North American Mother

Chapter 8

After Ivan and Alfred's break up Madeline felt it was her responsibility to tell Anya as Alfred was still hurting from the event and Matthew was busy with his work. Despite the knowledge she would need to tell Anya she was worried about Gilbert meeting the girl. Other than Ailana no one outside their family knew about Anya. She was their secret, but Madeline couldn't tell her over the phone. This news, she knew, needed to be shared face to face, because the fallout would reflect Alfred's own reaction.

And so it was that Madeline asked Anya to come to Washington for a bit, her intentions to get Gilbert out of the house for an afternoon so she could explain things to her niece. Unfortunately getting Gilbert to leave the house without her was a lost cause. Ever since the war had ended Gilbert had been shadowing Madeline, almost as if afraid that if he left her side one of them would disappear. So when Anya arrived it was to find Gilbert reading the newspaper at the kitchen table, while Madeline worked to ice a batch of cupcakes.

"Uh, hello?"

Anya eyed the albino at the table, she had heard about this man from her dad and uncle and he was the main reason she was spending more time at her house in Alaska.

Gilbert meanwhile had pulled down his paper to take in the odd guest that had arrived. She was no more than fifteen with long straight platinum blonde hair tied back in a high ponytail that was secured with a leather thong and left two strands down to frame her face with her bangs cut straight across. Covering her slate blue eyes was a pair of thin framed glasses, through which she was eyeing him in return.

"Oh, Anya. You made it? Did you have any trouble getting here?"

"No more than usual. Why the sudden need for me to come visit, uh, Madeline?"

Madeline sends a look at Gilbert before pushing two cupcakes at him, one with icing and one without. "Gilbert I think Gilbird might like a cupcake, why don't you take him one?"

Gilbert gingerly takes the two treats before slowly leaving the kitchen. Just as he is passing through the door he sends Madeline a look over his shoulder and both girls can't help but feel sorry for the man because of the hurt and fear welling in them.

"Gilbert..." Madeline steps over to the older man and gives him a reassuring hug. "Just give me a moment with Anya. You can come right back and I promise I won't go anywhere."

"Right. I'll just take this to Gilbird."

"Why don't you bring him back down with you?"

Gilbert nods and leaves to get his bird while Madeline turns back to Anya.

"Auntie?"

"Have a cupcake Anya, they're your favorite."

Anya takes a cupcake but just plays with the paper cup, a serious look on her face. "What's wrong?"

Madeline sits down and takes Anya's hand in hers. "Anya, last month there was one of those meetings they're using to prevent another war from happening. Now I know you know about how Eisenhower has been about your, about Alfred's relationship with Ivan, right?"

"Yeah, he was trying to make Da, Alfred stay away from him, right?"

Madeline nods. "Well at the meeting, despite everything Eisenhower has tried, Alfred was going to spend some time with Ivan. Only, only it seems Ivan wanted to break things off."

Anya starts to shake her head back and forth in denial as Madeline continues.

"Alfred came back in tears, Anya. Matthew had to almost carry him in. I don't know how bad it is for him, and I don't know if you being here will help or hurt, but I, I wanted to tell you what had happened. In person."