Pater Familias

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The goldfish hadn’t eaten their children yet. Feeling thankful, I still set up the barrier I’d purchased on the way home.

I felt tired this evening, but as much from boredom as anything. Eldon Garchae wouldn’t approve of special experimentation, so I filled the time in with more mainstream scientific endeavors. Havars and Andrews were valuable in that I could still indulge in other, more unusual pursuits.

I’d looked over Sakura’s work on animal photosynthesis, concluding she had exciting, interesting and sound hypotheses. I would let her work on Havars.

Plodding into the kitchen, I found my son sleeping in a chair, his head down on the table and hair everywhere. For a moment I just looked at him, pride welling up within my heart.

My handsome, strong son.

The mightiest man in the world.

Drooling onto my cheap, melamine table.

I sat down next to him quietly, wondering why he waited on me here. He could hear me enter and exit this apartment.

Sephiroth, I sent to him mentally.

Yes?

You’re asleep and drooling on my kitchen table.

Sephiroth jerked awake. Looking disgusted, his white brows knitting, he wiped his mouth. “Father,” he rasped. He’d obviously slept a long time.

“You need to stop hammering your wife at all hours,” I said, throwing a handkerchief to him. “You’re exhausted. Took you by surprise, did it?” I grinned. “I never checked your stamina for sexual pursuits.”

“That would have been perverse anyway.” Sephiroth cleaned up and wiped off the table quickly, his cheeks pink.

Oh yes, so much like Strife. And they neither one even knew it.

“I wanted to talk to you about a few things.” Sephiroth yawned, throwing out his long arms. “Why are you so late?”

“I’m only two hours late.” I looked at my watch. “Well, two and a half.” I shrugged. “Papers to file, people to torture, you know.”

“A poor joke.” Sephiroth smiled nonetheless. Like me, he appreciated torture. I didn’t know if it lay in genetics or upbringing. Either way, I was fully to blame.

“Who did you nab from B section?” Sephiroth asked, still smiling but now in a knowing way. “Could it have been Miss Leijanna’s ex-boyfriend, Jonathan Andrews?”

“Yes, it was.”

“Testing the men’s insect repellant?” Sephiroth’s smile slightly widened.

“Again, yes.”

“And afterward?”

“I haven’t decided. He’s truly of no use to anyone but me.” I took my glasses off and rubbed my eyes. “I suppose I could lobotomize him and let him go.”

“He’ll be able to identify you even with a lobotomy,” Sephiroth pointed out.

“Yes, but he won’t be able to be angry with me, either.”

“What sort of contacts does he have?” Sephiroth asked, his face thoughtful.

“Rich parents who are even now searching for him.”

“Then you’ll have to kill him, eventually.” Sephiroth’s voice never moved from his usual, evenly modulated baritone. “Out of curiosity, what drew your attention to him?”

“He used to live with Sakura. I accompanied her to her apartment a few days ago after we had lunch together. She got paged in the restaurant, you see, with the news Mr. Andrews occupied her flat. When we arrived he’d destroyed the place entirely. He made a complete display of his stupidity, proving to me his only use lay in being meat.” I recited it quickly and efficiently, not caring to go into how the experience made me feel.

“Strange way to mark territory, ripping up an apartment,” Sephiroth murmured.

“Plus, he called me granddad,” I added.

Sephiroth snickered.

“I want to ask you something, son,” I said, circumventing a teasing session. “Are you better able to hear people’s thoughts when they’re drinking alcohol?”

“Usually,” he said. “It’s like the more they drink the clearer they become, at least in transmitting. The content of the thought becomes less and less coherent.” He eyed me curiously. “Why?”

“I heard Sakura’s thoughts for a brief while today, after she’d had about sixty milliliters of rice wine.”

Sephiroth eyed me again. “You’re the scientist, but it must be Jenova cells.”

“Yes, and without her interfering, her cells become independent.”

Sephiroth tapped his hand on my table, his eyes clouding in thought. “Have we crafted our own doom, father?” he asked quietly.

“We didn’t need Jenova to craft our dooms, son,” I reminded him, putting my glasses back on so I could see him better. “But, I wouldn’t believe Jenova’s elimination to be a bad thing for us. Only time and scientific meddling will tell.”

*******************************************************************


“When are you going to tell him?” I asked, sliding Aerith’s breakfast to her.

Aerith, pleased to not have to cook for once, took up her fork eagerly. “Oh, he was in such a mood this week I didn’t have the courage to throw my pregnancy at him,” she answered. “I’m glad he’s out, taking his aggression with him to work.” She poised over the scrambled eggs, fork hovering.

“Troubles in paradise already?” I asked, concerned but attempting a casual voice.

“No, he never takes anything out on me.” Aerith began to eat with gusto. “But, he’s moody.”

“He always was.” I sat across from her. “Though, I found it amusing he could affect a poker face during a snit.”

Aerith giggled. “Oh, I know,” she said. She struggled to mimic my son’s blankest expression, failing to keep the light out of her eyes. “Flower girl, must you grow plants in every conceivable space here?”

Grinning, I began to eat.

“But, I’ll tell him tonight,” Aerith went on. “It’s been so hard not to think about being pregnant while around him. I keep imagining what the baby will look like, sound like, etc.”

“If you weren’t part Cetra I’d be sure the baby would take most strongly after him, but I cannot be sure.”

“Well, since I’m carrying a boy, I’m sure it will be a case of his genetics being stronger.” She finished her plate and went for more.

“You know the sex of the child?”

“I can feel him now, yes. Last week I couldn’t.” Aerith put her hand over her stomach and smiled a tender smile for her baby. “This is an amazing time for me, Hojo. I love being pregnant.”

My throat wanted to close up in the back. Swallowing past the ache, I nodded. Aerith would be the most excellent mother ever. My grandson had every advantage. And, Sephiroth would be a much better father than I was.

Aerith, still beaming, sat back down.

I thought of my bank account and my promise to meet Sakura for lunch somewhere. “Are you busy today?” I asked.

“No.” Aerith happily attacked her second helping of eggs.

I picked up my cell. I couldn’t believe I was doing this. Still, I found I liked the company of women. They usually told you what they wanted, giving up obvious clues when they did not. All it took to know one was observation, patience, and willingness to listen to them talk.

“Sakura,” came a sleepy voice.

“Good morning, my dear,” I said, using the endearment because I knew she enjoyed it.

“Hojo, hey,” she said, sounding much more alert. “Something wrong?”

“No, I just wanted to tell you I’m taking my daughter-in-law out for maternity shopping. Would you like to go with us and then go to Thol’s?”

“Sure.” Sakura stifled a yawn. “She’ll probably really like Thol’s.” Again, she yawned. “I’d love to help pick out maternity clothes.”

My fate was sealed.

******************************************************************************


The sales clerk gave me a look of pity as I handed over my credit card. Behind me, Sakura and Aerith babbled like old primary school friends reunited after a terrible stretch of years. I winked at him, watching his eyes swell up. Now he most likely thought they both belonged to me.

This morning we’d already been in seven shops. Aerith now had enough baby accoutrement to start her own store. We’d picked out rockers, strollers, cradles, wallpaper, paint, cribs, diaper brands, curtains, pillows and clothing. Now I would take these instant friends to lunch.

Being rich made living a lot of fun.

I enjoyed every minute of this.

I hadn’t been involved in Lucretia’s baby preparations. She’d happily excluded me from anything like this, adding to the mystique of what women did to prepare for a child. I’d always wanted to know how they made their decisions. Now, I knew. They made decisions based upon safety, beauty, convenience and color, and mostly in that order though it varied from item to item within certain factors.

Our purchases would be delivered by a van this evening. I let each woman loop an arm through mine and we departed for Thol’s.

“This has been lovely,” Aerith said, casting a smile up at me. “Thank you so much, Hojo.”

I resisted smiling and lost. Her enthusiasm and delight had infected me hours ago. “I’ve enjoyed this too,” I told her.

Satisfied, Aerith began talking to Sakura across the front of me. I spied a Turk strike van parked down the busy street, a familiar, gangly leg thrown out the passenger side. Joy. Well, they weren’t anywhere near our destination, so I’d not worry.

Reno saw us. Instead of jumping up to chat, he glared at me. Aerith and Sakura, too busy talking to pay heed, didn’t notice him. I glared right back, mouthing the words IMMUNIZATIONS MONDAY.

Paling, Reno turned his head back to the windshield.

I win.

I had no clue what his problem was today, but he’d straighten out tomorrow.

Eventually, even at our slow pace, we made it to Thol’s. Again Sakura requested a garden table, and again we received one.

Aerith, stunned by the plant life and beauty, stopped dead in her tracks. “Oh,” she breathed. “How?”

Sakura took her by the wrist so we could catch up with the waiter. “Me,” she said simply, neither bragging nor underplaying her work.

Which reminded me. Aerith could give her gift to Sakura in my presence. I’d saved it for just such a time. I pressed the stasis ball of Holy Ones seeds in her hand. Startled, she looked up at me.

“Your gift,” I said. “It will mean more from you, Cetra.”

Aerith smiled at me.

We seated, ordering waters first.

“Oh, drat.” Aerith looked at the menu. “I can’t have shellfish right now.”

“Nothing that carries a risk of the Listeria strain,” I agreed. “Which means no Hollandaise sauce either.”

We ordered and I listened to Sakura and Aerith start talking again. It seemed a natural enough friendship. Sakura and Aerith both liked plants, even if one took a scientific view and one took a spiritual view. The Cetra gave the botanist the ball of seeds, which were duly exclaimed over and appreciated. Then, our food came.

As I ate I couldn’t help but feel pleased with myself. This was my first outing with two women I didn’t currently nail to a mattress in the evenings. And, I enjoyed it. Call me girly, call me a faggot, I didn’t care.

The topic turned to music. I listened as Sakura recited her proficiency in piano, and Aerith listed singing and interest in the flute. They fell silent, turning their eyes to me. “Violin,” I answered. I didn’t know what had happened to my instrument. Sometimes I missed it.

“Really?” Sakura gave me a measuring, cautious look.

“Yes, I had skill with the instrument from an early age but it has been many years since I played.” I finished my slab of lasagna and sat back with my drink.

“I’d love to hear you play,” Aerith said. “Let’s go buy you a violin, Hojo!”

I made protests that fell on deaf ears.

Soon, very soon, we entered a music shop.