Chapter 9: He wants to start a family. She always thought she would not.

October 12th, 2020, San Luis Obispo, California - Earth

Howard had been visiting Grace more in the weeks since she left college. At first, he had said it was so he could help Charlie, or because Mira needed a friend. Today he was cleaning up from an outside meal of hamburgers he had prepared for the four of them. After dinner Charlie and Mira wandered off in the backyard. Charlie was the gentleman, helping Mira up the slide first. He would even hold her hand as the two swung on the swings. Howard was not sure where Mira had picked up the swing set, but it was much larger than anything used by actual children. He had been around the internet lately, he was aware you could find stuff for bigger people, but this was more than just a crib.

Grace had brought out a trash bag and wet towel to help clean up. She looked out at her boy and her mom. “They do make a cute couple. Howard, do you think it would be OK for them to sleep together?”

Howard was confused by the question. As in, share a room? “Why not? Like a sleep over? Are you inviting us to stay the night?” He sat down at the table and started stacking plates and cups, moving them over so Grace could throw the trash away.

“I meant, if it was appropriate for them to be together before, it might be OK for them to be together after.” Grace walked over and leaned in, then kissed him on the cheek. She was getting touchy lately, it was weird because he still saw her as his daughter.

This whole thing made him nervous. He fiddled with the box in his pocket. Howard had been checking it every five minutes, just to make sure it was still there. He had taken it from Mira the first week, it did not seem appropriate for a three-year-old girl to have. He had been holding it for a few weeks and was unsure what he wanted to do with it. It just did not seem right to have around anymore.

“Grace, this is a bit hard for me to do.” He brought out the box from his pocket and handed it to her. “This belonged to your mother, I think it's more appropriate if you keep it. It is not something I want her finding around the house.” Or himself. He did not like being reminded he had loved Mira in a different way than he did now.

She opened the box. She knew what it was because she had written the script. She had placed small hints to her father’s voice mail the past few weeks. She slipped the ring on her finger, and without missing a pause, “Of course I'll marry you, Howard. We'll be Mr. and Mrs. Howard Finnigan.”

“That's not.” Some advice he heard from his dad... one day … son you'll meet a lady ... and you'll put a ring on her finger. No. He cannot marry his own daughter. This is insane! This has to stop now!

Everything was so confusing now. He looked out at where the children should be and saw her parents, a grown man and woman fondling each other in their diapers. It was gross. Those adults were in diapers! And their hands! Inside each other's! While they were swinging too!

He was so distracted he did not see Grace put the earplugs in and didn't notice when she laid her phone next to him. Everything just began to smear together. They were just one big family. Parents becoming children, children becoming parents. All the same thing.

It was not that long into the evening that he and Grace were enjoying a moment just standing over their sleeping children. Charlie and Mira liked to share a bed when they had these sleepovers. When he and Grace worked together it was easy to get both children into their jammies and nighttime protection. It was great, as you only had to read one story and do one bath. Howard still thought they were being a bit huggy for brother and sister, and maybe it was time to start having a talk with Charlie about appropriate touching. He and his wife quietly exited the room and retired to the master bedroom.

“Grace, have I told you you're as beautiful as the day I married you? How long have we been together?”

That brought a smile. She had won. She had taken her mother's spot in her father's heart. “We're coming up on our twentieth. Do you still want to do something special for that?”

He ignored the question; it wasn't in his script. “I don't know why we waited so long to have kids, they're amazing. Grace. I don't know if this is appropriate.” He was fumbling. This had not been his choice the first time around. It felt good that it was his choice now.

“I'd like us to have more.”

“More what?” Grace was honestly confused. This was not supposed to happen. He was supposed to offer to take her to some place nice for their anniversary. And she would offer a suggestion like Europe or Hawaii. To make up for that honeymoon they never had.

But there is a thing about voice mail. These days it is all transcribed, you don't have to listen to any of them if you don't want to, you can just read the message.

“A third child. And maybe a fourth. And maybe a fifth. Oh god Grace, I've never been this happy being a dad, and I just want it to continue forever. I know when women get older, they might need, assistance, if we have to go to a doctor to make this work, I'll do anything. I'm not sure about the money, maybe we should sell one of the houses. We'll make it all work.”

How was she going to let him down? She was not ready to be a mom. Well, a real mom. She was just nineteen!

“My job is important to me, if we do this, you'll have to stay here, and be a full-time daddy.” Wait! That was not what she meant to say. She meant to say: No way in hell! She meant to push Howard off, but some part of her found it kind of hot. Deep down this was what she wanted right? She wanted to sleep with her dad. She let him kiss her neck, he was shifting around her pajamas as he began to position himself.

Howard was ecstatic, “Yes, I think I'm ready for that sacrifice. Just me and the kids staying here, and you can go to work at your big important job. You stopped taking birth control a few weeks ago like we had discussed? When you got that cramp?”

“Yes daddy” That can't be right. What cramp? No, she had not said that. When was this? Fuck! When had she last taken protection? She still wanted to have sex with Howard, but she wanted to be the one in control. This was not what she had planned. Mommy is supposed to be the one in charge!

“Oh, my baby, Grace. We're going to be one big happy family. From now on I'm only going to need to focus on what's best for my family and you can focus on what's best for your career. You get to be in charge. The one adult in our whole big family. Just a normal adult with a normal family and a normal job and a normal degree.” She moaned from that. She wanted this. This was perfect.

Howard could not believe she had shown him how to do this. Sure, he had been upset, she had messed with his mind, but that was the price to figure out the trick. It was similar to telling a dad joke, but without the punch line. He had watched her do it to Charlie. Watched her do it to Mira. Even watched her do it to him. He could not undo the damage she had done to him, but that was the cost of learning something new. This was a superpower! He knew how to access it because he had done it a few times in his life already, he just had not recognized he was doing it the first time around. He could not wait to tell all the other dads, because this was going to turn the world upside down.