Thanksgiving

Chapter 17

Christian straightens up. "Excuse me?"

"My father is Marcus Lavley," she looks at Grayson. "Our father is Marcus Lavley."

"Children," says Miss Evelyn to Phoebe and Ted as if reacting to a cue in a Broadway performance. "Let's go to the gift shop." She quickly guides them out of the room. Kate follows suit with Ava, leaving us alone with Sue and Grayson.

We stare at each other for a while in quiet trying to put two and two together in our heads.

Knock, knock, knock. The door opens and a young man dressed in scrubs walks in carrying towels and other supplies. He looks at us "I'm here to give a sponge bath." His eyes light up when he looks at me.

"OH HELL NO!" says Christian. I'm not sure if he's upset that the man has disturbed us or that there is a man who wants to give his wife a sponge bath. Probably a little bit of the first and a whole lot of the second. "Just leave the supplies, I'll help her." A feeling of excitement rushes through my system.

The man realizes he has no chance against the glaring alpha male in the room. He empties his hands onto the counter and leaves quickly with his tail between his legs.

I look back to Sue. "Marcus is your father?"

"Yes, our father," she says sternly, glaring at Christian. "Dad said he came to visit you, I didn't know he was going to do that. I came here today to tell you that I want nothing from you."

"That's good, because I didn't offer anything," says Christian as he puts his hand on my leg over the blankets.

"I wanted to tell you how much of a hell our lives have been because of you," she looks at Christian.

"What did he do?" I ask, getting angry.

"My entire life has revolved around you, brother." Her voice is beginning to fill with venom. "Do you know what my middle name is?"

"How the hell would I know that?"

"My middle name is Christiana. Do you know why?"

Christian stares silently at this woman.

"Because dad was obsessed with you and your mom."

"My mom was nothing but a crack whore."

"Don't ever let dad hear you say that. Dad worked extra hours just to make enough money to be able to move us from Detroit to Seattle. He uprooted me and my mom to be closer to you."

Grayson starts to shift uneasily from foot to foot. He's eyed the candy. "Help yourself," I say without thinking.

"Don't you dare take anything from her," says Sue.

"Listen," says Christian. "I don't know what you want me to do about all of this. I never knew my father, he means nothing to me. But I can't see how any of this gives you the right to attack my son, or be rude to my wife."

"Did you send the pictures?" I ask, interrupting the bickering briefly.

"What pictures!?" sue snaps.

"Christian, where is my briefcase that Evelyn brought in? I asked her to bring them."

Christian quickly retrieves my briefcase from beside the chair where Evelyn had been sitting and places it on my bed. I open it and start going through the papers and find the envelope. I hand Sue the pictures.

"How did you get these?" she asks as she flips through the images.

"That's me," says Grayson over her shoulder.