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“Sure.” Having dinner with my parents sounds a lot more interesting than warming up last evening’s dinner in the microwave. “I’ll be there in ten.”
On the way, Ivy again invades my mind. She’s the first woman who has ever made me feel used and discarded. Clearly, she just needed someone to scratch her itch, and when the job was done, she wanted him out. Pronto. Even thinking about it now, days later, makes me feel incensed all over again.
I get to my parents’ place and park my car on the circular drive in front of the house. Every time I come home, it hits me afresh how large the house is for just two people. I’d thought that after we boys moved out of home permanently, they would sell the house and get something smaller. Years later they are still living in the massive five-bedroom mansion, with at least three permanent domestic staff. I suppose it’s a lifestyle for my parents now, and they can certainly afford it.
Stephen opens the front door, a gray-haired gentleman who has been a butler for my parents for as long as I can remember.
“Dr. Anderson,” he says warmly. “Come in.”
It’s usually comical when the three of us brothers arrive at the same time, and Stephen trips over himself as he tries to get our titles right. Never mind that we’ve told him constantly to call us by our first names.
“Your parents are waiting for you in the drawing-room,” Stephen continues.
“Thanks,” I tell him, and as we stroll down the hallway, I ask after his family.
My mother stands up when I enter the drawing-room. I go to her and kiss her on both cheeks, and then she holds me by the shoulders and inspects me. She does this every time we see each other.
“You’ve lost weight, Alec. I thought it was the TV when I saw you on the screen. Are you forgetting to eat?”
What would she say if I told her the truth? That there’s a woman who is carrying my baby and has stolen my heart. The truth of that statement slams into me and puts an icy fear into my heart. Is that what it is? Am I falling for Ivy? A woman who, like me, has no space for love or relationships in her life?
“I’m okay, Mother,” I tell her and change the topic by moving to greet my father and ask about his health.
He had a minor heart attack prompting his retirement, but since then, he has been pretty stable and enjoying a slower pace of life.
I have a glass of wine to relax as my parents and I catch up. The last time I was home, it was a family dinner, and that is always a crazy evening with all the three of us home. There’s usually no time for deep discussions.
We head into dinner, and as we eat, we talk about the clinic fundraising dinner coming up.
“I hope you’re bringing a date this year,” my mother says. “I’m tired of seeing my sons called playboys and other unsavory names.”
I chuckle. “I didn’t think you cared.”
She cocks her head to one side. “Of course, I care. Every woman wants grandchildren, but at this rate, I’ll probably never get any.”
Guilt grabs me by the throat when I remember that I still haven’t told them about Ivy. They go into the clinic every so often, but I know they haven’t been since the error that ended with Ivy pregnant. If they did go, however, chances are that word would get to them. The employees who’ve been at the clinic for decades are very loyal to my parents. I know this because my parents usually know things that my brothers and I thought were known by only a few people. I guess I’ve been taking a huge risk by not telling them myself. That’s what my brothers have been trying to tell me.
Still, I hesitate, and I search for why I’m nervous. The answer comes right away. It’s because I slept with her. It’s guilt. As if I impregnated her the same way. An accident happened at the clinic, which was no fault of mine. The only thing that is my fault is not ensuring that my sperm was destroyed all those years ago.
I wait until we finish dinner, and everyone is relaxing with a glass of wine.
“Mother, Father, there’s something we need to talk about. Something that happened at the clinic a few weeks ago,” I begin.
My parents exchange a glance.
“We’re listening,” my father says.
Mention the word clinic, and you have my parents’ attention. It’s always been that way from the start. The clinic is more than our family business. It’s our legacy, and it holds a special place in our hearts.
I start from the very beginning with Jace telling me that there’s a woman who is pregnant with my child.
My mother gasps and her hand flies to her mouth. “A woman is carrying our grandchild?”
I nod. I should be miserable, but I’m not. If anything, I feel a sense of pride and achievement as if I’m responsible for putting that baby in Ivy’s womb.
“Oh my God,” my mother says over and over again. She turns to look at my father. “We’re going to be grandparents, Adam.”
I notice she’s misty-eyed, and that surprises me. It’s not the reaction I expected from her.
