“But now here’s the best parts: GameStx and ‘Ghost Planet’ have been nominated for 6 awards at the Game Awards this year, and ‘Ghost Planet’ has 5 nominations for the BAFTA Games Awards in London; you’re going to London, Joey, you and Robbie! What’s more, Universal and New Line want to make a movie of ‘Ghost Planet’, maybe a three-hander, and there’s a whole list of top science-fiction writers and publishers queuing-up to write the screen play and publish the tie-in’s.”
She paused to grin at his glazed expression before continuing.
“MB and Mattel loved ‘Ghost Planet’. They think it’s ‘Toyetic’, and they’re really anxious to discuss a franchise to produce the Mrindaka, Stahamer and Illustra space ships, all the different battle craft and scout craft, and the Phobian Lightships, and all the main characters: Elias, Captain Jorru, Xyno and Nidia, Legion-Troopers, Skinwalker Cyborgs, Sihuoli Blood-Takers, everything. Congratulations, Joey, you just invented the next generation of collectible toys and tie-in merchandise!”
Joey was looking increasingly shell-shocked, managing only a weak grin as Casey patted his hand.
“Your way of doing things, Joey, all that stuff you convinced Steve and Elio to take a chance on? Well it caught all the big players looking the other way, and now they’re wondering why it took a small software house like GameStx to show them how to market so innovatively and effectively that Hollywood bought in almost from the start of the campaign! You came out of nowhere and you’ve lit fires up and down the West Coast, Joey, and the world of Madison Avenue is baying for you! Everyone wants you, and Steve and Elio are chewing their nails down to the elbows wondering how to keep a hotshot like you on-side and in their game, so… Robbie?”
Robbie grinned, and lobbed another cushion at him.
“Welcome back, Partner!” he grinned, his smile widening at the blank astonishment on Joey’s handsome face.
“That’s right, big brother; as of today, you are now a full partner in GameStx, with stock options, parking spot with your name on it, and one day, if we ever get around to having an Executive Washroom, you might even get a key. You’ve arrived, meathead!”
Joey had a dazed expression on his face, but grinned when Casey hugged him.
“Well done, Joey; love you, big brother!” she whispered in his ear. Luna was looking a little confused, so Robbie bailed her out.
“Luna, Joey was Vice-President in charge of marketing; before he went away, he left a whole bunch of advertising and marketing strategies for his team to polish and put into action; they’re all nearly as talented as him, so they did, and we took off in a big way, all because of my brother here! We couldn’t have come this far without him, and we owe our success to him. Hear that, meathead? You finally got something right; not bad for a meathead jock, not too bad at all!”
Luna looked sideways at Joey, her expression still puzzled.
“Why does he keep calling you meathead?” she murmured, and Joey grinned, scooping her closer.
“Robbie calls me meathead, and I get to call him butthead, because he’s a butthead geek, ain’t that right, butthead?”
Robbie grinned and flipped him a lazy finger. Joey grinned at that and winked at Luna.
“Of course, if anyone else calls me meathead he’s a dead man, and only I get to call Robbie ‘butthead’, mostly because I know him so well, so I know what a butthead he really is…!”
Luna relaxed, paying only vague attention to what he was saying, relying instead on her other senses to feel the truth of it. She was a highly perceptive girl, talented at reading people with very few clues, and she could tell Joey and Robbie were close, maybe closer than real brothers. She could feel their closeness almost like a sort of buffer-zone around the pair of them; a thousand subtle little cues that said they shared a deep connection. Strangely, she could feel that from Casey as well; she may have been Robbie’s wife, but she obviously adored and was deeply attached to Joey as well, though not in a sexual way; in fact, it felt just like that brother-bond the two men shared.
Luna tucked that one away to mull over at a later date; right now, Joey’s family was her priority. She could feel the love everywhere, that odd, but somehow right, connection among Joey, Robbie and Casey, the love in Sarah’s eyes when she looked at her son, Joey’s obvious deep attachment to his beautiful little sister and, most of all, his love for his baby son. As she thought, she unconsciously swayed, rocking and gently patting Joe on the back, softly humming an old song her mom used to sing while working, only looking down at him when Joey caught her eye and grinned as he rolled his eyes at the infant.
Luna looked down to find Joe fast asleep, his hand holding her shirt tightly, and almost gasped at the sudden gust of protectiveness she felt for this little boy. A lump appeared magically in her throat and her breath caught as she held him just that little bit closer, just a little more securely, motherly instincts she never suspected she had leaping high and fierce inside her. She blushed again, slightly wrong-footed, and then her eye caught Sarah’s, who nodded approvingly as she gently rocked Robbie’s baby daughter. Casey caught Sarah’s eye, her small nod, and tapped Robbie gently on his arm.
“I think we should leave now, baby. I think Joey and Luna need some time alone with young Joe. Come on, Robbie; help me get the baby into the car.”
They all stood, all except Luna, who didn’t want to disturb the sleeping child in her arms. She smiled up at Casey as she leaned down to stroke the child’s hair.
“We’ll see you later, you guys. Just get settled in; the fridge is full, or we can go out for dinner someplace nearby if you want. We’ll all be getting together at Uncle Frank’s place in a few days. Aunt Kat had to go out of town with the girls, so we’ll go meet them when she gets back. I know she’s dying to meet you,” she whispered. “Just be ready for the twins; they’re a little much to take in all at once!”
With a final flurry of whispered ‘goodbyes’, the family left them to get settled in. Luna smiled as she settled back in the couch, cradling Joe to her.
“Your family are lovely, Joey; I’m glad I met them,” she murmured, holding it down so as not to wake the sleeping infant. Joey sat next to her and stroked his son’s hair.
“They liked you too, baby. I think you’re gonna fit in just fine around here. It’s been a long day, so let’s get you unpacked and then we can think about dinner. Casey mentioned she asked you…”
Luna shook her head, cutting off the unspoken question.
“No baby, I’m dead on my feet; please, can we take a rain-check? Tomorrow, once I figure out where I am and what I do next. Do you mind waiting just a little while, just so I can get my bearings?”
Joey grinned, his naturally sunny temperament coming to the fore. He reached out and smoothed a stray lock out of the way so he could see her face properly and nodded at her answering smile. As she made to stand up, a thought struck her.
“Joey, do I know Casey’s family at all? What I mean is, is she from Springfield? I have to ask, she just seems kinda familiar, and she sure doesn’t talk like she’s from around here. And while we’re talking about family, when will I meet Robbie’s sister? Why wasn’t she here to meet you? You’ve been away a while, why didn’t…?”
Robbie bit his lip, wondering how to answer her, but then plowed on; his mom had been right. Honesty was what was important now.
“Baby, you did meet her, she was here,” he said, watching Luna’s expression closely as he said it.
Luna looked puzzled, then suddenly her eyes widened as comprehension dawned, her mouth twisting in distaste.
“Casey?” she gasped, “How? I mean… what… that’s just not right, it’s… oh my God, how could they…!”
Joey took her hand as her she trailed off.
“It’s not like that, baby, really; remember I told you how Robbie’s sister spent all those years looking for him? Well she found him, by pure chance, and she finally got to tell him how sorry she was; all she wanted to do was make it right with him, to connect with her big brother at last. Well, she did, and then they found something else as well; they found each other.”
He paused, his eyes far away, smiling faintly at the memory of the first time he’d met Casey in several years, in Robbie’s condo in Daly City when he and Karen had stopped by on a whim on their way back to Springfield.
“Casey says that when she found Robbie, she found that part of her that she’d always felt was missing, and I guess Robbie felt the same, because here they are, and they’re as tight now as they were then. Don’t judge them, babe; everyone needs someone, and Robbie and Casey need each other; they’re in love, and it’s no-one’s business but their own.”
Luna stared at Joey, feeling that instant surge of revulsion die away as she listened to his acceptance of what Robbie and Casey were doing. Her own generous nature allowed her to grasp an inkling of what they must have felt, how they must have agonized over this, and finally to have made such a decision in the face of all the prohibitions against it; they must really be deeply in love to ignore all that. Joey watched her carefully, seeing the understanding, and acceptance slowly dawning in her eyes.
“You’re right, Joey. It is their own business. I guess a country-girl like me needs a little time to wise up to the ways of you city-folk! Comes to that, I guess you city folk don’t have a monopoly on that kinda thing, if some of the stuff I hear about what goes on down in Sweetman County ‘s even half true!”
Joey grinned, and helped her up, holding her close as she kissed him.
“I still meant what I said, City-Boy; you have a lovely family!” she whispered. “Now let’s put the baby in his room. I have plans for you!”
*
Once they’d changed little Joe and tucked him in properly, Luna watched him sleep while Joey put his bottle, made-up earlier by Casey, in the fridge, and then they tiptoed from Joe’s room and into the master bedroom. Someone had tactfully put the large framed picture of Joey and Karen on their wedding day in the dresser drawer, Joey saw with a small pang of guilt and regret. Luna saw his expression as he ran his finger lightly over the glass, tracing the outline of Karen’s face, and gently pulled the photograph out of the drawer and put it back on the dresser. Joey looked at her in surprise as she smiled at him.