Families were complicated no matter where they were from or how they were made up. Alak knew better than most how strained relationships could get inside the tangled messes people called family. Rose and Jill seemed fond of each other in a way deeper than most cousins. He'd say they were closer to older sister-younger sister than mere cousins, but what did he really know about those types of family interactions?
He'd been raised an only child, not permitted to play with family on his father's side since they were "lesser" than his family on his mother's side, and not permitted to play with family on his mother's side because he was considered "lesser" thanks to his father.
"I'm thinking I got the family blessing from Rose," Alak confided in Jill, "Think that means we can plan on seeing more of each other? I promise I mean 'spending more time together' and not 'more' as in 'with less clothing.' If that helps at all, Rose. Sorry. Sometimes I say things without thinking about how there could be more than one meaning."