Transplanted Life
Monday, June 05, 2006
 
Family stuff
I spent a little time with Telly yesterday. It hasn't exactly been a while; we'd see each other in passing while helping the FBI with the Korpin dragnet, but with the number of people spread so thin, and him really wanting little to do with me, we didn't spend a whole lot of time together.

How little time? I've apparently missed a four-month relationship that's starting to get serious. He and this girl - Linsdey something or other - headed north for the Memorial Day weekend to meet his mom and friends from school. He's apparently weighing the idea of asking her to marry him, to the point of asking his mother about "our" grandmother's ring. It's not a conventional engagement ring, but it's much nicer than he could afford (I was very polite here, not interrupting with my "the diamond engagement ring is the most successful scam in advertising history" rant). The thing is, it had been promised to Michelle, so...

Sure, I said. I'm sure it's a lovely ring, but I've never seen it, and it's not like it has any sentimental value to me. He sort of winced at that, and I can understand why. His life is easier if we're just estranged, if he doesn't have to think that the really important part of his sister is missing or dead somewhere on the other side of the world.

Of course, when she was up in Vermont, she also couldn't help but noticed family pictures with Michelle in them. Telly said she asked about them, but he and his mother just sort of gave vague answers - that things with "Michelle" were complicated. He does this in part out of respect for my privacy or not wanting to intrude on my life, but she's kind of weirded out by the less-than-complete information: She wants to know what kind of messed-up family she's getting involved with, if this indicates some sort of harshness that she hasn't seen yet.

So I told him I'm not hiding, and if he chooses to explain me, go with the truth. If you think she won't believe you and that will cause a problem, I understand. He's thinking about it. It's not that he's ashamed of me, just that he's afraid of the strangeness messing with something that's working well.

And I ask him, not so much trying to be a big sister as just curious, if this isn't kind of fast? If they get married next June, they'll barely be old enough to drink the champagne. Is he just trying to achieve some sort of conventional happiness with all the craziness in his life. No, he says, he doesn't think so. It just feels right.

I kind of have a hard time imagining that. I mean, when I was his age in my first life, I was still finishing college, and there just seemed to be so much I had to accomplish before being ready for marriage. Graduate, start a career... It just seemed there was always something that had to be done first before I could concentrate on moving ahead in that part of my life, and by the time of the switch, I'd screwed things up with my best chance at that sort of settling down. Now, man, I don't know.

But, what do I know? I don't understand relationships that work that easily.

Speaking of family things, I got a call from Carter today; apparently my mother had a fall last night. She's okay, just has to wear a wrap on her arm. It's just a little distressing that he's her "in case of emergency" contact. It makes sense; she probably just never changed it when "Martin" was missing and Carter is Martin in a legal sense. It just doesn't seem right.

-Marti

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Note: This blog is a work of fantasy; all characters are either ficticious or used ficticiously. The author may be contacted at JaySeaver@comcast.net