I tell the boys all about the physical process involved in woohoo. I’m sure it’s nothing they haven’t heard before, but there are a few things I want to emphasize.
Kai: Boys, it’s natural to want to stick your thing somewhere. Your hormones constantly tell you that’s what you’re supposed to do. And I won’t lie – woohoo feels good. But it’s not as simple as that. There are emotions involved. And with one wrong decision, you can end up in a situation you’re not ready for.
Mason: Like what?
I pause, deciding how much I want to reveal in answering Mase’s question.
Kai: My parents had a casual relationship.
Wade: What does that mean?
Kai: Basically, they were just in it for the woohoo. But they weren’t careful, and ma ended up pregnant. My dad decided he didn’t want to be a father, so ma raised me all alone.
Wade: Ha! So your dad got off easy!
Kai: That’s not funny, Dub. It was tough for me to grow up without a father. I’m still affected by it.
Wade: It doesn’t seem like it.
Kai: Wade – are you listening to me? Violence isn’t my thing, but you’re testing that.
Wade: Okay, okay – I was joking. Sorry
Kai: This is serious. Don’t you dare bring a baby into this world that you’re not prepared to take care of! It’s unfair to the baby and the woman who raises that child alone.
I explain how to avoid an unwanted pregnancy, hoping they understand this isn’t a joke.
Kai: Honestly, it’s best to be married or in a loving relationship when you decide to have woohoo, but I know that’s not very realistic nowadays.
Mason: Were you and ma married before you, uh – woohooed?
Kai: No. We were still in college, but we were careful. But we were married when Dub came along.
Mason: And if you love someone, how do you tell them you want to do that?
Kai: You have to be honest with each other. And I want you both to remember that even if you’re in the heat of the moment – if your partner says no, it means no. Got it?
Mason and Wade: *together* Yeah
Kai: And Dub, I want you to be a gentleman at the prom tonight. This is not an ‘everything goes’ moment. Be respectful with Perla because I know Mo will have a lot to say about it if you’re not.
Wade: Okay, dad.
I can practically see all the color draining from Mase’s face. It’s obvious Dub didn’t tell him about going to the prom with Perla.
Kai: *to Mase* Are you okay? Do you have any more questions?
Mason: No questions. Can I go now?
Kai: Sure
Mase gets up and drags himself to the weight machine. He sits down, but he doesn’t use it right away. Instead, he pulls out his phone.
Kai: *to Dub* What about you? Any questions?
Wade: No, but I wanted to discuss something else.
Kai: Okay, what’s up?
Dub sits down.
Wade: We have money, right?
Kai: We don’t have to worry about paying our bills. Why?
Wade: Then why do we live like plebeians? I looked up that guy Nate you climbed with. He’s a Pierson.
Kai: So?
Wade: The Piersons** live like royalty. I ran across pictures of his sister’s wedding – an actual celebrity wedding. Bailey Kay** attended for Watcher’s sake. Why can’t we be like that?
Kai: Well, first off – we’re not celebrities.
Wade: I don’t want to sit around shoveling cow snuff all my life.
Kai: Shoveling cow snuff, running this farm, and your ma being a mechanical engineer is why we have our money.
Wade: But, dad – there has to be another way. Ma isn’t even happy with her job.
I didn’t realize that Dub had noticed that.
Wade: I want to do something different.
(**Original characters created by Ladybugsimblr and storiesbyjes2g. The links take you to their tumblr pages.)
Kai: Well, you’re free to do that, son. And if you don’t find your way, you’re always welcome back home.
Wade: Really? So I don’t have to go to college?
Kai: Your ma and I believe in higher education, but there is more than one way to become educated. If you decide that you want to go a different route, then we will support that.
Wade: *relieved* Thanks, dad!
Dub and I are wrapping up our conversation when Leslie enters the garage from outside.
Leslie: Uncle Kai, I don’t want to play with Dray right now.
Kai: What happened? Is he still playing pranks on you?
Leslie: No. He wants to keep racing across the monkey bars, but my hands are too cold, and I keep losing.
Kai: It’s okay. It’s time for both of you to come back inside.
Leslie: I told him I wanted to go inside, but he said I’m not tough if I don’t stay outside with him. I want to be tough, but my hands hurt.
Kai: I’ll talk with him. Go inside and warm up.
Leslie: Thank you
Leslie walks back inside.
Kai: We’ll go upstairs and try to find something for you to wear to the prom later. Let’s finish our workout.
Dub gets up and goes to the treadmill, and suddenly Mase is going extra hard on the weights. I hear them clanking down with each rep.
Kai: Mase, go easy, or you’ll hurt yourself.
He doesn’t respond.
Kai: Is there something that we need to talk about?
Mason: No. I’m okay.
He doesn’t sound okay, but I decide not to push, especially not with Dub around. I hope he’ll come and talk to me about it when he’s ready.
But it’s not me that he decides to approach. He walks over to Dub instead.
Mason: Are you really going to the prom with Perla?
Wade: Yep
Mason: Did you ask her, or did she ask you?
Wade: She asked me. Why?
Mase drops his head, looking defeated.
Mason: Oh
Wade: Is that it? I want to finish so I can get ready.
Part of me wants to intervene, but I don’t know if my input would make it better or worse. My heart goes out to Mase. This might be his first heartbreak. I want to be there for him, but I also don’t want to ruin this moment for Dub. Maybe I should give them time to try and work it out for themselves. But I’ll be keeping my eye on the situation. I step outside to find Dray.
Mase leaves the garage slowly, with his heart sunken. Why did Perla ask Dub to her prom? Why not him? Is it because they are just friends? Or does she like Dub better? He has so many questions, but only one person can answer them: Perla. But a big part of him is afraid to know the answer.
Mase ascends the stairs and enters his bedroom, glad to have a moment alone to brood.
After telling Dray to stop playing pranks on Leslie and to go back inside, I walk towards the chicken coop and pull out my phone. I feel inclined to text Mo and ensure he’s okay with Dub taking his daughter to the prom. Over the years, we never discussed the possibility of one of my sons dating his daughter. And now it seems that two of my sons are interested in her. But I leave that part out as I send the text.
He responds that he’s just as surprised as I am. He and Shay thought that Perla would be attending the prom alone. But, like Dub, she didn’t give them the news until this morning.
I write back, inviting him, Shay, and Perla to our place later. I suggest seeing them off to prom together might be nice. He agrees.
(Generation 3 Chapter Summaries)
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