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Azura and Zephyr glared at each other intensely, growling like a pair of wild animals.
“It’s time we end this,” Azura snarled.
“Bring it, sister,” Zephyr shot back.
The pair then grabbed their weapons of choice: video game controllers. They were playing one of their favorite games, “Fight Fighters V: Super Mega Turbo Ultra Hyper Omni Alpha Über Suffix Freemium Home Edition,” and they were starting the final round.
“You’re no match for Dark Rumble McSkirmish,” Zephyr declared proudly.
“And you’re no match for my pick, Beastor,” Azura proclaimed.
The pair were pressing buttons and flicking joysticks furiously. Azura had and advantage, she knew all the combos and had more experience, but Zephyr had a secret weapon one she had almost no way of countering: button mashing.
Zeph roared as he started pressing the buttons and flicking the joystick randomly. His character jumped around, punched, kicked, and did special moves all Willy-nilly. Azura growled in frustration, no matter what attack she tried, she couldn’t get close enough to damage him.
Then, by sheer dumb luck, Zephyr’s character did his ultimate move. He slammed his foot down and flew over to Azura’s. She pressed backwards quickly, but she wasn’t fast enough. The entire screen went black, and all that could be heard was the sound of random punches and kicks. The screen flashed, revealing Dark Rumble McSkirmish standing over the beaten body of Beastor.
Zephyr jumped up in excitement. “YES! I win!”
“You only won because I didn’t use my main, Suggessica,” Azura huffed, “I would’ve used her, but…”
“Yeah, we both know why you’re not using her,” he cut her off, “you keep spamming her projectiles and flurry kicks!”
Azura stared at her brother, relieved by his naïveté. “Yeah, that’s why…”
“Well, either way, I’m counting this as a win,” the witch boy gloated smugly, “I’m gonna go get myself a victory cookie.”
The boy then hopped off the couch and strode into the kitchen, leaving Azura completely alone. She sat there for a minute before picking up the controller and starting a new game.
“Victory cookie,” she grumbled annoyedly, “I’ll give you a victory cookie, ya little—“
***
Zephyr reached into a jar and pulled out a large cookie, smothered in chocolate chips, you’d practically need a microscope to find any traces of actual cookie. He put the lid back on the jar and took a bite out of the confectionery.
“Mmm, mom really knows how to make sweets,” he smacked his lips.
He was about to make his way back to the living room, but he stopped when he heard someone yell. “I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS!!!”
Instinctively, Zeph dove behind the counter and cautiously looked back, only to see his mothers sitting at the table. Amity held a letter in her hand and looked agitated, Luz sat across from her and looked concerned. They young witch watched intently, staying completely undetected.
“I know for a fact that I have made it clear, no, VERY CLEAR, that I want them to stay out of my life,” Amity exclaimed, “yet here we are, and they’ve sent me another letter!!!”
“Mi amor, I know you’re frustrated, but maybe you should actually read the letter this time,” Luz suggested, “maybe they’ll surprise you… in a good way, I mean.”
“As if,” Amity scoffed, “if there’s one thing I know about my parents, it’s that they’ll never change.”
Zephyr had to resist the urge to gasp. He had rarely heard about his grandparents on the Blight side of the family, and whenever he did hear about them, he was just told that they weren’t nice people and then they’d change the subject. After all the years of vague warnings, he had to admit his curiosity was peaked.
“I don’t know, Amity,” Luz objected, “we know enough people who’ve gone through dramatic changes: Ed and Em, Eda, King, Lilith, Hunter, and even you.”
“Yes, yes, you’ve had an amazing impact on the people of the Isles in your time here,” Amity acknowledged, “but they’re different, they’re too proud to admit they were wrong, let alone commit the time and effort to bettering themselves.” She then let out a sigh. “I mean, I wish that they’d change and apologize, but I just don’t see that happening.”
Luz held her wife’s hand, “You’ll never know unless you let them in.”
Amity looked conflicted, she glanced at her wife, then at the letter. She then let out a sigh of defeat before standing up and walking over to the trash can. “I just don’t think I’m ready for the heartache that could come with it.”
She dropped the letter in the bin, and the couple left the room. Zephyr poked his head out from behind his hiding spot and looked around, making sure the coast was clear. He then went over to the trash, pulled out the letter, and opened it. The little witch boy let out a small gasp as he read through the missive.
***
Back in the living room, Azura was fiddling with her controller, not a care in the world. Zephyr then barged into the room.
“Azura,” he exclaimed, waving the letter around, “Azura, you have to see this! It’s…” He then got a glance at the TV. “Did you start a new game while I was in the kitchen?”
“You were taking forever, so I went over to arcade mode,” Azura explained.
“Never mind that, you’ve gotta look at this, it’s a letter from our grandparents!”
Azura paused the game. “Oh, abuela sent us a letter?”
“No, I mean our grandparents from mom’s side of the family,” Zepyr explained.
Azura looked unimpressed, she then went back to playing her game.
Undeterred, Zephyr started reading the letter aloud. “It says that they wanna talk to mom tomorrow around noon at the market in Bonesborough.”
Azura just shrugged it off, “Whatever.”
“How can you not be interested in this,” Zephyr questioned.
“Because our grandparents were bad people, Zeph,” the teenage witch replied, not taking her eyes off the screen. “There’s a reason why mom doesn’t allow us to see them.”
“Oh, come on, they couldn’t be that bad,” Zephyr dismissed.
Azura paused the game. “Zephyr, they tried to control every aspect of mom’s life, they threatened to sabotage Aunt Willow’s future if mom didn’t stop being her friend, got Mamá, Uncle Gus, and Aunt Willow expelled from Hexside, nearly killed Mamá, and when I was a baby, mom bumped into grandpa while she was shopping and he called me a ‘mutt!’”
“But Lycidia calls you a mutt all the time,” Zephyr replied, “you wear that title like a badge of honor.”
“Yeah, but Lycidia is my friend, she doesn’t mean to insult me,” Azura shot back, “he did it because he was an old jerk.”
Zephyr looked back down at the letter. “But they say they’ve changed and wanna try to make things right.”
“Look, Zeph, it’s good that you wanna forgive them, but sometimes people just don’t deserve it.”
“Then what about mom, huh,” Zephyr posited, his arms crossed, “when she first met Mamá, she tried to have her dissected. Does she not deserve forgiveness?”
“Well…,” Azura started before being cut off.
“Then what about the next time the met at the convention and she tried to kill her in a witches duel,” the boy added.
“I-I-I…” Azura trailed off.
“Then what about all the times she was super mean to mom, do those not count?”
“That’s different,” Azura exclaimed.
“How,” Zephyr shouted back.
“Well… I… she…” Azura struggled to come up with a reply, “Yeah, I got nothin’.”
“Exactly, I think they deserve a chance,” Zephyr proclaimed as he slipped the letter into his pocket, “which is why I’m gonna go meet them tomorrow.”
Azura dropped her controller. “WHAT?!!!”
“Tomorrow, I’m gonna go meet with them,” Zephyr repeated.
Azura knelt down to her brother and put a hand on his shoulder. “Zephyr, you’re my little brother and I love you, but this seems like a really bad idea,” she expressed calmly, “I’m talking Aunt Eda’s gift for her and Auncle Raine’s last anniversary bad.”
The pair shuddered at the thought of what Eda had done for her most recent anniversary with her partner.
“The county jail was so cold,” Zephyr whimpered. “But I heard mom say herself that she wished they’d change, and if this letter is anything to go by, they have! So I’m gonna go and meet them, and find a way to repair these broken familial bonds!”
Azura sighed, she knew there was no talking him out of this, but she also knew there was a chance it could backfire spectacularly, so she only had one option. “Fine, but I’m going with you.”
“Really,” Zephyr asked, pleasantly surprised.
“Sure,” she confirmed as she scruffed the young witch’s hair, “somebody’s gotta keep an eye on you, ya little nutcase.”
The pair chuckled as Zephyr repositioned himself back on the couch and started a new game.
***
The next morning, Azura and Zephyr stood in the market, scanning their surroundings for their grandparents. “Do you see them,” the younger brother asked.
“Nope,” Azura answered, “really feel like I should mention that I don’t exactly know what they look like.”
“Me neither,” Zephyr conceded defeatedly, “maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.”
“Wait, I just remembered something,” Azura exclaimed, “mom said that grandma used to make her dye her hair green when she was younger to match her and Aunt Em and Uncle Ed.”
“So that means we’re looking for an older woman with green hair,” Zephyr postulated.
The pair surveyed the area again, this time looking for an elderly woman with green hair. They looked high and low, until they finally found a woman fitting their description.
It was an older witch with a curvaceous build, contrasted by the sharp features of her face. She had tufted, light green hair tied into a bun with a light streak at the top. Her eyes were bright blue, and she wore purple lipstick, gold earrings, a violet blouse, navy trousers, and gray heeled boots.
Next to her stood a pale-skinned elderly witch with a disheveled look, slouched posture, and hairy arms. He had golden eyes and unkempt, graying brown hair with sideburns that lead into a messy beard. He was dressed in a dark gray lab coat, light gray pants with black boots, and wore golden goggles with purple lenses on his head.
“That must be them,” Azura surmised.
“Well then, let’s go meet ‘em,” Zephyr said enthusiastically before walking over to them.
Azura sighed, she just wanted to get this over with. As she approached them though, she felt something in the pit of her stomach, it felt like butterflies. Was she actually nervous about meeting her grandparents? All these years, she had made it known that she was indifferent about them, not caring at all. Yet here she was, actually anxious about meeting the parents her mother had cut any and all ties with all those years ago.
“Excuse me,” the elderly woman said, snapping Azura out of her thoughts, “can we help you with something?”
She didn’t seem to be as mean as Amity described her, as a matter of fact, she actually seemed concerned.
Azura took a deep, calming breath. “Are you Odalia and Alador Blight?”
“Yes, yes we are,” the old man replied, “now who are you?”
“My name is Zephyr Blight Noceda, and this is my big sister Azura,” Zephyr introduced, “we’re your grandkids.”
Odalia gasped as her and Alador’s eyes went wide. “Our… grandchildren?”
“We have a grandson,” Alador said in disbelief.
Zephyr held out his hand to the old man, “It’s nice to finally meet you, grandpa.”
Alador knelt down and shook his hand, “Likewise, my boy.”
“So, Azura,” Odalia said as she approached the girl, “if you don’t mind me asking, where is your mother?”
“Oh, uh they’re not coming,” Azura replied honestly.
“Oh,” Odalia said, her mood flattening, “I see.”
The elderly couple both seemed disheartened but this revelation. Zephyr wanted to save this meeting, so he had to act quick.
“But that’s only because she and Mamá had to work,” the boy fibbed, “so they sent us to come get you.”
Odalia and Alador’s expressions seemed to brighten, while Azura’s filled with apprehension. She quickly raced over to her little brother. “Excuse us for a second,” she said politely before dragging him away. The moment they were out of earshot, Azura dropped her pleasant demeanor.
“Zephyr, are you completely out of your mind,” she scolded softly, “mom is gonna go ballistic if she sees them!”
“Look, mom needs to see that they’ve changed for herself,” Zephyr argued, “so we need to bring them back with us, then the healing of their broken relationship can begin.”
“That, or we’re gonna witness the worst familial brawl since Elon Musk got his butt kicked by his own son,” Azura countered.
Zephyr shrugged, “With the name he gave him, he had it coming.”
“Besides, we have literally not seen any indication that they’ve changed.” She then pulled out the letter. “All we have to go by is this, something that they could easily rewrite and reword to their advantage.”
Zephyr grabbed the letter and put it back in his pocket, “Well, I’m willing to give them a chance.”
He then walked back over to his grandparents. Azura watched, worried for her brother. Truth of the matter was she couldn’t care less about her grandfather calling her a mutt, what she was most concerned about was Zephyr. She was worried that maybe Odalia and Alador were just using him, and when he outlived his usefulness, they’d just drop him like yesterday’s rubbish. Something like that would break his poor little heart, and that was something she couldn’t bear to see. For now, she was going with this, but if they did anything to hurt Zeph, there was gonna be heck to pay.
The teen witch rejoined her brother and grandparents. “Come with us, we’ll take you to mom,” Zephyr said to the elderly couple.
“Why thank you, dear,” Odalia replied graciously. She then noticed something, Alador was missing. “Alador,” she called out as she looked around for him, “Alador!” She finally spotted him, intently following a tiny butterfly demon.
The kids watched in confusion. “You’ll have to forgive him,” Odalia sighed, “he has what humans call ‘Attention Deficit Disorder.’”
“Huh, just like you, Zeph,” Azura remarked. She looked down at her brother, only to see that he wasn’t there. “Zeph,” she called out, looking around for him, “Zeph!” She finally located him, he was chasing an ice cream cart.
***
“Here we are,” Zephyr said, motioning to their house behind him, “Chateau Blight Noceda.”
Odalia and Alador looked at the house. “How quaint,” Odalia said as Zephyr led them inside.
They found themselves in the living room. Odalia and Alador looked around the domicile, with Odalia taking particular interest in a picture of Azura, Zephyr, Luz, and Amity. They looked so happy.
“Kids, are you home,” they heard Luz call out. She then walked into the living room, her eyes glued to a bowl she was stirring. “Your mother and I are making bizcocho dominicano, and we need to know if you have any special requests for it.”
She then looked up to see Odalia and Alador with the kids. She gasped and dropped the bowl, bits of batter spattering at her feet. “Luz,” Odalia greeted sheepishly, “you’re… looking well.”
Beads of sweat dripped down Luz’s face, her expression twisted into an uncomfortable frown, like she had just stepped in a building block toy or like she was holding back painful gas. She quickly side-shuffled over to Azura and Zephyr. “What are they doing here,” she whispered.
“I read their letter and saw they wanted to see mom, so I invited them over,” Zephyr whispered back.
Luz’s heart sank at that revelation. If Amity saw them, she’d go ballistic, but if she found out that Zephyr invited them, Luz didn’t even want to think about what Amity would do. “We need to get them out of here,” Luz panicked softly, “quickly, before—“
“Luz, kids, everything alright in there,” they heard Amity call out.
Luz stood there for a second, frozen in terror. “…mierda.”
Amity then walked into the room. The first thing she took notice of was the spilled batter on the floor. “Luz, what happened, now how’re we gonna make—“ She then looked up to see Odalia and Alador, standing there, in her house.
“Amity,” Odalia greeted nervously. She and Alador both stood there practically frozen, uncomfortable expressions on their faces.
The older couple and daughter stood there, staring at each other like deers in headlights. Neither one of them said a word. The silence was incredibly uncomfortable. Zephyr almost wanted to say something, but he wasn’t sure how either party would react.
Amity started to show signs of a reaction. She grit her teeth and furrowed her brow, her face turning redder than a tomato, redder than blood even.
Azura and Zephyr started to feel nervous, their mom only ever got like this if she was really mad. Suddenly, things got even worse, as a vein in her forehead started to bulge, and steam practically started to come out of her ears. They had never seen her this angry, this was an entirely new level.
“What. Are. They. Doing. Here,” Amity snarled through grit teeth.
“You invited us,” Alador stated.
“WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD I EVER INVITE YOU TWO INTO MY HOME,” she roared.
“Mom, stop,” Zephyr exclaimed, stationing himself between Amity and her parents, “I invited them!”
“What,” Amity exclaimed. Odalia and Alador also seemed shocked. “Why would you do that?!”
“I read their letter to you yesterday,” the boy explained, “they wanted to meet with you so they could apologize and talk things out, and I did overhear you talking about how you missed them.”
Amity quickly composed herself, then knelt down to meet her son at eye-level. “Zephyr, it’s really sweet that you want to help, but… this is a complicated issue.”
“But you didn’t even read their letter,” Zephyr revealed, pulling the letter out of his pocket, “how do you know they haven’t changed if you won’t even give them a chance?”
Amity stopped and started to ponder Zephyr’s words. He had a valid point, could she trust them? What if they were just putting on a nice act only to get close to her, then do something horrible? She couldn’t take that chance, she wouldn’t take that chance
“Amity,” Alador started, “we—“
“I don’t wanna hear it,” Amity said as she stood up and faced her parents. “You two have done so many terrible things to me and just expect me to forgive you?” The elderly pair started to sulk. “Forcing me to end my friendship with Willow, making me wear a piece of telepathic jewelry to control me, getting my friends expelled and almost murdering the love of my life!” She was about to turn away, when another of their transgressions came to mind. “Oh, and let’s not forget that you made me dye my hair green just so I’d match you, Ed, and Em!”
Alador looked up, “But if you didn’t like it, then why are you dying your hair green now?”
Amity started to blush. “That’s none of your business!”
“I’ll admit, our methods may have been a bit… extreme,” Odalia conceded.
“Understatement of the century,” Amity interrupted.
“But we only wanted what was best for you,” the older witch finished.
“Best for me,” Amity repeated furiously, “you didn’t care what I wanted, all you ever wanted was for me to make the two of you look good!”
“We wanted you to succeed,” Alador piped up, “to do something meaningful with your life.”
Amity seemed especially offended by that last remark. “Oh ho ho, you want to see success, I’ll show you success!” She then walked over to a closed cabinet and swung its doors wide open, revealing it was filled to the brim with numerous awards. “Pulitzers, National Book Awards, Kirkus Prizes, Women’s Prizes for Fiction, PEN/Faulkner Awards, and Hugo Awards!”
Odalia and Alador were floored by the sheer number of awards she’d won. “Oh, and this is just the cabinet for the awards our books have won in the human realm,” Amity said smugly, “meanwhile, the job you two had in mind for me doesn’t even exist anymore!”
The Blight parents rubbed their arms sheepishly. The kids were confused, but Luz knew all too well what she was talking about. “Back when the Emperor was in power, they wanted her to join the Emperor’s coven,” she explained in a hushed tone.
“In our defense,” Alador tried to argue, “how were we supposed to know the Emperor was… eh…”
“A deranged lunatic with plans to cause catastrophe across two worlds,” Amity finished.
“…yes, that,” Odalia conceded.
There was an intense silence after that. Amity just continued to glare at her parents with her arms crossed. The Blight elders looked guilty, and Luz and the kids just watched from the sidelines, they were either afraid to intervene or just couldn’t think of anything to say. Zephyr, however, decided to step in.
“So, grandma and grandpa,” he said awkwardly, “how have you been lately?”
“Oh… well… we’ve been… fine,” Odalia said, almost as if she was trying to hide something. “Business at Blight Industries has been…”
“Oh stop fronting, Odalia,” Alador interrupted, “our business is plummeting.” Suddenly, everyone’s eyes were drawn to the old pair, Amity looked more surprised than angry now.
Odalia sighed, “It’s true, after the fall of the Empire and the peace that followed, orders for our products began to gradually diminish.”
“Well, you did provide the emperor with an army of abomination robots,” Luz said.
“We had no choice,” Odalia replied, “if we didn’t… well… I shudder at the thought of what he’d do.”
“We’re on the verge of bankruptcy,” Alador explained, “we haven’t even been able to afford the materials to make abominations.”
Amity crossed her arms. “Oh… I get it now: You two just want money from us.”
“Oh no no no no, not at all,” Odalia denied, “we only want to apologize. These hard times gave us time to reflect on our actions, and how we treated you.” Odalia looked at Amity, remorse in her eyes. “Amity, we are so sorry, for everything.”
“We were horrible parents,” Alador concurred, “we know that we’ve given you no reason to forgive us, but we were hoping you would allow us the chance to earn your forgiveness, to be a part of your life again.”
Amity was speechless, she couldn’t believe her eyes. Her parents, once so proud, so cold, so domineering, were admitting they were wrong and apologizing. She couldn’t fathom it. She pinched herself to check if she was dreaming, it hurt, she was awake, this was really happening.
She didn’t know what to say, “I… I…”
“Please, mom,” Zephyr begged, his hands clasped together and his eyes big and pleading.
Amity sighed annoyedly. “Fine, I’ll give you one chance.” Zephyr, Odalia, and Alador were relieved, “But, I’ll tell you this right here and now, if you do anything to make me think you’re just using us, then we’re through… forever!”
“Thank you, Amity,” Odalia said, still grateful, “and I can assure you, you have nothing to worry about, we’ll be on our best behavior.”
“Coincidentally, we were hoping you’d allow us to stay with you for a while,” Alador piped up, “we had to sell the manor months ago and we’ve been living in a motel ever since.”
The Nocedas just stared at them. Amity huffed again, “Fine, go get your stuff.”
The elderly pair then left the house, with intentions to return later. Zephyr walked up to his mother. “Thanks for listening, mom. I’m sure they’ll surprise us.”
Amity crossed her arms, “That’s what worries me, son.”
***
Over the course of the next few weeks, Odalia and Alador made their presence known to the Nocedas… in a good way, I mean. They started helping out around the house and tried to aid the kids whenever they could.
For example, Alador helped Zephyr with an abomination project. While the boy was too young to actually join a track in school, he still liked to make them for fun. There was one problem though: no matter what he did, he could never get them to stabilize, they always melted before taking even a single step. It wasn’t until Alador suggested adding a whole newt rather than just an eye that they started to hold together better.
Another example came when Azura was having trouble figuring out what to do for a date with Tansy. Using her oracle magic, Odalia was able to help the girl plan not only the perfect date, but also perfect counters to any possible obstacles that presented themselves. The pair even showed up for one of Azura’s grudgby matches, cheering loudly for their granddaughter, and cursing out the ref out for any calls they didn’t agree with.
Amity was pleasantly surprised, but she still didn’t trust them. She still had a lingering feeling in the back of her head that told her that they were planning something. Unbeknownst to her though, the ultimate test of her parents would soon present itself.
***
Down in the basement, Alador was helping Zephyr with another new abomination. The pair were working enthusiastically, molding the goo into the desired shape. Zephyr took a step back to admire their creation. It was bipedal, with four arms and large wings.
“Thanks for the help, grandpa,” the boy said, proud of their work.
Alador wiped the sweat from his brow. “I should be thanking you, my boy. It’s been far too long since I’ve had the chance to make an abomination, for work or leisure.” He then knelt down to meet the boy at eye level, “If it were not for you, Odalia and I would most likely be in the gutter.” He put a gentle hand on the boy’s shoulder, “Thank you, Zephyr.”
Overcome with joy, Zephyr hugged his grandfather, who gladly accepted. The pair embraced for a good while before separating. “I’m still sorry to hear about your company though, grandpa.”
“Oh, it’s quite alright, Zephyr,” Alador reassured the boy, “in retrospect, it was our own fault; we should have diversified into other fields, not just abomination based products.” The old man seemed wistful at that last remark, “part of me wishes we had thought of that before, but the past is the past, and it’s time to focus on the future.”
“So, grandpa, I was wondering,” Zephyr started, “what all kind of things did you make with abominations?”
“Oh, I made all sorts of creations with abominations,” Alador said, “goo launchers, security systems, abomination robots—”
“Did you ever make a multi-tool,” Zephyr asked.
Alador stopped for a moment. “What?”
“Did you ever make an abomination-based multi-tool,” the boy repeated.
Alador stood there, completely silent. With all the products he had made for his company, he had never thought of making something like a multi-tool with abomination matter. “No, the thought had never occurred to me, the concept is so simple, yet ingenious.”
The boy smiled, “Ya know, I actually have some designs that I’ve drawn up. I can show you if you want.”
Alador smiled warmly, “Of course, I’d be happy to see what you’ve thought up.”
Zephyr raced upstairs to get his designs. Once the child was out of the room, Alador pulled out his phone. “Odalia, I think our grandson has just given me a million snail idea.”
***
Later, Luz and Amity were in their office, working on their next book. Amity was typing away at the typewriter while Luz was sketching the art for it at her desk. Finished with her latest sketch, Luz handed the page to Amity’s palisman, Ghost, who then brought it to her mistress. Amity inspected the page and smiled, “Your art gets better with every book.”
Luz looked back at Amity, “Because your words inspire such greatness, mi amor.”
The pair moved closer, they were about to kiss, but they were interrupted when Azura bursted into the room. “Mom! Mamá! You’ve gotta see this!” She then raced downstairs, with the couple following her closely behind.
The trio raced to the living room, where they were greeted by the sight of Odalia gracing the paused TV screen. Amity gasped, “What the—“
Azura picked up the remote and pressed play. “Blight Industries is back, and we have a product you can’t live without,” Odalia said as she held up a small handle. “Behold! The Abomitool! The first ever abomination based multitool!”
Amity and Luz gasped. “Isn’t that Zephyr’s idea,” Luz asked.
“I knew it,” Amity roared grabbing the remote and turning off the tv, “they were just using us!!!”
“I can’t believe this, after we trusted them,” Azura growled, “Zephyr, get in here!”
The boy then walked into the living room, “What is it?”
Luz knelt down, “Mijo, I don’t know how to say this, but—“
“You’re no-good grandparents stole your idea,” Amity interrupted.
Zephyr shook his head, “No, they wouldn’t do that.”
“We just saw the commercial, bro,” Azura said.
“But, they wouldn’t do that,” he doubted, his voice now having traces of doubt. “I mean I just showed them the designs a while ago and they left in a rush, but I didn’t think anything about it.”
The others just stared at him. Amity pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed, “I can’t be mad at you.” She then looked at the tv. “But I can be mad at my parents!”
Zephyr couldn’t believe it. Was it really all just a lie, we’re is grandparents just using him? Amity, Luz, and Azura were fuming, their rage intensified by the the betrayal on Zephyrs face. If and or when Odalia and Alador returned, they were in for a world of hurt.
***
Odalia and Alador walked up to the front door of the house, both exhilarated by their good fortune. “I can’t believe it, Alador,” Odalia said, “our luck is really turning around!”
The pair walked into the house, only to be greeted by the sign of, Amity, Luz, and Azura glaring at them menacingly. Zephyr, however, sat on the couch, looking depressed. The old couple, however, were oblivious to their anger, they were in too good of a mood.
“Ah, good, you’re all here,” Odalia said, “we’ve got some good news: Blight Industries is saved!!!”
They were not amused. “Yeah, you saved your company,” Amity said calmly, “BY STEALING MY SON’S IDEA!!!”
“What,” Alador exclaimed, “we didn’t steal it!”
“We saw the commercial,” Luz cut in, “you were passing off Zephyr’s ‘Abomitool’ as your own!”
Odalia and Alador sighed. “Clearly, you haven’t seen the whole commercial.”
She then pulled out her scroll, and pulled up an online recording of their commercial. “Behold! The Abomitool! The first ever abomination-based multitool,” Odalia said in the commercial, “now this idea was given to us by our wonderful grandson, Zephyr Blight Noceda.”
She then turned off the scroll. The Noceda women all were surprised, but Zephyr was relieved and elated. He ran over and hugged them. “I knew you didn’t steal my idea!”
“Of course not, we put your name on the patent after all,” Alador explained, “oh, that reminds me.” He then pulled out an envelope and handed it to the boy. “Here you go.”
“What is it,” Zephyr asked.
“It’s a check for your cut of the profits,” Odalia explained, “you thought of it, so it’s only fair you get half.”
Zephyr opened the envelope and studied the check. He let out a gasp as he got a look at the amount. Luz, Amity, and Azura looked at the check as well, all just as surprised as Zeph.
“Woah, that is a lot of zeros,” Azura commented.
Amity then looked over to her parents, a twinge of regret in her eyes. “Mom, dad… you really have changed. I… I don’t know what to say. I’m… sorry for being so stubborn all these years.“
“No, you have no need to apologize, Amity,” Odalia responded, “after all the stunts we pulled, you had every right to be wary of us.”
“Also, we probably should have told you that we were going to use Zephyr’s idea,” Alador added, “that was just poor planning on our part.”
Amity smiled, they really had changed. She may not have been at the point where she could forgive them yet, but maybe they could earn it in time. Maybe she really could have them back in her life, but this time, as positive influences. “So, what are you gonna do now?”
“Well first, we’ll need to get materials for all the Abomitools we need to make,” Alador said, “then we’ll need to hire a workforce to help us fill the orders.”
“And after that, we’re going to see if we can use the profits to expand our business,” Odalia added, “make more than just abomination products.”
“Like what,” Luz asked.
“Well, those video games seem awfully popular,” Alador observed, “maybe we’ll try that.”
Azura watched as her mothers and grandparents talked. Never before had she been so happy to be so wrong about someone. She looked down to see Zephyr staring at her with a smug grin. “Okay, you were right about grandma and grandpa,” she relented, “tell ya what, I’ll go buy you an ice cream.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Alador said, listening in on the kids, “why don’t we all go out for some ice cream?”
The other adults agreed and they left to get their frozen treats, not just to celebrate their financial success, but to also celebrate a repaired relationship.