Chapter Song: Tracy White - Mama Jenny's Little Monster(s)

Chapter 71: Sunset

Joan's phone buzzed, and she stole a glance at it. She saw a text from Mokuba. Just finished work. Please call me when you're free to talk. Joan cast one last smile around the table before excusing herself. Michael took Joan's hand, and Tamara followed close behind as they left the banquet hall.

They walked outside to see an astonishing orange and pink sunset blazing on the horizon. Here and there, teams of kids in equally colorful shirts ran by hollering with excitement. Joan found a quiet patch of grass and sat down with Michael while Tamara kept watch a few paces away. Too many people bustled around to risk putting Mokuba on speakerphone, so Joan leaned in close to Michael, both their ears pressed against the phone as she initiated the call.

"Hey." Mokuba sounded drained of energy.

"Hey. I've got Michael here too. What's going on?" Joan asked.

"Laura is giving Marc a week to move all his stuff out. He's going to be living with me for a while."

"Oh. I didn't realize things were that bad."

"Yeah, well I tried talking to Laura, but I think I just made things worse."

"Did you try to feed her more lies?" Joan blurted before she could think too hard about it.

Mokuba paused for a moment. "Maybe I should have, but no. There were some things she said that make me wonder if she was thinking of leaving him for years, but this was just the last straw. She says she's done with men. All men."

"What? Why?"

"Apparently men are selfish, greedy pigs."

"Seriously? Women are the ones who walk all over men. We give them a little sex, make them sign some paperwork, and then they hand over their entire paycheck to us."

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"That's right," Michael chimed in, "Woman get all da money, but Man don't get all da Woman."

"But you get Linda too, right?" Mokuba asked.

"That's only because I got lucky on the first woman wanting polyamory. If it wasn't for Joan, I wouldn't even know it was a thing," Michael explained.

"I heard that Laura was the one who pushed for polyamory in her marriage with Marc too, so I'm confused about why she's calling it quits over this," Mokuba said.

"Do you think it would help if I talked to her?" Joan asked.

"You can try, but I doubt she'll listen. She seems to have developed a sort of superiority complex based on her age."

Joan groaned. "She's a lost cause, then. How is Marc taking all this? Is he there with you now?"

"I'll put him on."

Marc didn't say a word at first, but Joan recognized his breathing.

"Are you mad at me?" Joan asked.

Marc's voice came out quiet and on the verge of cracking. "Why'd you let this happen?"

"Why'd you want it so much?"

Marc broke down. His sobs carried over the entire continent via electronic signals. Three hours from now, Marc would face the same sunset Joan currently admired.

"Hang in there, Marc. I'm still yours. I'll always be yours."

"How do you know? How do you know you won't change and become jaded like her? Nobody can promise forever."

Joan repeated something she'd once heard him say. "Don't be cynical. I don't know how Laura's head works, but I'm still in love with everyone I've ever been in love with. Unless I get a brain tumor or something, you're safe."

"You're adorable. I'm not expecting anything from you, though."

Expecting. Joan shuddered at the thought of Hera's curse on her pregnancy.

Marc sensed her emotions as the ring's magic carried them to him. "Sorry."

"No," Joan said as Michael squeezed her. "We're going to make this happen."

"What makes you think you can defeat a goddess?" Marc asked.

"I've got you."

Marc paused, stunned that she could still put so much faith in him after all that had happened. "Fuck it. I'll fight Hera. One of us is going down, and I don't care who."

"I care, which is why I want to make sure we're ready before we face her. I was practicing earlier. How was that for your head?"

"Not bad. A welcome distraction actually. Almost like a massage."

"I'll keep it up then."

"Joan?"

"Yeah?"

"I need to know something. Your Michael . . . why is he OK with three other guys impregnating you?"

Michael spoke for himself. "Because I get to impregnate Linda too. Because being a parent is about so much more than sharing genes with the kid. Because with the Kaiba brothers' money, that kid will have the best opportunities in the world. Because with four dads, that kid will be loved more than any kid in history."

"Shit, man. I didn't realize you were listening," Marc said.

Michael grinned. "Get used to it."

Joan and Marc said their goodbyes. Joan then got Mokuba on the line to discuss some logistics of their next rendezvous. By the time she got off the phone, the sun had fully set. Lightning bugs illuminated Joan, Michael, and Tamara's path back to the university hotel.