TIGER MOM !

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“there is a lot worse they can do!” violet said, her lighter brown eyes already wide with a look of panic. giving a quick look over her shoulder to see if anyone was looking right at them, she turned back to edith and this time signing. “what do we even say if people ask? or ask a lot of questions?”

Edith flashed her a look of disapproving frustration, undercut by the obvious love in her eyes. And then signed in return, ‘just pretend like we’re meant to be here. they are the ones who are wrong.’ she strode up to the front entry, where the guards stood at their posts and nodded to them with curt approval. With her shoulders held back and her chin high, she declared, “We’re here to see Jedadiah Slate, my brother. He wrote me to say that visitors are permitted on Wednesdays in the afternoon.” 

“c’mon dearie, just smile and pretend ​like we’re supposed to be here. the worst they can do is kick us out.”

“I’ve met a few, not all of them. I’m eager to meet this one guy, Sean, I hear he looks just like me!”

Shawn grins over at Edith, clearly well pleased with his little joke – and then falters, because he’s not sure she’ll actually get it. He’ll probably have to explain.

“That’s a joke,” he stage-whispers, conspiratorial, “he’s my identical twin. He’s actually a little better looking than me. That’s how you’ll be able to tell us apart!”

She got it. Sure she did. It took a minute though. Due to the confusion caused by the fact that not only were the two men said to be perfectly identical, but the pronunciation of their name was as well. So for the first few seconds she thought he was talking about himself. She laughed out of pity. 

“Ah, thank you for the clarification,” she replied, “Is there any other significant physical distinction between the two of you? I’d hate to mistake one of you for the other and cause additional confusion.” 

When she comes into sight he sees that his guess is correct. It’s strange that something simple like that could make him feel a bit better about all this, even if for a moment, but finding similarities between him and his Aunt feels like a reminder that this is his family.  “ Hardly, I do it all the time. ”  His face changes somewhat, brow creased as he nods, thinking about the task at hand.  “ It’s good, going swimmingly actually. Although … were there any particular volumes you were thinking about bringing ?  Want to keep it light, but I don’t know if I’m the best person to decide which history of Egypt deserves to be brought along, and which stays on the shelf. ”

“I’d like to think it’s because our brains are just preoccupied with more important things and that’s why we’re so distracted. But perhaps I’m just terribly ditzy,” she gave him a hopeless shrug and pushed the glasses up her nose. Then, she batted her hand at the book he was holding, “Oh none of those. I’ve memorized those already. The general history of Egypt I am well-versed in. But any volumes on Khufu or journals of previous tomb excavations would be helpful. I’ve never properly unearthed a tomb before.” 

there is a gut instinct to tell the truth, to say that she hadn’t been beyond the walls of cairo in years — she has never been to the desert. that, however, is not the person that was signed on; that was not the person with claimed medical expertise and a fancy degree forged for new beginnings.   “ only once before as an apprentice, so not on my own. ”  that was close enough to the truth that she was comfortable. she had not done this alone before.   “ a reminder of the dangers would be welcome, it would better help me prepare for what i might need to bring in addition to what is implied. ” 

Edith placed a comforting hand on the woman’s shoulder with a squeeze of additional affirmation, “That’s quite alright. It’s not as if we hired you to be our tracker or tour guide. As long as you know how to patch up a wound I think we’re in good shape.” Her reassurance was strong-willed and sure, just like nearly everything Edith said. “Well, first there’s the heat, then the cold, the chafing, the lack of water, and that’s just the stuff we’ll have to worry about it in the first twenty four hours. Do you have a decent pair of shoes?” 

“A threat! Oh, you wound my heart.” He puts a hand to his chest dramatically. Hauling up the chests would have been less than ideal, but Anthony was either going to have his wine, or he would be extremely cranky the whole way down. Such a spoilsport—he can see why the good doctor and her got along swimmingly. Voices of reason weren’t out of fashion just yet, but he would have rather they loosened their ties once in a while. “But it’ll be fine, I suppose. Leave it at the forward camp or something, so when we all get back, we’ll have a time of it,” Anthony smiles, lounging on an empty chair, “I don’t suppose that you would object to some team building, Berl?”

She pats his shoulder affectionately, the way one might attempt to calm or distract a child. “That was not a threat, my dear, if I was threatening you I would be far more direct and you would be far more frightened.” Edith was not a fashionable person and therefore did not understand that her voice of reason was so dreadfully uncouth. Still, Anthony inspired her to be more daring and more on trend. So she silenced the voice in her head that begged her to reiterate to him just how perilous it could be. “Perhaps we’ll just have to found a new city at the entrance to the tomb. That way you can delight in all your comforts while still being near enough by to lend a helping hand.” She was well-aware Anthony would be lending no hands at all tot he mission, only money, but she preferred to treat him like the others, just so he could feel included. “That depends on the team building. If your idea is getting every roaring drunk then I may have to decline until after we complete the expedition.” 

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         “I don’t know who that is, but he doesn’t sound very strong. He probably only has one bicep. Unlike me. I’ve got lots,” Shawn replies, his best reassuring smile firmly in place. He doesn’t know who Adonis is either; he assumes Edith must be comparing him to people she’s already met.

         So: “You could probably fight Maggie, if we came across her. We probably won’t, I don’t know why she’d be out here. She’s our elderly next door neighbor, and she’s smaller than you are.” Shawn beams at Edith, because now that he knows how she gives out compliments, he knows how to compliment her the best in return! Love languages, he’s read about that. Edith’s is who would you win in a fight against. “You look scrappy.”

Edith stopped in place; her swift gait halted by the sheer incomprehensibility of that answer. Now, she wasn’t fully expecting him to understand the allusion to classical mythology but it was the second part that truly turned her head. She wasn’t sure ‘lots’ could be a term that was applied to a specific muscle structure. But she was no expert so she shrugged it off. 

Packing. He was supposed to be packing. He’s reminded of such when his Aunt’s voice pulls him from the pages of the book that had caught his attention, one which was not even remotely relevant to their endeavor but had seemed interesting. Harold replaces the book and then leans out of the row he was currently in, looking down the main aisle to see where she was.  “ Not in your office ? ”  he asks, calling back, and then suggests his own favorite place to loose his, if frequency was any indicator,  “ Have you checked on top of your head ? ”

The soft clack of her boots on the stone floor echoes through the grand library. It was an easy place to to get lost in both literally in terms of direction and metaphorically in terms of the wonder that the grandeur that so many books inspired. So she didn’t blame him for getting a little distracted. “I was just there, not a sign of them,” At his words she fumbles around, feeling at the tangled mess of brunette hair piled on top of her head and tied back it what used to be a bun. Her fingers hit metal, and she struggles to to pull the thin frames out of the mop, “Oh goodness, oh goodness me,” she mutters arriving at his side as she manages to free them, “Well, that’s embarrassing. How’s it going dear?” 

“Edith, darling, light of my life. Yes,” he replied emphatically. Wine was a non-negotiable thing, and so was the books, the half-decent music. They were going to be out there, but they weren’t going to rough it. God no! He liked the sun as much as anyone else, but there was a line. “It wouldn’t be any fun otherwise, you know. This is academic, but I’m not wearing beige for the life of me. It suits you, but it washes me out.”

Edith rolls her eyes but could not help the affectionate smile tugging her lips. While Anthony could be described as high-maintenance, dramatic, and eccentric she appreciated those things about him. At least he had the decency to fit that description unapologetically. “It’ll certainly be less fun when you have to carry that through the desert all by yourself.” She doubted he’d be carrying much more than a tasteful messenger bag or thigh holster. “Although I can’t argue with you on the fact that a suitable wardrobe is key.” She lifts her skirt slightly to reveal her well-worn brown boots, clicking her heels together to show them off. 

“Harold?” she calls through the library, “I seem to have misplaced my reading glasses. Have you seen them?” 

“Have you ever ventured so far out into the desert before?” she asked, “I suppose I should warn you of some of the dangers. I know you’ve already signed on, but I wouldn’t blame you if you changed your mind.” 

“My goodness, you really are a towering adonis of a man,” she gasped, “I suppose you could fight Ra himself should we come across him.” 

Edith flipped through the pages of the expense checkbook, “Some of these seem a bit. . . unnecessary. Are you sure these are the bare essentials?”