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“We’ll get ahold of her, buddy.” Barrett looks over his shoulder to check the clock on the stove. “Late as usual.”
I inspect Mattie thoroughly, and with mild alarm. His red hair is redder than Barrett’s and his hazel eyes aren’t Barrett’s true blue. But they have the same strong chin, and though Mattie’s a child, I can tell he’s going to be tall.
“You never mentioned...” I start, gesturing to the little boy.
Barrett’s eyebrows pinch. He swallows his coffee, follows my gaze to Mattie, and then tracks back to me.
“Why didn’t you tell me about him?”
“I didn’t think you’d care.”
My mouth drops open in offense. “Of course I care!”
“We don’t share that many friendly factoids.”
“He’s a human being. Hardly a factoid.”
“You’re thinking about the column.”
“No, I’m not.” Except I sort of am. “Not in an exploitive way,” I add in a small voice.
Barrett lets out a knowing chuckle.
“He looks like you.” I cock my head to the side and study Mattie, who’s rolling around on the floor with an iPad. The loud music has started again, interspersed with electronic explosions to which he adds his own sound effects.
“Everyone says that. I don’t see it.”
“What are you working on?” I walk to the laptop that is now sitting open on the counter. “Your column?”
“There’s no working with him here,” Barrett mutters quietly. “I like having him here—don’t get me wrong, but whenever Jenni pulls this shit, there’s no warning. And Aaron isn’t much better.”
Jenni. Aaron. I assume Jenni is...an ex-girlfriend? The math doesn’t work out with Beth since they dated on and off for six years. Unless, during an “off” period, Barrett impregnated this Jenni person. No clue who Aaron is though. Maybe the stepdad?
“If neither of them shows up soon, we’re going to have to order pizza.”
“Pizza!” Mattie shouts, not too steeped in the world of war on the iPad screen to miss an offer of the perfect dinner.
A doorbell chimes through the apartment at the same time the door swings aside, depositing a tall, lean red-haired man into the living room. “Sorry I’m late.”
“You said two hours. It’s closing in on five,” Barrett says. “I called Jenni.”
“Jenni?” the other man snaps. He has a mean, unfriendly look about him. “I told you I’d be back.”
“Yes. In two hours,” Barrett replies tiredly before blinking at me like he just remembered I was here. “This is Aaron, my brother.”
“Aaron, your brother.” My tone is surprised with a dash of relief. I offer a hand. Aaron shakes it as I inspect his wardrobe. Denim shorts covered in grease stains and a dark blue T-shirt screen printed with an eagle carrying a banner that reads: FREEDOM.
Conversely, Barrett wears a soft-looking pair of jeans that are worn at the thighs and a black T-shirt with nothing on it at all. His hair is styled, and his scruff is neat. His muscles play and flirt beneath the material, whereas his brother’s lean build doesn’t allow for shifting muscle. Aaron’s scruff is scraggly and bright red, his hair fuzzy from lack of hair products. They look the same but not. By the time I register that Aaron has the greenest eyes I’ve ever seen, I push two rather obvious puzzle pieces together.
“Mattie’s your son,” I say to Aaron. Then I turn to Barrett. “Your nephew.”
“And who are you, pretty lady?” Aaron’s expression borders on lecherous. I tighten my grip on my coffee cup and take a step closer to Barrett.
“She’s Kitty Cat!” Mattie hops over to his father. “Where’s mom?”
“We’re going to go see her now.” Aaron flicks a look to me and Barrett, hesitating. “Say, bro, do you have twenty bucks? I need to fill up the tank. Might need you to check the engine, too. Something’s rattling.”
Next to me Barrett is a wall of tension. The air practically vibrates with it. He pulls his wallet out and slaps a twenty into his brother’s hand.
