Earth-247

Beauty and the Beast

FIVE YEARS LATER

Photographs covered the dining room table like a mosaic, interrupted only by a plate of scrambled eggs growing colder. Edna blinked some moisture off her eyes and browsed for another picture. Norton returned from the kitchen with a second cup of coffee and draped his other hand over his wife's shoulder. She reciprocated, covering his hand with hers.

"Seems like just yesterday, doesn't it?" Norton mused.

Edna sighed. "Where do the years go?"

Norton let out a single chuckle then took a sip from his mug. "I'm not sure, but I know I'm glad I've spent them with you."

The tears that had been forming finally trickled down Edna's cheeks as she turned and looked up at her husband. "Ditto," she whispered.

The two kissed until Norton caught sight of the wall clock. He peeled away with a reassuring smile then called out, "Hank, you're going to be late for school!"

Moments later, their teenage son came swinging down the stairs. With a firm grip on the lip where the staircase wall met the dining room ceiling, Hank vaulted over the console table and landed on the chair in front of his plate. "Morning, Mom! Dad! Looks great."

"I'm sure it would've tasted better if you'd come down when your mother called you," Norton scolded.

"And what have I told you about treating the world like your personal jungle gym?!" Edna admonished. "You're going to get yourself hurt!"

Hank swallowed a shovelful of eggs then offered, "Sorry." Noticing the moisture on his mom's face, he added, "I promise, Mom, I'm careful. I only take calculated risks. I'm not going to let anything happen to me."

Edna wiped her eyes on the back of her sleeve. "I know, honey, I know. I wasn't crying because of that; I've seen you do far stupider. I just found this box of old photos this morning, and I got caught up looking through them."

Hank shoveled another scoop of eggs into his mouth and glanced over the mosaic scattering. As he swallowed, he pointed to one of his baby pictures. "Wow. So my hands and feet have always been massive, huh?"

Norton patted his son's back. "Yep. The doctors say that when the mutation causes a structural change, it's normally present from birth. It's the other kinds of mutations that don't kick in until puberty."

"Yeah, I remember you saying something about that before. I just..." Hank set his fork down. "It's weird to see photographic proof. I suppose, sometimes, that I'm able to convince myself that it's not real. That I'm normal."

"Honey, you are normal!" Edna interjected.

"Edie, let him finish," Norton countered gently.

Hank began again, "I just mean that... sometimes, in my mind's eye, I don't have mutated feet; I just have big feet, you know? And I guess I've just strung enough of those days together that seeing this picture... It was like someone pulled a card out of the bottom of my house of cards."

"Oh, baby," Edna said as she scooted her chair over to embrace her son. "I'm so sorry."

"Please don't apologize, Mom. It's not like you unearthed these photos specifically to shatter my illusion. I just wasn't prepared."

Edna hugged her son tighter, and Norton leaned in to hug them both. Once Edna and Hank had dried their eyes, Norton ushered, "Come on, son. I'll take you to school."

***

"We got a hit!" Scott yelled as he burst through the door into Charles's office.