"Actually, yes. I was planning on going out with some friend tonight," Robert told his daughter.
Karyn raised an eyebrow. "Having another one of your wild nights, huh?"
Robert chuckled. "Well, you know me. But hey, wouldn't you prefer having two parents to just one?" he asked, picking a pair of silver hoops off the table and idly putting them into each earlobe, which developed holes to accommodate the new jewelry.
"Yes, but I would prefer having the second one being closer to your age than mine."
Robert laughed again, this time a girlish titter. "Aw, don't say that! Hey, what about your night? Jordan mentioned your school was having a dance tonight. Are you attending?"
Karyn shook here head. "No, I have a test coming up in chem, and I really should study."
"Is that so? I'm telling you, Karyn, you devote way too much time to school. I mean, your teachers must think I'm one of those stereotypical overbearing chinese parents, like a tiger mom."
This time it was Karyn who laughed. "I'm pretty sure your shirt establishes you as another type of big cat, dad," she said, pointing to Robert's shirt. Neither of them realized that shirt's lower hem was pulling up, leaving a slight gap between where the shirt ended and the tights began.
"So it does. Well, I'm going to go put some proper clothes on for the big night," Robert said, walking over to Karyn and planting his glossy lips on her forehead. "You know how to get in touch."
"Yeah, until you leave your purse somewhere like you did at Aunt Trina's," Karyn shouted down the hall, drawing a scowl from Robert. The changing boy was now pushing thirty, as he stepped into the room that once belonged to Karyn's old parents, but was now changed to perfectly match the person he was becoming.
Looking around, some mote of clarity returned to Robert's mind, bringing with it all manner of confusion. Wait, what the heck was all that? he thought, What the heck is all this?
