I stare at Bryan, and Bryan stares right back at me. This is awkward.
We don't utter a word, clearly wondering what the fuck the other is doing here. My brother might not be the most expressive person on earth, but even I can tell he's stunned by my sudden appearance.
For a moment, it feels like the flow of time comes to a standstill, and people's chatter turns into an indistinct background noise.
It feels surreal to meet Bryan after so long, enough to make me doubt my eyes.
But reality is reality, and a scoff soon leaves me.
Am I dumb or something? If you think about it, stumbling upon my brother at this place and time isn't all that surprising.
No, it even makes sense.
At the end of the day, this park is near a government office that deals with otherworldly beings, meaning that Bryan could very well be working in the building we just exited for all I know—it's not like I asked where his workplace was the last time we spoke to each other.
There are only so many of these special offices in the country, and they're mostly concentrated in cities, where otherworldly beings tend to gather.
Surprise, surprise, the city I now live in fits the description to a T.
On the other hand, this chance encounter doesn't seem to be the result of only 'luck'. If it hadn't been for Ellena, I wouldn't have crossed paths with him. Suspicion starts to brew in the pit of my stomach as I eye the little girl, whose grin is so wide it's almost reaching her ears.
Someone's happy, huh?
Should I ask her?
But before I can say anything, Elois starts to wriggle in my arms, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Dad, Dad!" he giggles. "Let me down, let me down!"
"Alright, alright."
I bend over, and Elois jumps off to skip to his sister. Both kids then start to look back and forth between Bryan and me, their eyes sparkling.
Oh ho, I've got a bad feeling—again. Whenever they make that face, that means they're about to spout some outrageous nonsense in the next second or so.
"Dad!" they chorus, bouncing in place, "does that mean we have two dads?!"
…Yep, outrageous, enough for James to almost choke on his spit trying not to burst out laughing.
I feel you, buddy, I feel you.
So, anyway, can someone tell me how the heck these two came to that conclusion?! Because I've got no frigging clues.
Yes, Bryan and I have the same facial features, the same brown eyes, the same black hair, and the same olive skin. If anything, the only difference between us is that he's in a wheelchair, and I'm not. But that should be more than enough to make them understand that we're not the same person, no?!
You know what? Let's just tell them straight out, for the sake of my sanity.
"No."
"Eeeeeeh?!"
Oh, please, kids! Don't look at me with that kind of disappointed look! How many more parents do you need to finally feel satisfied?! Don't you have enough of Eve, Jordan, and me?! You've even added an Uncle to the list!
Wait. Did I just count myself as one of their par—
"But he looks just like you!"
—Well, whatever.
Ellena, who has her mother's temper, doubles down, stomping her feet, while Elois nods with a serious expression, one that mirrors his father's.
Alright, fine. I get it. Seeing how adamant they are, they're mixing up a possible future with the present again, aren't they? Not so sure about what kind of future we're talking about, and I'm even less sure about how to feel about it. So, let's just ignore it.
For now, I've got to dispel that foolish idea from their minds. Something easier said than done, though.
"We're alike, yes, but he's not married to your father, so he can't be your dad."
"Oh, I see…"
Surprisingly, Ellena lowers her head in defeat, but not her brother.
"If he marries Mom," Elois makes that pensive face that doesn't bode well for my brother, "then he can be our dad, right?"
"Elois, don't go off marrying people without their consent!"
"But I'm sure Mom wouldn't mind?!"
Ah, damn it, Ellena has regained her previous vigor, the defeated expression wiped out from her face, replaced by excitement.
"Yeah, Mom loves everyone!"
"She will definitely love him!"
Holy cow—they won't let go of the matter until they get their way, will they?! But seriously, stop trying to get your mother another lover!
It's at times like this that I'm missing Jordan; at least, they listen to his 'no'.
"…Excuse me," Bryan can't take it anymore and smiles coldly at the kids, "but I prefer men, so I'd rather you don't marry me off to your mother, thank you."
This has the merit of making Bryan's position clear. It shatters the children's dream, and both purse their lips, wearing a wronged look on their faces. I can almost see the gears turning in their little heads as they try to come up with something else.
What the heck, kids.
I'm about to die out of embarrassment when a soft laughter resounds, and James leans closer to me, whispering in my ear just loud enough for me to hear, "Should I explain to them what polygamy is? I'm sure they wouldn't mind it if their father got a second husband."
"Don't you fucking dare!"
The vampire's laughter grows louder, and I can feel my brother's stare grow colder. This one has never been the kind to joke around all that much; I bet the kids have been getting on his nerves, but he's been mature enough not to lash out at them.
So, please, James, I'm begging you, don't add oil to the fire. My brother has a sharp tongue, and I don't want us to be on the receiving end of it, thank you.
Maybe I should just use him as a sacrificial lamb for the greater good. Yeah, that sounds like a great idea.
Let's just do that.
"Anyway, James, how about going on a stroll with the kids? Hm?"
"What? Why should I—"
I give him a cold smile that mirrors my twin's, and the vampire is quick to get the cue, coughing to clear his throat.
"Ellena, Elois!" he calls gently. "Let's go buy something at the convenience store. Your dad hasn't eaten anything for lunch yet, has he?"
"Oh, you're right!"
The kids' eyes grow wide at the realization, and they suddenly can't care less about Bryan. I don't know whether to laugh or cry at this.
"But we're going without Dad?"
"Why?"
"If your dad comes with us, we can't choose something to surprise him since he'll see it. It wouldn't be much of a gift now, would it?"
Although James says he's not good with kids, he sure knows how to handle these two. The idea of surprising me with some good food does wonders to distract them, enough to make them forget they were in the middle of pouting.
"Let's go!" Ellena orders. "What are you waiting for?!"
"We have to feed Dad!"
"Hurry up!"
The next instant, they grab the vampire's hands and drag him toward the exit of the park. They give him no choice whatsoever.
I pretend I haven't noticed James's pleading eyes. It's your turn to babysit, buddy.
Gosh, it's not even afternoon, and I'm already exhausted.