With a resigned shrug I stand up while yelling, “Be right there!” towards the door.The stain will just have to stay there.
“So, umm…” Spike pauses, “Where should I go?I mean it’s your family….” He trails off while rubbing his left arm with his right hand in a nervous fashion.
Gesturing to the back room, “Why don’t you wait for us in the family room.”I straighten my shirt, “I’ll get them settled, but don’t be surprised if their hound pack comes to greet you.”A shrug of okay and he heads into the designated room and I move the floormat to cover the offending piece of floor.A few steps later and its show time.
I open the door and am suitably pounced on by small bags of fluff and energy.Reaching down, I pick the smaller of the two up, “It’s good to see you to Squirt”, I scratch his head as the Pomeranian rests their happily.I turn to my parents, “It’s good to see you as well.I’d give you both a hug, but my hands are full.”My father chuckles and my mother rolls her eyes.I step aside, “Come on in”.I set the dog down and both him and Dudley, the other one, sniff the air and book it.The sound of an oft-used doggie door flapping shut confirms my assumptions.I shake my head, “I’m glad the two…well, four, of you could make it.” I cast a sidelong glance at the table of family photos that does not go unnoticed by my mother.
Hanging her coat on the nearby rack she smiles and gives me a quick hug, “I know you wanted your brothers to come as well, but”.I interrupt, “I know they have their own families and lives.”I take another wistful look at the pictures, “I was just hoping we could have a large family Thanksgiving like we used to.”She hugs me again, “Oh, honey I know.”The hint of sadness is evident in her voice.My father clears his throat, “How about we go sit down before continuing the pity party?”The doggy door’s flap sounds again as the fur-missiles lock on to their next target.“GAH!” Spike screams as anything else is muffled under the assault.“I’ll have to agree with that” I respond, “It sounds like the dogs have found our guest.”
Passing through the kitchen, I grab drinks for everyone, handing the soda to my mother and the beer to me father as we go.Sitting on the couch is Spike, who is currently occupied with two dogs bathing his face with their tongues.“A little help here” he calls as we sit down.“Don’t worry, it’ll be over shortly” I respond.As if on cue Squirt pokes his head up, hops down, trots over to the footrest of the recliner my father is sitting in, jumps up, and settles between his legs.Dudley climbs across the furniture to take up a position on my mother’s lap.“See?”
The youth shoots me a glare, “They were tasting me, getting ready to eat me!”
“No they weren’t, they just wanted to say hello”.
“You say hello, I say flavoring..”
“Since you’ve met the dogs already I’ll skip them, but” I gesture at my folks, “Are my parents”
He stands up, “It’s nice to meet you Mr. & Mrs. Hall.”He flashes a smile as best he can, “I’m, um, Spike..”
My father scans the boy up and down, “So Drew’s mentioned before.” I can see that he’s giving Spike a scrutinizing look over. “It true you don’t remember much?”
Spike’s nervousness ratchets up a bit, “Yes sir” he responds.“Stumbled around here a month ago” He scratches the back of his head, “don’t remember much besides my name.”
An eyebrow is arched, “Is that so?”
“PHILIP!” my mother yells, “You’re scaring the boy.” She turns to Spike, “I’m sorry about that.Before he retired, his job made him a healthy skeptic.”
“He’s not telling us something, I can feel it”.I see where this is going and move to handle it.“Hey Spike?”he looks anxiously at me, “You mind grabbing the bags from my parent’s car?The keys are on the table.” Leaps to his feet and leaves the room, I call after him, “Put them into the guest room please!”I throw my father a glare, “Seriously Pops?He’s a kid.No need for that.”
He shakes his head, “Look, I can tell he’s lying.He has a twitch I’ve seen countless times.”He sighs, “I don’t want you” he pauses, “or any of my boys caught up in anything…”
“I know…”It happened quicker than I thought it would, but I guess it’s time to tell them the whole story.”The thing is, he is lying..”
“He a runaway then?”
“No, it’s…..” I choose my words, “a unique circumstance.”
My mother looks concerned, “Did he come from a trouble home?”
“No.You see..”and I tell them everything since he arrived in that flash of light.I see the concern give way to confusion, and confusion to surprise.By the time I’m done Spike’s returned and leaning against the door frame, just listening.
“A Dragon?”My father asks
Nodding, I respond “From another dimension or something yes.”
My mother rubs her temples, “And this strange woman appeared in my grandmother’s mirror?” she points in the direction of where it is, “The one hanging in this house?”
“Yeaaah, I didn’t really believe him much until that happened either.
“Well I‘ll be” she states, still surprised.We sit there in silence for a minute or two, mostly letting them digest the information.
*Crunch*
*Crunch*
*Crunch*
I turn my gaze from my parents to the sound. “Spike?”
He shovels another spoon of cereal into his mouth, “What?I was hungry” he states as a matter of fact while still having a mouth full of food.
“Manners”
He swallows, "Maketh the man, I know". He shovels more cereal into his maw. “Wha…”, *Cough,cough, gasp, wheeze*Spike suddenly looks alarmed, pointing to his throa…
“Shit, he’s choking”, I exclaim as I rush over to help him.The required safety training kicking in as I apply the Heimlich maneuver to him.A few seconds later he gasps as whatever was blocking his airway shoots from his mouth.
*Gasp* “Thanks” *Gasp*, “for that.Phew.” He looks at the floor where the cereal landed, “Ugg,” he rubs his tongue, “I need to have Twilight use flavored parchment”
I look down, “Oh, another letter from home I see”.
My father points at the floor, “Why did a rolled up piece of paper come out of his mouth instead unchewed cereal?”
“Did I forget to mention that?” I pause, “Yeah I forgot to mention that.”They both nod, “Seems it’s how he exchanges messages with his friends and family back home.”
Spike reaches down and picks it up, “it’s not normally that unpleasant.”
Shooting me a we’ll talk later look, my mother speaks, “Well dear, if it’s a letter from home, why don’t you read it?”and so he does.