Page 18 of Dry as a Fish
"I like reading," I said. "I like working with horses. I like this food, it is really good. The guest bedroom you put me in was comfortable and pretty, and I loved it. I like picking fresh fruit, and I like the way that swallows swoop through the air to catch bugs. I like the moss that seems to be everywhere, it is a really nice dark blueish green color that I think is very pretty."
"That isn't a guest bedroom," Darlifin said. "It's your room."
"What is a horse?" Orcalia asked at the same time.
I paused for a moment as I thought of how to answer a question I'd never been asked before.
"It's a large four-legged land creature that humans ride on top of," I said. "They used to be used to pull carts and plows and things like that, but now they are mostly for fun or for going over uneven terrain that would be challenging in a motorized vehicle. I used to get to work with them, and it was nice how affectionate they became when they got to know you."
“Oh, so like a kelpie,” Orcalia said.
I continued working on my food, realizing I was almost done. “I’d love to see one.”
“You won’t be able to until any kelpie meat you’ve eaten has cleared through your system,” Delphon said. “They will be able to smell it.”
“Good, I think we have a plan for operation convince-sloane-to-stay," Orcalia said.
She paused, as if waiting for something.
"Let's hear it," her father said with a smile.
Orcalia grinned back and launched into it. "I'm going to take you to the library and the community garden so you can try some things. Delphon is going to show you where he likes to spend his days, so you can get to know him and bond and stuff. Mom, you are going to talk to some of the other mundanes, like Susan, to see what things we can get to make her even happier to be here, and Dad, you are going to go see about getting one of those water suits that the other mundanes wear."
"Already did that," her father grunted. "It's in the bag by the entry pool."
"You are so on it, Dad!" Orcalia exclaimed. "Ok, then you can-"
"I'm going to do what I want," he rose to his feet, leaned over, and kissed Orcalia on the top of the head. Then he took her empty plate from in front of her. He walked around the table, taking everyone's plates, including mine, then carried them over to the sink. I watched him, and as he began to wash the dishes by hand, the sense of shock I felt bumped every other thought out of my head.
"Fiiiine," Orcalia sighed, crossing her arms and slumping in her chair.
I didn't realize I was staring until Delphon lightly touched my hand, pulling my attention back to him.
"Your dad's doing the dishes," I whispered.
"Oh! Oh! That's it!" Orcalia crowed, sitting up again. "You're from one of thoooose mundane families. The ones where the oldest male doesn't do much as the rest of the household and expects to be waited on! I heard about that from Susan."
"He does stuff. He provides," I said, repeating the words I'd been taught. Even so, they didn't make as much sense as they used to. Sure, my dad worked, but my mom worked too. He would bring in an income and set up projects around the farm that my mom would maintain. His day ended when he was done at work, and he would rest, and my mom would still be cleaning up and doing things around the farm that never seemed to bring in enough money to actually support our family. It never seemed really balanced to me, but I was told it was the way of things.
"My dad provided you a suit to swim in without you needing to ask, and now he is providing clean dishes," Orcalia said. "Mom provided the harvesting needed for the ingredients, and Delphon provided the cooking needed for breakfast, and I'm providing the plan to convince you to stay. Everyone provides for everyone in the family. Even babies provide the future. That is the point of a family."
"I don't really..." I said, wincing at the tight squeeze in my chest, all the cuts reminding me of exactly where they were. Now she was too much. The way she was talking about her family just drove in the stake, every word a hammer of comparison that cast a shadow on my childhood. I never thought it was bad until I learned that it could be better. Her words were making me feel judged, and at the same time, I judged myself.Not being happy with the life I was raised in made me feel like there was something wrong with me.
"I'm being too much," Orcalia said abruptly. "I'm sorry."
There was a long silence at the table.
Wait, did she just notice that her intensity was bothering her and then stop without me having to tell her to?
"It's okay," I said. It wasn't exactly okay, but it wasn't like what she was saying was unforgivable either. She was just making a comparison that was uncomfortable to me because I ultimately didn't agree with how I was raised. Thinking badly of my parents was hard because I loved them, but at the same time, I was the one who ran away from them, not once, but twice now.
"You should go with Delphon to learn more about him," Orcalia said. "He's a really good guy, and you're definitely going to fall in love with him."
"Orcalia, I think it is time to give Sloane some space and stop telling her what to do," Delphon said. "She's dealt with a lot in a short period of time, and maybe she doesn't want to spend time with me right now because I'm at the center of a lot of her recent stress. Don't force her to have to say she needs space to think."
Space was the last thing I needed.
Orcalia's intensity was good in that it gave me something to focus on. Sitting alone in a room or wandering around a strange city by myself, with no one to distract me but my own thoughts, was the last thing I wanted to do. Plus, the whole fated mates thing was really appealing to me. I'd grown up expecting someone else, whether it be God or my father, to choose a man for me. Fated mates fit into that idea pretty well, only better, because I sure as shit didn't trust my dad's opinion on who I should marry anymore.
