No One's A Fool (Revised & Complete)

Chapter 5

"Something's weird about that guy." Gabe tells Wrenna, the moment they are back at their hotel that night.

"Oh my God, is THAT why you've been acting so quiet and weird for the last hour? And who are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about Joe Walsh. I've been trying to figure out why he was being so weird around you. He was way too interested in you."

"I don't know about that, Gabe." Wrenna says, cringing. "He's the same age as my mom!"

"No, not like into you." He clarifies. "Just like... I don't know. He just seemed really interested."

"Maybe he has the hots for my mom. I've seen it before in the old rocker dudes, he's probably just the same. Plus, she dated Don for a while in the 70s, so she was probably around the band a lot." Wrenna guesses.

"It could be." Gabe says the words slowly, as if he's mulling them over. "But maybe something else. Like he seemed surprised that you're married. But he doesn't know you, so why would that surprise him?"

"You JUST said you don't think he was interested in me like that." She says, staring at him blankly.

"I don't. But..." He sighs. "Never mind, it's probably nothing. He's probably just an old weirdo who has a crush on your mom."

"Oh no you don't. You don't get to say never mind." Wrenna pointed at him. "WHAT? What are you thinking in that brain of yours?"

"I'm just wondering why he cared if you were married and had a kid. And why he gave you the tickets at all. Like, I don't know. It just seems weird."

"Gabe. You've said it's weird like a hundred times here. What are you trying to say?"

"I don't want to freak you out."

"Oh my God, WHAT?!"

"I don't want to be wrong."

"GABE!" She exclaims, eyes wide with frustration now. "Tell me what you're thinking!"

"I googled him." Gabe admits. "On the way back from the concert."

"And what did you find out?" She asks, sitting down now.

"Maybe you should Google him yourself."

"I don't want to Google him. I want you to tell me what you know." Her voice is quiet, calm, but Gabe can hear the anxiety behind the façade. He's worried too, knowing that if he tells her the truth, it could end badly. And yet, he takes a breath, and says what he's been considering all night.

"Wrenna, he used to date your mom." He winces, as if even telling her this is causing him pain. For a moment she looks confused, and then, he sees her eyes when it clicks. Her entire body goes still.

"When did they date?" She asks, quietly.

"According to Google – which could be wrong – 1983 was when they started dating." He informs her.

"He said they did some shows together around then." She nods. "And they broke up... when?" She asks, knowing exactly what he's going to say.

"1986?"

"Oh Jesus Christ!" She whispers. "Are you kidding me?"

"I wish I was. But... I don't know. Maybe it's not him. They broke up in '86, you weren't born until July of '87. And the internet could be wrong – it often is."

"But it's not this time, is it?" She asks him. He pauses for a moment, staring at her, before he answers.

"Do you really want my opinion?" She nods, and he sighs. "You have the same eyes. I noticed at as soon as we met him tonight. And like I said – I could be wrong about this." He waves his hands in the air, as if to show innocence. "But I also Googled his children. He has a daughter named Lucy – she's a few years older than us. You kind of look like her too."

"Oh my God, Joe Walsh is my father?!"

"At least HE thinks he is. I could tell from watching how he was acting around you tonight. He either knew, or he knows now. And remember how surprised Don was when you saw him tonight? I mean, of course he was surprised – you didn't tell him you were coming. But when you mentioned Joe, his eyes changed. Just for a second, but long enough for me to notice it."

"You think he knows too?!"

"Think about it: he's close with your mom. He's in a band with Joe. How could he not know? There are too many questions here that lead to the same answer."

"Well, there are only two people who can tell me for certain."

"So which one are you going to ask?"

"My mom, of course. She's wanted to tell me for years."

"Wrenna, are you sure you want to know? We could just leave it all alone."

"No, I'm not sure. But if you're telling me all of this, I can't sit here and wonder. I'll never get it out of my head. I'll just ask her. That way, if it's not him, she can simply say no, and life can resume as normal."

"And if it is him?"

"If it is him, I've got a lot of fucking questions for Joe Walsh."