2.30 Absent

Early in the morning, Tula creeps downstairs. Her father is at work, Sun and Haliya are fast asleep, and Guy is in the shower. 

The perfect time to strike. 

It took a while to dilute the Valerian root the way she wanted, but after weeks of experimenting with the sleeping syrup from the chemistry set, she thinks she's ready for a test run.  First she cuts out two slices from last night's dessert, one for herself and one for Guy. She pours a small amount of the elixir onto the Guy's slice, patiently waiting for the syrup to be absorbed. She then picks the pie up and drains the excess liquid back into another beaker. Waste not, want not. 

By the time Guy gets out of the bathroom, the pie looks normal, if a bit moist. She hands Guy his slice, which he takes without question.  

Tula grabs a plate for herself and sits next to Guy, like they do every morning. 

Guy smiles as he bites into the pie. He likes key-lime. 

Tula notes that it seems to taste no different from normal for Guy. She would've tried it out herself, but she couldn't risk the adverse side effects of Valerian. 

"That was a nice goal you scored yesterday," she compliments Guy on his soccer game. True to his word, Guy did end up joining the soccer team with Tula for his last semester of high school. Though he usually just hangs out in the back, sometimes he surprises everyone. 

He smiles, "You think so? All I did was kick the ball, I didn't think it would actually go anywhere..." 

"Could've fooled me." 

Guy smiles at her praise. He's been feeling good about school for the past few weeks. He might not be an honors student like Tula, his grades have been alright and soccer has been fun. He's even been thinking about getting a part-time job once he graduates and looking at the online courses his guidance counselor recommended. Maybe the job experience could lead somewhere... 

As Tula finishes off her pie, she notices Guy's eyelids drooping. 

"Guy? What's wrong?" 

"I dunno I feel...really...tired..." 

Like a rag doll, he suddenly slumps. His face is cushioned by his plate, but his body causes his chair to slide outwards. 

After putting her plate away, Tula looks down at her handiwork. She wasn't expecting it to be so efficient, but this is a pleasant surprise. 

Now all she has to do is carry out the rest of her plan... 

"Guy, stop it!"

Guy wakes up with a start, fully clothed on his bed. His head is aching and his hands hurt like hell. He looks down and finds his knuckles bruised. 

Slowly, he sits upright. Why is his head so heavy? 

He tries to remember what happened, but only a few blurry images come to mind. 

"...I can't breathe!" 

"...I'll tell the teacher you're sick. Don't worry. Bruises heal. You didn't mean it." 

He shoots to his feet. 

Oh no, what did I do? 

What he should be asking is what did Tula do? 

She gently probes the bruises on her neck, then lets her hair fall, effectively covering them. Guy put up a bit of a fight in between his fits of consciousness, probably due to hallucinations. Violence wasn't necessary for her plan, but it certainly helps. 

She checks her phone; only ten minutes before class is supposed to start. The bus has long driven past, giving up on them, meaning she'll have to walk to school. Pulling out her concealer, she dabs over her discoloured skin. There would be too many questions if she showed up to class injured. It's too early for that. 

She looks at Guy's door one last time, then begins heading out. Someone needs to tell the teacher Guy won't be in school today. 

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AN: ;__; 

2.29 Something to be Happy About

For the first time in years, Paolo takes time off from work. He's home every night cooking dinner and helping out with Haliya, letting Sun focus more on her inventing. Ever since Krista's death, no one in town has stepped up to take over her title as Appaloosa Plains's only inventor. Sun is more than happy to oblige, turning her obsession into her profession. 

Having something to do seems to take off most of Sun's edge, and combined with their upcoming wedding, she now hums as she walks around the house. 

Paolo looks over his shoulder, "Dinner's almost ready." 

She smiles, and he returns it, "Sure, be there in a few minutes. I need to clean up." She holds out her grease covered hands and gestures towards the bathroom. 

Paolo nods, and returns his attention to their dinner. He's never tried making chilli before. He hopes it's not too spicy. 

Not so outwardly happy about the recent change in events is Tula. She smiles and congratulates Sun on their engagement, but something about it falls flat for Sun. 

"Are you alright? You seem annoyed with me," Sun frets. She badly wants to get along with Tula. Guy has proved to be non-hostile, if elusive, but Tula is a different story. She always seems distant, somehow. Not completely engaged or genuine. 

Tula smiles, "Why would I be annoyed? You seem to make my dad happy." 

"Seem to?" 

"Well with the new baby around, I think everyone's been a bit stressed and tired. And I don't really know what goes on in my dad's head," Tula giggles, "I'm sure staying home from work is doing good for him, just like it did for you." 

Sun stands up to clear her empty bowl away. Not having work to do was the worst. 

"Tula..." 

The annoyance in Sun's tone indicates that this will be interesting. Tula looks up, alarmed, "What? What is it?" 

Sun's eyes narrow, but she sighs. She's being paranoid.

"Look, I'm going out. Do you want anything?" she tries to change the subject. 

"Well...remember that Valerian root? That chem experiment is coming up fast. I need to tell my teacher what plant I'm going to use soon." 

Sun nods. There's one place she could try... 

First she makes a stop by the junk yard. Buying scrap is expensive. It's far cheaper to dig through the junk piles, and sometimes she finds old furniture too! 

Michael passes by, and raises an eyebrow. He's heard about Sun's engagement to that Winterly man, and seen her around town with that burgeoning belly. He's done the math... 

But he shakes his head. That child is Paolo's, blood related or not. He doesn't need a kid weighing him down. 

On her way back from dropping off her widgets for consignment, Sun stops by the potions shop. Valerian root isn't highly regulated, but you do need ID to buy it, something Tula doesn't have. 

Sun makes the purchase and heads home. 

After she gives Tula the plant, she beelines for the nursery. 

"Aww who's a cute baby? You're a cute baby! Oooh my cute baby," Sun coos. 

Paolo sighs, "She's my kid too. Will I ever get to hold her?" 

Sun rubs her nose against Haliya's, "Daddy's being grouchy, oh yes he is, yes he is!" 

Paolo leaves Sun and Hailya and heads downstairs. It's the night of the summer dance, the last high school dance Tula and Guy will ever have. 

"Do you guys want to have a party? You know, invite a few friends over before you head off?" 

Tula looks at her father and decides to indulge him. He's begun taking her needs into consideration. That deserves a small reward, right? 

"Well, I'll see who's free..." 

She chooses to invite their cousin, Gregory. Gregory, ever the sulky honors student, insists on doing his homework before they go. 

"Do you even have a plant for chem. chosen yet?" he asks Guy, annoyed by his non-chalant attitude towards their classes. 

"A rose, like everyone else." 

Gregory scoffs. 

Homework will have to wait. The teens change into their formal wear and run out the door. 

Or at least, Tula does. Gregory takes so long to get into his suit that Guy has time to change back into casual clothes. 

"Those pants made it too hot," Guy explains. He prefers his hoodie and shorts to stuffy formal wear. 

Xara came to take photos of her "big man" heading off to the dance, and sways Paolo into throwing an impromptu party. The official reason to celebrate is their kids' impending graduations, but really, it was a nice evening. Should there be any more reason to let loose? 

Xara smiles at her younger brother. She hasn't seen him so happy since Krista was alive. 

"Where's Tulip?" Paolo asks. Xara made a fuss about inviting their sister. 

Xara sighs, "All she told me last month was that she had to go to Bridgeport for business. I haven't heard from her since. Her phone just went straight to voice mail..." 

Paolo nods. He suspects that the death of her second husband, Alexander, might have something to do with it too. Her first husband, Rodney, had passed away several years before, back when Tula and Guy had just entered high school. Tulip was in Bridgeport then, too. 

Though he feels for his sister, empathising deeply for her loss, he decides not to think about her right now. He's here with Xara, having fun. That's something to be happy about. 

"Ew, get away from me," Xara artfully dodges her former "brother-in-law", John Bedlington. Why is he even here? 

The party goes well, and comes to a close only ten minutes before Tula and Guy return from the dance. Tula makes some small talk with her aunt and the parents of some of her classmates, but they leave not too long after. The pair helps themselves to the salmon and chilli in the fridge. 

"So, do you think you'll ever get married?" Tula asks after a long silence. 

Guy coughs, choking a bit on his food in surprise. "Uh...never thought about it." 

"Not even with my dad and Sun having their wedding soon?" 

"Uh, yeah, even then..." 

"Even after living with a pretty girl your whole life?" 

Guy chokes, coughing and spluttering.

"You're so easy to fluster!" Tula snickers. 

Hearing her laughter, Guy smiles and chuckles himself. It was just a joke! Of course. No way that she'd be serious. 

"Yeah I'd beat the shit out of myself if we ended up together," Tula says with a shudder, "being with you... ew." 

Guy breathes a sigh of relief, "I know, right?" 

"Hey, you sayin' I'm ugly?" 

Guy makes a face of disgust, "You're basically my sister or my cousin or something. Gross." 

"First cousin marriage is legal in some parts of the world." 

Guy claps his hands over his ears, "Lalalalalala not listening!" 

"Wow, real mature." 

"I'll listen when you stop being gross!" 

As her older siblings bicker downstairs, Haliya contentedly plays with her blocks in the study room. Some people just make their lives so complicated. 

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AN: Haha this outtake; 

Tula and Guy are nearly young adults! I'm kind of sad that Haliya and Tula are so different in age, but the story actually works out better this way. In a few chapters, it'll be apparent why... 

2.28 Prioritize

The new study upstairs is the only unoccupied space to put Haliya's crib for the moment. Right next to the big, expensive, temperamental machine that can splice DNA. 

No one seems to worry about this. 

Tula spends a lot of time in the nursery. Her younger sister is endlessly fascinating, even if she isn't capable of vocalizing or thinking beyond her most basic of needs. 

Tula wonders if anything will make her feel attachment to this small person. It's her half-sister, connected to her by blood, and she's cute and defenseless... 

And yet that connection doesn't seem to be there. Something's missing, and Tula can feel it. Something everyone else seems to innately have when they hold a baby, or interact with a sibling. 

Smiling at her doesn't seem to make Tula feel any differently. She rocks Haliya, cuddles her, feeds her... 

But nothing really changes within Tula. Haliya is just a small bundle of human right now. 

One that cries a lot. 

Tula changes her diaper, too. But no amount of tending to her younger sister seems to make any difference. She still cries and Tula still doesn't care. 

That doesn't mean she stops trying, though. Her father- unsurprisingly- seems to be taking a "hands-off" parenting style once again. Guy and Tula are finding themselves unwittingly in charge of taking care of Haliya at least several times a week. Sun and Paolo can't bear to be in the same room together, it seems, and Paolo spends much of his time working. Sun focuses all of her time and energy on her inventions and widgets, which she churns out and hoards en masse. 

Tula usually waves Guy away from her younger sister, not really trusting him to handle anything as fragile as a child. Guy gladly lets her take over, having no idea how to change a diaper or burp a baby. 

Haliya gurgles happily and Tula smiles indulgently at her. Such a trusting little thing, her sister is. 

How... beneficial. 

Several weeks into their frosty silence, Sun and Paolo find themselves tending the garden at the same time. It's a weekend, meaning Paolo has no work to run off to. He's been trying his best to fulfill his promise to be around more, but with him and Sun not speaking it's just been easier not to be home during the week. 

They make eye contact then look away. Both stubbornly stay in place, pretending that the other isn't there. 

It doesn't take long for their tasks to synchronize. It seems that they still work well together. 

The silence between them is as thick as it is unbearably heavy. Paolo can't take this. 

"We need to talk." 

Sun pointedly ignores him. He sighs with frustration. 

"This isn't a game Sun, we need to talk this out." 

"I'm not going inside until you apologise." 

Paolo rubs his forehead. "I'm sorry." 

"It didn't sound like you meant it." 

"Sun, for Plumbob's sake..." 

"You were mean to me first," she replies mulishly. 

He takes a deep breath, then gets down on his knees. "Sun, I'm sorry. I want to make us work...please. I love you." 

Sun stares at him, mouth agape. Did he just say....? 

"Let's talk," he says again. This time she does not resist. 

"I've thought things over," Paolo says once they've sat down, "and I know what I want from our relationship, but we need to come to an agreement." 

Sun is slightly taken aback by his business like tone, but nods. 

"What is it that you want, then?" 

"I want to be with you. Properly. No more of this upstairs-downstairs business. I realize how unfair that was to you. But I can only do it on one condition... my pictures of Krista stay. She's the mother of one of my children, and I'm not going to hide her." 

Sun sighs. She can see that this is a battle she won't win. "Ok, that's...fair. What else?" 

Paolo grows quiet, and looks at the wall behind her. 

"I want to marry you. If that's what you still want." 

Sun's heart soars. Did she really hear that right? 

"You mean we'll be a proper couple and everything? Mr. and Mrs. Winterly?" 

Paolo laughs, "Yeah exactly. What do you say?" 

She just squeals and throws her arms around him. 

 ***

Tonight is academic achievements awards nights, and the entire household (minus Haliya) is in attendance for the ceremony. Yet Tula thinks that, somehow, her long list of awards and certificates is not the reason why Sun has been beaming all night. She doesn't know what exactly is making her dad's girlfriend so happy, but she wants to find out what it is. 

When they all get home, she lingers in the kitchen to talk to her father. 

"Oh I'm so proud of you Tula," he says. She scans his face and her eyes narrow. She has no doubts of his sincerity, but she knows there's something else he wants to say. 

"Thanks dad. But I have a feeling it's not just my good grades that are making you and Sun so happy tonight. So spill it. What happened?" 

Her bluntness takes Paolo by surprise. He was planning on announcing it to Tula and Guy- with Sun present- over dinner or maybe have a family meeting. But it's happening here and now between just him and Tula. For some reason, this makes him more nervous than proposing to Sun did. 

"I proposed to Sun. We're getting married!" he beams. A wide smile overtakes his face as he waits for Tula's response. 

But she doesn't smile back. She looks away, a neutral expression on her face. 

"...Oh." 

"What's wrong? You don't seem happy," Paolo observes. 

"What, you expect me to fucking smile and congratulate you two?! Whoop de fucking doo, you're getting married again! Guess who's been taking care of your kid while you were figuring that out!? I get that mom's gone and that you've gotten over her, but do you think that  I have? Did you ever once stop and think that maybe you should include me and Guy in these decisions before you fucking make them?" she seethes. 

Paolo is helpless in the face of his daughter's rage. 

"Tula..." he looks so hurt that he could cry. 

But this is of no concern to Tula. Her father, as smart as he is, needs to re-evaluate his decision making skills. If she's going to have to accept dependence on him, he needs to prioritize her needs too. Somehow having a second child hasn't made this clear to him, and thus he needs some "tough love", as one might say. 

"No! Don't give me that face! I'm so damned tired of you just acting like me and Guy don't even exist! What are we to you!? Definitely not your kids. Parents take care of their children. Parents take responsibility for their children. Parents talk to their children. When's the last time you did any of that?" 

She takes a step back and wipes a hand over her face. 

"You know what dad, whatever. You do you. Do whatever makes you happy, I'm done," her voice cracks on the last syllable and she pushes past him and into her room. 

He knocks on the door and pleads insistently to just "talk to him", but she ignores it. 

She's so tired. Smiling in front of all of those people at the ceremony, then channeling the anger for this argument... she wonders if actors ever feel this fatigue, the exhaustion of maintaining a facade. 

As Paolo's knocks grow less and less fervent, she wipes her makeup off of her face. Tomorrow's a new day, filled with more smiling, micro-managing, and delicate conversational balancing. 

"Tula, please..."

She doesn't have time for anything unimportant.