Chapter 5

"When did you learn about him?"

"Your father never lied to me."

"Where is he?" It was supper time.

"Father called him away."

"You were going to tell me."

Mother smiled. "I'm glad I didn't have to."

"How-?" It was the hardest question.

"You know about stem cells. They can become sperm cells."

"That's not legal."

"Not yet. The country where you were conceived was more like an enclave of mad scientists."

"You're getting too comic book on me, Mom."

She smiled again. I loved her smile. It was all too rare. "You were not an experiment. The procedure was proven safe several years before we paid to conceive you." Her smile waned. "I used to love comic books."

"Did father tell you to grow up?" He'd told me that, when I was thirteen.

"I still read them." She tapped her laptop. "But I don't love them as much."

"Do you really let him rule you?"

"Of course, Walter. I promised him."

"Because you love him?"

She quieted. "I love you. That was our deal."

"You wanted a child, and you wanted to be able to work."

"That's right." She ran a finger over her touchpad. An app launched, code editor. She was itching for it.

"No, Mother." I pulled her finger from the pad. "I have a million questions."

"There's only one question you need, and you have to answer it. Do you love your father?"

I released Mother's finger. "Yeah." All other questions were worthless.

"Wait. I can't help it. You gotta tell me. Is he really your sex partner?"

"That's private, Walter. I won't tell him you asked." She shook her shoulders and rubbed her neck." She wanted to get back to work.

"Is Grandfather your sex partner?"

"Walter. I'm not going to be patient with you."

I'd lost. I'd never know how my mother really felt about how the 'men' in her home could treat her. "Um- Am I your sex partner?" I felt like I was about to pee in my pants. I was terrified.

"Make yourself dinner, Walter." She examined her code.

Father arrived later that night. I was studying for a special exam that might merit a college subsidy. He passed my door.

"Good night, Walter."

"Good night, -" I started to cry.

I was wiping my eyes when Mother knocked. "Walter, your father is very upset."

"I'm sorry." I wanted to cry again.

"We'll talk in the morning."

I couldn't sleep. I went out for a midnight walk around the neighborhood, against Father's curfew. I didn't return until four in the morning. I stayed up, reading an online manual for submissives. It was shit. I woke up, head on my desk, at a knocking.

"Come to the breakfast table, Walter." Father called.

Bleary, weary, heartsick, and scared, I stumbled into the dining area.

"Walter, you'll leave for college next week. Your mother and I will pay for your housing."

"Huh?"

"I can't be anyone but who I am, Walter. You need time and space to figure out how to process my birth sex."

"I can manage. I-I will manage, F-father."

He shook his head.

"Sweetheart, your father has decided."

I slammed my hand on the table. "I haven't."

Dad leaped up. "I can order you out of my house this minute, Son."

"You can. Father." I couldn't face him. "But then you'll lose Mother, too."

Three individuals struggled with individual thoughts.

"We have an agreement. You don't understand." Father began.

"I understand, if you don't let her love me, you break that agreement."

"I don't have to live with you, to love you, Son." Mother backed him.

"Try it, Mom. I'm not the one with something to lose." Both of them did.

"Emotional blackmail is the worst, Walter. I didn't think you capable."

"I didn't think I was a freak!" I broke down again. I slumped in my chair and bawled.

Arms quickly hugged me. "You don't believe that."

"I've thought I was a freak since I first wanted to fuck you."

Father exploded. "Out of my house! Out! Out! We'll send your things."

Mother could have calmed him. "Go, Son. I'll call your grandfather."

"I'm not going!" I threw off Mother's arms. I stood up to my dad. "I would go, if you loved me."

She shook her head. "I will drag you out."

"Ed!" Mother shot his name.

"I will fuck you!" I pointed at him. "I will rape you, until you break."

Mother cracked my plate over my head. The memory of warm eggs crawling down my face was my last.

My first was a warm lap. "That's a doozy of a hen's egg on your noggin, Walter."

"Grandpa, why do I have a cock?"

"The hell you ask?"

"If mom and dad are females, why do I have a prick?"

"Oh." Grandfather wasn't much of a scientist. He'd earned his money the easy way, cheating stupid people.

"Your mother was raped, Walter, by your other grandfather."

Oh no.

"When your father began dating Lisa, she didn't know. He was already estranged from his parents. Ed doesn't like to admit his birth sex. He hates women."

"But he's a lesbian."

"Themz jus' werds."

"He didn't hide his sex. Lisa just assumed. Hell, I would have too." Grandfather hated to admit imperfection. "Lisa was a big nerd, at the time. A man who treated her like a woman was exciting. The other nerds treated her as if she didn't have tits or a cunt. They all wanted to fuck her, but she was more goddess than women to them."

"Mom and Dad dated, but didn't have sex."

"At first. When Ed came out to her as transgendered, Lisa freaked out."

"How did they get back together?"

"Lisa freaked out with curiosity. She took to sex with Ed like a lab rat to cocaine. It was Ed who was fooled. He even bragged to his parents, that he was more of a man than his father, who was then divorced.

"That piece of shit father came after Ed like a vengeful god. He ambushed him and my daughter." Grandpa paused. His fists clenched knuckles white. "He's still in prison, double counts of attempted murder.

"Ed wanted Lisa to abort."

"That's when Lisa offered her deal?"

"That's right. I told her she was foolish. She's no lesbian. I asked her to amend her deal."

"You wanted her to have sex with men." I gulped. "With you."

"I don't enjoy sex with your mother, Walter. It's not right. It is her only outlet."

"Don't lie." I smiled. "You love whipping her like your wife."

"Yes. I love that. She loves it too. So did Ursula. But when she begs me to fuck her, I don't get off. I might as well be a vibrator. If I haven't already cum, I go home and jerk off to a porno." I'd never seen my Grandfather embarrassed.

"How long was I out?"

"Long enough. Look around."

My things were heaped in Grandfather's study. He'd moved some of his out, to make room for them and a trundle bed. He was sitting on it. I lay across it with my head on his lap. "How long can I stay?"

"Until I'm sure you don't have a concussion. Never declare rape, in front of your mother."

"I was overwrought. How much of an apology do I owe?"

"To me? A big one. To your dad, nothing will pull that hurt out of him."

"Mom?"

"She moved into my room."

"Huh?"

"She's worried sick about you."

I tried to get up.

"She won't see you. Not yet."

Words left me. I hugged Grandfather's knee.

Eventually, I slept. It had been dark when I came to. It was light when I awoke, alone.

I patted my head and winced. Mom's stoneware must have been made of granite. Looking around, I made plans. I tackled the heap closest to me. Eventually, I found my cell phone. It was dead. Later, I found the charger. I finished sorting and stowing and left, phone plugged in. "Grandpa?"

"Here." He was in his apartment's living room. It was a two bedroom. The second was his study. Now it was a bedroom again, for an unknown time.

"Where's Mom?"

"She's at your dads."

"How are they?"

"Check the internet. How should I know?" He rattled his thin newspaper.

Grandfather lived several miles from home. If I left now, I might walk there by lunch. Maybe there was a bus. Grandfather rarely invited me to his home. We always hung out at my- I stopped for a teary moment.

"How's your head?"

"Still stupid."

"Good. I'll get my leeches out when you're feeling smart again."

"That may take a while."

"Why do I doubt that?"

"What can I make to eat?"

"Salad. It's already made, and shriveling in the refrigerator."

Mom's work, no doubt. Grandpop like hamburgers, buns, and mustard. He distrusted pickles because they were green, not because they weren't delicious, garlic ones at least.