Chapter 55: You're Just No Fun, Dad!

November 27, 2002, Chicago, Illinois

🎤 Jesse

"Hi!" Scarlett exclaimed when she came into the arrival hall at Midway after her flight from Rochester.

"Hi!" I replied as we exchanged a quick hug. "Any bags?"

"Just my carry-on."

"Then let's go. I have my Dad's BMW parked across the street."

"Must be nice!"

She let me take her bag, then I took her hand, and we began walking.

"I did say it's my dad's car, not mine! That's years away! And I'm thinking Mustang or Camaro is more like it."

"I like both those cars! Changing topics, are you still planning on going to UW-Madison?"

"That's the plan, though I don't have to decide for another year. Why?"

"I was thinking about applying to UW for my Master's when I graduate in three years."

"Because of me?"

"Partly, but it's a good program, too."

"You know I'm not ready to make any promises to anyone, right?"

"Sure, and it's three years from now, so you'll be at UW for a year before I graduate. You know how much I like you."

"I do, and I like you a lot, too. But I'm only sixteen."

Scarlett laughed, "And as you pointed out several times when you were in Rochester, you are not a typical sixteen-year-old!"

"And you know I want to be careful not to hurt you or mislead you. I have no clue what will happen once I get to college, and all we can do is wait and see."

"This is not a statement of regret or anything like that, simply an observation — it's a function of dating a guy who's three years younger and still in High School."

"To put a slightly different spin on it," I offered, "you're only a Sophomore in college and have four-and-a-half years of school before you finish your Master's. College is about getting an education but also having new and interesting experiences so you can figure out what you want from life. I think too many kids focus too much on being couples, and because of that, they miss meeting and getting to know interesting people and potentially miss out on their best possible life partner."

"Is that code for saying you want a setup like your dad's?"

"No. I think my moms are a better model, but that's my choice. What Dad does is fine for him and his wives and girlfriends, and I don't have a problem with it. It's just not for me. For now, I like my freedom because I can talk to anyone and hang out with anyone, and I don't have to worry about my partner being jealous or upset."

"Which has the advantage of being able to sleep with anyone you want whenever you want," Scarlett declared.

"My first comment is that it takes two to tango, so it's not just about what I want. Secondly, High School and college are about figuring out how you can live a fulfilling, productive, happy life. In my mind, that means getting an education, meeting people, discovering new ideas, visiting new places, and finding out what makes you happy. I don't think you can do that in a committed relationship or even in an exclusive one.

"That said, I will happily acknowledge that Matthew and Chelsea belong together, and always have, and for them, it made zero sense to even date anyone else, let alone kiss another person. Heck, if Francesca's mom hadn't completely lost her shit about the fact that Francesca had entered puberty, that might have been me. But, in the end, I concluded being a free agent, if you will, is the best approach for me. As the saying goes, your mileage may vary."

"I sounded a bit catty, didn't I?"

"I didn't take it that way. Your position appears to be more in line with the typical Midwestern American girl's typical outlook. And there's nothing wrong with it, so long as you don't expect everyone to do things your way. My sister Birgit does expect that, and that hasn't worked out as well for her as she would have liked!"

"You mean not being able to find a steady boyfriend? Or being perceived as 'easy'."

I chuckled, "Birgit does not want a steady boyfriend and doesn't care who knows she's having sex. It's more about wanting to control literally everything and everyone around her. You can imagine how well that has worked out!"

"Not very well, I imagine."

"The universe does not bow to her, no matter how much she wants it to, which annoys her to no end. Going back to us, all I can do is tell you my philosophy and my approach to life, and what I can offer. What happens at that point is up to you."

"I wasn't upset with you," Scarlett said, squeezing my hand. "I just want you to know how much I like you and that I could see a future together."

"And maybe that future happens," I replied. "I'm not saying 'never'; I'm saying 'not now'."

We reached the car, got in, and headed for the Compound.

"Can I ask something about your family that we never discussed?" Scarlett inquired.

"Sure, though I might not be able to answer."

"I was just curious if your dad was like you when he was in High School and college."

"The opposite! He was looking for a wife from the time he was fourteen, and that caused all kinds of drama because he would obsess about it and mess things up. It didn't help that Mom One was lesbian but fighting it because of the repressive environment in Milford in the 70s. She and Dad were talking seriously about marriage in tenth grade and planned to go to college together in Chicago. That all blew up for a host of reasons, and then Dad found Aunt Kara, but they had all kinds of problems, and when they eventually got back together, they both wanted another person in the relationship, and they found Aunt Jessica. Basically, every time Dad tried to be exclusive and committed, something terrible happened, including his first serious girlfriend dying."

"Whoa!" Scarlett gasped. "What happened?"

"Birgit Andersson died in a boating accident in the Baltic Sea near Stockholm when they were both fifteen. Dad was in the US when that happened. Later, in college, when he was basically committed to a girl named Stephie, she went back to her first love and later died of ovarian cancer."

"Hang on a sec! Your sisters are named for your dad's former girlfriends who died?"

"I told you my family was different! Pretty much all the adults have some very interesting stories about their past. Aunt Jess hid the identity of her real father until after she was married; my Grandpa A was in the CIA; my brother Albert's step-grandma died on 9/11; and so on."

"My family is SO boring by comparison! Nobody has done anything exciting."

"Gee, thanks," I said flatly.

Scarlett laughed, "I didn't mean that! In fact, I'm pretty sure my parents did that!"

"Well, you can pretty much bet on the fact that if your parents never had any children, neither will you!"

"Wait! If my parents never had children, I wouldn't be here!"

"Therefore, it's true that you wouldn't have any children!"

"You are a nut, Jesse!"

"Thank you!" I chuckled.

At home, we went into the coach house, said 'hi' to my moms, then went up to my room to get reacquainted.

November 28, 2002, Chicago, Illinois

🎤 Birgit

"What do you have planned today, Pumpkin?" Dad asked as we snuggled after running on Thanksgiving morning.

"The same as every Thanksgiving! I'll be baking cookies and pies with Mom and my sisters and then cooking with Yuriko, my sisters, and Suzanne. There's a lot to do to feed twenty-two people!"

"Who's peeling the sack of potatoes?"

"Matthew volunteered, and Michael will help him. Jesse and Albert will set up the dining room. I wish we could have sailors. That was fun."

"Albert was complaining about the 'security theatre' last night at dinner."

"It's so dumb, Dad! What place could be safer than here? And sending them all to a banquet hall where they publish the name and address days before? How can the government be so dumb?"

"You know the answer."

"The same idiots who lined up the planes wingtip-to-wingtip to make easy targets at Pearl Harbor!"

"Those were military, not government. But they are a result of the same process."

"People vote for the politicians who make the most promises to either shovel money at them or guarantee they'll be safe, both of which are detrimental to everyone's rights."

"You've been listening," Dad chuckled.

"Yes, but you don't listen to me!" I groused.

Dad laughed, "I do listen, but I don't do what you say, much to your annoyance."

"You do everything Liz says! And you pay her to tell you what to do! I'll do it for free!"

Dad laughed, "On that topic, someone once said that marriage is the most expensive way there is to have sex for free!"

"I don't want to marry you, Dad!" I declared. "On the other hand..."

"Breakfast is ready," Mom called out. "And you need to come right away because we have a lot of work to do!"

"Grrr!" I growled but got up because I knew she was right.

Dad and I followed her to the kitchen, and I made myself a plate with bacon, eggs, and toast. It was crowded in the kitchen because Aunt Elyse, Eduardo, Matthew, Chelsea, and Michael had come to the house early, and Jesse, his moms, and Scarlett had joined us for breakfast as well. Aunt Stephanie, Joel, and my cousins would show up later in the morning.

"Scarlett, do you want to help us bake?" I asked.

"I am the world's worst in the kitchen!" Scarlett declared.

"You can still help," Ashley offered. "We can teach you. I'm sure Jesse can find something to do with our brothers and cousin."

"Which cousin?"

"David. My Aunt Stephanie's son. That's my dad's sister. We have a girl cousin, Patty, who's his little sister, and when she gets here, she'll help, too, even though she's only six."

"No boys in the kitchen?" Scarlett asked. "I thought you were all about being enlightened."

"Keeping boys out of the kitchen IS enlightened!" I declared, causing all the girls to laugh and all the boys to roll their eyes. "But Matthew and Michael will do KP by peeling the potatoes!"

"Dad is an awesome cook," Ashley said. "But we girls do all the baking. Dad will help with the turkey later, though Yuriko has taken over the kitchen as you would expect a proper Japanese girl to do!"

"Exactly right, Birgit-chan!" Yuriko said with a smile.

"I usually am!" I giggled, causing almost everyone else in the kitchen to groan.

🎤 Steve

"How are you doing?" Jennifer asked, coming into my study after I'd put the two turkeys in the double ovens.

"I take it that's not just a polite question, and you want a proper answer."

"It's not, and I do."

"Mary Whittaker is investigating dopamine as a potential cause for my condition and devising a set of tests for February."

Jennifer laughed softly, "As if there was any question of you being driven by pleasure-seeking!"

I chuckled, "I won't deny it, and that is the popular understanding of dopamine, but clinically, it's most likely motivational salience, that is, driving behavior towards an object or an outcome."

"All kidding aside, that actually fits. What is she thinking?"

"That there is some kind of irregularity in dopamine production that causes what appear to be manic episodes. And if that's true, then it's likely something to do with dopamine precursors, which are amino acids found in proteins, or it could be that the enzymes that break down dopamine are out of balance. There are several diseases, including Parkinson's disease, that are caused by dopamine degeneration."

"Is there a treatment?"

"Maybe. The main problem is that dopamine cannot pass the blood/brain boundary, so taking dopamine cannot have a direct effect. It would be the metabolic pathways for synthesis that would have to be addressed. And that's assuming that's the problem, which it might not be. Well, everyone who has looked at my files is sure it's related to my hypothalamus, but nobody knows for sure exactly what the proximate cause is."

"How did Mary come up with the dopamine idea?"

"She didn't. One of Jessica's friends, Doctor Mike Loucks, came up with it."

"Endocrinologist?"

"Trauma surgeon. He's Chief Attending at Rutherford Regional Hospital in Ohio."

"How the heck does a trauma surgeon come up with that? And why was he looking at your records?"

"We're acquaintances, have a mutual nemesis and mutual friends besides Jess. When I saw him in March, he asked for copies of my records because he was curious."

"He was here?"

"No, I was visiting Rutherford for the investments I have there, one of which is the motel his sister and her husband own."

"Who's your mutual nemesis?"

"A Kent van der Meer clone that Doctor Mike had a run-in with in college."

"Your kind of run-in?" Jennifer asked with a smirk.

I chuckled, "I don't think so, but you never know. I do know they had a theological debate. At the time, Doctor Mike was an undergrad and a subdeacon in the Russian Orthodox Church and mopped the floor with the evangelical youth pastor who was harassing gay and lesbian kids on campus."

"There are too many bigoted assholes in the world."

"According to Jess, a member of the church where the 'bigoted asshole' was youth pastor, murdered one of Doctor Mike's closest friends for being gay. Life in prison without parole."

"When was that?"

"In the late 80s; Jess could give you more details. She did tell me that in one of those karmic moments, Mike was part of a medical team that treated the murderer after he'd been beaten and raped in prison."

"That's Josh Benton level karma, though I wouldn't wish rape on anyone."

"Me, either. I'll see Doctor Mike when we're in Rutherford in a week. Jess arranged for us to have dinner with him and his family."

"Was that the reason for the trip?"

"No. Paul Reynolds invited us to stay in the new suites they built before the grand opening in January. SKJ Partners provided the funding. But enough about me; how are you?"

"Living the boring life of an urban lesbian mom!"

"Being Jesse's mom cannot possibly be boring!"

"Well, there are vicarious thrills!"

"Seeing CeCe in the sauna?"

"Don't remind me. Holy God, is she hot!"

"Kara called her 'scrumptious'," I said.

"CeCe and Jesse are on the outs if you didn't know."

I knew, but revealing how I knew was a concern, though I was very tempted to make Jennifer insanely jealous. I didn't usually discuss things except with my wives, but this was Jennifer, my first real confidante, and I knew she'd never reveal my confidence.

"I know," I said with a sly smile. "I ran into her on my trip to Arizona."

"You didn't!" Jennifer gasped, her eyes wide.

"Eat your heart out, Jen," I said smugly.

"You ... you ... dog!"

I chuckled, "I understand why you're jealous. Those long legs!"

"But..."

"She made it clear that she and Jesse are done, and she's been dating at Arizona State. Jesse and I spoke about the concept when Libby was seriously flirting with me. He told her, and me, that it was up to her, and nothing would change except that he'd never sleep with her again."

"Tempted?"

"We are talking about me, Jen!" I chuckled. "But I believe Libby chose Jesse over me. And that neither surprises me nor bothers me in any way."

"I bet she'd be a wildcat in bed," Jennifer smirked.

"You'll have to ask our son, who, I'm positive, would give you all the details you don't want to hear!"

"I told you about that little turkey when he and CeCe were in bed!"

"He is our kid, Jen! Though that's more shades of Melanie in High School."

"And when Birgit and some random boy come to breakfast naked?"

"She's done that already by herself!" I chuckled.

"Age three is different from age fourteen with a paramour! She'll do that to yank your chain for the same reason Jesse said it was OK to open his door while he and CeCe were lying naked without the covers on!"

"Got your cheap thrill, did you?" I grinned.

"I would never admit that to Jesse!"

"But you just did to me!"

"What do your daughters like to say to things like that? What-ever!"

"You know I love you, Jen. I always have, and I always will."

"I love you, too, Steve. Even when you make me insanely jealous!"

🎤 Matthew

"Me and my big mouth!" I complained to Michael as I peeled the eighteenth potato.

"I think I'll invent a potato-peeling robot!" Michael replied, having peeled about an equal number. "But it seems as if we're done."

"The bag is empty, so unless someone runs to the store, there aren't any more to peel! I'll take the peelings to Aunt Kara's compost pile. You take the potatoes to Yuriko."

"OK!" Michael agreed.

I combined the peelings from the two bowls into one and took them to the backyard, while Michael took the large container with the peeled potatoes to the kitchen. I dumped the peelings on the compost pile, used the pitchfork to turn it, then went back inside, getting the other bowl and taking them to the kitchen.

"Do you need anything else, Yuriko?" I asked.

"Not now, thank you, Matthew-chan; thank you, Michael-chan."

"You're welcome!" I replied. "Michael, let's go hang out with Albert, Jesse, and David."

We left the kitchen and went up to Albert's room so we could play video games.

🎤 Steve

"I am thankful for our extended family and our guest, Scarlett, being here," I said when everyone gathered in the dining room mid-afternoon.

Chelsea was 'extended family' at this point, even though the kids weren't formally engaged. That really was only a technicality, as there was no doubt in my mind that they were together for life, and unless there was an accidental pregnancy somewhere along the way, they would have my first grandkids.

Yuriko and Natalie were considered extended family, too, not guests, though eventually, Yuriko would return to Japan, and Natalie would leave us for school in Russia.

"Jesse wants to say a blessing before we eat," I continued.

"O Lord, bless the food and drink of Thy servants, for Thou art holy unto the ages of ages," Jesse said.

"Amen!" everyone intoned, even though Jesse was the only serious believer in the entire group.

We began passing food, and I passed on the mashed potatoes and stuffing, but Ashley had made rolls with almond flour, so I could have those. I had no limit on turkey, and the girls had made a salad, as well as broccoli, so I had plenty of food despite my diet.

"Albert, I hear you're flying to St. Louis tomorrow," Eduardo said.

"Yes, with Aimee and Nicholas."

"Will you do all the flying?"

I saw Albert glance at his mom before he answered.