Race Cars and Tea Things
After a rather uncharacteristic lie-in with toast and coffee in bed, Ruth and Harry dressed for the day. They didn't have any plans, didn't need to be at work, and they were expecting a quiet and mercifully lazy Saturday for themselves.
That, however, was not to be.
A knock came at Ruth's door. She and Harry exchanged confused looks. He didn't put down the newspaper, but he watched her over the top of the page as she made her way into the foyer.
"Emily!" Ruth exclaimed in surprise.
"Oh Ruthie, did you forget we were coming? I told you Kenneth and I would be doing some shopping in the city today and we'd pop 'round."
A small boy of seven years old pushed past Ruth and into the house. A plump, diminutive woman with dark hair and bright blue eyes gave an exasperated sigh and followed the child.
The little boy ran into the living room and stopped in his tracks upon seeing Harry. "Who are you?" he asked.
"I'm Harry," he replied without further explanation.
Ruth and Emily quickly joined them. A look of sheer delight crossed Emily's features. "Harry?" she questioned, looking to Ruth.
"Yes, this is Harry. Um, Harry, this is my sister, Emily, and my nephew Kenneth," Ruth was wringing her hands at the awkwardness of the situation.
"Should I call you Uncle Harry?" Kenneth asked bluntly.
Ruth's jaw dropped but Harry kept his cool demeanor. "You can call me whatever you like." He stood up from the sofa, refolding the newspaper. "Ruth, I'll let you have your time with your family. No need to keep me underfoot."
Emily looked at her sister's shocked expression and Harry's kind eyes and immediately knew there was more here than there seemed. "You should stay. If you're not busy."
Harry looked to Ruth. She softened and smiled subtly. "Alright," he agreed.
"I'll just make some tea," Ruth said awkwardly.
"I'll help you!" Emily replied enthusiastically.
The two sisters retreated to the kitchen together. Ruth didn't seem to want to say anything about the man who had apparently some sense of belonging in her house.
"Tell me about Harry," Emily demanded as Ruth put the kettle on.
"We met at work. We work well together. Really well," Ruth replied vaguely, smiling slightly.
"And why is he in your house in the middle of the day?" Emily asked suggestively.
"He spends a lot of time here, actually."
"Ruthie, I cannot believe you! Always following the rules and doing the right thing, and now you're shagging a coworker!"
Ruth turned sharply at her sister's teasing. "That's not what this is. It's...it's more than that. He's more than that. And I assure you that I did not go into this hastily. And you'll do well to give me and especially Harry the privacy and respect we deserve."
From the other room, Harry was ignoring what Kenneth was prattling on about and eavesdropping on the stern scolding that Ruth was giving her sister. He smiled. A Shakespeare line came to his mind. And though she be but little, she is fierce.
"Uncle Harry, can I show you my race cars?" Kenneth asked, interrupting Harry's pleasant reverie.
"Of course you can, lad," Harry replied immediately.
Back in the kitchen, Emily was somewhat dumbfounded over what her sister had just said. "My god, you're in love with him!"
Ruth glared slightly. "I wouldn't have gone through all this if I weren't," she replied softly.
"Gone through all what?"
"Never you mind. Here, help me with the tea things," Ruth said, changing the subject.
Ruth and Emily returned to the living room to find Harry sitting on the floor with Kenneth, racing little cars along the carpet.
"Time for tea. Kenneth, put those away. Let's go wash up," Emily told her son.
The little boy whined, "But Mum, Uncle Harry and I were racing!"
"Now, please."
Kenneth got up and followed his mother to the kitchen to wash up. Ruth and Harry were left in the living room for a quiet moment.
"You're not doing your knee any favors down there," she stated.
He scoffed, "Ruth, the boy wanted to play with his race cars. We can't very well race with me sitting on the sofa."
With the seriousness of his tone, Harry may as well have been talking about nuclear proliferation. She chuckled. "Up you get, Uncle Harry." Ruth offered her hands to help him off the floor. He groaned with pain. "You'd better ice that knee later, you stupid man," she scolded lovingly.
Harry chose to ignore that. He took the opportunity in their quiet moment to give her a soft kiss. "You don't mind that I'm Uncle Harry?" he asked, knowing how much Ruth wanted to keep their private life quiet.
"I think it's sweet. And it does suit you," she replied, kissing him once more before Emily and Kenneth returned to join them.
Harry smiled pleasantly at Kenneth, asking him more about his race cars. And in that moment, Ruth realized that she'd much rather hear a small child call Harry 'Dad.'