Forty. It just didn't sound possible. "Um. Wow. What -- what about me?" He was almost afraid. His last glimpse into his own future had not been that great.
It was cheating, but it wasn't cheating, 'cause it was so far in the future, and they'd both told her over and over that there were alternate universes. This Priestly might wind up married to Aunt Tish.
Weiiiird.
So telling him what happened in hers was okay, Lena justified to herself.
"You co-own the expanded Beach City Grill. And you have the best popcorn shrimp and fruity drinks this side of L.A.," Lena said proudly. "We even get tourists! Who just come for the food!"
Lena rolled her eyes and snorted. "As if. Like you'd put up with people distracting you in the kitchen or bothering the customers. We don't do that," she said firmly. "That's for posers." She grinned hugely. "You let me and Jen do little webcasts of the specials of the day, though!"
"Yeah?" Priestly said. "Yeah, that'd be sweet." He rubbed his chin. "And I imagine your mom doesn't let me shave." Dinah was going to have a thing about that forEVER.
"Not even," Lena confirmed, sneaking more chocolate. "She lets you trim it back and stuff, but she gets all twitchy if you go completely clean-shaven."
Be fair. Bad things happen when he shaves. It gave Dinah a complex.
"Something about how it's her turn next? You guys never explain that."
Lena choked on her chocolate. "Daddy! No! Oh my god! I don't wanna know! It's bad enough to come home from a date to find you guys making out! I don't need to know more than that!"
"And Aunt Barbara wonders where I get it from," Lena grumbled.
No, she really didn't. Lena was abusing the sarcasm that Barbara abused.
"Yes, you do. It's not normal, but it's sweet." Lena made a face. "And overly. Mom spends a lot more time in Santa Cruz these days, since she can commute to... um. The training facility." No giving away *real* secrets. "Just as easily as from New Gotham. What are you doing this weekend, aside from weirding out Aunt Piper?"
"Duh. That's just a weird thing with her world, like monkeys that talk," Lena said dismissively. "I know better, Dad." She grinned. "Do you want to talk to Mom?"
"'kay." Lena grinned from ear to ear. "Maybe we'll talk to you later this weekend.'Til then, bye. Love you, Daddy."
She handed the phone over to Dinah, who took it and went out on the balcony, shutting the door behind her. "So. Yeah. She's... here, let me send you a photo." She sent more than one, just so Priestly could see her. "She's the same as she was two years ago. Just, you know. Twice the size and age."
"I knooow. We wear the same size shoes! And tops! But not jeans, I'm still taller, at least." Dinah leaned against the outside wall, shaking her head. "She's so pretty," she said, keeping her voice really low. "And I think Berto's crushing on her. It's weird. But awesome. But weird." She sighed, rubbing her forehead. "We're crashing in 'Dite's suite. She knows where everything is. It's like getting a little sister. I think she's kind of freaked too, even if she's hiding it."
"Dude, if I ended up meeting my parents as teenagers? I'd be freaked out, too. At least she knows what's going on? It's gotta be a little easier the second time around, right?"
Words from him nearly as good as an in-person hug. Dinah squeezed her eyes shut, still smiling, chest tight. "Yeeeah. Go. Say hi to Tish for me. And Piper. Love you... Bye."
She clicked off the phone, but stayed out on the balcony a minute, getting her bearings for dealing with someone possibly even more exuberant than she was.
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Weiiiird.
So telling him what happened in hers was okay, Lena justified to herself.
"You co-own the expanded Beach City Grill. And you have the best popcorn shrimp and fruity drinks this side of L.A.," Lena said proudly. "We even get tourists! Who just come for the food!"
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Be fair. Bad things happen when he shaves. It gave Dinah a complex.
"Something about how it's her turn next? You guys never explain that."
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"Well, see, if your mom wants to shave her various parts. . . ." He trailed off with a slightly wicked grin.
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Piper, who'd been coming back for more onions, paused and stared.
"You have a what?"
"Piper, I told you I was talking to my teenage daughter from the future, right?"
Piper blinked, then turned and walked back out. "The sign did say they didn't want normal. . . ."
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No, she really didn't. Lena was abusing the sarcasm that Barbara abused.
"Yes, you do. It's not normal, but it's sweet." Lena made a face. "And overly. Mom spends a lot more time in Santa Cruz these days, since she can commute to... um. The training facility." No giving away *real* secrets. "Just as easily as from New Gotham. What are you doing this weekend, aside from weirding out Aunt Piper?"
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"You should come visit Fandom," she wheedled. "And oh, have you gone to Mongolia yet?... not that you have to. But you might to. Just saying..."
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She handed the phone over to Dinah, who took it and went out on the balcony, shutting the door behind her. "So. Yeah. She's... here, let me send you a photo." She sent more than one, just so Priestly could see her. "She's the same as she was two years ago. Just, you know. Twice the size and age."
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Like a teenager? Yes. Yes, they did.
"That's just . . . uncanny."
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It was always easier to deal with this stuff when Priestly was here.
"I'll text you updates if anything even weirder comes up."
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"I will. And I may randomly show up and demand that we go drinking afterward." She sighed. "Talk to you soon, Priestly."
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She clicked off the phone, but stayed out on the balcony a minute, getting her bearings for dealing with someone possibly even more exuberant than she was.