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“If you say so.” She heard the doubt in his voice. The resignation, too. “You know you can call if you need anything, anything at all.”
“I know, Pop, thanks.”
“You hear any more from that ex-husband of yours?”
Susan hadn’t told anyone who’d fathered her children, hadn’t told anyone except Seth that she hadn’t done this clinically, but she knew they all assumed—maybe even hoped—that Michael was responsible.
“Actually, he’s been staying at the condo for the past couple of weeks. He’s in town on business.” She had no idea what had made her say that. Susan had learned long ago to keep her private life private. Not many people understood her untraditional choices. And she’d grown tired of defending them.
“Good.”
“Good?”
“I’m glad he’s there. A woman needs a man around to take care of her at a time like this....”
Susan tuned out.
Some things just never changed.
SUSAN CALLED her brothers next, reaching everyone but Seth who was in town but not anywhere Susan could find him. The brothers’ reactions were all similar to her father’s. With the exception of Stephen, who’d been in the middle of some important nuclear-scientist thought when she’d called and probably wouldn’t even remember that they’d spoken. None of them—including Seth—really understood her. They all thought she was off her rocker. And they all told her to call if she needed anything.
If she did, they’d come running. En masse. She knew that as surely as she knew they’d never include her in their annual golf outing. As surely as she knew they loved her unconditionally.
She could hardly ask for anything more.
Except maybe a lover who’d make love to her.
Pulling onto her street around seven o’clock that evening, Susan frowned. There was an old and completely unfamiliar car parked in her drive. She wasn’t expecting anyone. The visitor had to be Michael’s.
What a night for him to have company.
“Okay, you two, we’ll just have to keep our news to ourselves. Probably for the best, anyway,” she said aloud, parking out in the street in front of the condo. Michael couldn’t even come to terms with generic babies, let alone the pair who’d just taken on form and personality. “Just see that you play nice, tonight, kids.”
Someone kicked in res
ponse as she got out of the car, and Susan laughed.
One of each. She couldn’t believe how lucky she was. A son and a daughter. Boy clothes and girl clothes. Brownies and Cub Scouts. Makeup and fast cars. She’d have it all.
Or so she told herself.
“I’ll just be going then,” a construction worker, minus his hard hat and tool belt, was leaving as Susan approached the front door.
“Thanks for bringing him by,” she heard Michael say from the shadows of the foyer.
“No problem,” he called. And then, “Ma’am,” as he strode past Susan.
“What’s—”
With a finger to his lips, Michael nodded toward the living room just as they both heard a resounding crash.
And a very loud curse.
“Seth?” Running into the living room, she saw her brother picking himself up from the floor, clutching pieces of a broken lamp.
“Sorry, sis,” he slurred. “It moved.”
“Seth Carmichael, sit down before you break anything else,” she commanded, worried sick about her brother. If he kept this drinking up, he was going to find himself in jail.
