Page 3 of The Fall

“Lusa and I were picking cloudberries.”

Lusa turned bright red, grinding out the words through clenched teeth. “Shut. Up.” Today, Pinga chose betrayal.

“Why? Afraid to tell mom that you kept looking for excuses to talk to Auntie Alana for a month afterwards?” That had been years ago. Back when Alana didn’t hate her.

“I will kill you!” Lusa lunged. Talia had anticipated this and her arms were already in place to prevent a sisterly massacre. Lusa hadn’t thought Pinga was stupid enough to sink a ship they both occupied, but since she’d fired the first volley, Lusa loaded up the cannons. “At least I didn’t sneak out at night to try and catch Uncle Cam naked again like a creep.”

Pinga tried to slap Lusa, but Sesi caught her wrist. Fretfully, Callie looked around, to see if anyone else was watching her unruly children. Talia grinned through the chaos.

Sparx did not appear fazed by the teenage girlness of it all, nor by Pinga spying on naked adults. “They don’t know about Cam then?”

“That’s a really messed up thing for someone who’s trans themselves to say.” Talia glared like the only thing keeping her from murdering Sparx was that her hands were busy keeping Lusa from murdering her sister. If she let go, there would be a double homicide.

Sparx took full advantage of the situation. “Fair point, but you don’t think it’s messed up that your daughters don’t have the most basic information about sex?”

That did it. Sesi stopped and turned Pinga to face her. “Your moms and I gave some eggs to Aunt Jenni, who did science and then put them inside me. Nine months later, you two came out.” She straightened herself up and looked Sparx dead in the eye. “Sex-ed done.”

“There was also a fishing trip involved,” Callie added.

“That’s also how Ila, Kuak, Amka and Panik were born.” Talia looked at Sparx as she said it. “Happy?”

“And Danica.” Sparx added. “And…”

But Pinga interrupted. “You gave birth to Danica?” She seemed very concerned, and for good reason. Lusa knew they’d been snogging in secret. As had she, which was awkward enough.

“No,” Sparx was getting techy. “Your Uncle Cam did. He and Alana gave some eggs to Aunt Jenni.”

“Oh. Okay.” Her and Pinga said in unison.

“No,” Sparx suddenly blurted out. “Not okay!”

Everyone stared at Sparx, gripping his dark hair like he was about to tear it out. “It’s all well and good that you’ve created this gender inclusive paradise, but they have to know that Aunt Jenni isn’t the best way to make babies!”

“Says you.” Sesi smiled in that way that said she was amused enough to let him live just a bit longer. Talia was usually doling out the threats, but Lusa had actually seen Sesi kill.

“Yes, says me!” Sparx flailed impotently. “Wasn’t the whole point of this to find uninfected men? Shouldn’t they at least know what that looks like?”

Sesi pointed to the ad projecting a cyan hue across piles of filthy slush and rubbish. “That’s a penis.” She made sure both Pinga and Lusa were paying attention. “Though they’re usually not so big. Or glowy. Easiest way to have babies is to put one in you.”

“And Uncle Tornit has one of those?” Her sister was now on a fact-finding mission. Lusa was mortified.

Sesi turned to Sparx and crooked an eyebrow.

“Uh,” Sparx swallowed. “He does.”

“And he puts it in you?”

“Oh my god!” Sparx looked to Callie for help, though she was fervently avoiding eye contact. Lusa enjoyed watching him squirm.

“This was your idea.” Talia’s lopsided smile grew wider.

Sparx acquiesced. “Yes. His doesn’t look like that though.”

“But you don’t have babies.” There was more to this story and for once, Lusa was grateful for Pinga’s inability to care about social decorum.

Sparx deflated. “No. We’re both infected. Most people are.”

Pinga looked to Sesi.