Mom, Dad, I am a pet...

Back home at CAT (Cerulean Acrylic Tanks) Amanda Star, my mother was in the front shop. We're both natural redheads. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Miranda, our family pet. She's a PH-1 fish pet. The scale dress she wore gave her a mermaid-like impression. We have about the same morphology but she's a goldilocks and about half a head taller than me. My parents adopted her as our pet around the same time my sister left for college. Miranda had chosen to adopt our surname so now she was known as Miranda Star. Hannah Star, my sister, was a sophomore at Cerulean State College in Striation Beach, the big city of Cerulean State. So Miranda's obviously a few years older than me.

“Hi Mom,” I said resignedly. “Dad’s back I presume?”

“Yes, he working on some tank issues,” said Mom. “Want me to call him, baby?” Even at 18, Mom still called me baby.

“Mathew, Gaby is back from the clinic!” my mom shouted once we cleared the shop. Soon I heard someone rushing toward us.

“Well?” my parents asked once they were both in front of me.

“It's official,” I said, “I am a PH-2 pet.”

“And your arms?” Mom asked.

All I said was, “I am a PH-2 pet … and you better read this first.” Resignation really dripped off my words this time. I thrust out the documents I had gotten at the clinic.

They took the documents between the two of them, each held one side of the paper. First they shoved the Pet Biology 101: Phenotype to the back of the stack of papers, because everybody beyond the age of 18 got a copy of it together with the phenotype test results. Then they started studying my test results.

They looked from the text, back to me, and back to the text which gave the impression of a pumpjack on an oil well, as they absorbed what I knew was written there. Finally, they stopped bobbing and looked at me as if they saw me for the first time.

“…” Mom opened her mouth and closed it again.

“…” Dad opened his mouth and closed it again. At last, Dad said, “So you're turning into a fish. A tetra by the looks of it.”

I mimicked the professor at the clinic and said to my dad “Crude, but not entirely incorrect. I am not turning into a tetra, but I will be expressing the basic characteristics of a tetra.” No point fooling Dad. He grew up amongst fish. Mom too, actually. That was how they met, and their story popped into my head out of nowhere.

Amanda Hill (Mom's maiden name) worked at a Pet-4-Pet store when they met. Pet-4-Pet decided to expand their assortment with aquarium fish in a small section because the store only had so much space. However, they needed someone to build and install the tanks. Not having a local option available, they went for the out-of-state solution and commissioned ATC (Acrylic Tank Construction) based in Hulbury Beach to handle the expansion of the store.

Mathew Star was sent by ATC to oversee the delivery and successful placement of the tanks for the new Pet-4-Pet store commission. He was from another state so he checked into a local hotel for the duration of the commission.

Amanda Hill was assigned by Pet-4-Pet to work with him to bring the expansion to a successful conclusion. She often packed a duplicate lunch for him because he was staying at a hotel.

Afterward, they kept in contact, got together, and eventually started CAT at Cerulean Beach filling the opening for a specialized tank and fish shop in the larger Cerulean region.

“Besides,” I said breaking out of my reverie, “someone of the SPCP will make a house call to go over everything in a few days.”