As soon as Chelsea learned that Tommie knew, she only had to wait until her uncle was alone. It took longer than expected, nearly the end of January. Chelsea had been visiting with her mother and sister, but Rachel didn’t know just as Will, David, and Eric were still in the dark. Somehow between the parents, grandparents, and one great uncle, the secret had held.
Chelsea spotted Tommie’s truck in his driveway, but not her Aunt Rae’s car. Chelsea raced up the short stretch of gravel, meeting Tommie as he left the barn. As if bovines might emit the news in a moo, neither said a word, Tommie’s good hand all over Chelsea’s middle.
They shared a few words, then Rae arrived, and Chelsea nearly told her, only held back by Tommie’s shaking head. Later in a long email, he fully congratulated her and Andy, noting how pleased her pop would be, and that Rae would be so proud that Chelsea and Andy had kept their mouths shut.
Jenny’s sixty-first birthday was being celebrated on Saturday. Eric wouldn’t make the party, most of the cousins unable to attend. That was fine with Sam and Jenny, for this bash wasn’t so much for Jenny, but for two babies about to make their debut. But before the festivities, the Schumachers stopped at Andy’s folks, giving them the pleasure of more descendants. Paula wept and Eric was initially subdued. Then he wiped his eyes, telling Chelsea how happy she would be making her… He stumbled, unsure of how to refer to Alvin, a man that, like the rest, Eric had never forgotten.
“My pop you mean?” Chelsea asked, as Andy cradled his mother.
“Uh yeah,” Eric said.
They hadn’t been close, he noted, but once Jenny came around, no one missed how Alvin had changed. And after they had a baby, well, Eric puffed, full of grandfatherly joy, Alvin had seemed like a new man.
“He’d be pleased as punch.” Then Eric sniffled. He wasn’t overly demonstrative, but stood slowly, that bad heart dogging his steps. Chelsea responded in kind, her weak stomach and aching chest a hindrance. Their embrace was new, but the feelings behind it were old, Alvin and Grant in both their hearts, two babies coming in their stead.
Then it was back to Tommie and Rae’s, where Chelsea’s aunt took the news as Tommie had said, thrilled that someone had finally paid attention. She didn’t seem at all put out that Tommie already knew, was content to be told before Chelsea and Andy’s siblings. Phone calls would suffice for Andy’s brothers and sister, but the news would be delivered in person to the Cassels, all but Eric, who would be on speakerphone. Chelsea wanted to tell them all together, aware that the few tears she had shed with Tommie, even less with Rae, were waiting as soon as she saw Will’s eyes.
Rachel and David would be just as excited, but Chelsea didn’t kid herself. Other than telling her parents, it was her closest brother with whom she most wished to share this news.
Driving the short distance from Tommie’s to Sam’s, Chelsea and her husband spoke of how as soon as her siblings knew, Mitch was next. Maybe it would get his ass home, Chelsea laughed, then she quieted, seeing Will’s minivan parked near the house, David’s ancient truck alongside Rachel’s car. Eric was missing, but a phone in Chelsea’s pocket made it seem like he was only waiting.
Andy walked her up the steps, tears already in her eyes. He opened the door, hearing David and Sam hollering about something. Will and Rachel tried to soothe the baby, while Bethany and Jenny’s voices hovered in the kitchen. Louise was trying to best her Uncle David, but that brother kept laughing, attempting to calm a whiny infant.
“Us soon,” Andy whispered.
“Stop that,” Chelsea sobbed.
All faces turned her way, then Will, David, and Rachel rushed to Chelsea’s side. Sam chuckled, his granddaughter caught by the stillness.
“What, what?” Three voices rang out as Chelsea was surrounded. Jenny and Bethany moved their way as Sam pulled out his phone, calling his youngest son.
“God Chelse, what the hell happened?” Will’s voice was stark. He grasped her hands as Andy gently pushed his wife toward her brother.
“Oh Will, David, Rache…”
“You got him yet Sam?” Jenny asked, stepping to her husband and granddaughter.
Bethany joined Will, also looking alarmed. “My God, what is it?”
“Eric, you there?” Sam laughed.
“Here, give that to Chelse.” Jenny took Louise. “Put it on speaker Sam.”
A father handed the phone to his son-in-law, Eric’s voice as concerned as the rest: What in the world’s going on?
Chelsea gazed at Will, ocean blue eyes staring straight at one another. That she didn’t look at her other siblings or even toward her father’s cell phone no one recalled, for once she spoke, pandemonium broke out, no memory as to how this had been versed. Her words were simple; on that day, Chelsea was just like many other women.
“Oh my God you guys. Andy and I are pregnant and we’re gonna have twins!”
Louise didn’t cry but her father and uncle hollered on her behalf. Will hoisted his sister first, then David hefted her, seemed to have had enough strength to haul Andy over his shoulder too. Rachel’s tears poured, Bethany the same. Eric kept repeating he didn’t believe it, then cursed his absence. He would drive straight there, but his truck had a flat and he was surviving on his bike. Chelsea told him to stay put, as she would probably miss his graduation, and fair was fair.
Eric didn’t think it was at all equitable that he couldn’t partake in that night’s celebratory mood, then miss tomorrow’s bash. He complained to his parents, as Chelsea had been squished onto the sofa, Will on one side, Rachel the other, David in front, and Bethany with Louise close. Andy stood with his in-laws, observing how tight this clan was, but plenty of room waited for more.
“My God,” Will cried, in tears since the news hit his ears. “I just can’t believe it!”
Chelsea nodded, hands all over a part of her previously considered useless. Questions flew, answers too. Sam and Jenny filled in the gaps as Andy was muted by the abundance of love and affection.
He wouldn’t expect his siblings to be this animated, would be shocked if they were. But he had anticipated this greeting, these five, even Eric on the phone, closer than most brothers and sisters. Andy wasn’t threatened in the least, for these Cassels loved their other halves the way they adored each other, at least in his case and what he saw with Will and Bethany, Eric and Dana too. Rachel and David were probably no different; from how emotional David looked, anyone close to him, be it a sister, brother, or cousin, was held in a grip more powerful than Andy had before noted. David appeared just like his dad, and for what Andy knew of Sam, beware to anyone who breached David’s defenses.
Then Andy caught the sisters wrapped around each other. Rachel would lend her hands when the babies were home, Chelsea allowing for any possible complication. She was accepting of motherhood in small doses, but worried they would arrive early, or other problems arising. Rachel was like Jenny, easing into her older sister that this miracle, what they all called it, would be fine. A good echo, Andy considered, his thoughts the same.
Will said little, stroking Chelsea’s long hair, his wide, relieved smile noting all his feelings. Andy nodded as Will caught his gaze, great joy balanced by who wasn’t there. Other voices offered congratulations, love, best wishes. Alvin of course, but more.
Grant, Sylvia and Keith Baxter too. Robert Tucker, even Cliff Brooks. Then Andy felt chilled, someone else falling onto that list, a family member his children wouldn’t recall. He shuddered, then left it, hearing babies repeated, maybe two sons, or two daughters, or as they all seemed to hope, one of each. Chelsea already had names for that tandem, which Andy thought were fine. If they ended up needing more, then they’d be back to the books.
She had known what she wanted them called from early January, not that she had held those names in her head; she said they came in a dream, a gift just like the babies themselves. She didn’t feel them yet, except in nausea and her still aching breasts. But heartbeats were right around the corner, and maybe once t
hose tones permeated, Chelsea might not be so nervous. Or now that people knew, maybe that would ease her mind.
She had names for their children, she had told Andy, in case something went wrong. If the babies didn’t make it, they wouldn’t be lost anonymously.
Jenny stirred early on Saturday, up and down all night with an aching back. As she started the coffee, the front door rattled. Moving that way, she nearly shouted, but Eric whispered it was only him and Dana.
“What in the world?” Jenny found her rather disheveled youngest son and his equally tousled girlfriend in the living room. Each had a backpack, Eric with two days’ stubble on his face.
“Hey, happy birthday! No way would we have missed this party!” He kissed his mom, then laughed as she rubbed his cheek. “Yeah I know, gotta shave. Don’t worry. I’m not gonna end up like Scruffy the Bear.”
This thrill eased Jenny’s aching hips. “David’s got your bed,” she giggled. “I thought you said the truck had a flat.”
“It did,” Dana laughed. “But that wasn’t gonna stop Eric.”
Jenny smiled, noting that girl was sober. They had driven all night, Eric said, taking turns, looking rough only due to no rest. “So Dave’s in our bed huh,” he grinned. “Okay well, that bastard’s had enough sleep. Time to get his ass up.”
Eric headed for the stairs, getting a hug from his weary sister, Rachel doing a double take. “What’re you doing here?”
“Practice for summer,” he whispered, kissing her. “Gotta get Dave outta my bed.”
Before Rachel could say anymore, Eric was up the steps, hitting all the squeaky boards, hollering his brother’s name as he went. Sam emerged in his robe. “What the hell?”
He found his wife and youngest daughter standing by a woman he knew immediately needed to be home, which was this farm. Sam wasn’t privy to how those two had arrived, only a simple late-night road trip. It was ten hours, all freeway; once out of the Bay Area they had hardly encountered any traffic. But ten hours was nearly half a day, not counting the time it took Eric to get the flat fixed. He had splurged, he later shared, buying four new tires, all the better for the drive back south, plus the return trip in summer.
Sam didn’t know all that, only saw a young woman fragile, exhausted, on the run, how Jenny had been, Tracy too. Sam sucked in his breath, then heard the banter of brothers, similar to how he and Jacob had once communicated. David wanted to know what in the hell Eric was doing there, and that he’d have to get his own goddamned bed!
Eric countered that soon enough David would have to find a better place to lay his head, that come June, that queen would be for himself and Dana. In a jovial tone, Eric reminded David that while he might be older, that bedroom was for couples. Until David did something to alter his status, he’d better find other digs.
The chatter filtered to the women who giggled about Eric’s punchy tone. Then Sam learned how they had arrived, the long hours allowing for worn countenances. When Eric returned, he gripped his father, pleased for Chelsea’s news and Jenny’s birthday. That was then voiced: Happy birthday Mom, happy birthday Jenny. Dana spoke the latter, the only one beside Sam.
Then phone calls began, providing Eric and Dana a moment to say goodnight. They told David to get some clothes or else he would be wearing the same thing all day. Eric kissed his parents, then his sister, and said to not tell Chelsea, tossing his keys to David. It would be a surprise, Eric smiled, his arm around Dana, leading her up the stairs.
That was how Eric returned, a few months before he actually moved back for good. On Jenny’s birthday, when Chelsea announced her news, Eric and Dana came home.
Tired and needy, that twosome made love, then collapsed, only roused by a brother looking for payback. “Time for Uncle Eric to change Louise,” David taunted at two-thirty, holding a smelly infant over Eric’s head.
Eric tried to turn from the stench, then opened his eyes.
Dana was gone and David sat in her space. “Get up you idiot. Time to par-tay!”
Eric looked around. “Where’s Dana?”
“She just went downstairs, probably needed the can. Hey, I’m impressed. Ten hours straight through. Tanner’ll be glad to see you.”
Eric sat up, but didn’t get out of bed. He didn’t have anything on under the sheet, and while David wouldn’t care, there was a baby in the room. “Hey, you sure Dana’s okay?”
“Yeah, fine. Why?”
“Oh nothing. Hey uh, that baby…” Eric smiled, tickling her chin.
“Yeah?” David laughed.
“She smells like shit.”
“Yup. And you’re gonna change her.” David set his niece on the mattress, near a diaper and wipes. Then he stood, flipped off his brother, and left the room.
Eric sighed, then smiled. Louise seemed not to care who did the deed, and having helped with Tanner’s youngest siblings, changing a baby was natural to Eric. Doing it in the buff was practice, he told himself, for the days when he and Dana were in this situation.
Everyone was thrilled with the young couple’s presence, the night full of happy voices and many congratulatory notices. All the aunts and uncles were in shock, as everyone was aware of Chelsea’s issues. Now those seemed far in the past, and with the inclusion of the Schumacher clan, the missing cousins’ numbers had been bolstered. Then the talk turned to David and Rachel; when were they going to find steadies and get hitched?
Eric and Dana escaped those queries. Eric was still in school, Rae chuckled, but he would be home soon, a topic resolved. Better to rib David and Rachel, and they took it gracefully. David teased his aunt that he’d have to find someone who cooked as well as she did. The Schumachers weren’t aware of Rae’s baking prowess, but by evening’s end all knew what Rae made and why.
Eric had spared no expense getting home; the tires for his truck cost two hundred dollars each. Sam thought it was a good investment; Eric would have needed to replace them as more trips were expected. Eric had used money in his savings account and Sam would replenish it in the morning, details that were usually handled via emails or phone calls, but sometimes surprises arose. It was trivial, but Sam saw how Tanner hadn’t wandered away. Before he would have found it business for the oldsters. This time he paid attention.
Sam knew everything Will had said about Tanner’s latest hook-up. Scott said Tanner was on the straight and narrow, but many eyes rested on that young man who wasn’t going to counseling, but still lived at home, went to work, and was sober. Sam ended the conversation with Eric with no overt words, only that he was glad to see his son, and happy the tires were replaced.
Then he looked at his nephew. Tanner gazed at Alana, stormy green eyes narrow and biting.
That evening a different trio headed to town, Dana in between Eric and Tanner. In her haste, Dana had left most of her stash at the couple’s apartment. That Tanner accompanied them mattered little to Dana; she would prefer a few tokes or some tranquilizers over booze. Eric just wished one of them could manage their lives straight.
He didn’t fault either, especially since Tanner came home, but how did Tanner not get high? Living with an addict had softened Eric’s previous attitude, yet what Tanner fought against was negligible compared to Dana. Eric pleaded with her to go to AA, NA, see a shrink. She shook her head, then smoked a little weed, popped some pills, then did things to him that no other woman had ever managed. Eric wasn’t inexperienced when it came to sex, and what Dana offered wasn’t merely unusual positions. It was her demeanor; she never spoke when they made love, but her touch and postures made up for her silence.
Eric wished she would have either remembered her drugs, or just had a hit with his mom. After the Schumachers had gone, Jenny enjoyed a joint with Aunt Rae, while Dana chatted with Eric’s aunts sitting at the kitchen table. David had gone to Will’s house, joking he was going to put a pad lock on that upstairs room. Eric knew they were even, but recalled his brother throwing that punch at Mitch, then a few more over the years. David might be a scienti
st, but he was also Sam Cassel’s son.
And Sam Cassel could hold a grudge too.
While Tanner and Dana said goodnight to all the aunts, Sam pulled Eric aside, told him to be careful. This time, Sam didn’t just mean about Tanner.
His dad knew something. Maybe in the morning, Eric would find out just what it was. How could Sam know? No one here but Tanner had any idea. Sam’s cold eyes had been the clincher, not that he was angry with Eric, even with all the talk of Eric and Dana’s return. That seemed long over, which also puzzled Sam’s youngest. How had his dad gone from one extreme to the other? Now it seemed Sam couldn’t wait for Eric to return.
That the tires had cost nearly a thousand dollars hadn’t been questioned. Sometimes if Eric got careless, Sam would ask why. It hadn’t happened in a long time and Dana paid her own way. Eric hadn’t mentioned that to his parents, but if she got loaded that night, she would sleep late in the morning. Then Eric and his father could get some details settled.
“Hey, pull over up there,” Tanner said as they stopped for a red light.
Eric saw a group more of Will’s age, and not the company Tanner needed.
“Hey yeah. Honey, pull over.” Dana’s voice was edgy.
Eric sighed, then did as they asked. Tanner and Dana were out of the truck before Eric could speak.
Hands in his pockets, Tanner only talked to them. Dana’s hands slipped from hers, then something was concealed in her palms. She returned alone, looking relieved. “Says he’ll see you tomorrow.”
Eric stared, but it was dark. Finally Tanner came their way and Eric rolled down the window. Tanner smiled. “Hey man, go home. I’ll be fine.”
“You sure?” Eric gazed to sickly faces under the yellow streetlight.
“Yeah, I’ll get home okay.”
Eric felt ill, as if a trade-off had transpired, not just in what Dana had bought. Some piece of mind was acquired, but Tanner was the sacrifice.
“Listen, come on, plenty of room.” Dana scooted against Eric. She had what she needed, and he wasn’t worried for her. All Eric’s concerns were to a man like a brother, but on that street, Tanner seemed a million miles from Eric’s reach.
Tanner grinned. “No, it’s cool man. Nothing’s happening. Don’t worry. I’m not gonna fuck it up again.”
Tanner’s hollow laugh chilled Eric, who didn’t believe a word his cousin said.
Chapter 13