return.
“I wanted to see you myself. Wanted to see if perhaps I couldn’t smooth the way a little should the test come back positive. May I come in? He’s not here, is he? I checked the middle school schedule and he’s not due home until after three. That really sounds stalkery of me. I just wanted to be sure . . . well, naturally I’d love to meet him, but I wouldn’t do it without arranging it with you in advance.”
“He’s not here, no. He has math club after school today so I have to run to pick him up later on.”
Erin took a step into the house and saw them. Pictures of the boy all over the walls. It was a punch to the gut, just how much he looked like Alexander. And Adrian. A sense of longing to know him and give him the Brown love he’d been missing.
But also the realization that if Erin was in this woman’s place, she’d be freaked the fuck out.
“And I can see the test will come back positive. Christ.” She dug in her bag and pulled out a small photo album. “This is my son, Alexander.”
Gillian leaned forward and her eyes widened a little. “He’s beautiful. Is this recent?”
“This one was just two weeks ago. Miles is clearly my nephew. One only has to look at him to see it. My god. He looks so much like Brody here.” She moved to one where the boy must have been eight or nine, holding a cat, grinning at the camera.
“That’s Fat Lucy, she’s only one of his strays. We have four cats he’s picked up along the way. A turtle. We had a dog but he passed on two years ago.”
In that face, Erin saw love. So much love she felt a deep affinity for the woman. This was a mother and Erin wanted her to know she wouldn’t threaten that.
“He brings home stray animals?”
Gillian’s smile was back. “Yeah. He’s hopeless and I am weak against it. He’s just got so much love to give.” She focused on Erin, intent. “This is why I went to your brother. How can I keep him all to myself?”
Erin ached for her, at the same time being very grateful the woman loved that child so much she’d risk a great deal by bringing him to his father. Who then yelled in her face multiple times.
“Can I come in? Have a cup of coffee? I want to know you. I want to hear about Miles. Please.”
“Come in. I’ll put on a pot of tea.” Gillian turned and led the way through the sunny house toward the kitchen. Erin got the chance to devour every detail of the place. Pictures on the walls. Most of mom and son, some of others Erin gathered were extended family or friends.
A grand piano dominated the family room. Music played through the in-house speaker system.
The kitchen had a large table in the nook space. “Have a seat, I’ll get the kettle on.” She began to bustle around. “Or I can make coffee if you like.”
“Tea would be lovely, thank you.”
Gillian sat across from Erin, putting a plate with assorted cookies and crackers out. “Biscuits. Erm, cookies.” She laughed.
“We lived in London for two months once. Way back at the beginning. Enough for me to get a craving for real malt vinegar crisps every once in a while.” Erin took a cookie but didn’t eat it. “Tell me about him.”
Gillian’s smile was back, warm and a little shy. “Miles just turned thirteen and he’s often on the tussle between acting forty and, sometimes, infuriatingly thirteen. Surly. Sullen. Snappy.” Gillian rolled her eyes, amused affection on her face. “He’s a great kid. Smart, though he can be lazy and I have to be on him to get his homework turned in. Musical. Which isn’t a surprise really. He’s rather sweet. There are three girls who call here all the time and he doesn’t seem to know what to do with all the female attention.”
Gillian poured out as she spoke.
“Works hard, especially on things he loves like music or animals. Rarely gives me a problem except he grows out of his shoes every few months. He started walking late. Liked to snuggle in next to me and found no reason to get up
“I wanted to see you myself. Wanted to see if perhaps I couldn’t smooth the way a little should the test come back positive. May I come in? He’s not here, is he? I checked the middle school schedule and he’s not due home until after three. That really sounds stalkery of me. I just wanted to be sure . . . well, naturally I’d love to meet him, but I wouldn’t do it without arranging it with you in advance.”
“He’s not here, no. He has math club after school today so I have to run to pick him up later on.”
Erin took a step into the house and saw them. Pictures of the boy all over the walls. It was a punch to the gut, just how much he looked like Alexander. And Adrian. A sense of longing to know him and give him the Brown love he’d been missing.
But also the realization that if Erin was in this woman’s place, she’d be freaked the fuck out.
“And I can see the test will come back positive. Christ.” She dug in her bag and pulled out a small photo album. “This is my son, Alexander.”
Gillian leaned forward and her eyes widened a little. “He’s beautiful. Is this recent?”
“This one was just two weeks ago. Miles is clearly my nephew. One only has to look at him to see it. My god. He looks so much like Brody here.” She moved to one where the boy must have been eight or nine, holding a cat, grinning at the camera.
“That’s Fat Lucy, she’s only one of his strays. We have four cats he’s picked up along the way. A turtle. We had a dog but he passed on two years ago.”
In that face, Erin saw love. So much love she felt a deep affinity for the woman. This was a mother and Erin wanted her to know she wouldn’t threaten that.
“He brings home stray animals?”
Gillian’s smile was back. “Yeah. He’s hopeless and I am weak against it. He’s just got so much love to give.” She focused on Erin, intent. “This is why I went to your brother. How can I keep him all to myself?”
Erin ached for her, at the same time being very grateful the woman loved that child so much she’d risk a great deal by bringing him to his father. Who then yelled in her face multiple times.
“Can I come in? Have a cup of coffee? I want to know you. I want to hear about Miles. Please.”
“Come in. I’ll put on a pot of tea.” Gillian turned and led the way through the sunny house toward the kitchen. Erin got the chance to devour every detail of the place. Pictures on the walls. Most of mom and son, some of others Erin gathered were extended family or friends.
A grand piano dominated the family room. Music played through the in-house speaker system.
The kitchen had a large table in the nook space. “Have a seat, I’ll get the kettle on.” She began to bustle around. “Or I can make coffee if you like.”
“Tea would be lovely, thank you.”
Gillian sat across from Erin, putting a plate with assorted cookies and crackers out. “Biscuits. Erm, cookies.” She laughed.
“We lived in London for two months once. Way back at the beginning. Enough for me to get a craving for real malt vinegar crisps every once in a while.” Erin took a cookie but didn’t eat it. “Tell me about him.”
Gillian’s smile was back, warm and a little shy. “Miles just turned thirteen and he’s often on the tussle between acting forty and, sometimes, infuriatingly thirteen. Surly. Sullen. Snappy.” Gillian rolled her eyes, amused affection on her face. “He’s a great kid. Smart, though he can be lazy and I have to be on him to get his homework turned in. Musical. Which isn’t a surprise really. He’s rather sweet. There are three girls who call here all the time and he doesn’t seem to know what to do with all the female attention.”
Gillian poured out as she spoke.
“Works hard, especially on things he loves like music or animals. Rarely gives me a problem except he grows out of his shoes every few months. He started walking late. Liked to snuggle in next to me and found no reason to get up
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