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seen from United States
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seen from Saudi Arabia
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seen from United States
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seen from Hong Kong SAR China
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seen from Malaysia
My relationship with my dad was a mixed bag. I didn’t mind him. He wasn’t malicious or anything. He just wasn’t all there. He’d always preferred a good time with the guys over the chaos of our home life. That was mom’s domain and as long as she was happy, he was happy. He was that kind of dad and if I could help it, I wanted to be nothing like that. I wanted to actually know my kid.
I hated this. All of it.
Worse still I knew my nephew was watching. The kid had taken a shine to me long ago for some reason or another. Who the fuck knows why. I’m about the worst person for a child to look up to. Fuck help me if I ever have any of my own. What a disaster that would be.
Anyway, as he got older Ferris only leaned harder into the types of rebellion his favorite uncle was best known for. Girls, green, and the teen delinquent scene. The real mystery why Matti still lets him around me.
I did my best to help Sancha lay out the muffins but let’s be honest I probably just made more work for her. I had food service experience but when you work at a diner the expectation for high aesthetics is rather low.
“Didn’t my mom pick these up already?” I asked as she put the finishing touches on the display.
“Yeah but she asked me to make a few extra because they keep running out.” She replied, it seemed now as if the initial anxiety in her voice had dissipated. It probably helped that she was doing something she loved.
“They do seem very popular.” I agreed, instantly recalling the conversation I had with my mother. Luckily she was happily chattering away with my older brother and sister-in-law and too busy to notice my mild act of rebellion.
“So I take it you’ve never tried them?” Sancha asked sweetly. I couldn’t help but enjoy the way her beautiful brown eyes fixed on me in anticipation. Maybe she didn’t think I was all that bad after all?
“Sweets aren’t really my thing.” I explained, “Especially first thing in the morning.”
“Well...” She replied with the hint of a clever smile, “Maybe there’s something else I can bring you next time? Anything you think you might like? It’s not all cookies and cakes.”
All in all my mother had always been reasonable despite what it may seem sometimes. She only had a few rules she asked me to keep while living under her roof. Paramount to all of them though was the stipulation regarding church attendance. That was the only thing we bickered about from time to time but I was positive it was the one that mattered most to her.
“We’re headed out now okay?” She shouted up the stairs while I further prepared for the awkward morning ahead. “Olin, please don’t be late.”
“I’ll be just a few minutes behind you.” I called down, knowing that it’d probably be more like a half hour but they were always extremely early. More than I’d ever want to be. That was just a recipe to be cornered by that little Sunday School teacher and her cascade of small talk.
Please excuse me while I mildly coo over much younger human versions of Ollie’s parents.
“Olin Sebastian Rask, so you finally decided to do your due diligence toward this family? To honor your father, mother, and your brothers with your presence for a short time for the first fucking time in a long fucking time?”
“Yeah... I guess? Want me to leave?”
“Fucking hell kid... you have always taken shit far too seriously..”
“Heh...”
“Listen I recognize shit’s not great but.. like probably the worse it has ever been but fuck... lighten up a little. You only live once Olin, you don’t need the fucking stress.”
“I’m telling you we should just go, Matti can tell them later...”
“Matti can us what later?”
“That Tali and Fin went out, probably to find trouble.”
“Not trouble, in fact you should know we’re just going to visit family. Wanna come Ollie?”
