Rising Shards

It felt like the trip hadn't really started for us until Stella got to let out what she'd been bottling up a bit about the news of her new family member. Well, I had a great time with the lake and the research, but now it felt like we'd arrived out of an exhausted and dissociated haze.

I was no stranger to business like distant siblings that the crueler members of the family just neglected to mention, and many other dramatic things. So I knew what Stella was going through and wanted to be there for her as much as I could. That said, even with my experience, her family threw some curveballs my way.

Stella wobbled a bit in her chair. She was really letting loose with the drinks, and I didn't blame her. Even though I was pretty drunk as well, I was keeping an eye on her and making sure she paced herself and didn't have too much, and that she had lots of water too.

"If it's any consolation," Alix said. We waited for her answer.

"Y-yeah?" Stella said.

"...sorry, I was really hoping I'd come up with something," Alix said.

Stella laughed. "You're actually kinda funny. Sorry, that's so fucking mean. I don't dislike you or anything. It was just a lot when you were hitting on me at work."

Luckily Stella was tough enough to hold her own against Alix's fail woman advances, but I was glad I was there to back her up too that time Alix got all flirty.

"Sorry about that! I just am a flirt at heart, I suppose," Alix winked at Pippi, who giggled way more than that line deserved, but they were really hitting it off.

"It's rough having an extended family with a lot of bullshit," Mahina said. "But! With good friends you can push on."

"And we'll push on!" Stella said. "Kay, I'm good, I'm cool." She poked me. "You go next. I want a break from this Anastasia talk."

"We barely talked about it," Mahina said.

"I got to say my parents fucking suck, that's the main thing!" Stella said. "Evy! Story about your life! Go! Go! Go!"

I strummed the glass in front of my, the amber hue of the drink sloshing around. "It'd be cheap if I used that art museum story too, wouldn't it?" I said.

"Yes!" Stella said. "Very!"

"OK, OK," I said. "It's gotta be something along the same lines. Uh, there was a day a bit ago, a half day at school, I had just a few classes and the kids were all really engaged, then I drove home with Stella. Then we remembered Zeta was supposed to spend the night, so we had to go back and pick her up."

"And she was so pissed!" Stella laughed. "She was pouting all night, it was so funny, I was gonna explode trying not to laugh."

"You still did laugh a lot," I said. "Still, though, it was sweet! Good day of class, time with my favorite Stella, and canon daughter."

"Canon daughter is a thing Evy says about Zeta, it's so silly," Stella said. "I hated it at first."

"She did, but you got over it," I said. "She's your canon daughter too, kinda."

"Kinda! But like, if life is 'canon' or whatever she's my canon sister," Stella said.

"But you raised her! I am with Evy on this." Pippi said.

"Pips! Don't take my...not my side!" Stella said.

The energy was light and silly, and we all needed that. I couldn't remember the last vacation I had that was this fun, and we still had more fun planned.

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