Kade remains silent, so I take a deep breath and say, "Our news isn't so good..."
Kade jumps up and cuts me off, "Tan's right, our news isn't good, it's GREAT!" He turns to me, "Isn't it Tan?" he says, with a huge smile designed to divert me.
Normally I can read Kade like a book, but not now.
My head is confuzzled and I can only answer with my truth.
I swivel a swift head, "No, Kade wants to go Trans..."
He jumps up, claps his hands, throws his arm around my shoulders and squeezes me tight, "Tan's tired, you know how she loses her enthusiasm when she's beat. What she means by going trans is we're taking a trip on the Trans-Siberian-Express – how awesome is that?"
Kelly looks as confused as I am, her smile drops, "Kade, what are you talking about?"
Kade pulls a puzzled look, "What bit about what I just said don't you understand, Kell?"
She shrugs her shoulders, "Well, you and Tan taking a train trip isn't exactly great news for us." She smiles at Troy, "Especially when you compare it to our life-changing news," she says.
Kade slumps down, "I'm sorry to disappoint you guys, but it's pretty exciting news for us, isn't it Tan?" he asks, looking at me with his pleading, 'please go-along-with-me' look.
I nod a quiet, "Yes," before leaning toward Kelly and Troy, "but we're super excited for you guys and we'll be honoured to be God-Parents – won't we, Kade?"
Kade jumps up with an over exaggerated exuberance, "For sure – Tan and I will be great Godparents." He turns to me and points skyward, "And I'll be an awesome Godfather, literally looking over the little one from the heavens," he says, with a knowing wink.
Kelly's face can't hide her bewilderment, "Kade, why are you acting like totally weird?"
He spins round, stops and points to himself, "Me. Weird? No. This is me being psyched – I'm going to be an uncle, and – The Godfather!"
Kelly takes Troy's hand, "Erm, you'll be our kid's Godfather, not 'The Godfather,' Kade," she says, looking at her brother with a bemused eye.
I know where Kade's coming from, he's using Troy and Kelly's good news to justify his Transhuman transition to me. But I can also see that he's coming across as really weird.
So, I take his hand and rein him in, "We're both tired, we were up late last night observing the Three Surgeons, so forgive Kade's delirium," I say.
Troy breaks a smile, "I get that, those monsters will forever cause mayhem, madness and delirium." He looks at us both with earnest eyes, "Kelly and I will be forever grateful to you both for allowing us live our lives without their burden." He leans in, "Thank you both, sincerely."
Kade also leans in, "There's no need for 'thank you' – we love you two – I mean three, now!" he says, pointing to Kelly's burgeoning bump.
Kelly relaxes into her brother and I; she beams, "Hey guys, we're going on a trip too, we leave for our Babymoon in the Bahamas next week, we're so excited."
We have a group hug, and in our combined embrace I feel a pang of envy for Kelly, Troy, and their happy situation.
......
Here's the thing dear readers – Troy and Kelly are no longer part of our world. They live in your world, free from any interference from, or involvement with The Three Surgeons.
I truly envy them.
But I don't begrudge them.
That sounds like I'm contradicting myself, and I guess I am.
Contradiction is all part of life with the Three surgeons.
I miss not having Kelly and Troy as a constant in our lives. We've lived and survived so much together. I feel sad when they visit us from their all American Home, which is as happy and wholesome as apple pie.
......
Kelly and Troy left on a cloud of Babymoon excitement leaving me happy for them, yet saddened to see them go.
Back alone in the lounge area of our facility, Kade hands me a coffee, "Thanks for covering for me Tan, I couldn't bare to have them deal with my transition when they're floating on such a happy situation."
I take a sip, "Jeez Kade, I know our life has more twists than a mile long corkscrew, but that 'Trans-Siberian-Train-Trip' thing was almost a twist too far, you're lucky Kelly and Troy were so Babymoon distracted that they fell for that crap."
Kade puts his cup down, "It's not crap," he says, his head hanging forward, his voice low.
I splutter my coffee, "Oh come on Kade, "I said trans...and you cut in with...Trans-Siberian, before I could say Transhuman," I say, chuckling.
Kade puts his elbows on his knees and rests his head in his hands. He remains quiet, so I put my hand on his back and gently rub, "What is it?"
After a pause he lifts his head and looks at me, his eyes moist, "It's not crap, Tan." He takes my hand, "My transition is taking place in Vladivostok, Russia. I booked a first class passage for both of us on the Trans-Siberian-Express. It takes eight days to travel from Moscow to Vladivostok, I figured it would be our last big adventure before I let my body be recycled and become Transhuman – I wanted to tell you properly, I'm sorry it came out that way," he says, his voice slowed by sadness.
Seeing he's distressed, I remain calm, "So your saying eight days on the Trans-Siberian-Express will be our Goodbye-Bodymoon?"
He pushes his hands through his hair, "I guess you could call it that," he says, through a nervous smile.
His head flops into my lap and I stroke his hair. I have no words; nothing I can say will dissuade Kade from transitioning to Transhuman.
All I can do is treasure and touch what will soon be gone from my life.
Our Goodbye-Bodymoon on the Trans-Siberian Express will be my final trip with Kade – I hope you will join us on our journey.
