Jasper Rogers was cooking a beautiful meal. He had requested all of his children be present for it and told them, so it wasn’t a shock that he had met someone, a man, and wanted to introduce them. He even told them Levi’s name but asked for discretion which they all got, as some homosexual people were more out than others. Reactions had been mostly positive, except for Miranda’s.
“Well that’s fast? Shouldn’t you go out with him a few more times before you shove him in our faces like Mom did with Jolene?”
Jasper had deflated and tried to convince her that this was different and that he had no plans to be any less there for his kids or move away from them. The topic of their mother and Jolene had triggered some comments from the boys too that revealed more resentment than Jasper was even aware of. Miranda had been challenging lately but he was beginning to clue into why. He hoped she could just direct it at him and her mother and be polite to Levi tonight. He had given Levi some feedback on the kids reactions though so if Miranda was acting out it wouldn’t be taken personally.
Now he took lemon and honey dill marinated salmon out from the fridge to switch out in the oven with his roasted vegetable medley. He had a wild rice pilaf going on the stove and the house smelled delicious. Jasper was dressed casually in a pair of nicer medium blue jeans that fit him perfectly and a plain soft grey short sleeved button up shirt. He was trying to be casual but still look nice. His kids used to him bumming around in old jeans and 20 year old dinosaur t-shirts might notice. His hair is even a bit styled like he would do on a work morning and he had freshly showered and shaved.
Duncan had listened at the family meeting and the announcement that his father had a boyfriend. Immediately, his own thoughts went to Fernanda and, when Miranda jumped in on their father, he couldn’t help but defend him. “First of all, Mir … sometimes you just know.” he started. “And second of all, Dad isn’t saying ‘hey kids, I’m gay and my lover wants to go to her home on the other side of the fucking planet and I want to be with her, not you so fuck you.’. Dad’s better than that. So back off.” He was dressed in a decent pair of jeans and a henley, which was his idea of meeting halfway between tshirt and formal button up.
Romeo loved the sme’d been a little taken aback by his father’s announcement that he had met someone and wanted to introduce them. But he found himself agreeing more with Duncan, especially as he reminded all of them of the way their mother had ‘introduced’ Jolene. SO he backed Duncan up. “And on top of that hasn’t bother to text us so much as a ‘fuck you’ since she left.” he sighs and looks at his father. “And let's not forget .. only Dad’s met this Jolene. At least we get to meet this guy, Mira. So he always comes out the gate better than SHE does.” He realizes that they way their mother had handled … all of it .. had alienated all of them. Their father had remained with them every inch of the way. And for Romeo, that counted for a lot. So much that he was dressed up in actual slacks and a dark green polo shirt.
Levi had not had a problem with dressing. He’d decided on a blue polo shirt and navy slacks. More casual than not. Before he left home, he pulled out two bottles of pear sparkling cider to have with dinner. Non alcoholic as there’d be more people under the drinking age than over it. He looked himself over before slipping into his most casual boating shoes and leaving his apartment. He walked casually, knowing he may still be a few minutes early.
Miranda feels pissed at her dad and his new boyfriend, even though she hasn’t met the guy and ganged up on by her brothers who immediately take their dad’s side and put down their mother. She doesn’t know what to do with her feelings about her mother right now so she just funnels everything towards her dad and this Levi person. She’s not going to make nice and have dinner. Miranda looks out the window and huffs. Then she starts tearing through her clothes and puts on a bikini and a beach cover up mesh dress. She grabs her bike helmet and a pair of sunglasses, a towel from the bathroom and stuffs it in a backpack. Miranda casually walks by her father and brothers who are in or near the kitchen and grabs a cold bottle of water from the fridge “I’m going out.” She says like it’s any other day “To the beach….for a swim.”
Jasper spins around and stares at her “Mandy we have a dinner plan. You know this…..what are you doing?”
Miranda gestures at her clothes, helmet and water bottle “I…” Seh points at herself “Am going…” She mimes pedalling with her hands “To the beach.” She points in the direction of it.
Jasper begins to look annoyed now “Go upstairs and get dressed for dinner. You can go to the beach tomorrow. And don’t be a smart ass.”
“I’m not changing….” It was Miranda’s last protest. She even kept the helmet on even, and the sunglasses.
Duncan sighs deeply. “How old are you again, Mira?” he asks in exasperation. He throws up his hands and heads for the kitchen, determined to set the table and try not to lay into his sister who is being stubborn and, in his opinion, selfish. It made some sense. Miranda was closest to their mother.
Romeo gapes at his sister. “Really? Really?” he bites his lip. “And I’m supposed to be the baby.” he rolls his eyes and moves into the kitchen, knowing its important to his father this go well … and now that was almost guaranteed not to happen. “Dad, is there anything I can do to help?” he asks. “I can get some duct tape and put it over Miranda’s mouth? We’ll just tell Levi its laryngitis?”
Levi has made it and can see warm lights coming from the window. He climbs up the steps, takes a deep breath and rings the doorbell with his free hand. It’s then he realizes he is nervous. Meeting the family. A true first for him.
Jasper is nervous too and Miranda is not helping. He doesn’t want a night of Levi watching him just discipline his daughter because that’s just not fun at all for anyone. He decides to try and make the best of it “Fine, wear your bathing suit and a helmet. At least I won’t worry about your brother’s clinking you in the head. Boys...be nice please….” He hears the doorbells and starts backing towards it “Duncan, thank you...Romeo, salt and pepper and napkins? Miranda…..glasses for water please? Please?” He makes prayer hands at her “I want you to be here for this. I love you guys….first and always.” He promises realizing a lot of this is about Bea’s choices right now. As it seems to be a tiny moment of less than fighting he goes to the door and answers it and looks down at Levi with a warm but hesitant grin “Hi. you look amazing.” He steps back so Levi can step in but impulsively gives him a tiny peck of a kiss because he can’t help himself and hold back. Then he drops his voice “Be brave tonight. It’s interesting already.”
Miranda stays exactly as she is and glares at both her brothers even though they probably can’t see her eyes through the sunglasses. She does hear her father and almost softens for a moment and then goes to the cupboard and grabs enough glasses and plunks them down as loudly as she can without breaking them around the table, not even stopping when she hears the front door open and her father greeting Levi.
Duncan looks up from setting the table when the doorbell rings. “No problem, Dad.” he assures him, looking at his younger siblings as if speaking for them also. His Dad opens the door for a shorter man who he then kisses. He smiles and waves. “Hi.” he calls.
Romeo sets out the salt, pepper and napkins and looks with Duncan when the man comes in. He’s set the napkins around and walks up to his father and Levi, offering his hand. “Hello. You must be Levi. I’m Romeo, and yes that’s my real name, it's my mother's less than amusing sense of humor or something. Anyway … “ he head juts to Duncan. “That’s Duncan. First born and ruler of us all. And that.” he levels a finger at Miranda. “Is Miranda. She’s in the middle, although you’d never know it by looking at her. Be warned, she’s got some issues, hence the helmet so she doesn’t bang her head, glasses to hide the demon red eyes and as you can tell she has the fashion sense of a drunken and color blind swimsuit model.” he motions the lawyer into the house. “Welcome to the insanity.”
Levi narrowly avoids wincing at Jasper's warning and hands him the bag with the bottles in it. His eye instantly gravitates to an oddly dressed girl with a bike helmet and sunglasses on slamming glasses onto the dining room table. He sees the two boys and nods at Duncan’s hello before he is greeted by the one introducing himself as Romeo in a more or less amusing way that also shows some tension between at last him and his mother. Then he is introduced to Duncan, and finally to Miranda. She is the shortest, even though Levi knows that Romeo is the youngest child. But Romeo also puts him at ease. “Thanks. It’s good to be here.” he replies with a genuine smile. He’s still anxious but it’s not as bad as he thought it might have been given Jasper’s warning. “And I’m glad to meet you all.”
Jasper walks in behind Levi holding the bag with two bottles. He barely stifles a laugh at Romeo’s introduction. Bless him, his youngest and funniest. They were all amazing but Romeo’s welcome to the insanity was the best greeting Levi could heop for today. He was pleased Duncan hadn’t been shy either. Now all eyes were on Miranda and he felt himself tense up as he slid one bottle out of the bag “Ooooh pear cider. That sounds delicious.” He tries to engage Miranda, who was known to love pears. She liked to eat them, juice, half her bath products were pear scented. Levi had no idea how wisely he had chosen.
Miranda lowers her sunglasses at Romeo and deapans “You forgot to mention my laser blasts. That’s very significant. Hi Levi.” She takes off the sunglasses now and scrutinizes him and then with a little frown says “How old are you?” She tries to ignore the call of the pears.
Duncan gives Levi an easy smile and chuckles at being labeled the ruler of them all. He raises his brows at the pear cider and decides to take that as a sign that things might go well. Then Miranda deadpans, but it isn’t too caustic. Then she promptly asks his age and he rolls his eyes, motioning to the table. “Have a seat and I’ll get the spotlight … I mean the food ready.”
Romeo is watching Miranda. The pears were a good sign, but she still opened her mouth. “I thought I’d save that little surprise for the flambe dessert. Now you’ve ruined it. Good job, Mira.” he deadpans back and then looks at her as he asks Levi’s age. In a flash he quips. “Too old for you. This is not going to turn into some stupis episode of cat fights in British Columbia.” he heads for the table, casually.
Levi gives a slight grin at the mention of lasers. And he doesn’t look insulted at the question about his age. “I’m thirty-one.” he tells her. He wonders if he should mention having brothers her age … all of their ages, really. He adds. “And you’re 16. I have brothers on either side of you. Fifteen and seventeen.”
Jasper grits his teeth at the age question. She had been cracking a joke. It had been going well. His sons were trying to lighten it before Levi even answered but then Levi mentions his siblings. He was fine with it all but Miranda was looking for a battle and that would be ammunition enough. He sighs at Duncan “The salmon should be ready...and everything else was done already. You know Miranda, at a certain point age is just a number. We’re adults, both of us.
Miranda darts a glare at Duncan and actually holds up a hand at Romeo “Gross….” And then she hears the number and that he has siblings their age. “You’re 31!? Dad, you're 45. Is this man your mid life crisis? I mean moving to some weird island wasn’t enough for that God….”
Jasper sighs and gives Miranda a warning look “Not a mid life crisis. Thank you very much. Sit down everyone.” He passes Levi on his way to the kitchen and leans in giving him a half hug and whispering “I am so sorry. She’s in a phase.”
Duncan ignores the glare and sits, motioning for his sister to sit beside him. But instead she opens her mouth and he glares at her. “Age is just a number and I, for one LOVE this island.” he misses his father’s apology, and just motions to the seat directly across from him for Levi. “Do you have a lot of siblings?” he asks, sort of hoping he does. Anything to derail Miranda from incessant bitching.
Romeo gapes when Miranda starts in again. He sits directly across from Miranda. That way she has Duncan on one side and him across. If Levi sits across from Duncan and their father sits at the head of the table, they might be able to protect the lawyer. He looks at his sister. “Love is love.” he proclaims, despite his name he was actually a bit of a romantic. “Don’t make us shoot you down, Miranda.” he warns without saying how he or Duncan might do exactly that.” he looks at Levi. “More than two is a nightmare, I bet.” he says, regarding the sibling count.
Levi blows out a breath. Miranda is a bit hostile, but he’s dealt with hostile before. He sits where Duncan suggests and basically ignores Mranda’s comments. He looks between Duncan and Romeo. “Yes, I do have a lot of siblings and sometimes it is a nightmare.” he tells them both. “I am the fourth born of nine. I have three older brothers. The oldest is 40. And I have five younger siblings that are between 18 and 10. The youngest is ten and the only girl. Ruth.” he shrugs. “My father has been married five times. My mother died, three divorced him and his latest is in the process of divorce.” he stops there. He knows he is leaving himself open to cross-examination, especially by Miranda, but he feels he is ready for anything she might throw at him, so he prepares himself. She seems pretty upset about a lot of things. It could be teenage angst, or it could be more, if Romeo’s warning to her was any indication.
Jasper comes back with two serving bowls and utensils. It’s a wild rice pilaf in one with mushrooms and almonds and in the other is a lovely medley of oven roasted vegetables. It’s assorted peppers, broccoli, and cauliflower, carrots, some zucchini, onion and little cherry tomatoes throughout which have burst and flavoured it all. He drops those off and says “Serve up and pass. I’m coming back with salmon and that pear cider.” He overhears Levi explain his complex family structure and tries to platter the fish very efficiently. As he walks back with it he does hear Miranda begin to speak again.
Miranda sits for dinner and is surrounded by her brothers and it then dawns on her that her eating in her bathing sit and cover up was perhaps an odd rebellion. But she’s committed to it now. She does remove her helmet at the table like one would take off a baseball cap to be polite. She hangs it over one side on the back of her chair as Romeo makes a vague threat, after Duncan defended as well. Then Levi explains his family and she just stares at him for a moment. She couldn’t really cut into him about divorce or the death of his mother. So she just grills him about the number of marriages “So you’ve witnessed a lot of failed relationships. That’s not on you I suppose but this…” She gestures between Levi and now her father as he sets down the fish “Seems fast. I mean you know he just split from our mom….no offence Dad.”
Jasper sits at the head of the table and reaches towards Miranda’s plate “I’m serving you first because you’re one comment away from taking your supper up to eat in your room. Do you understand me Miranda? Whatever your issue is with me or your mother….do not take that out on Levi. Yes he’s seen divorce. So have you, all three of you. Levi is not a rebound. Or a mid life crisis. He is…….and let me just say choose your next words carefully if you have any. Levi is the man I love. Yes it’s fast. Deal.” He passes her back her plate and watches her intently. Deconstructing what was going on with his daughter had to move to the top of his priorities, especially before school.
Miranda picks up her fork and looks sideways at her father, not commenting further as she quietly takes a bite of salmon. Her eyes stung with angry tears. She couldn’t even explain where her anger came from right now; it was just always below the surface.
Duncan takes his plate and sets it down. Miranda speaks and he suddenly wishes he had tha duct tape. “Fast?” he looks at her and tightens his jaw. “And how fast should people fall in love, oh great relationship guru?” he knows she’s angry, but this was really pushing it and not just with their father. “Some people take years and years and some people take .. literal seconds. What matters is how deep that love is, not how long it takes to get that deep.” he looks at Romeo, who always seemed to be better with expressing himself. “And mom … just …” he shakes his head, gives his brother a go ahead with his eyes and begins to eat.
Romeo gets his food as Miranda is talking and looks at it as his father and then brother reply. He moves the rice around with his fork. The words were in his head … he wasn’t just spouting off. So he knew his words would have consequences. He just didn’t care at that moment. Maybe he even cared less than Miranda. Pulling his fork out of his rice, he mocks his sister by moving it between his father and Levi. “This seems fast.” he repeats her words, then continues “But at least it’s honest and right. Which is more than any of us can say about Mom and Dad.” he stabs into his rice and the fork clinks on the plate beneath. “And I’m sorry Dad … Levi. Duncan. But unless my math is off, and it’s not, Mom and Dad..” he makes air quotes with his fingers, one hand still holding his fork. “Just split…” he taps his fork into his rice again, keeping his voice very calm and neutral. “One year ago August first. Or at least I remember July 31st being when Mom and Dad sat us down, explained that they were both gay and Mom told us she was in love with a woman who lived in England and was going there to live with her. The next day, she was gone. And she hasn’t bothered so much as a text message fuck you since.” He inhales and exhales very slowly. Then he looks at Levi. “I’m sorry you had to be a part of our unresolved abandonment issues, but … if you really love our Dad then better you know now than later, in my opinion. And Dad says he loves you and that’s good enough for me.” he looks across at Miranda. “Save your snipes for the person who deserves them, Miranda … if she ever contacts any of us again.” and he digs into his meal, cutting off some salad and eating it witht he rice mixture. “This is good, Dad.” he compliments, casually.
Levi takes his plate and listens as everyone around him speaks. Jasper hadn’t told him about this layer and, quick or not, he tells himself that Jasper didn’t know it to tell him. Everyone has their say, but when silence falls, he takes Jaspers hand, moves it to his lips and kisses it. “I don’t plan on going anyplace without you.” he tells him, looking into his eyes as he speaks.
Now Miranda just looks overwhelmed and she does pick up her plate and cutlery and quietly leaves the table with it, heading for the stairs “I’m sorry.” She says quietly as she passes Levi. She didn’t understand falling in love because she never had. She couldn’t snipe at her mother because her mother didn’t seem to want to talk to her and no one understood. She had no outlet for her pain but this and she knew it was wrong. She just couldn’t stop.
Jasper looked emotional when both his boys talked but a little more intensely with Romeo. Then Levi takes his hand and kisses it and said he didn't plan on going anyplace without him and he quietly choked up, just before Miranda got up, took her things and apologized as she passed. He stood up and started to follow “Miranda…..” Her door closed and Jasper held onto the wall for a moment and then came back to the table “I did threaten to send her up to her room…...Shit...I’m sorry. I don’t know what she needs right now. And I had no idea how upset any of you have been….” He looks at his sons.
Upstairs, Miranda cries through her supper and then stands up and looks at herself in the mirror and wipes her eyes. She sniffs and changes into proper clothes, a simple jean skirt and a white poet style blouse, switching the swimsuit for actual normal underwear. She brushes out her long brown hair and then quietly opens her door creeping to the stairs as she wonders if she’s ever going to be welcomed back.
Duncan watches Levi with his father and swallows hard. His mind is a block over for a minute and he begins to wonder if what happened to him and Fernanda also happened to his father and Levi. But them Miranda leaves and his Dad looks upset, which makes plenty of sense. “That’s our fault, Dad.” he explains. “We didn’t want to upset you, because we knew you wanted this to be okay. And Mira … she and mom were close. It just felt like Mom made her choice. Me and Romeo had each other, but you didn't have anyone.” he digs into his meal then, commenting with a slight scoff. “This really IS good Dad.”
Romeo smiles inside seeing the affection between his father and Levi. They were happy as far as he could tell. Then Miranda goes upstairs and he sighs, eating a bit more until Duncan says his peace. “I know we should have told you but .. you were doing so much for us already, being a single Dad with no help.” he winces a little. “I mean … I never saw anything from mom to you. Maybe it was all electronic but … considering you started working more hours I’m kinda guessing …” he shrugs. “Anyway … She’ll get over it. She better.” He also eats the meal, taking seconds on everything because at this point he is starving. One upset sister doesn’t trump his appetite.
Levi sees and takes it all in as the boys tell their father their reasoning for not telling him their feelings. The food really is good and, even though this is not how he envisioned the night, he was still having an okay time. Then he hears a slight creak. And then he hears a different one. Like a step. He clears his throat after he finishes. “That was a great meal, Jasper.” he compliments. “And totally kosher, no less. I’m impressed.” he grins and winks. Then he sits back and looks at the ceiling. “It’s really hard to lose a parent. I get it. It’s different when one dies as opposed to .. well .. just leaving … but I get it. I couldn’t say goodbye to my mom and Dalia … the woman my Dad married after my mom died … I didn’t exactly accept her with open arms, even though at first she really loved my father. I was twelve when they started dating. Twelve when they got married and thirteen when my brother Immanuel was born. So it felt real fast to me. Like how could Dad be over my Mom, you know.” he blows out a breath. “This is a little bit different. Well, a lot a bit different, actually. All I can say is that I do love your father. It’s fast but … sometimes that’s how it happens. Time will tell … but if it helps … I don’t go through people like they’re nothing. I’ve seen that too in my father’s life and I .. hell I still hate it.” he moves his head in the direction of the stairs. “So … maybe meet me halfway? Maybe?”
Miranda had made it to the bottom of the stairs by the time Levi finished and when he said meet me halfway she walks out from the stairway so quickly it was obvious she had been able to hear. She looks between her brothers and her father and then at Levi and just gives him the briefest nod and then heads into the kitchen. She puts her plate in the sink and then washes her hands and starts rummaging in the cupboards and fridge and clanking around with dishes.
Jasper had sunk a bit when his boys told him they were both trying to help him be ok and not upset him. That should be the other way around, always. He chuckles at the compliment “If I put butter in the rice pilaf and it touched the salmon you ate does that still count as Kosher? I’m not well versed on the rules but I did actually try.” He takes Jasper’s hand again and squeezes it as he talks. He had heard movement and had a slight suspicion it might be Miranda but it wasn’t confirmed until Levi finished and Miranda walked out and just nodded and then went to do something in the kitchen. He turns his head to look and then holds up a hand “Let’s see where this goes.” Then he looks at his boys “I haven’t heard from your mother much, and to be honest I’ve never asked her for any financial contributions to anything since she moved. I kinda got the impression she had no money and was flying out there on a ticket bought by Jolene…...I just hope she’s safe in England where they are. It’s calmed down in the news. She’s alive because I do keep in touch with your grandparents…..as far as I know she’s ok. If anyone’s having a midlife crisis….it’s Bea.” He admits. He didn’t know why she hadn’t kept in touch and it made him sad and angry for the kids. “I know she loves you all. Whatever she's got going on right now.”
Miranda had 5 tall sundae bowls out on the counter and was in the process of making some layered fruit and yogurt parfaits with assorted black berries, chopped pears, a drizzle of maple syrup here and there in the layers and a topping of hemp seeds. She froze as she heard her father talk about his own lack of communication from their mother and just sank down to the floor against the cupboard and silently cried.
Duncan smiles when Miranda comes down, as if accepting the offer to meet Levi half way. His father talks about a lack of communication with his mother and he sighs and is about to speak when he sees Miranda sink out of sight. “Excuse me. I should help.” he says before moving into the kitchen. He kneels beside Miranda and pulls her into a hug, just holding her as she cried.
Romeo gives his sister a nod as she comes down, glad she was listening and decided to be a grown up about things. He listens to his father and bites his lip. “How much is ‘much’, Dad?” he asks, quietly. “You never told us you heard from her. Like .. she didn’t even say ‘tell the kids I said hi’ or something?” he figures his father would have said something to them if he'd had any contact. If he has a flaw it is being the logical one. The one who thinks too much, even. “They have libraries in England. She could have emailed. Or sent a damn postcard…” Duncan excuses himself and, with his back to the Kitchen entryway, he can’t see Miranda. “Or anything. A stamp costs money but the free computers at the library don’t.”
Levi watches the family and doesn’t feel like a complete outsider. Maybe that was part of the love he had for Jasper extending to his kids. He is beside Romeo so doesn’t see exactly where Duncan went, but he is looking at Romeo. He winces and bites his lip. “You could be the first goy in my father’s law firm, Romeo.” he tells the young man and then looks at Jasper. “Um .. a goy is what Jews call non-Jews. Almost but not quite a slur. I mean it as a complement, anyway.”
Miranda’s sobs become more audible as she cries into Duncan. Eventually she tries to catch her breath and pulls out her phone “I swear I sent Mom a thousand texts…..then they just stopped going through….” She shows Duncan the thread and it’s all one sided with Miranda reaching out getting sadder and sadder. The first ones are like hey how are you, how’s London and the last few get a little scary. Why won’t you answer? Don’t you love us anymore? Why did you leave…..no one understands me Mom. I’ve never felt so alone. Please answer me. I can’t do this anymore. …..
Jasper had been answering Romeo and then commenting after on Levi’s assessment of his potential as a lawyer as Duncan got up to go to the kitchen. “I didn’t hear from her directly. Not after she left. Alan and Mary, your grandparents. I’ve been emailing with them. I’m not sure what she said to them but they’re not very forthcoming with me. But I’ve gotten bits and pieces. They said she’s happy and with the way we left it….I don’t know. I mean it’s a pandemic so it’s not like I can fly to England to check up on her Romeo….I know she’s hurt you. She hurt me…..we weren’t in love but we were friends. She’s shut me out it seems. But I can’t believe for a moment she doesn’t love you three…” Then he hears Miranda sobbing and talking to Duncan and gets up, looking pained. He walks into the kitchen and slides down on Miranda’s other side putting a hand on her arm “Hey….” He looks up at Duncan who was doing a better job with Miranda than he had in months.
Duncan looks at the messages Miranda shows him. He feels sad, but he also feels more anger than ever towards their mother. He half hears the conversation in the kitchen and then his father is there with them. "Miranda … show him.” he gives her the phone back. “He doesn’t know and he has to know.” he waits and hopes Miranda will hand the phone over to their dad so he can know.
Romeo scoffs a little bit at the idea he'd make a good lawyer. He hears the crying in the kitchen and looks at his dad. "Dad..." he keeps his voice patient. "The pandemic started late last year. I get we're all hurt but ..." he bites his lip and watches his father move into the kitchen. He stays where he is for now, looking at Levi. “We're kinda a mess. Sorry.” he apologizes. “But I like you, anyway.”
Levi listens to Jasper and watches his pained face as he gets up and goes into the kitchen. He is left with Romeo and offers him a slight smile. “Thanks. I love your Dad, but sometimes it feels like … he gives a little too much credit? Has too much faith in humanity? I don't know how to word it.” he sighs.
Romeo turns sideways in his chair looking onto the kitchen. His father, brother and sister are on the other side of the kitchen island. “I think you worded it perfectly.” he sighs deeply.
Jasper takes Miranda’s phone from her as she offers it and reads looking increasingly stricken “She didn’t answer any of these….” He slowly wraps his arms around Miranda from one side taking in Duncan too “Oh Miranda why didn’t you tell me this? You’re not alone...I promise. Baby i love you so much. I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry…” Jasper is sobbing with her now and he feels his daughter turn from her brother into him.
Miranda turns into her father and cries even harder. Some of it’s pain and some of it’s just release and relief that she’s shared some of it, that they’ve understood her.
Jasper holds his daughter and still looks at her phone thread. At a certain point the messages don’t go through and there’s error feedback “She changed phone numbers…” He figures out. And they hadn’t been given the new one.
Duncan watches his father read and understand what the end of the messages must have meant. He doesn't mind one bit that Miranda turns to hug their father. “Yea. And I know I don’t have a new one.” he tries not to sound too bitter about it.
Romeo now hears his father crying along with his sister and he sighs, looking at Levi. Duncan’s words come through and he bites his lip, as if he wants to ask something.
Levi can hear the goings on in the kitchen, too. He motions for Romeo to come with him and he moves to the kitchen island. He isn’t near tall enough to lean directly over it, so he moves to the side by the back door. “Um .. it’s not my business, really…” he begins slowly. “But my firm employs several private investigators…” he leaves it at that.
Jasper sighs at Duncan “Neither do I.” He kisses the top of Miranda’s head. Her sobs have gotten quieter but she’s still clinging to her father. He had heard Levi mention private investigators when he and Romeo came in the room “Mandy sweetie can we show these to Levi? Maybe we can get some more information.” He realizes Romeo will likely see them too as he starts to hand the phone up.
Miranda looks up and nods and then wipes at her face “Do you think…..do you think something bad happened to Mom? And that’s why she didn’t answer me?” She looks around. It’s both parts hopeful that her mother didn’t choose it and horrified at what might make her never answer again.
Duncan looks up when Romeo and Levi enter the kitchen. He arches his brows at the idea that Levi could find something out, and then sees his sisters hopeful look. Looking at his brother he realizes … Miranda had hope neither of them had.
Romeo looks at the phone as Levi does and tightens his jaw. “Bitch…” he grumbles just barely under his breath. He looks at Miranda and sees her hope and fear and sighs.
Levi takes the phone and reads the messages, making note of the dates. He hands the phone back to Miranda and employs a lawyer's tone in his voice. “It could be any number of reasons, Miranda.” he tells her. “I’ll see whose available in the morning. I just need … as much well .. technical information as you can give me. Name, date of birth, identification number … anything and everything for me to give the investigator. Our investigators are very good.” he tells them. He glances at Romeo but says nothing. He’s very cynical in many ways. Occupational hazard.
The idea of an investigation rouses Miranda back to full alertness and composure “We can give you that Levi. “ She looks at her father and brothers “We need to know…..” she sit back from her father a bit and looks at the desserts on the counter “And we need to eat those before they melt into goo. I was trying to make a peace offering. I’m sorry I was so impossible and have been. My head’s been a mess….” She looks pointedly at Levi “You seem like a good person and I’m sorry I was rude to you.” She stands up and walks over to Levi and isn’t sure what to do next so she puts out a hand to shake. “Can we have a do over? Hi my name is Miranda….” She offers more kindly.
Jasper gives Duncan a little shoulder squeeze and begins to stand after Miranda gets up. He isn’t sure how to respond to the private investigator suggestion but Miranda seems to really want it. He looks at the boys to see what they want. Jasper is worried about Bea. But he could also let her go, and raise the kids and love Levi as the rest of his life. He knows that, but he also wants to do right by the kids.
Duncan listens to Levi and then looks at his sister, who seems really keen to find out what happened. If it will make Miranda happy again, he is all for it. He simply shrugs.
Romeo notices that Levi makes no promises and he likes that about him. He looks at his sister and bites his lip. He’s curious, but he also worries about what the investigation will find. When Duncan shrugs, he looks at Miranda and nods. She needs to know. He’s not sure he wants to know. “I hate to be the family ass hole, especially since my name sake was supposed to be such a romantic little hero but … how much is this going to cost?”
Levi does not reply to Miranda saying they need to know. But he can agree that the parfaits need to be eaten. But before that he grins at Miranda. “No need to apologize. I get it. I really do.” he takes her hand and shakes it. “Levi Samuels. Pleasure to meet you, Miranda.” No one else speaks but Romeo and he looks at him. “I’ll take one parfait.” he tells the young man. “And the rest …” he shrugs. “My father and brothers use these guys a lot for … personal business. They owe me one.” he grins and looks at Jasper. He knows the results of the investigation might make things worse and he doesn’t want to see the man he loves in pain. “And I do require payment in advance.” he nods at the parfaits as if they were gold bullion.
Jasper looks between the kids and Levi and nods “For a parfait?” He’s touched by how Levi is with his kids, especially Miranda. Romeo isn’t giving attitude but he’s not a walk in the park, although he senses Levi gets Romeo from the lawyer suggestion. Duncan of course is keeping a cool head, but that’s Duncan. Miranda and Romeo both hand out parfaits. She had put the spoons in them already. Jasper walks over to Levi and gives him a lingering kiss of gratitude on the cheek. “However it goes, thank you. I love you.” He says it to his beloved in front of his children with no shame. Then he sighs and digs into his parfait “We can go sit again…..and if there’s any other heart ripping brain breaking stuff we need to get out there, let’s just motor through.” It’s a sardonic joke of course and he will head towards the dining table again.
Miranda actually smiles genuinely at Levi as he accepts and participates in the do over as well as accepting her apology. Romeo had asked the practical question in the Romeo way. Duncan had looked agreeable to the private investigator. Now Levi was explaining and also not at all explaining his connections to the PIs. Who was this clever man her father had fallen in love with and what were his connections? “They owe you….hmmm ok.” Then he suggests he can be paid in parfaits. “I make a mean trifle….you can just come over for dessert every night, Dad bakes cakes…” She watches her father kiss Levi and even though it’s on the cheek she can see how much love there is in it and then it’s spoken. Miranda looks away not in disdain but in politeness and then starts for the dining room with her parfait after passing one to Duncan.
Duncan laughs at the cost of the investigation. Then he sees his father kiss Levi on the cheek. It was interesting to see his father in love. He takes his parfait to the table and sits back down, then takes some. "Man ... yea ... I can see taking one of these as payment." He compliments his sister's food preparation. "Did I hear you say something earlier about kosher?"
Romeo takes his parfait and then sees the kiss his father gives Levi. "Well, I've never seen that before." he says. Unlike his sister, he watches with no shame at all. It's almost sarcastic but it is also the total truth. He's never seen his father kiss anyone like that, and it was only a peck on the cheek. He heads for the table and sits back in his seat. Then Miranda repeats the thing about Levi's being owed and rolls his eyes.
Levi smiles at the kiss on the cheek. He almost goes for more, but decides against it. “I love you, too.” he replies and takes his parfait into the living room, looking curious about Romeo’s reaction to the kiss. He sits and tastes the parfait, then nods at Miranda. “My father and brothers use investigators when ver they get a divorce. My Dad is on his fourth divorce, my oldest brother has had two and the ones under him have had one each. I think I can have someone investigated on the company dime that I haven’t ever met, never mind married.” he replies a little dryly. Then he nods at the parfait. “Yea this is good, for sure. Thanks for making it.” then he nods. “I’m Jewish and keep …. More or less kosher. Of course I break the Sabbath a lot too … occupational hazard and .. it’s a lot of rules to keep track of.” he grins and taps the parfait glass. “This feels kosher .. and if it isn’t … I’ll take the hit. It’s worth the sin.”
Miranda smiles about the dessert compliments and looks curious about the PI thing and then the Kosher thing. “So do they…..your family….are they looking into exes or people they’re divorcing over people having affairs or…..I mean I don’t know what my mother’s deal is...I guess he technically did have an affair because Jolene started when you guys were still married…” She looks at her father. Then she asks a religion question to Levi “So hypothetically, if you wanted to….marry my Dad, would he have to convert to Judaism?”
Jasper also looked curious about the PI thing and then sighs into his parfait “Miranda….well all of you...Duncan and Romeo. Your mother and I were out to each other first….and we had a sort of open marriage for a long time. She didn’t cheat one me….oh well actually she did, it’s how she came out but that was a really long time ago. But then I fell in love with someone at work, a man, a corrections officer named Warren. We had a relationship secretly but Bea knew. He died breaking up a violent altercation between two prisoners…...there were a few lesser connections later but Warren and now Levi….are really it. And I can’t imagine anyone but Levi now. I know it sounds crazy given we haven’t been together long. We fell in love in a day…..like we just got hit by lightning or something. Some say it’s the island…” He shrugs and smiles at Levi “I don’t care either way. But I do want to know the answer to Miranda’s question too.” He wiggles his eyebrows.
Duncan is curious as well, and looks mildly amused at Miranda's assumptions and they their father's .. confession. He didn't know that his father had been in love before .. and that the man he had loved had died. "We never knew..." he begins about Warren and then his father says he fell in love with Levi in a day and that some day it was the island. He tries to keep a normal face. “Oh … wow …”
Romeo listens to Miranda's question and almost says something when his father mentions his dead lover. Duncan says that they never knew and he shakes his head. "That sucks Dad. I wish we could have helped support you or ... something." he blows out a breath and then raises his brows about the island. "A day? Hell why not? If it feels right?" and he too looks curious about the possibility of conversion.
Levi looks at Miranda and the others with a simple shrug. "When very rich people end a relationship, they want to come out of it with as much as they possibly can." he tells them. "And if they can find ways around prenups or that they have that many more grounds for divorce ... they hire someone to find out what they can. I don’t plan to play that game, so I can use a PI to find out what happened to someone and not charge their family.” he looks unsurprised to hear about Warren, betraying that he already knew about him, and smiles at the speed of their love. “Yea … lightening .. or being hit by a train or … something. It was incredible.” he again shrugs at the question of conversion. “As far as I'm concerned, he never has to convert. We can have a civil ceremony or .. whatever. God will figure it out.”
Miranda looks sad for her father about Warren “Wow Dad...I had no idea. I’m sorry…...I’m also glad you met Levi? A day?” She’s not interrogating now, just marveling. Duncan seems surprised too and Romeo seems into the idea. “I guess that’s what they call love at first sight?” She looks between Levi and her father “I’ll take your word for it though. I’ve never been in love.” Which might sound odd to her family since she had dated a lot and even brought home a few boyfriends. It was just all superficial so far and often not more than a few dates. Now she listens about the divorce thing and the PI thing and looks at Levi as if trying to assess something “So are you very rich people too then if that’s your family?” She wonders if Levi will make her father sign some sort of prenup if they ever got married. And then Levi says what he does about conversion and she outright asks “Would you actually marry a guy with three kids? Because I’ll admit, we’re ridiculous. Especially Romeo.” She teases. “I suspect he would puzzle your god.”
Jasper looks touched that his kids are so compassionate about a man they never got to meet “Thank you. I’m glad I met Levi too. And yes an incredible train…” He blushes a bit thinking of their first afternoon and evening and all the passion since. The connection he had with Levi was the most powerful of his entire life, in every way. He’s not worried about prenups or Levi investigating him “I have no secrets from Levi. There’s nothing for him or his PI to uncover with me.” He gets a warm feeling when Levi speaks very practically about getting married like he’s already considered how it could go. But then Miranda’s question is a bit of a zinger and he knows she’s not being cheeky at least this time. He does have to laugh about Romeo. “I think Romeo would puzzle all the gods and enjoy the process.”
Duncan listens, savoring his dessert. He nods, but decides there has been enough drama for one night without his mentioning Fernanda. The love part might go over better now, but the timing of when they met and started hanging out not so much. But he arches a brow at his sister having never been in love. "Maybe it will happen to you." he suggests. "Walk out that door in your sexy swimsuit and bike helmet and meet some guy fishing in a tuxedo and bam." he teases. He is also interested in the idea that Levi is rich and would demand a prenup, even though his father doesn't seem worried about it. He sighs when Miranda just out and asks about marrying a guy with three kids. He was convinced he was the only sibling with any sublty whatsoever.
Romeo grins at the whole idea of love at first sight. "That would be awesome. Especially if it happened to me, Dad hated her family and she tried to kill herself. Then my stupid ass wouldnt even wait for an autopsy before I killed myself, so she could wake up, realize I was an idiot and then kill herself for real." he gives his own personal summary of Shakespere's Romeo and Julliet. He's interested in the money aspect. His father is a doctor, but he never worked where the money was. Then he just snorts about the ridiculous kids. "I am not meant to be understood." he proclaims.
Levi smiles, especially at Jaspers slight blush. He is still amazed at the power of this love he has with this man and wonders if it will ever wane. He looks around the table, then stops at Miranda. "Yes, I am very rich people, too." he tells her and laughs at both Duncan and Romeo. "But I have no reason to investigate your Dad ... or any of you, either. And as for the three kids..." he looks from one to the other of them. "Why would that affect my decision to marry your father?" he asks. "The only reason I wouldn't is to give your Dad an escape from all this excitement." he winks at Miranda and grins at Romeo. "My mother always said that god made us all so different so that we would never be bored. So I'd say God made Romeo to puzzle not himself, but the rest of us."
Miranda looks amused by Duncan’s vision of her future love. “If I ever meet a guy fishing in a tux I will declare myself to him eternally and text you a save the date.” She jokes. Then she fake snores at Romeo’s summary of the play that inspired his naming “Oh my god you’re so fucking dramatic….and can you imagine Dad hating anyone? Think about it, Inigma.” She had noticed her father blush when talking about his feelings for Levi and then Levi smiling. She had to admit it was sweet. They were like schoolboys for each other. She had never seen her mother do that with her father or even when she talked about Jolene. This was a different energy, a healthier one. Miranda raises a brow about Levi being rich. It didn’t impress her and she hoped it didn’t make him anything like his father or brothers in the distrust of partners and spouses. So far she wasn’t getting that from him. Now she blushed a bit at the comment about Levi giving her father an escape, which of course meant they’d done it at Levi’s place in her mind “Well I suppose we can just appreciate the discretion of not walking in on things if that all happens at your place….”
Now Jasper interrupted with a wide eyed look “Miranda! Do you mind…….just wait until that fancy fisherman shows up and we start in on him about discretion and birth control.”
Miranda rolls her eyes “Well you can’t get Levi pregnant...but I do hope you boys are being safe.” She took great delight in that comment seeing how her father had given them speech after speech on safe sex all through their teen years. “And now the tables have turned.” She chirped and looked at her brothers who she figured might also find it amusing.
Duncan points at her sister. "I will!" he laughs at his brother. "Yea the whole dad hating someone is a bit of a snag, bro." he laughed at his sister's blush when it hits her that their father and Levi have probably had sex at levi's place. That fits in well with his own plans for justifying his relationship with Fernanda ... someday.
Romeo admits to the snag. "Well the I guess I won't fall so deep in love I can't accept it when they off themselves." he rolls his eyes. Levi being rich does intrigue him, but then Miranda goes on about then not walking in on the two of them having sex and be can't help himself. "Why would you even want to break into HIS house?" he demands. "Oh right, its an emergency to you just because I beat you to the last piece of lasagna." then he giggles. "So do we now make sure YOU always have condoms in your wallet, Dad?" he is not a modest child.
Levi grins, enjoying the banter now that things have calmed down. "I would hope you three have learned to knock before entering a room with a closed door. Of course, there's that expectation of privacy ... and the idea you may see something you can never unsee..." he looks at Jasper with the slightest of evil smirks before he goes on. "But now that I've survived meeting the family, I suppose we could go into Vancouver or White Rock for the inevitable round of HIV testing before we commit completely to each other and leave condoms behind forever." He makes it sound romantic somehow. He is all about the commitment.
Jasper puts up his hands as he’s called out by his kids on his own harping on them about safe sex “Yes I have condoms and yes I practice what I preach so you best not come barging in without knocking.” He jokes back to Levi and then looks at the kids “And we’re not hiding lasagna under any beds so no excuses.” He leans back and looks at Levi with a sigh “You know we can do that at the clinic…..hell I can set us up discreetly and just send things to the lab.” But he doesn’t push. He’s still not sure how public Levi wants to be outside his being introduced to the kids.
Miranda grins at Duncan and then kicks at Romeo under the table “You ate half a lasagna! There was half left and then it was vacuumed up by your emo Juliet magnet dirty mouth!” She blushes again at the comments from Levi and then the ensuing conversation about HIV testing and locations. “You guys are really serious…” She notices and states. They were basically both displaying commitment to a partnership together.
Duncan laughs. "I knock. Romeo knocks. But we're roommates." he also laughs at the kick and complaint. There is a smile on his face about the idea of a man committing to his father.
Romeo also laughs and snorts. "Yea ... I think brothers learn that pretty early on. I sure did." he flinches at the kick. "I was hungry. Don't get mad at me because you're slow." he looks between his father and Levi.
Levi chuckles at the whole sibling dynamic. Jasper offers to do the HIV testing at the clinic and he nods. "Tomorrow morning? First thing?" he agrees immediately. "I can't promise you this kind of acceptance." he motions around the table at the kids. "But I know my father will be accepting. He wants me to have what he had with my mother. It doesn't matter if its with a man or a woman. That's why I'm here." he admits.
Miranda makes a horrified face at what her brothers likely do in their room and need to knock about. “This is why I never even go to your door. Don’t ask. Don’t tell.” Now she watches her father as Levi is ready to commit to his suggestion.
Jasper looks at Levi with unquestionable love “Ok tomorrow morning. I’ll unromantically stick you with a needle to tell you that you’re it for me forever Levi Samuels.” He looks at his kids next with a familiar love “They’re the most loving accepting amazing humans on the planet so I don’t expect it everywhere. But it sounds like your father is too and that’s good enough for me.”
Duncan shrugs. "Healthy young men." he exchanges a look with Romeo, knowing he'd like nothing more than to mess with their sister. He looks at Levi and his dad. "Those are the strangest and most powerful vows I've ever heard." not that he has a lot of experience.
Romeo smirks at his older sister. "Just do the same for the bathroom." he tells her, looking innocent. "Unless you really think either one of us is just that thorough." he looks at his Dad and laughs. "Ok, that is kinda romantic. If I knew you guys were exchanging vows I would have worn a tie." he considers Levi's family. "Well, maybe they will surprise you." he offers. "Miranda surprised us."
Levi smiles and returns Jasper's look. "And I'll try not to cry like a little girl at the pain or the fact that you're the only man for me, Jasper Rogers." he looks at the kids and laughs at the boys. "That is, for good or ill, a lesson Ruth learned a couple of years ago. With four older brothers in the house with her.'' Then he looks at Duncan and Romeo. "I guess it is a little like exchanging vows." he admits.
Miranda convulses at both her brother’s replies “Dad... I want my own bathroom!” She joke whines. She looks curious about the pseudo vows and then annoyed at Romeo “I wasn’t being awful because I was some kinda homophobic asshole. I was just being awful because I was messed up.”
Jasper looks wryly at his sons as they torment their sister. She can hold her own though and she does. Then he all but melts looking at Levi “Part one then. I’m all for part two when we’ve survived your family. Meet me at the clinic at 8 am? I promise to be as gentle as possible. With the needle... and with your heart.”
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