A Family Affair(75)

“I am,” she said. “There’s a private school that provides after-hours care. They have after-school care till ten p.m. for working parents. They pay decently and you know me and kids. It would be like getting paid to play.”

“You aren’t going to have much time for yourself,” he said. “For, you know, grown-up fun.”

“I’ll manage,” she said. “Is your mom going to be able to go back to work any time soon?”

“She’s been working from home a lot, but she still gets wobbly and tired. She’s improving with physical therapy and I’ve noticed the walker isn’t being used anymore, but I also noticed she shuffles a little when she walks.”

“She might be a little nervous,” Jenn said. “Maybe she’s worried about falling.”

“Could be,” he said. “She does seem to be taking things slow. And then Jessie won’t let her do too much.”

“So, is it just the four of you for dinner tomorrow?”

“Bess has a boyfriend and he’s going to stop by for a little while. And our friend Joe is spending the day at his daughter’s house in Bodega Bay, so on his way back to his house, he’s stopping by. That’s it.”

“How about that new sibling?” she asked. “If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s okay.”

“There’s nothing to talk about. But no, she’s not coming. Really, that wouldn’t be cool. I mean, it’s not my mom’s long-lost daughter. It’s my dad’s secret illegitimate daughter.”

“I really think it’s amazing that your mom has met her, befriended her, gotten to know her...”

“My mom’s really liberal.”

“I was thinking she’s very forgiving and loving.”

“She thinks the baby is cute,” he said. “But it’s not her grandchild, it’s my dad’s grandchild... Not cool.”

“Do you ever get tired of being so judgmental? Stuff like this has been happening for centuries! Kings and queens have been sired out of wedlock. Sometimes these scandals have started wars and sometimes they’ve created new dynasties.”

“This isn’t that.”

“But it isn’t your half sister’s fault. And it sure isn’t her new baby’s fault. Your niece, by the way.”

“And it’s not my fault,” he said.

“Don’t be juvenile, of course it’s not your fault. But you have a blood relative you’ve never met and you should meet her. Just meet her. You don’t have to support her or be best friends or anything. Just say hello. If you want to really be an above-average human being, you might ask her if there’s anything she’d like to know about her father.”

“Why would I want to do that?”

“Because you loved and admired your father,” she said patiently. “By all accounts he was a very neat guy. I barely knew him and I really liked him. You have great parents. And he was crazy proud of you! The fact that he slipped up has nothing to do with you.”

“Jenn, you don’t know how it feels...”

“It sounds very spoiled,” she said. “But it’s your life. If you want to punish your dad by being angry and refusing to acknowledge your half sister, knock yourself out. I think the only loser in that equation will be you. I better go help with the pies.”

“Listen, don’t go yet. It’s the holiday season. Maybe we should get together—”

“No more booty calls, Michael. Sorry.”

“Not a booty call!” he insisted. “But maybe we could have coffee? Or ice cream? Or just talk?”

“We’re talking...”

“How about face-to-face talking.”

“I think we were arguing,” she said. “I’m sorry about that. I’m too opinionated sometimes. What you do with your new family scenario is your deal, not mine. I just can’t help but think your dad... Well, what do I know. Seemed like your mom was a bigger person. Always trying to do the right thing. You know?”

“And you think getting to know Amy is the right thing?” he asked.

“I didn’t say that—I think introducing yourself, telling her who you are, I think meeting her, is the right thing. Maybe you do that and find you have nothing more to talk about. But withdrawing and being angry about it, about her? That’s for sure the wrong thing. That makes it all about you. There are other people in this drama, after all.”

“There are,” he said. “Tell me about your sisters. Tell me what the kids are up to. Tell me what your Thanksgiving dinner is.”

She laughed. “You’re so good at changing the subject.”

But that wasn’t his intention, to just change the subject. He didn’t want her to say goodbye.

The next morning he called Jessie. He asked her about the details of their family dinner, the time, was he expected to bring anything. To which she laughed and said, “Hardly, Michael. But you might be called upon to help with cleanup.”

“I can do that,” he said.

Then he got busy on his computer, and with only a name and phone number to work with, he located this mysterious sister on Alameda Island. He knew what little his mother had shared, that she was a nurse practitioner married to a physician and they both worked in the city. Hospitals were not closed on holidays and they could be working, but he couldn’t bring himself to call ahead. Instead, he stopped at a roadside stand, bought a floral arrangement and drove to the island and got out of the car. He rapped lightly on the front door.