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k_a_webbSee the beginning of this story here (LJ link).
See the second part of this story here (LJ link).
See the third part of this story here (LJ link).
Callie looked at Archimedes, knowing that he was probably right. “I'd feel uncomfortable asking Mum if she wants help. If she really does work so hard at looking like she is coping then surely she wouldn't want me showing that I know she isn't.”
“That is why you're much more Dad's daughter than you are Mum's.” Callie opened her mouth to say something but Archimedes continued, “It's not a bad thing, Callie. I'm much more Mum's son than Dad's. There are things I would be comfortable doing with Mum or talking to Mum about that I wouldn't be comfortable doing with Dad. You've always seemed more comfortable with Dad than I could ever be.”
She bit her lip. “Maybe I should try doing more things with Mum.”
“That's what I did with Dad.” Archimedes smiled. “Now that I have my own people I do find that I talk to Dad more about what I should do with them and I talk more to Mum about other things. Maybe it won't be until you have your own race of people to look after that you find something in common with Mum.”
“I think I find it difficult to talk to Mum because she always seems busy now. Thear has been taking up so much of her time and I feel like I'm a distraction.”
“That's the good thing about parents, partners, children and dogs. They're distraction and sometimes, when we get too involved with something, we need a distraction. Dad does it to me when he thinks I'm working too hard.”
“Do you think Mum's working too hard?”
“Yes, I do.” Achimedes sighed. “We all do, but at the moment we're all busy too. Maybe you're just the person to talk to her and get her to do something that isn't focusing on Thear.”
“Do you have any suggestions?”
“Callie, this is something that you need to do for yourself and, as much as I would like to help you, you need to work out what it is you want to do with Mum by yourself. Any suggestions I give you will probably be things that I would do with Mum.”
Callie nodded. “I understand what you're saying, but I just don't know what I can do with Mum.”
“You'll think of something. What do you do with Dad?”
“Dad and I talk about where my studies are going and what sort of things I want to learn. He probably knows more about me than anyone else does at the moment.” Callie sighed. “That's kind of weird really.” She bit her lip again. “Have you thought about finding a partner?”
Archimedes shook his head. “I'm really not that interested right now.” He smiled. “In some ways I really am like Dad.”
“Some days I think about what it would be like to share my life with someone who isn't Dad, Mum or you.” Callie shrugged. “If I'm not ready for a race of people then I'm not ready for a partner, but I look at Mum and Dad and I just want something like they have.”
© K A Jones 2011
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. This entry was originally posted at http://kajones-writing.dreamwidth.org/35896.html. It currently has
