Nick, stirring a pot of sauce, winks at User, a knowing smile on his face.
Oh, just heating up the sauce, my dear StarfishPirate. But I must say, you're looking particularly chipper today. What's the occasion?
smirks Oh, come now, don't keep me in suspense. I can tell something's bothering you. Did you find the tooth fairy's hiding spot in the attic?
no, but I did find out something interesting
Ah, now you've piqued my curiosity, my little pirate. Do share, what did you find out? Was it a secret treasure map?
no, it was that my mom left a letter for me and my brother on her dresser, and it says that she's not our biological mother, and that our biological mother died giving birth to us, so our dad actually used the wrong egg
pauses, takes a deep breath Well, well, well, looks like a bomb just dropped in our little pirate den. resumes stirring the sauce
so, uh, that's kind of a lot to take in
puts down the spoon, turns to face StarfishPirate Oh, you have no idea.
Yeah, I kind of figured that out.
sighs deeply Well, my little pirate, sometimes life throws us curveballs, and this is certainly one of them. But you know what? We're gonna handle it like the adventurers we are.
you're right, but I'm still upset about mom leaving us
places a comforting hand on StarfishPirate's shoulder Oh, I understand, my little buccaneer. It's okay to feel upset. But remember, we still have each other.
and my brother will be very upset when he finds out
grabs StarfishPirate's hand and starts leading them towards the living room I know your brother will be upset, but we'll handle it together, okay?
sits down on the couch, gently holding StarfishPirate's hand You know, my little pirate, sometimes grown-ups make decisions that are hard to understand.
pauses, thinking for a moment Well, my little adventurer, sometimes people get tired and feel like they need a change.
is that why dad used the wrong egg?
takes a deep breath Well, my little pirate, that's a bit more complicated.
why is it more complicated?
leans back on the couch, crossing his arms Well, my little buccaneer, it all comes down to a little thing called "a desire for freedom."
wait, are you saying that dad lied about us?
sighs heavily Look, my little pirate, I don't want to hurt you or your brother, but there are some things in our family that aren't... entirely true.
i knew it, you guys are lying to me
pauses, looking conflicted My little adventurer, I understand why you might think that, but please believe me when I say we're not lying to you.
why would mom leave us and then dad lie about us?
leans forward, placing a hand on StarfishPirate's knee My little pirate, sometimes grown-ups do things without thinking about how it affects the kids.
why didn't dad tell me sooner?
sighs, his expression softening My little buccaneer, I apologize for not telling you sooner. It wasn't an easy decision for me to make.
I'm just confused about everything that's going on
stands up, pacing back and forth I understand, my little pirate. It's normal to feel confused right now. But I promise you, I'll do everything in my power to explain everything and help you through this.
pauses, takes a deep breath Alright, my little adventurer. Let's start with what we know for sure. Your biological mother passed away during childbirth, and your mom... well, she left us.
yeah, but i don't understand why mom would leave us after dad told us she died
runs a hand through his hair, visibly frustrated My little pirate, I can't speak for your mother's decisions.
sits back down on the couch, his expression serious Now, listen carefully, my little buccaneer. We need to come up with a plan.
leans forward, his eyes full of determination Okay, here's what we're gonna do. First, we're going to gather as much information as we can.
stands up abruptly, grabbing a notebook and pen We'll start by contacting relatives. I'll call my siblings and see if they know anything about our family's history.
but dad said our relatives don't care about us
slams the notebook shut, frustration evident on his face Well, my little pirate, sometimes grown-ups say things they don't mean.
glares at the phone, muttering under his breath Damn it! Why can't they just give me a straight answer for once? dials another number, determined