c l o n e s
Joan let out a little pathetic whimper.
"What's wrong 'Snugglebunny?'" Alex taunted her, leaning over the table.
Joan did not meet her eyes.
"Me thinks someone's got a guilty conscience," Emo noted, shifting his eyes to his mother.
"It's just a love letter," Joan sniffled and I thought she might burst into tears any moment. "It's a beautiful thing. There's nothing wrong--."
"These pet names you guys used for one another while you were courting are the same nicknames you forced on us growing up," Alex challenged.
"Until we got too old for them," Emo added.
"And practically had to force you to give them up," Alex finished.
"Exactly," Emo sat back, squeezing his sister's hand.
"So what?" I demanded, and Joan whimpered.
"So…" Emo began, pausing for effect, "Alex and I are clones of you and Joan. You are both living out some twisted fantasy vicariously through us."
"You are not clones!" Joan exploded.
"There‘s nothing twisted about it!" I exploded at the same time.
The looks Alex and Emo exchanged were unmistakable, Slam Dunk.
Brats, I thought, but said instead, "I mean, if you were clones, there would be nothing twisted about it; but you aren't clones, so it doesn't matter anyway. Don't you see?" I gave a single pathetic laugh to reassure everyone. "No big deal. Never was. Not in a million years."
"Bruce," Joan interjected anxiously, "you‘re not helping."
"Yeah Bruce," Alex added.
"Honey," I said to Joan, but stopped to give Alex a weird look, not 'Dad' again. "Honey, our darling offspring…" Alex and Emo rolled their eyes. "…our wonderful children have gotten some crazy mixed up ideas in their heads and I'm just trying to set them straight. You know, it's like that time Emo thought aliens were hiding his toys…"
"Ten years ago," Emo defended.
"…and he needed his daddy to find his toys and show him it was all in his imagination?" I nodded, smiling. "Remember
-6-
