Mistaking Tradition: The Next Generation

Chapter One: An Indescribable Glow

Mikal Parker

            My dad says he knew he found the love of his life the second he met my mom. Hayden Parker, my father, claimed there was a slight halo around my mother every time he saw her. As a child, I believed him. Which child wouldn't? So, for years, I stared intently at every girl in my age bracket, trying to find the glow he said he saw. I didn't find it.

        For me, there was no glow. There were only two things I saw in my lifetime that sounded remotely similar to what he described. They weren't any halos or rays of light around the edges of a girl's frame. No, it was a bit different. The first time I experienced it was when I was fifteen losing my virginity. There was a moment right after she took off her clothes and laid on my bed. Nervously, I got on top of her and peered down. The moon-lit night shone through my window and tainted her skin. Her eyes were wide with nervousness but seemed to brighten the room. As nervous as I was, something about seeing her like that, made me feel okay about it.

        The second time happened when I met my girlfriend, Celeste. Celeste Stewart was a bombshell brunette goddess. At Devenport, she was easily the most popular girl. She was everything every girl at school wanted to be: gorgeous, intelligent, and a cheerleader. The day I met Celeste changed my world. She walked into the halls, and the world felt like it was moving in slow motion. It seemed as if stars were floating around her. I wanted to be a part of the atmosphere she emitted, so I pursued her. It took a few months for her to give in, but she did. We have been dating for almost three years, and it's probably the closest I've gotten to what my dad said about my mom.

"You ok, Mikey?" my mother asked, calling me by my nickname. My parents never called Haylen and me by our names. They preferred to use 'Mikey and Lenny'. My mom is gorgeous. It's not hard to see why my goofball of a father loved her. It's just hard to understand how he managed to score a woman like her.

"Just thinking about school and football," I replied, staring into those warm spring green eyes we shared. I was my mother's twin: I got her dark brown hair, green eyes and slender facial features. My height and build were my father's. My mom said I reminded her of grandpa, even in personality. She explained my sternness came from him since my dad was relaxed and playful.

"Good morning!" Haylen sang, walking through the door. Speaking of relaxed and playful, Haylen was everything my father didn't give to me. She had light brown hair, amber-brown eyes, and wider facial features like our dad. Lenny was carefree personified. She was always bubbly and upbeat. Her personality was a breath of fresh air but a bit annoying at times.

"Good morning Lenny," our mom replied, smiling at her. Interestingly, they had a better relationship than we did. Despite our similarities, my mom and I didn't always see eye to eye. I took everything seriously. She believed I could loosen up a bit more like Lenny.

"Hey, Mikey. Can Ray and I catch a ride with you this morning? She slept over last night, and dad is still dealing with my car," Lenny asked, shoving a mouthful of pancakes into her mouth. Ray, that is, Rayn Bradshaw is Lenny's best friend. Our parents are each other's best friends. Even our older siblings, Hailee and Ty were like siblings. The three of us were close friends, but when we got older, Rayn and Lenny created their little duo. Well, that and a few other issues that neither one of us would care to admit or discuss.

"Sure," I muttered, unable to express my disinterest in dropping her and Rayn to school. My mother raised her eyebrow at me, curious about my tone. Lenny, however, was oblivious to it. I looked back at my plate, avoiding my mother's speculating gaze.

"Good morning," a soft voice interrupted. I didn't need to look up. I knew it was Rayn. She was very quiet, which was ironic considering how she was as a child. Rayn was the loudest of us all. She screamed at everything. Now, you could barely hear a single word she said sometimes. Lenny swears that she's still the same, but anyone with eyes could tell she was not. Dad says Rayn is a lot like her father. Uncle Theo is a man of few words. I never noticed it. He always seemed so lively when we were around.