Progeny

by Erik Schubach

  The house was all tan and brown and I could see through the front window how the modest front was almost an architectural illusion as the house seemed sprawling inside. The bright green door seemed to beckon at you. The attached garage was bloody huge.

  The matching green garage door opened and Mia drove confidently into the farthest bay. We piled out of the car and I stopped breathing. A hand shot up to my mouth as I looked around. The space was predictable, immaculately clean.

  There were breathtaking photos on two walls, the predominate theme was a beautiful woman who looked like Abbey holding a baby. I realized they weren't photos, but preeminent examples of the Jacobs Effect. These were at a level beyond the works Mia displayed in any of the museums or galleries. It was obvious the love that was poured into them. I knew I was looking at Mia's wife holding baby Abbey.

  I pulled my eyes from them with a tear in the corner of my eye. It was so emotional and I don't know why. I took in the rest of the garage and realized I was standing in Mia Jacobs' studio. Mia friggin Jacobs' studio! This was where she created all those works of art that I could stare at forever.

  I noted some beautiful leather bound books lining a shelf above a workbench.

  On her easel in the exact center of the space was a photo... no, a Jacobs Effect, of a view of the back side of Pike Place, I knew the building we were looking at, as I could clearly see the chrome hubcap mural of “Beauty in Sunlight” on the wall. It was a woman staring up into the sun. I gasped as I realized why Abbey looked familiar to me on my first day at the academy. She looked like the woman in the mural I spent hours looking at as I grew up. This was again Abbey's mother. Looking up at the mural were that woman and a small blonde woman I did not recognize. It was evoking an emotion I didn't understand.

  I turned back to the girls as they were just silently watching me. Mia was rubbing her thumb on a tiny white teddy bear in her hand. A tear rolled down my cheek and I hastily wiped it with the back of my sleeve. “Oh. Terribly sorry, it's just...” I looked back at the studio then smiled and turned back and hustled to grab Clunky from the back before I made more of a git of myself.

  They both seemed to be silently studying me then Abbey went in motion with a smile and retrieved her suitcase. Mia was smiling now as she led the way through the door into the house. I paused a moment at the easel to stare in shock. The medium she chose seemed to be tiny squares of cardboard glued onto the canvas. I chuckled as I saw cereal boxes with chunks taken out of them stacked neatly in the trash can beside the easel.

  I hurried to catch up with Abbey. I whispered to her, “She's bloody brill!” The proud look on her face told me volumes about how she felt about her mother.

  I left Clunky by the door as I'd be staying at home while we visited this weekend. I glanced around, the place was beautiful. I wondered if Mia came from money since Abbey said she had this place before she was famous. Oh, that would be a question for the interview.

  A glass wall at the end of the common space looked out to a beautiful lawn and a dock stretching out into the lake. The huge stone fireplace drew your attention to the sitting area. It kind of reminded me of the arrangement in Aunt Bobbie's lodge.

  Before I knew it Mia was dragging both Abbey and me by the hands to the super comfy looking couches. “Sit relax a bit. I'll go make some coffee and we can start my first official interview.” She stuck her tongue out playfully in distaste. I could tell she didn't like discussing herself, but she was going to do it for her daughter.

  I just sat dumbly, still not sure this was really happening. I was sitting here beside a beautiful creature who was causing my pulse to race because of her proximity on the couch, about to interview one of my heroes of the art world. It was beyond surreal. I absently grabbed Abbey's hand. And before I realized I was doing it and started to pull back, she laced our fingers.

  I swear I stopped breathing until I almost jumped out of my skin when I was startled by Mia returning with three cups of coffee. Bloody hell!

  Chapter 9 – Interview

  Mia had a way of relaxing people. I realized that she hadn’t stuttered since the airport. Hmmm... must only be when she is nervous. All of these little quirks made her a more and more fascinating person to me. I enjoy the differences in people, they are what make us so unique and beautiful.

  She chatted with us for a couple minutes before we started the interview. I wound up digging in my bag and retrieving my brand new, empty sketchbook, and absently sketched the scene as we spoke. Abbey leaned in to see and I pulled it to my chest. She grinned and leaned back.

  Finally, I pulled out my iPad and grinned at the ladies and said, “Shall we?”

  I waggled my eyebrows to the chuckling of Abs and the playful sigh from Mia as she responded, “If we must.” She grinned.

  I started with her youth and was shocked to find it was closer to my Mum's in England than coming from money like I had surmised. She was an orphan who went from foster home to foster home. She was basically penniless until her art took off. This house was her wife's inheritance. She says she still isn't used to living like this and having possessions since her whole childhood she was taught to not have more possessions than can be carried in the trunk of a car, since you never knew when the state was going to assign you to another foster home.

  She shared her impressions of the world back then and how she discovered that the art could calm her. That got us onto the subject of the Jacobs Effect. She blushed every time I used the term. Then she whispered, “Do you want to know a secret?”

  I grinned and nodded. She seemed to sink into the cushions and said softly like she was lost in thought, “It isn't art at all. It is math. All math and patterns. My brain sees the world as math and patterns. I'm always counting, always perceiving things in a three dimensional grid in my head. It is how I make sense of things. So all I am doing, no matter what medium I am working with, is just reproducing that pattern, that grid.”

  She paused a second then shrugged and continued, “I simply calculate the angle of viewing with the canvas to determine the optimal way to utilize the materials at hand with the time constraint imposed on the project. Then I simply share a memory with the viewers of the piece. The variables play through my head like a symphony.”

  I smiled at that, she says math, but it takes an artistic mind turning that math into, as she puts it, sharing a memory. I stated, “So all of your works, are different memories of your own life.”

  She nodded and said thoughtfully, “That is a good way to put it. Each one is a happy memory from my life that I can never forget. They loop through my thoughts always. They make me feel happy... loved. And I just want to share those feelings.”

  I stopped typing and looked at her, then said wistfully, “And they do. My mothers and I go to all your showings and exhibits. They are always the highlight of our visits to the MAC.

  She grinned at this and said softly, “Skylar and Kimi are such nice ladies.” She turned to her daughter and added with a wry smile, “That Kimi has the most wicked sense of humor. You have to watch out for it because it comes right out of nowhere. I swear she needs to carry a 'snort warning' sign with her.” That almost got me to snort in response as I nodded. Mumsy has this way of deadpanning a delivery that takes you completely by surprise.

  Then she finished almost sadly, “It is a shame I have only met them a couple of times.” Then she winked at me, which caught me by surprise, then Mia said slyly, “But that will be remedied in three hundred and thirty seven minutes and seventeen seconds.”

  I cocked an eyebrow at her and she looked at her daughter then me and said, “Well, I asked them over for dinner before they whisk you away tonight.” I may have squeaked in excitement. Fine, whatever, I squeaked... are you happy now? I glanced over and Abbey had gone pale.

  I tilted my head and asked in earnest, “Are you OK Abs?” as I grabbed her hand.

  She mechanically nodded and sputtered, “Satin Thunder... my house... I...”

  A gri
nning Mia had a look of triumph on her face as she reached over with a hand and gently closed her daughter's mouth then said with a little smirk, “Oh, did I fail to inform you that mothers scheme too?”

  I couldn't stop my smile as I was realizing that my idol was just a normal lady like the rest of us. For some reason, this just lifted her up higher in my book.

  I was acutely aware that I still hadn't released Abbey's hand and she slowly laced our fingers again. Bloody hell it was getting hot in that room. Does she realize she was doing it? Does she understand what it was doing to me? I decided not to move or say anything about it for fear that she would let go.

  I saw the signs of a hidden smile ticking at the corner of Mia's mouth as she looked at us with those calculating eyes of her's.

  Then we continued with the interview. The more we delved into her life and her artistic influences, the more I realized she couldn't see it. What she thought was just cold calculations to efficiently recreate a snapshot of a point in her life, were actually intense and complex emotions woven into a tapestry that conveyed those same emotions and more. I was able to break it down to a self evident truth, she was trying to convey the love that existed in each of the moments she shared.

  Oh bloody hell, I was on the verge of crying again at my revelation, and again I didn't know why. I seemed to be confused about a lot lately. A warm squeeze of our clasped hands from Abbey and I started feeling better.

  We started drifting off topic as we spoke of both Abby and my childhoods. Then about the difficulties we had when coming out to our friends. For the most part, we were accepted by our friends immediately, but there was the expected bigotry and bullying from those outside our trusted circles.

  The parallels were eerie, but Abbey and I veered off on different tangents at that point. I took the 'kill them with kindness' approach of dealing with people’s negativity. Abbey just takes them head on and dares them not to flinch first. She has been taking Akido for five years now, learning to defend herself without fighting. Mia sighed and informed me that just like her Valla, Abbey unfortunately, won't back away from anything.

  At one point, Mia excused herself to go order food to be delivered later since she didn't feel like cooking, saying, “I'd much rather visit with you girls while I have the chance.”

  Things devolved further over the next hour or so and at one point I came to the realization that I was the one being interviewed by Mia. How had she managed that? I grinned at her. The stinker was a tricky one. She grinned like a kid who nicked a cookie when she saw my realization. I stopped and said, “You Mia, are one tricky bird.”

  She shrugged with a decidedly evil grin and then said to nobody in particular, “Two minutes, if they are punctual.” I realized she was talking about my parents. She hadn't even looked at a clock, I looked around. In fact, I only saw the clock in the kitchen on the stove behind her, showing two minutes to six.

  I looked at both of the women and opened my mouth to ask when Abbey said with pride, “You'll get used to it. Mom's internal timer is more accurate than most clocks. She's always counting.” I smiled, that was yet another amazing thing about Abbey's mother.

  And yes please, I'd love to hang around you Abbey, so much that I get used to it. I grinned at my inner monologue. I had decided to tell myself the truth and acknowledge the fact that I really, really liked Abbey. She was so fascinating, so, dangerous, so... sexy. She wasn't like anyone I have ever met and that was so exciting to me... just like those catlike eyes. Bloody hell, they've trapped me again! I blushed as I looked into that amber and orange pools.

  I was startled out of my unladylike drooling by the soft chiming of the doorbell. Mia hopped up spryly with a smile on her face and headed to the door, murmuring something about blessed punctuality.

  I looked back over the couch as she opened the door and smiled, “H-h-hello ladies, p-please come in.” My parents walked in and my heart swelled as I jumped up off the couch with a squeal, dragging the tall brunette attached to my hand with me.

  I let go of Abbey as I reached Mum and grabbed her into a hug, making sure not to get over-exuberant and overextend her prosthetic foot. Then I turned to Mumsy and she engulfed me into a bear hug that left my feet dangling off the ground. “Hi baby.” She said in her soprano voice.

  Then she set me down and both my parent's eyes were on Abbey. Wonder Twin protective powers activate! I almost giggled as I turned to Abbey who looked like she was about to pass out. I said, “Abbey, I'd like for you to meet my parents, Skylar and Kimi Roth.” She stared at Mum's outstretched hand. I may have snorted when I had to reach out and grab Abby's hand and raise it to shake Mum's hand. I was grinning, she seemed to be at eye level with Mumsy, not many girls are that tall.

  She regained her wits and blurted out, “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

  Then Mumsy smiled and offered her hand. As she shook the offered hand, Abbey's jaw hung slightly open as she was looking back over at Mum and looking up and down, staring at her scars. Then she dropped her hand and snapped her eye's back to Mum's. “Oh, I'm sorry. That was rude of me. It's just, I didn't know they were so much more... beautiful in person.”

  Mum beamed, she was quite proud of the colorful tattoos that covered her burn scars down her right side. They were my other mother's artwork. She simply said, “I know, right?” with a huge smile. Then she turned and smiled at Mia and pulled her into a hug, “It is so good to see you again Mia. We haven't seen you since Roberta's accident. How long has it been now? Ten years?”

  Mia looked embarrassed and started to tell her how many days, hours, and minutes, but she was interrupted my Mumsy bending down and giving her a bear hug too. She shot her one of her rare smiles and said, “Good to see you haven't lost any accuracy over the years Mia.

  The elder Jacobs gave a sly grin and retorted, “Hey now Kim, you're making us sound old!”

  Then Mumsy's face went blank again as she deadpanned, “Our children are in college Mia.” A moment later we all chuckled.

  We were all ushered to the seating area again. I giggled so hard it hurt when Abbey whispered to me, “Satin Thunder is in my living room!”

  When I could breathe again, I corrected her with a smile as I whispered back, “No. Skylar and Kim, my parents, are in your living room.” She nodded then excitedly grabbed my hand. I shot Mumsy a pleading look to not embarrass me when her always scanning eyes landed on our clasped hands.

  As stoic as most people seem to think she is, one thing Kimi Solomon Roth can never be accused of is subtlety. I swear she was mentally sticking her tongue out at me as she made a show of deliberately grabbing mums hand and clasped their fingers too. Mum is too quick and too sharp and she looked up with a grin and chastised, “Now Flower, be nice. Don't embarrass the girls now.”

  Mumsy broke into a smile and sighed dramatically, saying, “Fine. But it is so much fun Sky.”

  Mia nodded and added, “It is isn't it?” There were so much mirth and mischief sparkling around in her eyes.

  It all turned into a “Let's Pick on Abbey and Samantha” fest. Embarrassing childhood story after story was told. I was getting the distinct impression that this was a ritual parents just had to go through whenever they met. Abs and I took turns blushing as we weathered the storm. I will not admit to laughing a time or two. Some of the stories were adorable and made me feel that much closer to Abbey.

  Then Mia stood up suddenly and walked to the door. She opened it, and a shocked delivery boy was standing there with his hand poised to knock. Mia looked embarrassed and paid the lad and retrieved two bags from him then closed the door as he left.

  She held up the bags and nudged her head toward the large dining room table over by the kitchen in the huge common area by the glass wall. She asked, “Chinese?”

  We all walked to the dining area and sat and patiently waited as Mia and Abbey laid out the meal in a grid pattern, with everything perfectly aligned. Then laid out plates, napkins, chopsticks, and forks similarly. My parents watc
hed in silent fascination as Mia nudged items with her finger until they were perfectly aligned.

  Then a pot of coffee was started and they brought out water and sodas for everyone and a beer for Mumsy. Did Mia really remember that mother preferred beer from that one night so long ago?

  I hadn't even realized that the room had sat in silence while this well choreographed dance had progressed. I was amazed, I could have watched that all day, it was like artwork to me.

  Then we started passing the boxes around so we could dish up as we talked and joked and got to know each other all over again as we ate. The Jacobs women were bloody easy to like. This always struck me as something that came naturally to my parents, they accepted everyone and pulled them in as a family. Like an irresistible force like gravity.

  During the meal, Mia kept straightening things absently. Abbey even once sneakily straightened my fork for me. We all caught on quickly and were careful to align things neatly whenever we moved them, I could see the anxiety bleed off of Mia as we did so. I was happy about that.

  As the meal wound down, Mia invited my parents back to the couches and left the 'young uns' to clean up. Once we were done, Abbey glanced over at the parents and then at me and got a cute conspiratorial grin on her face as she grabbed both of my hands and dragged me over to a door and into a large bedroom. There were band posters and posters of male and female actors everywhere. I giggled at the preponderance of vintage Satin Thunder posters. I took note that this room was a counterpoint to the fastidiously clean and organized house. It was an almost organized chaos. I could still see the undercurrents of a possible case of mild OCD influencing the room.

  There was no doubt, this was Abbey's lair. The bedroom she grew up in. I looked around like I was on an archaeological dig. Every little thing was giving me insight into this woman who held me so captivated. I noticed she had her own walk in closet and cottage too.

  We sat and just spoke about anything that came to mind, like we were mining each other for information. I found myself not caring that I was sharing my private secrets and dreams, I wanted her to know everything. I kept getting distracted by her scent, it permeated her room and was giving me a euphoric rush.