boy.” Shannon says with saccharine giddiness.
“And see how big he is. Your uncle must be feeding you fertilizer or something!” Ryan says. He ruffles Aisen’s hair, and the boy laughs.
“No, we eat normal food,” Aisen replies with a smile. I’m glad he’s happy to interact with his folks. I, however, know they have an ulterior motive.
“I thought you were sailing around South America with your troop?” I ask.
“We’re on vacation, so we decided to visit the most important person in our lives,” Ryan says with a grin. He’s laying it on thick; if Aisen was so important, why is this the fifth time they’ve visited, ever?
“How is the circus troop?” Aisen asks excitedly.
“Ah, there’s so much to tell you!” Shannon says.
“We got you something,” Ryan says. He thrusts the gift bag into Aisen’s hands. “Why don’t we go into your room and try it on?”
“Okay!” Aisen dashes off, and Ryan follows him. The moment they’re out of earshot, my smile falls.
I look over to see Shannon on my couch, casually texting. “Wish you would’ve called me before you came,” I say. “It isn’t even Christmas.”
“Christmas is around the corner,” she replies.
“And we could have seen each other then.” I briskly walk away and return with three water bottles. I offer Shannon one, but she shakes her head. More water for me.
“So how long are you staying?”
