22.10 Frustrations

Breanne meandered through the neighborhood with longing and anxiety in her heart. Moving added little joy and much annoyance to her life. Her new room was so tiny, the bed could only go in the corner. The only computer in the house sat on the desk in Eliza’s office. All the men in her life were childish imbeciles, and new prospects were as plentiful as winning lottery tickets. Still, she tried to stay positive. The man she wanted and waited for may have been in Brindleton Bay the entire time. Did the Watcher arrange the move for her to meet him?

One would think a beautiful town like Brindleton Bay offered more than rain, stray animals, bitter cold, and fleas. Sure, beautiful homes lined the streets, the beach was near, and she lived within a stone’s throw of the best ballroom in all the land, but stinky piles of dog poop far outweighed the amenities.

Seriously, did everyone in town have a dog? Everywhere she walked, someone tethered to a four-legged beast passed by. No one in her circle had pets. Maybe the elites owned them as a sign of their social superiority. As much as she loved hanging with the upper crust, bringing an animal into her home wasn’t something she thought she could do. Eliza wouldn’t have it, anyway. With all the training and feeding and cleaning that would need to happen, she may as well have a baby. At least one day the baby will grow up and take care of itself.

She tried imagining her babies. The Pancakes genes overpowered the Simovitch genes, it seemed. If she had a son, would he look like Bob? What if her husband also had strong genes? When two parents have strong genes, how did the body decide which ones were stronger? Did the gametes face-off and showdown? Or, was it left to chance?

What if she bypassed the whole marriage process? She could go to a medical facility, search through the database of eligible donors, and pick the best genes for her successful lineage. Youth was on her side still, but the sand poured into the hourglass faster and faster each day she remained single. Taking matters into her own hands would bring the immediate satisfaction she wanted but might bring more trouble into her life. The neighbors might separate themselves from the Pancakes family. They wouldn’t want an unwed mother in their midst. She’d be a pariah. No. She had to wait, and it was hard. And frustrating. Nothing good ever happened for her. Everyone she knew had wonderful things to boast about. Her parents got big promotions and bought a new house. Kaiden got into the minor leagues. Phoenix had her comedy nonsense. Josh … Well, he was happy all the time for no reason. Despite it being unnatural, it probably felt good. Like being on controlled substances.

Everyone got to live out their dreams except her. Was it too much to ask to find someone worthy of co-founding a powerful family? Did anyone care about eternal things like their own lineage? Surely life wasn’t all about chasing down temporary highs.

Night fell. Distant dog barks and gentle lapping of water on the bank brought her back to the present. The neighborhood was so quiet and boring. Come to think of it, Willow Creek wasn’t much of an attraction either. But it was familiar. She knew where to go and what to do when boredom struck. And, if she wanted a change of pace, she knew people who could broaden her horizons and offer new experiences. She knew Josh …