The Other Parts

VI.

Robin stared at the big man standing on the wraparound porch. The giant had a hand up shielding his eyes from the July sun. As Robin watched the man, Olivia watched him. Robin was scared. She gently worked her hand into one of his balled fists and intertwined her long fingers with his. The palm was damp. Olivia squeezed it gently and smiled up at him. He returned it with a nervous one of his own.

"You big bear- I know you ain't afraid, right?" she teased.

"Hush, girl," he hissed playfully.

They approached the porch holding hands, and John beamed at them. Olivia thought his looks impressive. He was even more striking than Robin. Tall, wide, and gorgeous. Olivia glanced at Robin then up at his father. The man had the nerve to wink at her, and she blushed.

Robin waited three weeks to respond to the first letter he received from his father. He'd stared at the handwriting on the beige envelope, allowing tears to fall hot down his face. With Olivia's urging, he finally opened it. He could not bring himself to read it. So the paper teased him for two weeks before he unfolded it and read his father's words. Robin wrote back furiously, placing the letter in the mailbox the same day he'd written it. His father's response came four days later. A month passed, and they'd corresponded so til his father began mailing stamps inside his letters. The last one was written on the back of a marked map that was now folded in the pocket of Robin's slacks.

Despite all the communication, Robin was speechless. Olivia squeezed his hand once more, and he looked at her. She was so beautiful. He sighed.

"You didn't tell me Miss Olivia was this pretty, son," the man commented, tossing her a dimpled smile identical to Robin's.

"Thank you," she spoke up. "He can talk. I promise."

She nudged him with her elbow. The giant chuckled.

"John Fairhope," he said, "but you may call me Ellis."

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Ellis. I'm Olivia. This is my husband, Robin."

Ellis chuckled at her. Robin firmly, but gently pulled Olivia to his side.

"You think I'm gon run off with her?" Ellis teased.

"You've run off before," Robin growled.

"Robin!" Olivia hissed.

The men studied each other then. Ellis looked at his only son and saw so much himself, he felt emotion thick in his chest. He marveled at how light Robin was despite his blood and Evermore's. That fascinated and scared him the same way it had 23 years ago.

"It's alright, Miss Olivia. Y'all come on in out this heat."

With Olivia's hand still in his, the two made their way inside. The house was unusually cool and smelled of lemongrass. Ellis offered them a seat on an ancient blue settee. For a while, no one said anything. Olivia took the time to glance around the old cottage. It was bare except for books overflowing the built-in shelves and stacked neatly along the plank walls.

"I never learned to read," Ellis offered softly in a tone Olivia didn't think he was capable of.

“Never too late to learn,” Olivia said.

“Oh no, Miss Olivia, you ain’t teaching this old dog new tricks.”

“How'd you get by all this time being illiterate? Who wrote those letters?” Robin asked, more ashamed than curious.

“Look at me,” Ellis offered simply. "And I have a lady friend who cooks and cleans for me some. She read your letters to me, and I tell her what to write." Robin scoffed, regretting the trip the longer they stayed.