When Frank said he was going to ‘get some Hamburger Helper cooked’, you believed he would cook the hamburgers himself.
So when you saw him order around a bunch of skinny guys in some fastfood-worker uniform, specially when you could see they used to have a lot of muscles. You would say they used to be a gang of bikers, based on their tattoos. Lets face it: Saying they were cooked was an understatement!
Wile Sally followed the zombies-slaves, probably they didn't try to escapes instead of working, Julie and Frank guided you to the dining room. To your surprise, you saw a long table, with a bench on each side, one already occupied by a bunch of teens and preteens sirens. The gynecologist and her husband made you sit on the unoccupied bench, imposing you a precise order: First Elizabeth, then Emily, Jake, Michelle and, finally, you. That's when you realized the chair on your right, in which Selene sat. (The bench on your side of the table must have been shorter.)
This table wasn't only long, but also two time larger than most. Thanks to this, Julie and Frank were able to be at the head of the table, side by side. For some reason, of the two lover, Frank was the one farther from you and your wife's sisterhood.
Like on cue, the instant everyone was set up, the former bikers came back to serve hamburgers, or rather fishburgers, to Jake, Frank, the young sirens and of course, your self. After what, Sally disappeared with them, again.
You were about to ask about them, but Michelle beat you to it. "I don't want to intrude, but… Err… What the deal with the… ‘kitchen staff’?"
The response came from two young sirens who would be indistinguishable from each others, if it wasn't for their different length of hair. Glaring at both Michelle and you, they said "Those jerk killed mom! So sister Sally, since she don't need to need as much men than most, being Frank's daughter. Thanks to this, she could choose to eat them slowly, rather than gulping them in one go. Sally was very close with mom, and nothing is more dangerous, ruthless or cruel than a pissed Sally."
Then, about to cry, the long haired one added "Not only that, but they also sent Danny to the hospital. Since, because she stayed with him, we didn't saw sister Danny…"
You were all perturbed by the bit about this ‘Danny’. Thankfully none were distraught enough to not offer their condolences. Seeing the confusion on everyone faces, head-sister Julie clarified "The boyfriend of Daniela, the first daughter I've got with Frank, is named Dan. But calling them both ‘Danny’ is so confusing, the girls just can't help it…"
That made you wonder… "How much of your daughters are Frank's?" A question Michelle and you asked perfectly in sync.
"Only two, Danny and Sally." answered Frank, seemingly unsurprised. "You must know that, unlike humans, sirens can't be pregnant until their last one reached adulthood. Not unless they got separated from their daughter, like if the mother got banned of her sisterhood or, heaven forbid it, if the kid died."
"You need to know that, while the relationship between a fully mature siren and her mother isn't really different from the one of an adult woman and her mother," added Julie "it's not the same during childhood."
Eager to share her knowledge about her kin, Elizabeth enthusiastically continued. "At birth, a siren can't produce her own magic. But without her magic, a siren can't live. Thankfully, a young mother produce enough magic for both her and her child, magic that's somehow pumped into the baby even without any physical contact."
"Around a month," she continued "the daughter will start producing her own magic. While it's insignificant at first, the quantity she produce will grow with her, everyday becoming a bit less dependent of her mother. But she will only be really independent when reaching full maturity."
"Of course, that only apply if you are BORN a siren." clarified Julie. "Converted teenagers, like miss Emily, already produce all the magic they need."
This time, it was Selene's turn to say more. "If a mother is unable to care for her daughter, whatever the reason, it's up to the daughter's head-sister to find a suitable substitute, to recreate the bond, someone the young one already feel akin to, and it must be mutual. Most sisterhoods are small enough that any sister can adopt the kid. And if needed, shared motherhood isn't unheard of."
"But in a sisterhood as big as mine," continued Julie "I'm the only one who can bond equally with everyone, being the head-sister. Among the sisters that bonded enough with the twin, Danny is the only viable candidate. Heck, this girl could easily adopt a third daughter without any complication! But to create a filial link between Daniela and any child, I need her to be here."
Then, one of said twins, the short haired one, added "Counting from tonight, Flora and me should be able to survive like this one whole week without any lasting effects, but after…"
"I hope you Daniela will soon become your new mother, from all my heart." Realizing Michelle and you said this together, you looked at each others, blinking.
The shy, long haired Flora then lightly elbowed her sister, timidly saying "Fauna, I think those two think even more alike than we do." This made everyone around the table burst into laughter.
The table… The way you were positioned around it felt almost ritual to you. But your question was forgotten, like you now cold burger, the very instant your wife's labor started.