one more day

Rhyme's teasing was a bit of a thorn in her side. She was trying to have a real, adult conversation! But she was too young to understand that sometimes it was important to let your children believe that their parents are the masters of their own destiny. If Theory explored Rhyme's faults and cracks too deeply, she might not like what she found. It was too soon for her to give up on another parent, and so she listened attentively to what information he felt comfortable divulging.

Alcohol? She never would have guessed that Rhyme had problems with substance abuse, but she supposed her typically level-headed father wasn't usually the type to transgress sacred boundaries like the sanctity of family. His union with Shaye had always been a mystery to her, but perhaps this was one piece of the puzzle. Theory blushed hotly beneath her black coat, thankful for the cloak of her fur and the dark of night. She didn't like thinking about Rhyme as a separate adult, without the moniker of "Father" - the fact that he was just a typical male with his own biological urges made her want to vomit.

The other shortcomings he gave seemed to tally. His short relationship with Tana, his strange partnership with Shaye... was there anyone she didn't know about? Theo wasn't sure she wanted to ask, but their almost-adult conversation made her bolder than usual. "Is there anyone else? Besides Shaye and Tana," she asked, half-afraid of the answer. Were there more siblings running amok somewhere? Was Rhyme seeing someone else right now, a complete stranger? The thought gave her the creeps.