we'll live off vibes, then

Sometimes I have an entire conversation with Ripley before stepping back and realizing how cool that is.

I arrive home late from a potluck and the house is dark. From the bottom of the stairs I say, "Hey Ripley, I'm back."

"Wanna come out," he answers, which is a pretty standard reply when I first get home. It's midnight, way past his bedtime, but he hasn't been out of his cage at all today because we're dog sitting my mom's very untrustworthy dog (with whom Ripley is unfortunately fascinated). So I say, "Sure."

As I walk into his room he lifts up a foot in a way I recognize as meaning "I'm ready to step onto your hand," so as I open his door I say, "Let's go in the kitchen." I offer him the chance to poop in the trash can, but he declines with a small clicking noise. I ask him if he would sit on a chair, but warn him that first I need to move Coat Shirt off of it (shirt is his catch-all word for clothing), and he makes a little "hm" of acknowledgment.

After he steps onto the back of the chair I say, "I've gotta go downstairs, can I leave you up here for a minute?"

"Okay," he answers as I leave the room.

Upon returning I say, "Thanks for waiting in here." It's taken years of practice for me to talk to Ripley like he's a person (he is), but now it's second nature. He gets insistent if I'm quiet for too long.

"Do want a carrot," Ripley says, leaning toward the fridge.

"I can get you a carrot." My usual reply when he asks for a healthy food. I hand him a baby carrot from the fridge.

He takes a couple bites and shakes the carrot around gingerly in his foot. "I like it."

"I'm glad. Can I touch you?" I reach out to pet his back but he gives me a subtle look: a twitch of his pupils and a fractional declination of his head that means, "no thank you." Ignoring this is a serious offense.

"Okay, no touch. A kiss, then?" He leans toward me and squints: an invitation. As I lean back, he makes a trilling sound and smushes the top of his head against my face. "Thank you," I say.

After several more kisses I ask him what kind of bedtime treat he wants. "A peanut."

I think a lot of straight people don't want kids, but have them bc thats what they're expected to do. they don't actually care about having kids, they have no true desire for parenthood, but they still have kids. they have kids by default, bc all around them they're surrounded by peers and family and media telling them kids are the next logical step in a relationship.

... and don't get me wrong, im not saying all straight ppl are like that. plenty of em wanna genuinely be a supportive parent and raise a child. I'm just saying that a lot of straight ppl don't see having kids as an option, totally not required, but rather as a thing all ppl will eventually do in life.