Janice Carter - The Second Family

When the taxi rounded the corner of her street, Tess almost swooned in relief at the sight of her building. She longed for her weekly routine of reading the Saturday papers ensconced in the downy comfort of her new armchair, a cup of freshly brewed coffee at hand and the latest Dave Matthews CD pulsing softly in the background.

Then Molly dug her elbow into Nick’s ribs because he’d accidentally stepped on her foot and Tess’s mental replay of her typical Saturday morning unspooled. Tess thrust a handful of bills at the taxi driver and marched around the front of the cab to yank open the rear passenger door.

“Enough already!” she cried, her voice a notch louder than she’d intended.

As a pinch-faced Molly struggled out, her foot caught on part of the released seat belt and she tumbled out of the cab. Tess rushed to catch her before she hit the pavement, but, frightened by the near accident, Molly began to sob.

Nick slid from the car and, realizing his sister hadn’t been hurt, berated her for being such a baby. That set off another round of sobs. Tess stood helplessly beside them and, aware that her morning fantasy was never going to happen, raised her palms to her face.

“Long morning?” a deep, male voice drawled from behind.

Lowering her hands, Tess whirled around, registering Nick’s grin and Molly’s shriek of delight all in the same instant. They rushed to the man’s side, Molly wrapping herself around a solid frame well over Tess’s own height of five-eight and standing, legs astride a canvas duffel bag, a few feet away. Nick gave him a friendly tap on the shoulder.

“Alec! Alec!” cried Molly, her tumble completely forgotten as she danced around the man and his luggage. Nick, now the image of benign tolerance, moved farther apart so she could squeeze in closer, latching on to Malone mid-thigh.

“Hey, hey. Let me say hello to your sister,” he said, laughing as he pried his leg loose from Molly’s clutch and gently clasped her hand in his. Then, taking a big step forward, he extended his free hand to Tess and said, “Miss Wheaton, I presume?” at which Molly giggled and Nick snorted.

Tess, still tuning in to the fact that the word sister had meant her, merely stared dumbly. His big hand touched hers briefly, then let go. He took off the baseball cap he was wearing, releasing a shock of thick, sandy-red hair. His hazel eyes, swirled with bits of green and amber, swept over Tess from head to toe. When they returned to her face, their expression shifted ever so slightly, she thought.

“Looks like everyone—including you—is ready to call it a day,” he said.

On cue, Molly complained, “I’m hungry and Tess doesn’t have any good food.”

Nick, however, got straight to the point. “When are you taking us back, Alec?”

Without taking his eyes off Tess, Malone replied, “Guess that’s up to Miss Wheaton here, Nick. How about if we go inside and talk things over?”

Knowing she was being put on the spot, Tess felt a rush of annoyance. She glanced at the children, their faces turned expectantly toward hers. As if she would be announcing a decision about their future that very instant, she thought. She decided the man was as impossible in real life as he’d been on the telephone.

“Of course,” she mumbled and made for the front door of her building.

“What about lunch?” cried Molly.

Her back to them, Tess paused long enough to hear Alec Malone say, “There’s a submarine sandwich place just around the corner. I’ll go get some while you go inside with your sister.”

“I’m coming with you,” Nick quickly said.

“Me, too,” added Molly.

Tess half turned to catch an expression of helpless amusement from Malone. “Do you mind?” he asked her.

“Why should I?”

His smile vanished. “Just asking. Would you like a sandwich?”

“No, thank you. I’m in number 601,” she murmured and turned her back again to insert her key into the front door. She heard them chatting happily as they walked away and, stepping into the foyer, had the distinct sensation of being cut right out of the picture. Though why that bothered her, she couldn’t explain.

TESS PRETENDED to be engrossed in the laptop screen when they returned, bustling into her living space as if they’d been part of it forever. A sudden resentment at their noisy intrusion flared up. She wondered how long it would take to sort out this situation and get on with her life.

“We brought you one, too, Tess. In case you changed your mind.” Molly’s voice was pitched high with excitement.

Tess glanced up from her computer and organized her face into a passable smile. Oblivious to the fact that she was trying to work, Alec Malone and Nick began to open paper bags and pull the tabs on soda cans. Tess bit down on her lip when Malone asked where she kept the plates. Before she could answer, Nick pointed to a cupboard above the sink. Tess rolled her eyes in exasperation. A full-blown invasion was taking place right beneath her nose and there wasn’t a thing she could do about it.

She didn’t realize Molly was standing in front of her until she detected a slight movement. The little girl’s smile was less enthusiastic now.

“Aren’t you hungry, Tess?” she asked. “We got you one with roasted vegetables and fatty cheese.” She held a paper bag in her small hand.

“Feta cheese,” corrected Nick.

“Whatever. Alec said you’d probably choose that one if you were there.”

And what’s that supposed to mean? That he’s got me all figured out? Or worse—that in his eyes I represent some kind of yuppy stereotype? The fact that his choice had been right on the mark made it even more galling.

Tess knew Molly was waiting for a response. The problem was, the only one she felt like making would be quite inappropriate. Like telling them all to leave.

“Maybe we should let Tess finish up there first, Molly. Why don’t you put her sandwich in the fridge for now? The three of us can take ours over to the couch,” Alec suggested.

Heat rose into Tess’s face. Now he was answering for her! She clicked out of her program and pushed the laptop aside. “It’s okay, Molly. I’d like that sandwich now, after all. We can eat here at the counter.”

Alec paused midway from the counter to the couch area. The look he flashed Tess told her he saw right through her effort to gain control. Still, he turned and headed for a stool at the counter.

Nick was less accommodating. “I wanted to watch TV,” he complained.

“Later, fella,” Alec said. “We can talk—get to know each other.”

Nick snorted. “What’s the point? We already know you, and she’s not going to be in our lives much longer anyway.”

“She has a name, so use it. As for the other point, we haven’t made any decisions yet.”

Silenced, Nick sullenly picked up his sandwich and began to eat.

Tess stared at the wrapped sandwich on the countertop in front of her. Her appetite took a nosedive. Nick’s retort stung, though she couldn’t explain why. It was true that she wasn’t going to be in their lives much longer and intellectually, she understood why he rejected the idea of getting to know her better. She herself felt much the same. What she couldn’t fathom was the niggling doubt in the back of her mind. The sense that, somehow, she’d made two children unhappy and now it was up to her to make things better. But how?

“Not hungry?”

She looked up to find Alec Malone staring at her. The expression in his eyes was softer now. Tess shook her head.

“Want a coffee?” he asked.

She shrugged. “Sure. I can make some.”

“No. I meant, would you like to go out for one? I noticed a place just around the corner.”