Straighter than Parallel Parking

≈ f o r t y ≈

"I—" Karlo pauses. Janice had quit her Victoria Secret job a couple days ago because she needed to focus on remedial classes (she missed a lot of her assignments and lessons because of her sports and project hold-ups), but it didn't seem like the best time to bring up James' job as the headway for his little sister's rom-com. "Why am I getting the third degree when I'm not even dating the dude? You're making me nervous."

Marcus sighs, rubbing a hand on his cheek. He leans on the granite countertop and stares into the hallway that lead to the front door. "Because just last month I could've sworn your sister had completely called off boys for eternity and now I'm being told that she's, somehow, met the love of her life within that same amount of time."

Twiddling with his fingers, he tries to give some insight to his son about the absolute mess going on inside his head. "Kid, I know I've been picking up more shifts and these hours are digging into our time as a family. I get it. Your sister had work, you three—pretend Aàron doesn't always skip out to the internet cafe's five days out of seven—are helping your old man, and my sister has somehow decided that my house is her new, rent-free apartment has already set up a whole meeting before I even stepped foot back into my house. Cut me some slack over here."

Karlo digests all of this and say, "So you're jealous because Aunt Maria found out about this before you."

"I pour all my feelings out to the world and you really had to make this about a petty sibling rivalry?"

Marcus didn't deflect the question. Definitely.

Scratching his neck, Karlo tries to talk about what is being said between the lines. "I know you didn't get a lot to process yesterday. I get that. First time I even knew something was even happening with Janice was the weirdest part of my morning and I still can't get it through because yeah, she threw punches at Jared three weeks ago because he copped a feel during a tumble and now she's still taking forty minutes to get ready for some guy who's seen her crusty ass in sweats and her copper roots showing through. Janice, the same person who also got green hair because abuela said her forest shirt made her look like a birch tree."

Marcus groans. "I'd rather Janice be bailed out from throwing a punch at a kid for cat-calling her than have to deal with her gushing over one instead. Karlo, she gushed yesterday. Stumbling over her words, called him 'made pink his colour more than hers', something about how he was supposed to teach her femininity, and at some point, I genuinely don't know if she's supposed to be bringing a boy or a new life coach."

"He's..." his son grapples for the right words. "Very candid about what he enjoys and never fails to make sure everyone knows pink is his colour—wait, that's not even the point." He outstretches an arm and places it on his father's shoulder, trying to ease the tension he can tell is under his fingertips. "Dad, I'm sorry you got blindsided by this. And none of blame you for not being in the loop because as much as I have complete game, Janice is fumbling around trying to see what she's doing—"

"You say that like I don't know you have problems committing to one girl every week. I hear the voicemails, you know, and as soon as this shit is done, know I'm coming for your hide."

"Point is," Karlo continues, ignoring him. If his ears tinge red, he isn't going to acknowledge it right now. "You know sis hasn't been in the right head space for bringing a boy anyway. From the adoption stuff, to the pressure of our family—because bless Aunt Maria now but she was a right piece of work when she'd come—plus school has been weighing down on her for so long. But it's not your fault."

His son emphasizes it again when Marcus doesn't respond. "Dad, we love you. All that sappy stuff and hearts bonding and while this is so completely uncomfortable that I want to stab a skewer down my throat, know that I wouldn't have brought some wishy-washy, chopstick built windshield wiper into our household, much less pair him with Janice, who would break that type of man so badly even you couldn't fix him."