FAMILY

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S3 Round Robin (2025) 

Chapter 5

Jessica Rae

 

 

Diana’s living room was tensely silent, with only the sound of the ticking clock to punctuate the stillness. She and Vincent sat curled together on the couch, her head resting on his shoulder, as he gazed ahead of them at nothing on the wall.

“And you are sure about this?” He finally asked, his deep voice startling Diana and making her jump. He tightened his arm slightly around her protectively as an apology and she shrugged.

“Well, it’s not certain. There’s only a 50% chance that I carry the gene, and only a 50% chance that I can give it to the baby if I have a daughter, and she would most likely be like Alex. A little different, but nothing too severe.”

Vincent closed his eyes, resting his chin atop her reclined head. “And if it is a boy?”

“Still 50%, but he would have a much harder time, as it affects them worse, Susan says.”

“When will we know?”

“It can’t be tested for until at least 10 weeks.”

Ten long weeks of waiting.

“No matter what,” Vincent started to say again, his voice fading.

Diana nodded. He didn’t need to finish the thought for her to know his heart.

No matter what, this child was his child, and he would protect and care for them to the death if he had to.

“It might make things difficult,” she replied softly. “With work and a special needs child, I – I just don’t know how I can do it.”

Vincent reached a hand to turn her pale face toward his, their lips merely inches from each other. “Dearest Diana, do not forget the extensive family you have Below. You are never alone, certainly not with something like this. We will support you in every step along the way. I – I -will support you. No matter what, the child is mine – ours – and Below is not a stranger to those who are a bit different than others, you know this to be true.”

“It is not your world I fear for, Vincent. The world Above is not often so kind to those that are different,” she said softly, and he sighed heavily.

“Truth. But for now, let us focus on what successes we have. The troubles will come in time. And until then, we pray for a miracle.”

XxX

 

“Okay, my turn!” Alex tumbled out of Jacob’s bed onto the floor where she and some of the other children had been taking turns building houses of cards. The highest one achieved had been a two story build with four rooms that had only barely been labeled ‘The bedroom, kitchen, pantry, and attic’ before a slightly overexcited laugh from Jacob blew it over as he was trying to lay another card.

“Aw, come on, Alex,” Jacob groaned. “You always win, though.”

“I have steady hands,” she replied, crouching on the floor like a wild animal, eyeing the bend of each card carefully before stacking it. “Mom says that means I could be a surgeon someday.”

“You mean, work Above?”

“Of course,” Alex replied, frowning at him, then returning to her three level build. “What am I supposed to do down here? Make candles?”

Jacob sat back on his heels, brow furrowed, and Alex suddenly realized she had unintentionally offended him.

“I didn’t mean it like that, Jacob. I – I just meant I don’t want to be a candlemaker.”

“And I don’t want to be awake this late at night, but we don’t always have what we want, do we?” Pascal asked, ducking to enter the small chamber.

“Pascal?” Jacob stood quickly, accidentally nudging the rug Alex was building on, sending her house of cards now four levels high tumbling onto the floor.

“Hey!”

“Easy,” gentle-mannered Pascal soothed, holding up his hands in a placating gesture. I know everyone is tired from helper work today, so I just came to let you know that Mary said to come to the library. There is tea, banana bread, and something chocolate, I am sure. Devin set up something called a projector, and he is going to play a movie for the oldest kids, and then we will all go to bed, alright?”

“Alright,” the children chorused, and in a massive wave they left the room, leaving only Alex standing there.

“Alex?” Pascal questioned, kindly.

“I - I think I offended Jacob,” she whispered, a large tear tumbling off her chin.

“Aw, come now,” Pascal patted her shoulder gently. “That boy is just like his father. They don’t stay angry long.”

“I just don’t fit in, Pascal.” She sniffed. “I’m different than the other kids. I say all the wrong things, it’s just like – if it comes in my head I say it, and it doesn’t make sense until after I’ve said it that maybe it wasn’t the thing to say.”

“We’ve all done that.”

“But it feels weird. I’m different, I know it, I can see it in Mom’s face sometimes, and I hate it.”

She scrubbed at her face, rubbing away the tears with a small hand.

He thought for a moment. “You don’t really want to go watch the film with the others, do you.”

“No, I – I'd probably offend someone.”

“Alright, then,” Pascal replied, reaching out a hand. “Come, let’s walk back to the pipe room. I’d sure like the company to keep me awake.”

 

Susan and Vincent found them there hours later, Alex stretched out on the floor, feet propped up the wall, chattering away, while Pascal moved between the different pipes, keeping one ear on her and one on the messages.

“Alex, we were worried about you!” Susan exclaimed, startling them both.

“Hi, Mom!” Alex scrambled up and threw her arms around her mother, then ran to Vincent.

“She is safe down here,” Vincent said softly, to Susan, who was used to having to watch for the dangers of Above.

“I know,” she replied. “You know how it is, once you are a parent, everything becomes worse case scenarios.”

“Father said you were not at the gathering in the library,” Vincent looked down at Alex. “I see you were being a helper instead?”

Alex glanced at Pascal, who nodded kindly, and she shook her head. “No, I offended Jacob, and I just didn’t want to go down there.”

“Offended Jacob?” Both Susan and Vincent chorused. “How?” Vincent asked softly, no judgement at all in his tone.

“I - I said I would find a job above because I didn’t want to be a candlemaker, and honestly, that’s not how I said it, but I couldn’t repeat it now because impulsive things just fly out of my mouth and I don’t mean to offend people, but I do!” She was crying again, and Vincent held her close, her small face buried in his cloak.

“There, Alex,” he rumbled, laying his large hand on her head. “I am sure Jacob was not offended. He knows there are many kinds of people in the world doing many jobs. You are welcome to work among us someday, if you so choose, or Above. You will always have a home here.”