Away in a Tentacle Lair

12. Kai

Chapter twelve

Kai

I scrub my hand through my hair as I enter the kitchen, feeling far less refreshed than usual. I’m not the first down today, as most of my cousins are huddled around the long table, hands gripping their coffee mugs.

“Morning,” I grunt, grabbing a coffee from the machine and a bowl of cereal.

This isn't a family who had a successful bombing run. I got home last night and went straight to bed, more because I didn't want to tell them about my date rather than not wanting to know about their success. Or by the looks on their faces, failure. I need to know before Nicholas and Frank get down. Failure means we have to double down on our efforts, and I have much sweeter things to do today than combing the coral in the bay.

"Okay, spill it," I say, cutting to the chase before my cereal gets soggy. "What happened with our little covert op at the marine centre?"

My cousin lets out a sigh that could deflate a beach ball and shakes his head. "No dice, Kai. We couldn't even get a toe in the door, let alone mess with the filter systems."

"Great," I mutter. "So much for that plan."

A collection of shrugs and mumbles across the room is interrupted by the occasional clink of cutlery against crockery. Thankfully, Aunt Nellie spies me as she enters the room.

"Kai, darling, how was your date with Leo? Was it as dreamy as you hoped?"

My face lights up like the bioluminescent plankton we sometimes get in the bay. Oh, Leo.

"It was better than dreamy," I gush, remembering our time together, filling me with warmth and a grin I can't find. If I'm going to get the day off diving, I need to lay it on thick. "We had dinner and wine while he compared my eyes to the ocean. And then we returned to his place for dessert, and he…”

“Nope. Don't want to hear it.” Jonus plugs his ears with his fingers, making a lalala noise.

“And ran me a bath…which I took alone, thank you very much. Then we snuggled and talked about our dreams.”

Jonus's actions cause laughter around the table. My enthusiasm is infectious, a welcome antidote to the earlier doom and gloom.

“He said he loves me.” I make my nervous confession to the room, hoping to show them he feels the same way about me. This family believes in all or nothing. If Leo wants to be with me, he has to pick the family over his dreams. I'm not sure any amount of time will put me above his career.

Oh, honey, that's lovely. And did you answer him?”

“I said it back, Nellie.” The memory has me blushing because I didn't say it in the heat of the moment. I said it after serious consideration, not because of the fantastic sex, but because he is a wonderfully thoughtful, kind and funny man.

"Sounds like someone's got it bad," my cousin Else teases.

"You know," I mutter, "I think he might be the one." Everyone stops eating, their spoons frozen on the way to their faces.

“You mean the spill the family secret kind of the one?” Jonus questions, with no trace of his previous humour remaining. “Kai, he works for the enemy.”

“Not really. He's still in the application process.”

“We'll. When he agrees to withdraw, you may speak to your uncle about revealing the family secrets,” Nellie reassures me.

Welcoming someone into the family is a challenging step. Usually, it involves many years of dating and winning the family around. I've known this guy for two days and have no chance of convincing them that it's the real deal.

Time is not on my side.

“If he leaves, then I'll-”

“Don't say it, Kai. No one is leaving the family. Let's take this one step at a time.” Nellie speaks firmly. I give her a pleading look, hoping she can talk to Frank for me. Nicholas will be slightly easier to reason if she can get her husband on my side.

First, I need to tell Dad.

"Kai," Aunt Marie starts, cautioning, "are you sure you want to dive into this so quickly?"

"If I do nothing, he'll either be offered a job at the marine centre or be sent home. I have to show him that we can be his third option. He can have the sea and the life here without destroying it in the name of research."

"Kai?" Dad's voice calls from behind me, and I realise Dad and my uncles have overheard my passionate speech.

"Kai here thinks he's in love with the guy who saved his life," Jonus calls. I poke my tongue out at him for getting involved before turning to speak to Dad.

"Is that true, Kai?"

"That I'm falling for the man I took on a date yesterday? Yes. I'm falling for him and need more time to see if it can become something great. But if I do nothing, I lose him to the marine centre."

Nicholas takes a deep breath and pauses for a moment. We all wait for his decision. I didn't want to bring the matter up with him this way, but my entire future happiness rests on what he says next.

"Invite him to join the family for Christmas. We will see if he is worthy of you, Kai."

"Really? Oh, thank you." Wow, I'm speechless.

He is my uncle on my mum's side; Dad married into the family and, therefore, doesn't share in our curse. The idea that I'm Nicholas' favourite nephew because I'm the son of his little sister would be a nice perk in this situation.

"You will abide by my decision after he has visited. If I say it is too soon to tell him the secret, then you will listen. Do you understand? If I decide his affiliation with the marine centre is too risky, you will walk away from him."

"Of course." I nod frantically. "If he accepts a job at the centre, then I know I have to cut all ties with him, and that's why I'm worried to take it slowly. I need to know I've tried to talk him around."

"I understand, Kai. I do." Nicholas smiles at me.

When my family supports me in this way, I am sure I can do anything. Of course, I will win Leo around and make him pick me over the centre of his own free will. But a Christmas of gentle persuasion will do a lot in my favour.