Prehistoric televisions had better service than Keys realized, if that was possible. But of course, he kept that thought to himself. “Sounds like they’re busy dinosaurs. What about going into town? Does your dino family like to eat out at places?”
“Yes! Chicken nuggets are their favorite.”
Keys also kept the fact that Oscar just made his dinosaur family cannibals also to himself. “I know a great diner that makes amazing chicken nuggets.”
“Do I get a toy there, too?”
“No, but they have table cloths you can draw on.”
“Cool,” Oscar breathed out. “And afterwards, the dino family can go to the park and all the Oscar dinos can go down the slides!”
“Big slides?” Keys inquired, his eyes still closed. It really was unfair that Oscar had so much energy in a such a tiny body.
“The biggest. They’re huge! Like, taller than a house!”
“Wow, those are big slides,” he mumbled back.
Keys must have faded for a minute, but was roused when a pair of lips touched his forehead. They were smaller, and wetter, than Rose’s would have been. As they pulled away, he could have sworn he heard Oscar whisper, “Good night, Daddy.”
* * *
Despite the hour,Rose made regular coffee because decaf was an abomination unto this world. She didn’t particularly want it, but it gave her hands something to do. Poison had accepted the mug before pulling a flask from the inside pocket of her cut andpouring a healthy dose in. Apparently Irish coffee was the only way she planned on getting through this awkwardly difficult conversation.
They sat there for almost ten minutes, just sipping their cups, before either of them spoke.
“Well, this is awkward as fuck,” Poison said dryly.
Rose chuckled, shaking her head. “Yup.”
Another silence. Rose glanced at the closed bedroom door where Keys was getting Oscar ready for bed. No doubt he was giving them extra time, but she really wished he wouldn’t. If Keys came out, at least it might lead tosomeconversation.
“I don’t actually know how to do this,” Poison finally said, breaking the ice. “The… Fuck. Whatever this is. The sister thing. Clearly, I was never good at it when you were a kid, and I am significantly less practiced now.”
“I wasn’t good at it either,” Rose reminded her. “But it also wasn’t like I was trying and you were the one forcing the wedge between us.”
“You were a kid.”
Rose scrunched her nose at the memories. “I was difficult kid.”
Poison took a sip of her Irish coffee. “You were a nightmare,” she agreed. “You were also so fucking smart that it was easy to treat you like a small adult who should know better.”
“I did know better,” Rose admitted, staring down at the mug between her hands. “I just didn’t care.”
Poison snorted. “Yeah, I got that part.” She turned the mug in her hands. “I keep thinking about all the things I should have done differently. If I’d been, I don't know, more patient. Less like Mom.”
“You weren’t like Mom.”
“I was exactly like Mom. Authoritarian, high standards, no tolerance for anyone who didn’t meet them.” She paused. “About the only thing we differed on was religion. The only reason shedidn’t disown me when I came out as bi was Dad. She wasn’t a bad person. But she wasn’t particularlywarm, you know. I think Dad tried, but he didn’t really know how either.”
Rose thought about her mother’s face, which she could barely reconstruct anymore. These days, all she could remember was the impression of her disappointment over a mental image. “I’ve been trying to be better for Oscar,” Rose said softly. “I don’t know if I’m doing right by him, but I’m doing the best I can with the circumstances I have—or had,” she corrected, not wanting to discount Keys’ part in their lives.
“You’re doing better than I could have imagined,” Poison said with a certainty that surprised Rose. “I’ve watched you basically nonstop—other than to go outside to find out I’ve been fucking a Russian prince for the better part of two years. Trust me, you’re incredible with him.” She looked to Oscar’s bedroom door. “He’s going to be something, that kid.”
“He already is,” Rose said proudly.
Poison chuckled into her mug. “He’s got some strong opinions about dinosaurs.”
“He has strong opinions abouteverything,” Rose corrected.
