Pokemon - From the Brink

Chapter 2 - Getting the Call

The next day, I didn't exactly expect to be interrogated. I wasn't being accused of anything – rather, Alexis wanted to 'talk'. Even though she had said so as kindly as she could have, it still came as a shock, when she came out of her and Darragh's room as I walked along the corridor.

"Hey, Toby, do you have a minute?" She asked. "I was wondering if we could talk?"

"Oh, uh... Ok." I nodded. I had just brushed my teeth and was heading back to Nelly, but I saw Darragh already standing at the door. He knocked twice and asked his daughter if he could come in. Was this some kind of double questioning?

"Yeah!" I heard Nelly call out to him, and he opened her door, going inside and shutting it behind him. I looked back at Alexis standing in her own doorway and she smiled. Maruki was playing in his room, so whatever the parents had in mind, now seemed like their chance.

Without argument, I walked into their bedroom and gingerly pushed the door shut behind me.

"Don't worry." Alexis laughed, seeing what must have been some sort of fear in my face. "You're not in trouble." She sat down on the end of the bed and gestured for me to sit too. I did so, still confused as to what she wanted.

"Mind if I ask you a few things?"

"Uh... Go ahead." I nodded.

"Well... Have you thought about what you want to do in the future?"

I didn't show it, but on the inside it felt like my heart was being attacked. I knew what those words meant. 'How will you earn money to support yourself?' That was what she meant.

"I..." I looked down at the floor.

"I don't want to put pressure on you." Alexis put her hand on my shoulder. "Of course, you're welcome to stay home with us for as long as you want. Darragh and I were just thinking that... If you two really do get married, then... It might be best for you two to live together, without us around."

I breathed in as my whole body tensed. The idea of living without Darragh and Alexis wasn't one I was fond of. I knew nothing of how to live without adults, even if, technically, Nelly and I were both considered adults ourselves.

"I know that's a scary idea – I do." Alexis tried to comfort me. "And don't think for a second that we'd ever kick you out. We could never do that to our kids."

"But I don't..." I began, getting choked up. "I don't know... How to..."

"How to live without us." She nodded. "It's not easy. But Toby..." Alexis put her hand on mine. "Snowflake – Nelly. You love her, don't you?"

"Mm." I nodded, wiping my eyes with my free hand.

"Then... You know that, one day, we won't be around anymore... When that time comes, you two will have to depend on each other, even more than now, because Darragh and I won't be there to provide you with food and shelter."

"I... I know..." I winced. "But I don't know what to do..." I sniffed. "I've never worked before. And I'm scared..." I shuddered.

"Aw, Honey." Alexis shuffled closer and put her arm around me. "Listen. There's no rush. We don't plan on leaving you kids behind any time soon. But we will help you and Nelly as much as we can while we're still here. I promise – we won't let you fall. We're your parents – you can always come to us when you're scared or upset."

I sniffed and nodded.

"Anyway... Enough of that for now." Alexis rubbed my back. "It's ok. Darragh's talking to Snowflake about the same things. Maybe you two can find an answer together." She smiled. "Either way, on to a happier topic."