Interlude: We’ll See

“Do you think he’s nice?”

Jocelyne nearly jumped at the sound of her twin’s voice. She had been so caught up in the book she had been reading (or at least, trying to read) that her mind had begun to drift very far away. Lucas’ voice called her back to the bright light of the playroom.

“Huh? Who?”

“Mr. Yuen.” Her brother explained. “Our… grandfather.”

Jocelyne almost laughed out loud as her brother struggled to pronounce the English word, though she secretly doubted she could do much better.

The little girl shrugged. “I hope so!” She replied brightly. “I don’t think Papa and Onkel Stefan would let him come visit us if he was mean.”

“Hmm… I betcha you’re right.” Lucas agreed with a smile. “I can’t wait for him to get here!”

“Me neither!”

The twins burst into a fit of excited giggles.

From her seat at the table, Clara muttered something under her breath.

“Clara, are you okay?” Jocelyne asked, trying her best to seem concerned. “What’s wrong?” She hoped Clara could not tell what she was really thinking.

Jocelyne knew exactly what was wrong with her aunt. Ever since her father and uncle had told them about Mr. Yuen, Clara had been so angry and moody… Even more than usual. At first, Jocelyne had been puzzled by her aunt’s strange behavior. But then she understood – She’s jealous.

Clara let out a tiny huff. “It’s just… not fair!” She grumbled.

It was all Jocelyne could do to hold back another smile. She loved her aunt and her brother. They were her best friends in the world. But they also loved to boss her around, and tease her constantly. It was nice to have the tables turned, for once.

After a moment’s hesitation, Jocelyne decided to pretend she hadn’t heard Clara’s response. She turned back toward Lucas, grinning widely at him. “Do you think he’ll bring presents?”

“Probably!” Her brother’s eyes lit up. “I betcha there are TONS of super cool American toys that we haven’t played with before. Maybe candy too!”

“Ooh, yeah!” Jocelyne laughed gleefully. “Doesn’t that sound SO cool, Clara?”

The other little girl leapt to her feet, her fists clenched at her sides. Jocelyne waited nervously for Clara’s impending tantrum. Then, without warning, she burst into tears.

Jocelyne’s joy fled as quickly as it had come, and was replaced by a sinking feeling of guilt. “Don’t cry, Clara.” She said softly. “I’m sorry.”

“We promise we’ll let you play with all our new toys.” Lucas promised, his voice serious. “Maybe Mr. Yuen will bring you something too. I bet Papa and Onkel Stefan told him about you!”

The little girl just shook her head. “This is DUMB!” She burst suddenly, the sadness on her tear-streaked face replaced by anger. “Why do Tobi and Stefan get a new Papa and I don’t?!” Clara demanded. “And what’s wrong with our old Papa anyway?!”

The twins looked helplessly at one another for a moment. Jocelyne had no idea why her father and uncle suddenly had a new father, and she had a feeling that her brother didn’t either. In fact, the more she thought about it, the less sense it seemed to make. She’d heard of people having two moms or two dads before… But two dads AND a mom? It doesn’t make sense…

“It doesn’t matter anyway.” Clara continued, her voice defiant. “I heard Mama talkin’ to Papa and she said there’s NO way she’s lettin’ Tobi and Stefan meet this Josh guy. Not til SHE talks to him first.” The little girl smirked slightly. “And I know my Mama… If she doesn’t like him, he’s not allowed in our house.” A look of satisfaction crossed her face as she took in Jocelyne and Lucas’ shocked expressions. “And trust me, she doesn’t like him already. She said so herself.”

“B-but Papa and Onkel Stefan are grown-ups.” Lucas countered. “Omi can’t tell ‘em what to do!”

Clara appeared unconcerned. “That’s what Papa said, too. But it doesn’t matter if they’re grown-ups or not. She’s still their Mama. So they’ve gotta listen.” She replied confidently.

Jocelyne tried her best to hide her panic. “That’s not true! ‘Specially if Opi said the same thing as us.” She hoped she sounded sure of herself. “He’s not gonna let her stop ‘em.”

Clara just shrugged. “I guess we’ll see tomorrow.”

Jocelyne stared down at the floor, fighting off the funny feeling in her stomach. She’d been so excited about meeting Mr. Yuen… But now she wasn’t so sure. And the more she thought about it, the more uneasy she became.

Her father and uncle had been so excited the day before, when they’d sat everyone down, and told them about Mr. Yuen’s visit. But her grandmother had been so angry… It was still upsetting to remember how she’d yelled. Even her grandfather had seemed sad at the news.

And then they didn’t look so excited anymore.

What if Clara’s right…? Will Omi make it so Mr. Yuen can’t come? Jocelyne thought nervously. Papa and Onkel Stefan are gonna be REALLY mad if she does… Jocelyne couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so scared.

She still wasn’t sure if this Mr. Yuen would really bring her any fancy new toys…

But he was certainly bringing a whole mess of trouble.