New Family, New Feelings

I once was told that hangovers are because you use up all the good times the night before, leaving only the bad. The very, very, bad. I don't feel too bad, considering, but work doesn't sound fun today. Oh well, can't afford to take a sick day on my first week, time to follow in Lauren's footsteps. I don't try to wake Elise, she's lucky enough to not have a pressing appointment, I'll leave her to enjoy slumber land for a while longer. The shower's too cold... Or too hot... Or both... It's hard to tell. either way, it encourages me to hurry up. I wonder if anyone'll notice if I only wash my fringe? Who am I kidding? Thousands of years of human history and no one's ever noticed that trick, I'm safe.

I get dressed and return to my room, Elise is still out cold, her breathing like a gentle hum, calming my soul. I'll text her on my lunch, still got those viewings this afternoon, gotta make sure she's awake enough for them.

Now the part I've been dreading... Going downstairs. I could afford breakfast at a café, right? I don't have to go see Mum... But I do, really, I owe it to her. I gather my courage and begin my descent into the lion's den, beginning to hear the murmur of voices from the kitchen as I proceed. One's definitely Mum, the other sounds like... Rouge? She's awake already?

"...supposed to do?" I catch the end of my sister's sentence as I approach the door.

"Talked to me! I'm your mother, I shouldn't always be the last person to hear everything." Mum's voice responds.

"You would've tried to stop me!" Rouge protests.

"Yes, I would have! Did you ever consider that maybe I had a reason for that?" Mum fires back.

I can't just stay outside the door, but my body's frozen, I can't find the strength to go in... I'm such a coward when it comes to Mum, it's pathetic... Rouge would do it for me. No more solo runs. Pushing my fear deep down, I open the door and step through. Mum's sat at the table, while Rouge leans against the wall. Both of them take one look at me and... Continue like I'm not even there.

"I get it, I'm too young, it's too soon, there's so much going on, all the clichés. It doesn't matter, Trish needed me, and I love her, I don't regret anything." Rouge argues.

"It's not your love I doubt, or Trish's for that matter. But love's only one part of marriage, it's a foundation, that doesn't mean you can build on it." Mum sighs, she looks more tired than us, I don't think she's slept... This stuff's really bothering her...

"Mum, I'm a bona fide genius, I'm somewhat aware that most marriages end in divorce, if it ends, it ends, but I don't believe it'll be us. We're different." My twin snaps at the implication. It seems like she's been thinking about it a lot too... This isn't just her being kooky, this marriage means something for her...

"Everyone thinks they're the ones that are different, sweetie, everyone thinks they're the exception, and no one ever listens. You're a smart girl, Rouge, far smarter than me, so it just hurts that much more when you repeat my stupid mistakes." Mum answers, silencing them both.

Of course... Mum did the same thing, she married young, settled down, thought it was all perfect... And it all got ripped away. I've always known there's a family resemblance between us and out mother, but right now... To her, Rouge must look exactly like her.

"You're wrong." I blurt out. My family turn to look at me. She's wrong? Who's wrong? What did I mean? I have no follow-up for this. Mum and Rouge look at me expectantly... Guess all I can do is tell my truth, it's worked for me so far. "Mum, Rouge isn't you, Trish isn't our father. There's no guarantee they're going to end the same way, but I can tell it's started just as happily. Besides, you got us out of it, so it can't have been all bad, right?" I continue, trying to cobble together whatever salient points I can make.

"Exactly." Rouge chimes in. "I know things didn't go well back then, but I-"

"You're wrong too." I cut her off. Again? Why do I keep saying things without knowing what I mean? Just let your mouth take over, your brain can follow later. "Mum's not mad because you got married, or because you're repeating her mistakes, she's upset because you left her out. If you'd listened to what she had to say, and still gone ahead with it, it'd have been fine, but cutting her out completely? It's like you don't trust her not to force a decision on you."

Oh... Yeah... My subconscious brain is way more intuitive than my aware brain. Is this how Lauren is so good? Hangover's turn you into a psychic? Eh, wouldn't be worth the nausea either way.

"So... You're not against me and Trish being married?" Rouge poses, finally moving from the wall and sitting across from Mum, who grabs her hand in support.

"Oh, Honey, no. I love you, and I love Trish, I love how happy she makes you. I just worry. No matter how old you get, or how independent, or how many doctorates you have on the wall. I will always worry about you. I... I had to go through a lot of pain in my life, and I never wanted you to have to deal with anything like that." Mum responds with a soothing tone, stroking her daughter's hand with her own.

Rouge meets Mum's gaze, and a small smile emerges from her self-doubt. "Thanks Mum... I'm sorry, for not talking to you. I guess I got so caught up in it, I didn't stop to think about how it'd affect everyone else." She admits. Honestly, I'll take Rouge being a bit selfish, she's selfless too often. "And hey, we'll probably have a proper ceremony someday anyway, so you can get all mother-of-the-bride on me then." She adds with a chuckle.

My sister shoots me a grateful look, honestly, I don't feel like I did that much as I turn to leave for work. Those two just needed to work it out, they'll probably argue a bit more, but they'll be okay.

As I approach the door a voice catches my attention. "Very Impressive." I turn to see Trish sat on the stairs. Looks like she was listening in, probably worried about her wife... It's kinda cute. "How did you know what Dani was really upset about though?" She asks me.

I laugh as I open the door. The cool air assaults my skin as I continue my escape and give Trish my answer.

"Because it's literally the first thing I heard her say... Those two just don't listen enough. Psychic hangovers would have been nice though."