Generation Twist: A Tale of Two Sisters
an excerpt

The next morning was less than pleasant in the Buhl household. Between Rema Kaye’s frantic last-minute perpetrations for leaving on a whirlwind three week promotional tour across the country for her new movie to the fact that Tilla was still annoyed at Cappie for telling, in detail, one of her most embarrassing memories to these two near-perfect strangers, everyone’s minds were wandering all over the place.

Dom and Lyn, sensing that the Buhl family needed some quiet time with Rema Kaye, had crept out very early that morning, ready to meet with Hana and take charge of their purpose for being here in this particular time stream. They’d both promised to do nothing too drastic, and that they would mostly spend today getting information and clues. Tilla and Cappie had bade them good-bye and wished them the best of luck.

“Now, girls, you will behave, right?” asked Rema Kaye as she busily spread peanut butter onto toast, what would be her breakfast. “Oh, what am I saying? Of course you two will behave, you’re great girls.”

Cappie and Tilla were too busy scowling at each other across the table, and neither actually heard their mother’s compliment. Vince knew something was brewing, but considering how worried his wife was about her impeding departure, he thought better about saying anything for the moment. He was fairly confident that his daughters would work out their disagreements in due time. They so rarely argued, and Vince thought that this squabble, whatever caused it, might be good for them.

“I know that all of you don’t like to cook,” continued Rema Kaye, “and lord knows that I hate cooking, too, so there’s no way I can hold this particular lack of skill against you two, but please don’t let your father order out every single night. Misana is a capable cook, and I’ve put her in charge of dinner during the week, so that way, at least you and your father only eat out on the weekends, okay? Your dad’s good at breakfasts, and Misana will take care of the shopping, so you both probably won’t starve.”

“Mom, we know how to grocery shop, in case we run out of something,” reminded Tilla gently. “I think we can take care of ourselves. It’s not like you haven’t left for movie shoots or promotional tours before, and we managed to survive after every single one of those trips.”

“I know,” responded Rema Kaye, with a hint of worry in her tone. “I just get so concerned about my girls, though, and your father, too. I know you’re all very bright, capable, responsible people. Goodness knows, I raised two of you, so I can personally attest to these qualities in my children, but I’m your mother. I’m allowed to be concerned for your well-being.”

“We’re going to live,” added Cappie. “We’ll take care of the cats, we won’t stay up too late or eat too much junk food. Tilla will practice, I will practice. I won’t take my lab equipment out of the lab and let it settle all over the house. I’ll do my homework and remember my manners.” She paused to have a spoonful of her cereal.

Tilla grinned cheekily and continued where her sister had left off. “I won’t leave my dirty laundry all over the house, and I’ll be nice to company. We won’t stay up too late during the week, and I promise to drag Cappie away from her lab and make her go outside to get some fresh air a few times while you’re gone. I’ll make sure that your houseplants are watered, and I’ll make sure to wear a hat when I go outside.” Pleased, Tilla bit into her peanut butter-covered apple slices with gusto.

“Hon, I promise I’ll be home from work on time so that way the girls aren’t spending evenings alone or eating dinner by themselves. We’ll try to eat fairly healthy, but that doesn’t mean I won’t take the girls out for dinner a couple times a week. We know where the emergency numbers are, and I promise not to wash your red nightshirt with my white work shirts ever again after that last fiasco. I know where the frozen pre-made casseroles are that Misana made, in case we want lunch or she can’t come in for an evening or something. Anything else, Rema Kaye, sweetie?” asked Vince, also grinning mischievously like his two daughters.

“I know when I’ve been foiled,” responded Rema Kaye. She smiled slightly at how her family had managed to quite efficiently gang up on her. “I guess you can take care of yourselves,” she said, heaving an exaggerated sigh, along with a wink.

“We also have Mr. Cliff Brooks’s number, and Mr. Ian Woon’s as well,” reminded Vince, referring to Rema Kaye’s publicist and agent, respectively. “We can call them if we need to find you for anything at any point in this tour.”

“Cliff Brooks died last month,” said Rema Kaye suddenly. “My new agent is Naomi Worn,” she corrected, digging into her purse and taking out Ms. Worn’s business card. “Here’s her new number.”

“Right, I forgot about Mr. Brooks, I’m sorry, hon,” apologized Vince. “But we’ll be all right, now that we have Ms. Worn’s number. Are you okay with it?”

“I will be just fine, Vince, and I’ll be back late the night before Thanksgiving,” said Rema Kaye. “We’ll be able to do our traditional Thanksgiving plans, including volunteering at the soup kitchen in the morning. We’re all going to do our best, right?”

“Right, Mom,” agreed Tilla. Cappie was nodding her head vigorously, her mouth too full of cereal and tea to speak.

“Okay, but have fun and be careful, then,” replied Rema Kaye anxiously. Outside, a car horn beeped.

“That’s your taxi, dear,” said Vince absent-mindedly. “Do you want me to help you take your suitcases out?”

Rema Kaye nodded before reaching over and hugging her two daughters tightly from behind. Both girls dropped their breakfasts and quickly stood up to hug their mother more appropriately.

“Be good, my little eighties baby and my little rock star,” sniffled Rema Kaye, who was clutching her daughters very tightly. “I love you two, and I’ll be back in three weeks.”

“We love you too, Mom,” said Cappie and Tilla in tandem. They were used to this routine by now, although it never got easier with any of her departures. “We’ll be good.”

“I’m counting on it,” replied Rema Kaye with a last sniffle as she headed over to her husband, who was hefting her many suitcases. “Walk me to the car, handsome?” she asked Vince jokingly.

“If you insist, madam,” replied Vince, the routine traditional by now. He leaned over to kiss his wife.

Tilla and Cappie politely averted their eyes back to their breakfasts. While it was nice to have two parents that were in love, they would both not hesitate to admit that sometimes, it could get pretty darn embarrassing. Although, they both would not hesitate to say they preferred the goo-goo eyes and kissing of their parents instead of the bickering and squabbling that other parents they knew did.

“I’m sorry,” whispered Cappie after their parents had left the room. “I didn’t realize it would bother you that much, talking about the story at the circus with the slugs and the clowns. I always thought it was a funny story.”

“I guess I probably overreacted,” replied Tilla. “We were both teasing each other pretty badly last night. I guess it just got a little out of hand. Things like this happen, and I didn’t mean to get so mad.”

“Forgive me?” asked Cappie. She raised her mug of tea to her sister, as an offering to Tilla.

“Forgiven,” declared Tilla as she clinked her glass of orange juice to her sister’s teacup.