Legacy

“Why couldn’t Connor be like Dante?” Mr. O’Brien suddenly asks, breaking the silence between the two of you, as you finally arrive at the block of your apartment.

You knew the question was rhetorical, as Mr. O’Brien just seems to stew on the misfortune of his son, Connor, taking his and Mrs. O’Brien’s actions the wrong way; while Dante seemed to understand what it was that they and his parents were up to with their swinger friends and didn’t seem to take it negatively.

“I didn’t get to ask Dante when he found out, but if Dante knew, doesn’t that mean Connor knew you were just swinging too… and, you know, not cheating on your wife before you had your confrontation?” You ask Mr. O’Brien.

“Unfortunately, no. I already asked Dante about it. He said all he told Connor was that he understood what his parents were doing and he told Connor that that was their business. Dante apparently agreed to keep his parents’ secret swinging lifestyle, and that’s why he didn’t mention to Connor why he understood.” Mr. O’Brien explains to you.

“Oh, then that kinda makes sense for your son to react even more negatively, doesn’t it?” You ask Mr. O’Brien, who looks at you in confusion. “I mean, that’s probably why he kept his discovery to himself. He probably tried to confide in one of his friends that their parents were cheating on each other, and his friend wasn’t able to support him in his confusion. His friend understood what was going on but didn’t tell him what exactly. He probably felt even more alone after that. Maybe he started doubting the people around him, who thought cheating was just a normal thing.” You explain to Mr. O’Brien, and Mr. O’Brien just stops walking up the stoop of your apartment and takes a deep breath after rubbing his forehead.

“Then he should’ve come and talked to us about it!” Mr. O’Brien shouts in frustration, before he sits down on the stoop, not wanting to go back up to his apartment yet. You understand exactly where he was coming from. His son’s anger towards him and his mother are just a result of a lack of communication by his son... and then miscommunication caused by Mr. O’Brien when it was trying to be addressed, something you remind Mr. O’Brien of.

“He did come and talk to you about it. His attempt may have been late, but I’m sure being high on coke at the time he did come to you definitely made it worse. You’re both at fault here. The sooner you both admit that, the sooner you and your son can reconcile.” You advise Mr. O’Brien.

“I’m not even sure I want to reconcile with that prick anymore. Using our grandchildren as hostages so that we bend to his demands. Forcing Mary to change as a person just so that he would forgive us. It’s despicable.” Mr. O’Brien vents, and you honestly can’t deny that their son’s chosen path to address his grievances against his parents is neither healthy nor helpful.

However, you’re a bit confused at Mr. O’Brien’s sentiments since ‘Supportive Family’ should already be in effect, shouldn’t it? Instead of focusing on that question though, since its effects could be slower depending on the person, you noticed Mr. O’Brien reiterating something that Mrs. O’Brien hinted at earlier. You were curious about it too, and decided to ask him about it.

“Mrs. O’Brien didn’t used to be that-uh…” You started asking, but you realized you didn’t want to insult Mrs. O’Brien openly to her husband, and it makes you pause to think of a not so offensive word. Mr. O’Brien seemed to understand what you wanted to ask though.

“Cunty?” Mr. O’Brien fills in the blank for you. You wanted to say that wasn’t the word you would’ve used, but he already started answering your initial question. “No. She didn’t use to be like that. Mary was always strong willed and independent, but she wasn’t bitchy about it. She only started being like that when she found out from our previous neighbors that Connor went to them to ask what we were like as neighbors. Apparently, their positive reviews didn’t sit well with him. Thinking we haven’t changed at all since he left.” Mr. O’Brien shares with you.

“That ungrateful little brat wanted to see if we were worthy to be invited to his wedding! The only reason we were invited was because his wife, God bless her, **** him to. He told us as much during his wedding.” Mr. O’Brien reveals to you. You’re beginning to doubt if the trait you bought is having any effect at all, since Mr. O’Brien is using much more pointed words in describing his son than he did before.

“That’s all it took for Mary though. Almost not getting invited to her son’s own wedding. It broke her. Made her motivated to be what he wanted her to be. In Connor’s mind, I’m sure he just wanted Mary to be more responsible and orderly; but she’s always been that way. The fact that he couldn’t see that and make her doubt herself as a good mother boiled my blood for so long.” Mr. O’Brien continues to vent. You’re beginning to realize that maybe he’s going through an internal struggle between the magic and how he really feels and it's just bursting out now.

“It’s why I always try to temper her bitchiness whenever I can. I know she’s just trying to get people to find her annoying just so Connor would think she’s more strict with rules or whatever. That’s what Connor probably thinks is a responsible and orderly mother should be, a nagging killjoy. The exact opposite of what Mary used to be. Dumb fuck probably thinks if he had that growing up, he’d be less fucked in the head.” Mr. O’Brien continued, his words becoming more and more venomous.

“I think she was even extra bitchy with you last week just in case Connor stopped by before dropping off Maddy and he starts asking our neighbors’ opinion again.” Mr. O’Brien adds, getting your attention back from thinking about how the trait could be affecting him. Mr. O’Brien takes a deep breath, before staring into space.

“I don’t want that to be my family’s legacy. An ungrateful, spiteful, spoiled, little brat that thinks we owe him for some imagined bad parenting.” Mr. O’Brien states with conviction. You look at him though, telling him that that’s not entirely true too. “Okay, maybe not so imagined... but nobody’s perfect!” Mr. O’Brien qualifies.

“What I’m saying is… if things continue on like this, Maddy’s going to end up hating her dad too, and my son’s going to end up resenting her just like I resent him. That cycle can’t be my family’s legacy.” Mr. O’Brien continues, before taking a deep breath through his nose.

...

“It won’t be.” Mr. O’Brien says with a determination in his voice.

...

“I’m going to have a talk with my son. A real talk. The talk we should’ve had a long time ago. The talk that we’ve both been avoiding for so long because we’ve been stuck in our own ways. We can’t go on like this if we want to continue as a family. His children... my grandchildren... they deserve that at least.” Mr. O’Brien says with hope in his voice. Neither of you were looking at each other when he said it. It supported the idea that you were just an audience to his thoughts, as he wasn’t really talking to you. He was talking to himself.

You spend the next few minutes in silence as you and Mr. O’Brien look at the buildings across the stoop of your apartment. Both of you are thinking deeply. Maybe he’s imagining what his conversation with his son is going to be like. As for you, you’re wondering if you need to have a talk with your parents as well. A different kind of talk though. Maybe thank them for not fucking you up as a kid. Not having to use magic for them to support you and your life decisions. Supporting your decision to marry Diane as a teenager after you got her pregnant, supporting Diane during her pregnancy unlike her parents, giving you and Diane a place to stay while Stella was a baby and you were getting your degree in English. Just being good role models of the kind of parents you wanted your own daughter to have… and it makes you laugh in your mind. Reminding yourself that you’ve definitely crossed the line of just being a good parent with your own daughter.

Mr. O’Brien snaps you out of your own staring contest with the buildings across from you as he places his hands on your shoulder.

“Maddy idolizes you. Hell, I warned you not to even dare because I knew even before she met you, she already liked you. I just didn’t want you to possibly take advantage of her. After everything that’s happened today, I know that’s not the kind of man you are.” Mr. O’Brien compliments you, and all you could do was give him an appreciative smile.

“Your relationship with your daughter… I envy that. I wish I had that with Connor.” Mr. O’Brien says with nothing but honesty in his voice. “Except for the ‘fucking’ part.” Mr. O’Brien tacks on jokingly, making both of you chuckle.

“Even before your relationship with your daughter evolved to that though, I’ve always envied your relationship with her.” Mr. O’Brien immediately explains, once he finished chuckling.

“I want that for Maddy.” He says before pausing and taking a deep breath. “Someone to take care of her without an agenda. Someone who’s not going to encourage her to explore and do everything they did when they were a teenager just to spite her father. Someone who isn’t going to disallow her to do anything out of fear that she becomes the parent they resent. I want Maddy to become her own person. I want that for all my grandchildren, and maybe then they can end this cycle of hatred that has infected our family.” Mr. O’Brien continued.

“I know I told you not to fookin’ dare with Maddy...” Mr. O’Brien starts saying, gripping your shoulder with his fingers a little tighter, his voice sounding like it’s pleading with you.

“... but I hope you allow her to fookin’ dare with you.”