It's Definitely Not All Mary Poppins

You Will Bear The Full Brunt of My Hurt (7)

"Eli, I have things to do," Matthew sighed, trying to look as apologetic as possible. "Maybe Toby can take you."

Toby raised a brow. "I mean I can – "

Matt kicked him under the table.

" – not. I can not. Tomorrow, I mean." He let out a breath between his teeth, leaning down to rub his shin. "I need to be back at the house tomorrow. Plants are coming in, and I want to make sure they're pretty and stuff."

Yang's face started to pale.

Eli groaned, tongue hanging out of his mouth. "I don't ever wanna be a grown-up. You all are so busy and dumb."

"Sorry, bud, but it's inevitable."

"Maybe for you, but unless I can turn myself into a vampire now, I'll never have to grow up."

"If you're turning into a vampire, you promised me you'd turn me into a mermaid. Or a water dragon."

"First I need to get the immortal – shit, the recipe for the Water of Life. Either that, or vampire."

"I've always wanted to meet krakens and Qualupaliks if I become a water dragon. What's the other one? The big turtle one that sinks sailors?"

"Aspidochelone?" Eli asked.

Yang's face grew paler.

"Yeah, that one."

"That's if I can find the spells for it." Eli turned to the nanny. "Matt, trip back to Allisport to that spell shop?"

"No. Your birthday's already past. Wait until the next pagan holiday."

Eli groaned again. "But the next one is Beltane, and I don't want fire as a gif – okay, maybe I do, but I want spell books!"

"Fine, fine." Yang rolled forward, elbows on the table and burying his face in his hands. cemetery. Jus – please. Stop talking about turning into a vampire."

Eli's eyes narrowed. "What does that have to do with – "

Matt placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Eli. Stop. He said he'd take you."

"...oh." He turned back to his uncle. "...thank you."

"Not tomorrow, though," Yang sighed. "The Qingming Festival is coming up. We can go, then."

"The festival's passed already," Lilly said, a hardness in her voice. She turned in her chair and stared. "Ms. Kennett brought it up in class and then asked me what we do for it. I didn't like it."

Matthew cringed at that. The spectacle, the forced inclusivity,. All of it felt shallow, and he could only imagine how Lilly felt being put on the spot talking about dead relatives.

Mr. Yang's eyes widened in desolation. "God," he whispered, pulling out his phone and checking the date. "God," he sighed, pressing his hand over his forehead. "How could I forget? I have it written in my planner. Did I leave it at work? I should not have taken so much time off work. Your mother – " He met his daughter's eyes. "Did your mother call you?"

Lilly shook her head. "No."

Something in the man's stare broke.

Matthew sat forward. "Sir." He tapped Yang's arm. "Sir."

"H-how could I forget? D – " His eyes darted to Matt. "My parents. Did they call?"

"Did you tell them we're not at the house?"

"I d – I did not. God. It must have slipped my mind with coordinating everything." Desolation crossed the man's face to such a degree that Matt knew he had to step in before he began backsliding.

"Hey. Hey, hey, hey." He stood, hands on Yang's shoulders as he pulled him away from the table. "It's not your fault. You've had a lot on your plate. I doubt your parents could singlehandedly coordinating the restoration of an entire house while staying on top of everything."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better, Mr. Robinson?"

"Sir," Matthew warned, more a reminder that whatever pleasantries Yang was pushing towards were giving distance, "give yourself the credit it deserves. You got busy and forgot. It happens to the best of us. It's not a sin."

Yang's frown intensified to the point of comical, and the man hung his head in shame.

"And if you think I'm going to let your parents scold their forty-year-old son like he's five, they've got another thing coming."

"They'll hate you."

"Oh, my Gods." He paused. "And the worst that could happen is...what? I've already quit?"

"Please do not say that so casually."

"Sorry."

Yang's sunken brown eyes studied Matt for a long second before the frown turned, the corners of his mouth twisting into a soft smirk. He asked, "What are we going to do when you leave?"

"You'll survive. We all have to."

"Yes, I..." He sighed. The older man clearly wanted to say more, but restrained himself."I suppose we do." He straightened himself out and returned to the table, patting Matthew on the shoulder.

Beneath the quiet sounds of munching and shuffling foods, Matt, Lilly, and Toby shared uncertain glances around Eli and Yang.