Thursday, February 5, 2015

Armand Three: Uncomfortable Surprises


The end of the semester was just around the corner, with Remy and I becoming fast friends ever since the day his Frisbee had accidentally almost hit me. It was Thanksgiving break, and we were getting ready to part ways before we had to come back to take our final exams. Even though I had driven my car out to Louisiana, I decided to leave it in the dorm parking lot and take a flight back to California. I figured I would drive it home when the semester actually ended, thinking that it didn't make much sense for me to put all those extra miles on it if I was only going to be able to stay at home for one week before I had to drive back. I put my suitcase in the back of Remy's SUV, and climbed in the passenger seat.


Although it was only Thanksgiving break, Remy and I had been talking about living arrangements for the upcoming year, deciding that we wanted to live together in a two bedroom space. We hadn't decided whether we wanted an apartment or a house, but there was still lots of time for us to figure it out. There were plenty of places to live that were in town and off campus, yet still close enough to campus that it wouldn't take very long at all to get to class, which would give us the best of both worlds. We could still go to class as needed, but then not have to deal with the majority of the college students on campus if we didn't want to. Remy had been wanting to change his living situation because he had a crazy roommate who was tormenting him. His roommate had an OCD personality, and he was constantly paranoid about wanting to keep everything separate, making sure that all of Remy's stuff stayed on his half of the room. They didn't even share a refrigerator or a television, and Remy wasn't sure if he was an extreme germophobe in addition to his OCD, or if he just hated Remy for reasons unbeknownst to him.


Remy had volunteered to drive me to the airport before he went home to New Orleans. We stopped at a gas station before getting on the highway, to pick up some snacks and drinks to munch on in the car. We didn't stop to get a full meal because I was already going to be fed a meal on my flight, and New Orleans wasn't too far of a drive from the airport, so Remy figured he could save some money and just grab a meal once he arrived home.

"So, Armand, are you excited to go back home and see California again? I've never been there before, but it sounds like it would be relaxing."

"Actually, yeah, I'm looking forward to the California weather. I miss the beach and the breeze that comes off the water. My dad's house is right on the beach."

"Wow, that sounds amazing."


"It really is. Are you excited for home too?"

"Yeah, It is a really cool feeling to know I helped build the house I'm going to be sitting in, you know?"

"It does sound cool, I really enjoy the idea of creating something, whether it be a house, a music piece, or artwork."

"Do you have a lot of family members that come over during the holidays?"


"Not really, I have a small family, my dad, his girlfriend, and my grandparents. I don't have any siblings."

"No mom?"

"Nope."

I growled under my breath as I answered Remy's question, once again thinking about Mom and how sometimes I wished I could see her again, just to ask her why. Why did she treat me like I was nothing, why did she put me down constantly, and why did it feel like she hated me? Sometimes I wondered if Dad even knew the answers or if he was just as much in the dark as I was about Mom. I couldn't decide if the reason I kept thinking about her was if I missed her or if I just wanted my questions answered so I could have some closure and get on with my life.

"Me neither."

"Oh? I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I lost her in the hurricane. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time, unfortunately. I miss her. I guess the other reason I got into construction was to keep myself busy so I didn't spiral into bad habits or depression. It was like my way of grieving too, a way to remember my mom. I wanted to build sturdy houses and places so that no one else would have to die crushed under a building like she did."


As I listened to Remy's explanation of his feelings and choices, I hoped one day I could be open with my feelings as well. I admired Remy's boldness to tell me things about himself, no matter how vulnerable it made him sound. I knew I was closed off because I had a fear of rejection and it was hard for me to open up to people because I thought one day I would say the wrong thing and they would hate me for it. Even now, after being friends with Remy for a solid four months, I still gave him vague answers.

"That's so sad, Remy, how she died. I'm really glad you figured out a way to move past it all and make it into a positive memory. My mom was also in the wrong place at the wrong time. I guess we have that in common too, huh?"

"I'm sorry about yours, too."

"Yeah, well, she most likely deserved it, so whatever."


"Ouch. I hit a nerve, my apologies."

"It's fine, she's just a touchy subject. I'm not mad at you, Remy. Don't worry about it."

One thing I did like about Remy was that he wasn't pushy. I knew I could be an explosive, tense person sometimes with my reactions, but he was always willing to just drop the subject and not try to get under my skin, which is exactly what I needed in a friend. Remy made me feel less broken, and I knew that's why I enjoyed his company so much.


Remy pulled up to the airport and parked the car, getting out to help me with my suitcase. Secretly, I was enthralled that we had arrived at the airport already because talking about our mothers was making me angry and I was irritated at myself that I had let the situation get tense in the car. Remy surprised me when he pulled me into a hug, and I felt slightly better that I hadn't pushed away my only friend. I was not used to people hugging me except for my dad because as far as I was concerned, I wasn't worth hugging. I had always convinced myself that my dad was the only one who truly loved me unconditionally. I double checked with Remy about when he was going to pick me up, and he said he had my itinerary in his suitcase so he would remember, and then we parted ways.


I slept most of the flight, except for when it was meal time, and before I knew it, I was back in California. As I walked into the arrival area, I searched for Dad, finally seeing him, and being surprised that Ephemera had come with him. I don't know why I was nervous that she was there, but I was, so I waved, and then tentatively went over to them. They were both grinning and obviously excited to see me. I flashed them a smile that didn't reach my eyes, not because I wasn't happy to see them, but because of my mixed feelings I had been having all day.

"Welcome home, Armand! We missed you!"


Both Dad and Ephemera hugged me, and then followed me to get my suitcase off the baggage claim. Ephemera had given me my second unexpected hug today, and my mind was reeling. I was quiet as we got in the car and drove home to the house that held lots of unpleasant memories for me. I looked out the window at the palm trees and gorgeous blue sky, still not sure how to feel since part of me was glad to be in familiar territory again, but the other part of me felt foreign and distant. It was a strange feeling, but maybe that's just what happens when you move away from home and go back to visit. It wasn't that I actually hated my hometown, I had just gotten so used to associating this place with disappointment that I didn't know how to associate it with happiness.


Today had been a whole slew of happy, and I was confused. My confusion was replaced with anger when we drove by the bakery that Mom had gotten the cake from, the cake that killed her. I no longer had a craving for red velvet cake. My mom took that away from me when she died picking it up for me. Red velvet cake equated to death in my eyes, the red dye in its crumbles symbolizing the color of thick red blood. Stupid fucking cake, I thought bitterly to myself. I closed my eyes for the rest of the drive home, trying to shut out the irritating thoughts of my miserable past.


I only opened my eyes when my body subconsciously knew the car had stopped moving. I groggily unbuckled my seatbelt when the door was opened by Dad.

"Hi sleepyhead. We are here, and I have a surprise for you."


I followed Dad and Ephemera upstairs, and they stopped outside my bedroom door. I wondered what was going on when Dad opened it with a proud grin on his face. I looked inside and was in awe of how it now was a much more grownup room than I had remembered it to be. Gone were the fighter jet wallpaper, the sailboat bed with a mast for a headboard, and the child appropriate pictures, replaced by sophisticated colored walls, a gorgeous full sized bed, brand new dresser, an easel, fresh paints and paintbrushes, complete with a cozy sitting area and television in a small nook. The only thing that remained was the small magician's hat chair, which I liked. I was speechless. Even as a teenager, my room had never been redecorated. My parents were always fighting, and they were too wrapped up in their own problems to work together to do anything for me.


"When... how... wow, thank you so much, Dad."

"You're welcome, but this wasn't all my doing. Ephemera helped too. After you left for college, I asked her to move in, and she stumbled upon your room. She was surprised that it still looked like a five year old lived here. She scolded me actually, for leaving it like that for so long. I'm so sorry, Armand, that things like your room went neglected while you were growing up."

"Did you know I always wanted a room that wasn't so child-like?"


"I think deep down I did, but I was always so depressed and worn out from dealing with your mother that I never found the energy to remodel.  I thought I had been doing the best I could with you as a child, but it turns out I was only doing half of the work needed. I'm sorry I never even got you a bed that was more grownup, even when you were a teenager. Is that why you never brought any friends over? Were you embarrassed about your room?"

My eyes welled up a little bit with fresh tears hearing Dad apologize to me for some of the things that hurt me as a child. I even felt a tear slide gently down my right cheek. So this is what it feels like to be apologized to.



"Yeah, my room did embarrass me, but that's not why I never brought people over. I just didn't have any friends."

"Oh, Armand."


A small gasp came from Ephemera and she had a sad expression on her face, one that looked like she was heartbroken from what I had just said. I wondered if she knew how much turmoil had actually taken place in her own sister's marriage. I had seen Ephemera around the house when I was little, so I was familiar with her, but despite her actually being my aunt, she was always Dad's work friend, just like Emmanuel. Seeing my dad's girlfriend care so much over a little statement I had made, when my own mother never even bothered to shed a tear for me over the big stuff, touched my heart a lot. I thought back to the day when I convinced Dad that it was okay to pursue Ephemera if that was what he wanted, and I was glad to see it had paid off. Throughout the whole day, Dad was back to the fun, energetic person I remembered him to be before all the crap with Mom started. I was excited that he was finally happy. I hugged Ephemera, whispering thank you into her ear as I did. She naturally put her arm around me, patting my back comfortingly as she said that she was sorry for what I had been through. What made me cry even more was that I couldn't remember the last time my mom had apologized to me.


After Ephemera and I were done hugging, both her and Dad stood there for a little while, probably to make sure I was okay. To tell the truth, I was still in a bit of shock from the day's events and just wanted to relax.

"All right, we'll let you unpack and get settled in. We'll go easy tonight, and just order some takeout for dinner, does that sound okay?"

I nodded my agreement and Dad and Ephemera headed out of my room. As I was just about to open my suitcase, I caught a glimpse of them through the window on my door. They were holding hands, something I'd rarely seen, if ever, Dad do with Mom. It was a tiny thing, but I'm sure it meant the world to my dad, as well as me. I had no idea being home was going to bring up such powerful emotions in me that didn't revolve around hate. I had been dreading coming back to the house, but things were looking up, it seemed.


I unpacked my suitcase, putting my clothes in my brand new dresser, touching the fancy handles as I did. For the first time that day, I smiled. Even if it was to myself, I felt good about it. I was touched that Ephemera and Dad had taken the time to remodel my room, but what made me feel even better was the expression of genuine concern on Ephemera's face when I had said I didn't have any friends. It was something I had seen in my Dad's face sometimes, but never from my mother. With my mother, there were nothing but scowls and mean glares. It was comforting and soothing to get a concerned look from someone that I might look to as a mother figure.


Still, I wasn't completely trusting of Ephemera. She seemed a little too happy to see me, as if she was buttering me up for something. I mean, I wasn't her son, she didn't need to treat me like one... yeah, I was technically her nephew, but we had never really acted like family before, although she was always kind in passing when I was a child. I knew she was good for my dad, that much was obvious, but I remembered how my mom came upstairs to my room that one day and used Mikayla, the little girl my age next door to manipulate me into going to Carisa's house. I thought briefly about Mikayla again, and wondered if we had been friends or not. Clearly, I didn't think we had been that close, considering I had just told Ephemera I had no friends growing up. Sighing, I felt scared that Ephemera might be manipulative like Mom had been. I had no basis for my fear, but sadly, I still couldn't believe anyone else but my dad loved me. I sighed loudly, annoyed at myself that I had turned a great moment into a sour one. Why do I have to think so much? Sometimes I wished I could turn off my own thoughts and just let myself stay in the moment, live life to the fullest. I headed downstairs for dinner, hoping that would make me feel better.


Yet more surprises awaited me as I entered the combination dining room kitchen area. The breakfast bar that I had often sat at watching my dad cook was no longer the only place where we could eat indoors. A fancy dining room table had been placed in the empty space by the windows. Ephemera was putting some food on the table, while Dad was getting silverware and drinks. Never had I seen my mom and dad do any sort of stuff like that. I don't think we even really had a family dinner. We just sat at the breakfast bar, all in a row, and Dad would talk to me, while Mom just scowled off into the distance. Then she would leave and go hang out by the pool next to the alcohol. I found it stupid that tiny things were causing me so much awe, and I felt like a child. I almost felt like an outsider, intruding on my dad's new-found happiness. Dad caught my eye, and waved me over to the table.

"Come on in, Armand! Dinner's ready. We ordered from your favorite restaurant."


I came inside the kitchen and sat down at the table, while Dad and Ephemera did the same. Ephemera flashed me a smile and I smiled politely back at her.

"This is new... I don't think we've ever had family dinner before, have we?"

Dad looked at me with a smirk and nodded his head, knowing exactly what I was referring to.

"No, we hadn't. Let's talk about happier times, though, eh Armand? Like I'm really happy to see you again. How has college been treating you?"


I was happy to see when Ephemera turned towards me and dad, showing genuine interest in our conversation. I felt bad for my earlier thoughts that Ephemera might be trying to manipulate me to get into my good graces.

"I got on the Dean's List, and I have a feeling I'm going to nail my finals."

"Oh, that's so great, Armand! It's good to hear you're doing so well."

"Thank you."


I shifted in my chair as I ate my food, still feeling wierd that I was actually having a family dinner and there was no yelling happening.

"Armand, are you all right?"

I didn't know how to respond to Ephemera's question because I didn't want her to feel like the changes she had made to the house were bad, although they were making me feel... different. Luckily, Dad stepped in and saved me, like he always did.

"We'd never really had dinner as a family before, Ephemera, so Armand's experiencing this as a really brand new thing, and with all new things, it's a bit strange."


"Gosh, I had no idea. I'm sorry. Katya sure did a number on you guys, didn't she?"

Both Dad and I smiled at Ephemera, however, neither one of us wanted to talk about Mom, so I took the liberty of changing the subject.

"How about you, Dad, how are you doing?"

"Pretty good. Magic's going well, and Ephemera has been keeping me happy and in check, both at work and here at home. Do you have any romance in your life?"

"No, I don't. I did make a new friend this semester though. His name is Remy Devereaux and I think we're going to live together next semester. He's really nice, and originally from Louisiana, so I have someone who can show me around."


"I'm glad you have a friend, Armand."

"Thanks, Dad."

Just then, Dad got a look on his face that was more than just a simple smile, and I noticed Ephemera start to look a little nervous as she glanced at him. I wondered what was going on between them, and then the thought that Ephemera was manipulating me surfaced yet again.

"Shall we tell him the news?"


"What news?"

"Armand, you know Ephemera and I have been dating since you were about fifteen. I asked her to marry me the other day, and she said yes. She's not wearing her ring because I wanted to tell you before you found out yourself by looking at her hand."

For the second time that day I was speechless, but this time it wasn't in a good way. It wasn't that I didn't like Ephemera, because I did, but all the changes were just too much all at once, and I just exploded.


"You're getting married again, Dad?! Do you not remember how well it turned out last time? I was fine with you dating her, but tying yourself to her? No offense Ephemera, but is this why you were being nice to me? So that I would just accept this and be okay with it?"

"No, Armand- I, of course not."

"Whatever."

I stormed out of the kitchen, out the same sliding door that I had seen my mother go out of so many times before when she walked away from dinner time, wondering when I had become so much like her, and hating every second of it.

35 comments:

  1. Oooh! Patrick and Ephemera.. It's nice seeing them together...In a happy moment :)

    "His roommate had an OCD personality, and he was constantly paranoid about wanting to keep everything separate, making sure that all of Remy's stuff stayed on his half of the room. They didn't even share a refrigerator or a television, and Remy wasn't sure if he was an extreme germophobe in addition to his OCD" Lol I couldn't help but laugh.

    ""It does sound cool, I really enjoy the idea of creating something, whether it be a house, a music piece, or artwork." I feel you on the music and artwork Armand :) *waves to Armand* Lol .

    It sucks that Remy lost his mom to a natural disaster like that..I lost my aunt to an earthquake (building collapsed) but she's in a better place now :)

    I'm so glad Armand found someone who has things in common with him! :) Hopefully he will open up more....It's hard but it's possbile.

    There were so many mixed emotions in this chapter. "the red dye in its crumbles symbolizing the color of thick red blood. Stupid fucking cake" Loved it. :) I'm not sure if I would want a slice of that cake either if I looked at it the way Armand does lol.

    That little hear to heart moment towards the end...Was so sweet ^_^

    It's very weird walking into your childhood home and seeing things completely different and changed around...For better or worse but hopefully Armand will adjust. Change is different but you have to adjust to it...Even if it feels wrong for the moment. I hate change lol it fucks everything up sometimes but I'm happy for Patrick and Ephemera...I feel like Armand is trying to protect his dad but his dad has his own life to live now..He can't stop him from getting married...sorry this was long I can't shorten it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes! I wanted to give Patrick a happy ending, even though technically his generation is over. LOL. It worked out nicely to transition though, and have things happen for Patrick while still focusing on Armand.

      LOL, I am glad I could make you laugh. Echoes needs some humor once in a while. XD

      Armand: *waves back* LOL

      Aww you and Remy have something in common, with building collapsing tragedies. T_T Remy got some positive stuff out of the tragedy though, so more power to him.

      Yes, it is hard, but Armand's being smart and staying friends with Remy. I think in Armand's mind, he knows Remy is good for him even though he still has doubts about himself and his worth, and even why Remy likes him.

      LOL, Armand has a very morbid view of red velvet cake. XD I'm glad you liked it. >:D

      Thank you. :) I'm guessing you're talking about the moment Armand had hugging Ephemera? I wanted to open up a potential positive mother figure for Armand, and this was the start of it.

      Armand liked the changes he found with his bedroom and he did like the dining room too but he was having such a wierd time fathoming that they were having a family dinner that was actually nice. Sometimes good change can still slap a person in the face and leave them completely in the dark, and that's what happened this particular day for Armand. He's got the "excitable" trait, which I expanded upon, and I made it so that he reacts to things strongly, no matter what emotion he is feeling. He'll respond to happy, angry, or sad things with ten times the amount of emotion, whereas some people would have no reaction. I suppose it's similar to the "over-emotional" trait, but meh. LOL. We'll find out more about why Armand was so mad about the news in the next chapter, but you are right, Armand associates relationships, especially marriage, with great disdain, and he doesn't want his dad to suffer more than he already has. Armand spent a lot of his childhood picking up his dad's broken-ness, so he wants to protect Patrick as much as he can, since Patrick did the same for him.

      Don't worry about long comments, I tend to reply long too. :D I'm just glad you read it, enjoyed it, and commented on it. :)

      Delete
  2. So sad that someone should get second thoughts and uneasy feelings just because things go well for a change. Even more sad that I know more than just one person like this in rl..
    Great Chapter!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. IKR? Armand is so messed up emotionally, and he has problems trusting people other than Patrick. We'll find out why he was so upset when the next chapter is posted. For now he's just overwhelmed, and he's afraid for Patrick that he'll be unhappy again if he gets married. Aww, that is sad. T_T But I guess it means I'm making Armand's personality realistic, so that's good... LOL.
      Thank you for reading and commenting. :P

      Delete
    2. Oh yes, you definitely do! Only most rl people are far from being aware why they are acting this way or another ^^

      Delete
    3. Aww thank you. XD
      True, Armand is very self aware. It comes from his hate of Katya, so he's constantly checking himself to see how he's acting because he hates acting like her. Sadly, sometimes he does end up acting like her. ROFL.

      Delete
  3. I was wondering how Patrick's relationship was progressing with Ephemera. She's a much better match for him then Katya ever was. I hope in time Armand gives her a chance. I can understand why he over reacted to the news. With a childhood like his who wouldn't? All the nice things, his room, the family dinner all pointed to him being manipulated into accepting their engagement. In his position I might have felt the same. Poor guy storming out of the house the way he remembered Katya doing. I felt so bad for all of them at that moment. :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I'm glad heehee. I wanted to do a flip somewhat, with the sisters, like how in Patrick's generation, we were always unsure about Ephemera, and how Katya seemed like she was cuter and nicer, but people's true colors come out when hardships arise. Since Patrick and Ephemera got together in the finale, I did want to show how they were, considering their getting together did start out with some inappropriate behavior.

      Armand is overwhelmed with all the change, he came home and was completely thrown off kilter by his own feelings as well as the physical changes to the house, and then the news of a big life change. He does in his heart like Ephemera, he wouldn't have ever told Patrick to go after her if he didn't. Armand and Ephemera need another moment, perhaps, LOL. With his major trust issues, of him not being able to trust anyone fully except for Patrick, it was very easy for him to jump to conclusions and see the potential bad in Ephemera and the whole situation. Ugh, yeah, in his anger, he sees that he's turning into Katya and he's irritated at himself for being that way.

      Delete
  4. Aw, I'm glad that Armand and Remy are getting a lot closer, that's what I was hoping for haha Armand needs a friend through all of this craziness. Ughhh Armand describing where he lived, right off of the beach.. I had forgotten and I got jealous of where they lived all over again. LOL
    Sigh.. Armand thinking of his mom again.. Of course, I understand what Armand's going through, but I really wish that before Katya died, she had the chance to tell Armand and Patrick what her finals thoughts were, just so they would hurt less.. T_T Remy lost his mom too? *cries*
    I love Armand's hair, it's s shiny and it looks so soft. *pets* LOL I notice that i keep staring at in in every picture XD Anyways..
    Aww, it's sweet of Patrick and Eph to redo Armand's room for him, it looks really nice. Man, I really wish that Patrick just hooked up with Eph from the beginning.. She's such an opposite of Katya and I feel like she would've been a great mother. Stupid Katya. *slaps her from the grave*
    Hmm.. I found it odd that Armand would consider Eph a motherly figure and like her so much, but be so against her and Patrick getting married. I mean, I can understand everything from his point of view and how he feels about his dad's last marriage with Katya, but I didn't think a ring and some paperwork would get him so riled up LOL Granted, he did say he liked her, but then mention that she seemed as if she was trying a little too hard when he got home.. To me, she just seemed happy and excited to tell Armand the news, not as 'fake' as Armand suspected, but that's just how he thinks, I guess. I think Eph is a genuine person and although I didn't care much for her in the beginning, she seems to have gotten a lot better and I'm happy for Patrick.. I just wish Armand felt the same T_T I hope all that made sense, I kinda just rambled forever LOL
    Although it is a big change and something he isn't used to, seeing his dad happy and being able to have family meals, I hope he warms up to the idea and sees that not everyone is Katya and not everyone is going to break his and Patrick's hearts.
    Either way, I'm happy for all of them. I feel like things are starting to look up for them all ^_^

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah! Remy's showing Armand some unconditional kindness, which is what the poor boy needs desperately. LOL. It'll take a person with Remy's character to get Armand to see that not everyone thinks he's worthless. IKR? I get jealous of him living right off the beach too. *shakes fist* Of course, I wrote it so I could pretend I was there too. *sighs dreamily*

      Yeah, it probably would have been better for Armand if Katya had been able to say some more meaningful last words to him rather than the argument they had. Sadly, life doesn't always give you what you want wrapped up in a pretty little bow. LOL. Yeah, Remy lost his mom, they have something in common, although Remy's relationship with his mom was loving instead of what Armand's was with Katya, which was... IDEK... other than majorly fucked up. LOL.

      LMAO, I'm glad you like his hair. It was really well done. I'm so glad I found it. Ugh.

      Thanks, I had fun redecorating. :D Ephemera really has the loving characteristic that Katya seemed to miss the boat on majorly. Armand's not even her son and she wanted to redo his room and keep it his room. Lots of "new" girlfriends would do the whole "oh your kid's gone, let's turn his room into an office" or something, but I felt like her kindness really came through in the remodeling. I'm so happy you found that a sweet gesture on her part. She pushes Patrick in a positive way, which is what she did when they first met, telling him about what his show was lacking and giving him something to think about, but because she's kind of impulsive, that trait of hers can come off rude depending how you look at it. LMAO... your thoughts on Katya make me laugh. I love it.

      Yeah, Armand is having some crazy contradicting feelings at the moment. He's under some stress, having just traveled many miles to come home, and then he's slammed with all this change, it's like he can't think straight, which honestly he wasn't. He was overwhelmed and his brain couldn't process all of the new stuff fast enough so he just exploded. In his heart he does like Ephemera, he wouldn't have told Patrick to go to her if he didn't. We'll find out Armand's actual reasons for getting mad in the next chapter. Part of his problem here is his protective nature for Patrick came out and he has no basis of what a good marriage looks like, so he's really scared marriage just means shitty life. You're right too, Ephemera was not manipulating Armand, that was just his perception of her as his brain twisted what she was doing. Also, yes, Ephemera is genuine, she comes across rude sometimes, but it's not out of evil intentions. I think sometimes being genuine also makes you have that characteristic where you just say whatever comes to mind, and it might not be good timing, even if you are telling the truth. She doesn't sugar coat stuff, and that just irritates some people. LOL. Now that she has gotten to know Patrick, and fall in love with him, she's able to take his feelings more into consideration, which I think is maybe how she's gotten better. Yeah it made sense. :)

      Yeah, that exactly is a big part of Armand's problem, he equates all wives to Katya, LOL, he's having a hard time separating things in his head right now. He just needs some time, and he really did like seeing his dad happy, when he noticed them holding hands outside his bedroom, when he noticed them setting the table together, and how Ephemera welcomed him with open arms, and how she made an effort to look in on their conversation. ^_^

      Delete
  5. I knew Ephemera was trouble from day one and I think I said so, moving in on your sister's husband...that is something you should never ever do regardless of how the marriage was. I'm with Armand on this. Aunt turning step mum yuck where is the sick bag.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL, yeah, you had mentioned your hatred for Ephemera from the funeral I think? It's okay, you don't have to like her.

      However, I will say that I didn't write her as "moving in on your sister's husband." It's okay that you think that, but I just want to explain why I disagree. The whole time Patrick and Katya were married, Ephemera never tried to seduce him or make him think negatively of Katya, she remained a neutral work friend. I realize i didn't go into large detail on that during the time i was writing the turmoil in Patrick's marriage, but I figured that because I didn't touch on anything like that, the readers would just know that nothing adulterous was going on. I do have a feeling you are actually referring to Ephemera's inappropriate kissing of Patrick after Katya was buried, which is fine, I agree, that was just stupid of Ephemera to do that. Her timing was terrible, and I suppose that could be misconstrued as Ephemera having bad intentions. However, Ephemera did feel guilty about it which is why she ran away from the graveyard after realizing how dumb that was, and tried to remain professional and distant even, from Patrick for eight months. It was only after Armand said he thought Patrick should move on, that Patrick broke through that awkwardness with Ephemera and pursued her. It might have been fast yes, only eight months after Katya died, but Patrick wasn't happy with Katya. Yes, marriage is important and should be treasured, but sometimes you marry the wrong person, and no matter how sacred the vows are, it doesn't make you happy.

      Ephemera, on the other hand, does make Patrick happy. We can see it through their body language when they picked Armand up from the airport, and when they were in his room, and also when they held hands as they left his room. They're constantly together because they enjoy each other's company. I wasn't writing Ephemera in this chapter as causing any trouble, she is trying to adjust to Armand coming home and she just wants to give him the love she knows he needs, especially since her and Patrick are engaged now. All of the little things she did towards Armand as well, hugging him at the airport, comforting him after showing him the remodel, and showing interest in his life, are her trying to make the transition of their engagement as smooth as possible. It came across to Armand as manipulation because of his trust issues that his brain twisted, but from Ephemera's view, she was being genuine.

      We'll find out more about why Armand got so upset from the news, in this chapter, he's just overwhelmed from the stress of traveling and all the change, albeit good change that he enjoyed, it was still change, and a need to protect his father.

      *hands you a sick bag* LOL


      Thanks for reading and commenting. XD

      Delete
    2. I didn't like her from day one. When Patrick hired her as his assistant I thought she liked him then. He pursed Katya when she was sweet. Ephemera didn't once say to her sister, 'you need to see what you are doing as you have a good man.' She let her sister down as well as Katya letting herself down.Regardless of how I felt about my sisters husband, if she had died, I would never move on with the sister's husband because there are boundries you should never cross.

      Delete
    3. When Patrick hired her, she didn't really know him. She just knew him from talking to him at the bar that night, and she didn't like him romantically at that time.

      Yeah, Patrick did like Katya for who she was in the beginning, but she eventually changed from the woman he fell in love with to a stranger because she kept trying to control him, and shutting him out, choosing alcohol over him and Armand. There was a huge wedge that grew in between Patrick and Katya when she rejected Armand. That hurt Patrick the most out of everything she did.

      Ephemera and Katya always had a rocky relationship, even as children. Even though they patched things up briefly on Katya's wedding day, Katya's behavior after she was married turned Ephemera away from her again. Ephemera didn't feel like it was her place to lecture Katya about her behavior because they weren't that great of friends. Katya was also really bad at taking advice. Her father gave her lots of advice, which she seemed to hear, but then never applied for any length of time. Given Katya's track record, even if Ephemera had said something, Katya probably wouldn't have listened to her either.

      I wrote Katya's personality as someone who did bring all of her problems on herself. She was a loner, which is why she didn't listen to people for very long, and also why she turned to self-destructive tendencies. She thought she could handle everything herself and control Patrick and Armand, but when she wasn't getting the results she wanted, she handled it childishly. A little bit of acceptance, courage, and compromise towards Patrick would have gotten her out of her hole, but those were characteristics Katya didn't possess.

      Ephemera's changed as a character from the beginning. I wanted generation two to have two possible love interests, without going into the obvious love triangle cliche. At the beginning, I wasn't quite sure how I wanted Ephemera's personality to be, so I just left her mysterious, while I threw people for a loop and made Katya the sweet one. I think Ephemera's mystery continued on through the generation, which might have worked to her disadvantage, and she eventually took a backseat during Katya and Patrick's marriage turmoil. Family relations aside, eventually Ephemera just ended up being the woman who helped pull Patrick out of the imaginary prison he'd created in his mind after Katya died. She makes him happy, and that's all her role is in generation three. As far as how Patrick and Ephemera met, I know it's controversial, but that's in the past. All that matters now is how her presence in the family affects Armand because it's generation three and he's the focus.

      Thanks for commenting. :)

      Delete
  6. I'm glad that Armand and Remy have become friends; they both have such tragic stories when it comes to their mothers, though... :(
    Patrick and Ephemera seem genuinely happy together, I understand that she was Armand's aunt, so it might seem a bit awkward that she's going to be his step-mum, however she seems so much more loving than Katya, hopefully he'll learn that just because his parents marriage was bad doesn't mean Patrick and Ephemera's will.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. IKR? Ugh.. I just feel bad for both of them... Remy more so though cause his mom actually loved him. I feel sad for Armand that he had such a shitty relationship with Katya more so than that she's dead. LOL. It does go to show that tragedy can bring people together sometimes though. :)

      Yes, Patrick finally found some happiness. Ephemera is a genuine person, and she saved Patrick. T_T IKR? Ephemera's shown Armand so much more love in a single day than he got in his entire childhood from Katya. O_O Sounds crazy, but that's his truth. LOL. We'll find out why Armand stormed out in the next chapter. You're right. Not all marriages are created equal, LOL.

      Thank you for reading. :)

      Delete
    2. I feel feel so horrid for Armand; Katya's just *sighs dramatically*...

      Also, I just saw that you added With Love to your legacy tracker and I wanted to thank you! :D

      Delete
    3. LMAO, Katya definitely deserves to be dramatically sighed at... what a ridiculous person she was. Hopefully all of these new changes Armand is experiencing will help him start healing. :) He appreciates your sympathy. LOL.

      You're very welcome. :)

      Delete
  7. I kind of know how Armand feels.
    If I were him, I wouldn't want my dad or mom to remarry either.
    I don't know how they can work things out right now, because of all of his childhood difficulties.
    Patrick and Ephemera looked like they aged . . . a lot.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha, we'll see exactly what Armand was mad about in the next chapter. For now, he's just overwhelmed and tired from traveling, and from all the changes that have happened in one day. His head is kind of exploding with everything right now. LOL. He does have an innate desire to protect Patrick, and he doesn't ever want Patrick to be sad or hurt. Yeah, it seems a little dire right now, doesn't it? LOL. All the nice things that Ephemera tried to do, and Armand just seemed like he rejected all of it, except for the hug he gave her in his room. T_T
      LOL, Patrick was way older than Max was when he had Armand, so he's like 40 now, and Ephemera's 41. Patrick also had a lot more stress in his life from Katya than Max did, so his face is showing his years of stress. :( Poor guy. LOL.

      Delete
  8. I feel really bad for Armand - he is so messed up!! Katya and the ridiculous person that she was is going to haunt him forever!
    I am glad that he and Remy are become close friends
    I am glad that Patrick is finding some happiness, even if I have never really liked Ephemera - she seems to be making him happy which he deserves!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. IKR? Poor Armand, he's got so many problems that he didn't even ask for.
      Hopefully Remy will be able to help him by being his friend and continuing to show him acceptance.
      Yay, haha, Ephemera does seem to be much better for Patrick than Katya, doesn't she? :) I'm glad you're happy for him.
      Thanks for reading and commenting. :)

      Delete
  9. I'm going to be one of a few and say I like Ephemera and I like what you've done with her character. I think I read correctly above that you had Katya appear nice and sweet in the beginning but her true manipulative, unsure, depressive personality came out later. With Ephemera, we get the opposite. She started of as being a not so caring person (especially when it came to Katya) and became a better person. I'd even wager that just as she makes Patrick happy now and also provides a positive energy in his life, he did that for her (in a non romantic way) when they first met.

    As far as her being with Patrick, two consenting adults, they've waited however many years, and I've heard of many couples where a spouse has died and the widow or widower dates and then marries their loved one's sibling. No hanky panky, no ulterior motives. Just two people who after going through a difficult time together, found love again. I do think Patrick and Ephemera could have had better timing and that's unfortunate, but people make mistakes. I think if she had really been after Patrick in a manipulative, selfish way, she wouldn't still be there with him this many years later.

    Anyway, sorry. . .I started off talking and it snowballed. LOL! Sandy does that a lot cause Sandy likes to talk; and refer to herself in the third person. . .LOL!!

    I love Armand, but I want smack him and then hug him. I totally understand how he feels about all this change and that what he's feeling about Ephemera has more to do with how he feels about his mom; which makes me want to hug him. But the negative thoughts. . .Armand, sweetheart. . .Let it go. (Damn! Song's in my head now. Curse you Disney!!!) I'm hoping, planting this little bug in your ear, that when we get to the end of his story that he'll have figured all this out and he'll be happy. . .but if not, I'll still love his story! It's not about me, it's about him and it's his story!

    Love you girl! Keep it up!!!! I need more Armand!!!! LOL!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, you did read that correctly, I tend to make my characters complicated and especially with side characters, I don't often make them show their true personalities when they first appear in the story, which is what I did with both Ephemera and Katya. Ephemera had been hurt by Katya while they were growing up, which is why she was hostile towards her after seeing her again, but then when Katya tried to be nice to her, Ephemera got a little softer. Patrick was always her friend and she was always very loyal to him. Since Ephemera had been burnt really bad by the last magician she worked with, she did find Patrick to be a positive person in her life because she found out that not everyone in that business is a terrible person.

      Yup, that's what I was going for, they both have been in each others lives for a long time, and they've been around each other enough through working together, that they understand the other pretty well. Them getting together romantically was exactly that, they found love again. People get together in all sorts of random ways, sometimes timing sucks, but you can't choose who you love, just the same as sometimes you think you love someone, but they turn out to be the worst mistake you've ever made. *cough Katya cough* I still think the way I wrote it is realistic, and it just shows that the greatest love can sometimes be born out of the worst tragedy. Besides, no one in my stories is ever perfect. LOL.

      Haha, no worries, I liked everything you talked about. XD

      Yeah, sometimes Armand wants to smack himself too, LOL. He just wants to "be normal" but he doesn't know how to stop the memories from constantly bombarding him. There's going to be some other stuff that comes into his story later on as he gets older, so eventually his negative thoughts will not plague him as much as they currently are. For now, though, his low self esteem is his demon.

      Aww haha. Love you too. I've got part of Chapter four written, I just have to figure out the rest of it. XD

      Delete
  10. i can understand why armand is against his father remarrying but he needs to know not all marriages end in tradgedy or divorce.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, that's true, all marriages are different. Armand's instinct to protect his father erupted straight to the surface at dinner, in addition to his being tired and overwhelmed from all the change, so he exploded. We'll see if Armand really thought those things he said were true or not in the next chapter. :D

      Delete
  11. Uhg. Armand. You are absolutely adorable and fantastic. I can't imagine with your looks and brooding sensitivity why you don't have to carry a crowbar to keep the girls off you. You'd need a crowbar if I were around... and probably really good, noise canceling, headphones to get me to stop trying to talk to you and telling you how amazing you are.

    -_- That said, you do take after your momma. All up in your head and exploding when you get overwhelmed. That was an extremely cruel thing to do to BOTH your father and Ephemera. I understand having reservations and I would even totally support you bluntly expressing them at that point - but just yelling and storming off was a bitch move. YOU EVEN KNOW THAT YOU'RE ACTING LIKE HER AND YOU DON'T LET IT STOP YOU!!! COME ON MAN! DON'T DO THAT TO PATRICK! dood...

    I sympathized with Katya a lot - I have this bad habit of getting attached to your villains it seems - and I truly held out hope that she would come around eventually. Maybe she'd never be really affectionate, but I thought at least she'd stop being so flaky and really be there for her son. I'm finally to that point that I was supposed to be at from the beginning I guess. I hate watching Armand going through this. I fucking hate the thoughts she put in his head, and I don't care if she did it on purpose or not. I hate watching Armand struggling so much with EVERYTHING!! I hate everything she did to this family after giving Armand those absolutely stunning eyes. T~T

    Ephemera... to be honest I didn't like her at the beginning. I thought she was up to something, and her confidence came off as arrogant and petty. That said, she had proven herself as a good friend to him through the years. It would be tough hearing this stuff about your sister. I'd probably feel a little guilty even, and awkward. But, I don't feel like there's any real problem with them getting together. I actually thought they might end up hooking up while he was still married - I was kinda hoping for it if it helped Patrick finally really stand up to Katya and shake the stupid out of her. -_- She's good for him - and in the end that's all that really matters. True friends, and people who bring joy and goodness to your life.

    I guess I missed the part where Katya hurt Ephemera as kids, but I might have lost it in the self-obsessed lens that Katya always saw the world through...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Awww, thank you for the compliments about Armand, LOL. He keeps to himself so he kind of just ignores the girls that do come on to him, honestly. He's so much like Katya, with the being in own mind all the time, and it's a problem for him. He does kind of distance himself from girls so some of them sort of view him as a "bad boy" who is all like "not boyfriend material" or whatever, so that keeps some of the girls away from him. Then the ones who do want to sleep with him, know that he's not one of those romantic kinds, so they just go along with the one night stand thing that he does.

      Armand's explosion, and seeming inability to control his reactions to things are my interpretation of his Excitable trait. I didn't really think that trait fit with the "being happy about everything" like it's original definition was, so I twisted its meaning a little, and interpreted it as him having all of his reactions be extreme. In this case he is reacting just like Katya did, all the time. You will find out in the next chapter if what Armand said is really how he felt. He blurted out the first thing he felt, but it might not necessarily be all he is feeling. When he gets explosive, he can't think as well as he can when he's calm and over-analyzing. He is worried about Patrick, so part of what he said was him trying to remind Patrick of what can happen in a marriage, but that wasn't the right way to say it, definitely not. LOL. You know that thing of when you can see your actions are stupid, but you're so caught up in the moment, that you just see everything in slow motion and you can't stop what's happening? Even if you don't, that's what was happening to Armand. He definitely HATES what he did, like once he calms down, he's going to feel like shit about what he did, but he just could not stop it while it was happening. That's also part of the Excitable trait and my wierd interpretation of it.

      LOL, well... it was never my plan to have Katya redeem herself. She was supposed to fuck up Armand, and create this large part of his personality that would manifest as extreme self-loathing once he became an adult. I know, right? She was really only good for her genetics. XD I hated her too... so much... and yeah, she didn't do it on purpose, but she was really fucking dumb to not even try to fix the damage. Honestly, she didn't care because she was oblivious to everyone else's problems but her own, and she failed to see that her own bullshit was what eventually ruined her family.

      Delete
    2. Okay, part two of my reply since I hit the character limit for comments. LOL.

      Yup, that's how I wanted Ephemera to feel as a character in the beginning. Mysterious, kind of creepy, a little condescending, and slightly immature. Ephemera did feel a little wierd at the family dinner but she knew that since she was dating Patrick, that his baggage would come along with him. She does love him romantically now, so she is doing the honorable thing of supporting her boyfriend, even if it comes along with wierd shit. She's showing real love, which is much more than Katya ever tried to do. If Katya felt wierd, she would just leave and ignore Patrick. Haha, no, Ephemera doesn't believe in dating married guys. She was working for that Vigilante magician before she came back to Silicon Shores, and she slept with him, fell in love, but when she told him she loved him, he didn't want to date her and she found out he was married, and it made her so angry she dumped him. That was in a really early chapter, I think it was like shortly after she moved into Katya's house. I had always intended for Ephemera and Patrick to get together, but I had wanted to keep the timing of that a mystery to make people wonder, if she truly did believe in not being "the other woman." I didn't think many people would believe Ephemera early on in the generation, even if I wrote her as saying something about how she felt strongly enough about cheating, that she dumped the guy once she found out he was married. Thank you for saying that, she's good for him and that's all that matters. :) That really was what I was going for. I believe that great relationships can sometimes come out of shitty situations, and also that things aren't always what they seem. Ephemera wasn't the best person in the beginning, but she has learned from her mistakes as she's gotten older.

      Katya hurting Ephemera was in an earlier chapter too, the same one where Ephemera mentions her coming back to Silicon Shores after dumping the Vigilante magician. The only reason Ephemera lashed out so harshly at Katya is because as children/teenagers, Katya always made Ephemera feel shitty. Katya was the "good girl" so she was always tattling on Ephemera and getting her in trouble with their dad. Granted, that's really petty shit to be mad about, but the underlying thing was Katya making Ephemera feel bad about herself... sounds familiar right? Katya making people feel bad. XD Katya never saw her actions towards Ephemera as mean, she thought they were justified because she was trying to make Ephemera a better person. Of course she went about it the wrong way, which also seems to be a trait Armand has inherited.

      Delete
  12. I'm happy Armand and Remy have remained friends and have gotten closer over the last few months. How sad that Remy lost his mother in such a tragic way, as well! :'( But, I suppose it's another thing they have in common and they can lean on each other and understand each other in ways that people who haven't experienced tragedy can't.

    *sigh* Well, if Ephemera makes Patrick happy, then I guess I'll survive. ;) haha She seems like a good person, very different than the mean and childish one we met early on in generation two. How cute that Patrick seems so happy and excited, though. That's really all I wanted for him.

    I really enjoyed this chapter, dear. So curious to find out what happens next! =)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, Armand liked Remy, and he was starting to get comfortable around him on a base level, so he tried his best to stay in touch with him. He's not quite ready to stop being vague with Remy, but he's lucky Remy's not one of those nosy people who keeps trying to pry. The tragedy Remy went through has made him very understanding when it comes to sensitive matters in other people, because Remy went through that type of feeling before too, and he liked it when people gave him space, so he's showing Armand that same courtesy.

      LOL, yeah, I had every intention of Ephemera being immature, mysterious, and a little condescending when we were first introduced to her, but people grow and change. She has stuck by Patrick ever since she started working for him, and she is showing true loyalty. It was also my plan to have Patrick find his happy ending in generation three, rather than his own generation. >:D

      Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it. :D

      Delete
  13. Wow, so poor Armand had his father and his grandparents to love him but Katya's hate was just...yeah that's so sad. To be rejected by your own mother is something that runs deep and has affected him deeply. That's so sad to see.

    I can't believe that Ephemera was so standoffish with him as a child. When he said they never acted like family was a shock. What the hell, I guess his home life was way more fucked up than I realized. His mother hated him and her sister acted sort of indifferent towards him? I'm guessing Jack wasn't a big part of his life either? So that whole side of the family just set a bad example for him which compounded the problem. :(

    That blow up was bad. He had a lot going on all at once and he doesn't know how to deal with it. Has his father or anyone ever thought to get him professional help? Maybe he needs to talk to a shrink to help him sort through his issues because he has a lot of them. :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, his father did love him but he was so sad in his love, that it just kind of got all wrapped up in one sad package. His grandparents love him and he knows that, but they babysat him more when he was a toddler, so that didn't effect him as much as it could have say, if he was a teenager. Part of it is Katya was very repetitive in her hate, so she beat it into him really hard that it does run very deep.

      Well, Ephemera has other reasons for being sort of distant. Remember her encounter with Vigilante before she came to California? Getting involved with a married man in any way is a huge no-no for her. Katya was a terrible parent, but if Ephemera had tried to help, you know what Katya's reaction would be, she would say that Ephemera was sticking her nose where it shouldn't be stuck. When Armand said they never acted like family it was because he was talking about Patrick and Katya and him. Yes, Ephemera was his aunt, but she didn't live with them, and because of her professional ties to Patrick, she wanted to keep things professional with Patrick, which probably caused her to seem like she was indifferent. Ephemera will talk a little more about how she saw things in a few chapters down the road. Jack lives in France, when Patrick and Katya went on their honeymoon, and Jack was on the same flight with them, that was him going home. I guess from the big picture, yeah, Ephemera and Jack didn't help as much as they could, but from Armand's point of view, they are not at fault. That side of the family was never even close with each other before they got involved with Patrick, so that's just kind of the dynamic they naturally have.

      Yes, he exploded. Armand rolled the Excitable trait, and this was my interpretation of it. He gets strong emotions for things that happen in his life, whether it's good or bad emotions, they're always strong. Haha, he's only been away from home for one semester, and he's just starting out life on his own, then coming home to find a lot of changes happening. I don't think that Patrick puts much stock into professional help, to be honest, Katya had been seeing a shrink her whole life, and they went to marriage counseling, which had *sarcasm* such great results, so no, Patrick doesn't want to put Armand in therapy. He does have a lot of issues, but he is also very introspective, and he has the ability to think things through, so he'll get to a good point eventually.

      Delete
  14. First I have to say it is so good seeing Patrick happy. After everything he went through he deserves this.

    Getting Armand his happiness doesn't look like its going to be easy. Patrick had a good upbringing and was raised in a loving home. While Patrick did love Armand unconditionally Katya didn't. Poor Armand doesn't feel safe around anyone but his father. I'm glad that Armand found a kindred spirit in Remy to be friends with. Maybe slowly but surely he can start to lighten up with people but its going to take some work. He thought that Ephmara was manipulating him but he couldn't see that she had pure concern for the ordeal he went though with his mother. He does sort of flip flop with her as he likes some of the changes in that house but yet is cautious and distrustful. I do hope that Armand will see how good Ephmara is for his father and be happy for their marriage.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. IKR? Patrick is finally happy, and I was really glad to write this chapter so I could finally show readers that he doesn't remain miserable LOL.

      Yeah, Armand is distrustful of lots of people, even Remy, who's his friend, but he was manipulated throughout his whole childhood by most of the people he was surrounded by, except for Patrick. So it's no wonder he doesn't handle trust well at all. Armand did see the pure concern that Ephemera had for him, both in the upstairs when she was sad he had no friends as a kid, and he did remember that, but his temper clouds his judgment sometimes. Mostly he is not able to believe that anyone but Patrick can be genuinely nice to him. I have a similar problem, where when someone is nice to me, I often do a double take and I have to step back and realize, yeah, they are being nice. Armand will explain himself in the next chapter so you'll find out how he truly feels.

      Delete

Tell me and Armand what you thought!

No. of Echoes

About

Rated: R. Echoes of Eternity is a chronological story best read from Chapter One. It will deal with topics of all kinds, including some that are uncomfortable.

Followers

Awards

Awards
Thank you, Stormy, Julie, Andante Zen, sandybeachgirl, lovesstorms, TheJanesLegacy, and Lckygrl1975!
Copyright © Echoes of Eternity | Powered by Blogger
Design by SimpleWpThemes | Blogger Theme by NewBloggerThemes.com