Fire and Blood

Opening scene season 8, episode 3, "The Long Night." The atmosphere, tense and anxious, as I shout at my children to go to bed, and get out of the living room. My 11-year-old daughter says to me,

"Oh my God, Mom, it's not like they're your friends. They aren't real, it's just a TV show."

I shout back, "Shut it, they are real, they are my friends, for the last eight years (nine really, as they made us wait so long for season eight)! Just go to bed, and hand me my tissues on your way."

Insert 11-year-old girl eye roll here.

I grab my tissues myself, and start watching the insane Battle Of Winterfell. I've warned my neighbors that if they hear shouting or sobbing, not to worry; I'm fine, I'm just watching Game of Thrones. Which is good, because five minutes into the episode, I've begun yelling and throwing things, by the end I am crying ugly sobs.

Prelude to this night, five years ago.

My 25-year-old son is home, he is repetitively insistent that I watch two of his favorite shows. After a few weeks living with my son again, he's got me hooked on The Walking Dead. This is a massive win for him. Straight away he begins on his crusade to convince me to watch Game Of Thrones. My son attempts everything he can think of, tells me about the show, and why I will like it. Leaving his books lying around. I woke up one morning to discover the season one DVDs laying on my pillow. He has just a few months to convince me before the new season starts. He takes to Facebook, tagging me in a post, begging everyone to hound me till I give in and watch.

The weekend comes, my smaller children go to a friend's house. My older son, off with his then girlfriend (now wife), I leave and visit a friend of mine for the weekend. We are deciding what to watch Friday night, he says to me, how about Game of Thrones?

I ask, "Did my son pay you to get me to watch that?"

He laughs and says no, but my son is right. I should really give it a chance. I sigh, and give in; he starts season one. Giving me commentary throughout when I'm confused, we watch till three or four AM. By Sunday evening, I've finished season one, and season two. When I go home, I try to secretly continue to catch up, and get busted by my son, who is absolutely ecstatic. I am now addicted.

I've continued to be an avid fan, watching every episode. Reading fan theory after fan theory, as well as having some of my own.

I believe Tyrion is a Targaryen. I believe it will be Jamie who kills Cersei. I believe Jon will rule the seven kingdoms, while Sansa rules the North. My mother and me, another avid fan, have debates every Monday morning. Sometimes agreeing, sometimes not. Debates with my son are rare, as we tend to have similar theories. Sometimes making the other one think about something we missed, or hadn't thought of before.

In my living room, there sits an iron throne holding my rubix cube, I found at a yard sale; the Targaryen side face out, Game Of Thrones calendar near by. My younger children knowing every Sunday in April and May, they must be in bed by nine PM, quiet, and out of my living room. During the week, I was posting Game Of Thrones memes, and doing so many quizzes, my friends concealed my posts on Facebook, saying the famous, "Am I the only one who hasn't seen a single episode of Game Of Thrones?"

And me taunting them to watch it. I create digital scrap kits on my off time. I have made six Game of Thrones kits. Targaryen, Stark, Lannister, A Kit Has No Name, Game Of Ice, and Mother of Dragons. My new kitten, his name is Morningstar Targaryen Winchester.

By now you can figure out where my loyalty lies in the Realm. I'm Team Targaryen! Till Season 8, episode 2, I was 100 percent for Dany being on the Iron Throne. Now not so much. I fear she is about to go all mad queen on everyone, not making it to the end. Hopefully, I'm mistaken. She has always been my favorite feminine character. Tyrion has always been my favorite masculine character. I think he got overlooked for an extremely long time. Assassinating his so-called father, and taking off on his own was the best thing he ever did. I believe his real father was the mad king. Hopefully they reveal he is a Targaryen in the last episodes. I totally ship him and Sansa. I would love seeing them end up together in the North.

My heart will be filled with bitter sweetness, as the final episode rolls credits. My spring Sundays will be empty and lonely. I will pray for spin offs to keep me going. I will truly miss my friends. No matter what my daughter declares.

#VocalGOT