Chapter 2
By the time Neil got home, everyone was just sitting down to dinner. Neil took his usual place next to Franny. He scarcely noticed when food was placed in front of him.
"Neil!"
"Huh?" Neil looked up to see Franny giving him a concerned look.
"That's the third time I've said your name. Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Neil answered, picking up his fork to start eating.
"What were you brooding about? Some new invention?"
Neil paused. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the letter. "I saw Mildred today, and she gave me this."
Franny took the letter. "Mildred? You haven't spoken to her in over 20 years! So she's back in town?"
"To take care of her aging mother," Neil confirmed.
As Franny read the letter, her face lit up. "Your birth mother wants to find you? That's wonderful! After all this time, she's finally been able to trace you..."
"Honey, not so loud," Neil protested, not wanting his parents to know everything just yet.
But to no avail. "What's that about your birth mother?" resident gossip Tallulah said.
"Oooh, your birth mother's coming?" Uncle Fritz asked.
"No, she's--" Neil started to say. But he was cut off by Lucille.
"Well, we'll have to make her feel right at home, won't we dear?"
Bud nodded. "Ya hear that, son? Now you'll be able to get the whole story. Can't wait to hear it."
"When is she coming?" Talullah asked.
"Don't pry into the poor guy's past," "Aunt Petunia" scolded her.
Wilbur had less to say than anyone. His biological grandmother? Coming? Here? How'd she even find out where they lived?
Neil held up a hand. "She's not coming over," he clarified. "She just wants to contact me." He smiled, marveling at his family's ability to take this news in stride, as if his birth mother were simply another guest that hadn't been out to see them in a few months. "But maybe, after I've talked to her myself, I'll invite her over."
"Oh, you'd better," Lucille said. "It's not fair if you get to meet her, but the rest of the family doesn't. I'll even bake a special batch of cookies."
Wilbur spoke up for the first time. "Who is she? I mean, besides your birth mother."
Neil took the letter back from Franny. "She says her name is Laurie Ashton. She's 59 years old. Um..." He scanned down the letter, looking for any more information that would satisfy his family's curiosity. "She says she has something very important to tell me (besides the obvious "I'm your birth mother"), and she gave me a number to call."
"Call it!" Petunia shouted.
"Yeah, Neil, call the number," Gaston encouraged. Eventually the encouragement became a chant from everyone at the table except Franny and Wilbur. The latter still sat there with a skeptical look.
Franny shook her head. "After dinner," she chided. "We don't like calls coming in during dinner, so we're not going to make any calls either."
"Aw, c'mon!" Gaston whined. "You gonna take orders from the little sister, Neil?"
Neil held up his hands in mock surrender. "Hey, she may be your little sister, but she's my wife, and as such she wields more power over me."
"That's right," Franny smirked, more at her brother than at Neil.
Clearly put out, Gaston fired a meatball at Franny. She dodged it easily, but the challenge lapsed into yet another food fight. Franny won, as was often the case, and with that victory came Gaston's willingness to be patient. He stopped bugging Neil about the phone call.
?&?&?&?&?&?&
After dinner, Neil and Franny retreated to their room. Neil would make the call there, where he could have a private conversation with the woman who birthed him. He stared at the phone, nervous. Franny put a hand on his shoulder.
"Call," she said.
Neil reached a shaky hand over and dialed in the number. If someone on the other end picked up, a holographic image of that person would appear. Neil would get to see his birth mother for the first time in 42 years.
Not one to be left out, Wilbur crept up to his parents' closed door and pressed an ear to it.
"Ahem!"
Wilbur spun around to see Carl standing behind him.
"Why are you eavesdropping?"
"I'm not, I'm...spying." Wilbur glanced at his shoes. Caught in the act, he couldn't come up with a good excuse. "Hey, I'm her closest relative after Dad. I think I have a right to know, too."
"And he'll tell you about her when he's good and ready."
"I'm not that patient," Wilbur griped, leaning up against the door again.
Carl sighed and started to walk away. "Your funeral."
Wilbur rolled his eyes. He turned his attention back to what was going on inside the bedroom. The phone was ringing on the other end.
Franny leaned on her husband's shoulder, trying to keep him calm. Neil sighed heavily, his hand clenched in a fist around the letter.
Someone picked up. A holographic image of a woman who looked older than 59 appeared. "Hello?"
"Uh...h-hello, Laurie Ashton?" Neil tried.
"Yes?" the woman responded, looking confused.
Neil looked at Franny, who nudged him to respond. He took a deep breath. "I'm Cornelius Robinson, and..."
"The inventor?" Laurie smiled. "Oh, my. I never imagined getting a call from a celebrity. What brings you around to call an old lady like me?"
Neil smiled. Old? Nah, his parents were old. Although he had to admit, she looked like she could easily be their age. But him, a celebrity? He had to chuckle at the thought. It only lasted a moment, though, before he collected himself and explained the reason for the call. "I believe you've met a friend of mine? Mildred Duffy?"
The woman's smile disappeared as she recognized the name. Neil found it hard to read her expression. "Yes?" she said, more timidly than before.
Neil continued on hesitantly. "She gave me a letter earlier today, containing your information. She wanted me to give you a call."
Laurie remained silent.
"You see...I spent about half of my childhood in the 6th Street Orphanage, under Mildred's care. I was adopted when I was 12. My name up until that point was Lewis. When my parents, Bud and Lucille Robinson, adopted me, they changed my name to Cornelius."
At hearing the name Lewis, Laurie put a hand over her mouth to conceal a gasp.
Neil smiled, unsure of what to say next. "I...was left on the steps of the orphanage as a baby. I often wondered what had happened to my birth mother. After I was adopted, things just started falling into my lap unexpectedly. I was a junior intern at Inventco, where my mom worked, and then I was put in advanced classes. Finally, I went through a college course, and essentially graduated at 14. I guess with all that, and enjoying the family I found, I forgot to look for my birth mother. I admit I...more or less...gave up."
Neil fell silent, waiting for Laurie's response. She too remained silent. But when her hand came away from her mouth, Neil noticed tears running down her cheeks.
"My baby?" she finally said, so softly that Neil barely heard her, and Wilbur, listening at the door, missed it completely.
Neil smiled. "I guess so."
Laurie sobbed openly now. "I've been waiting for this day, and dreading it all at once."
"It had me excited and nervous too," Neil confessed. He swallowed hard, trying to rid himself of the lump forming in his throat. Franny hugged him.
Laurie wiped the tears from her eyes. "And who's this?" she asked, gesturing to Franny, who could be seen, of course, in the hologram on her end.
Neil put an arm around Franny's waist and drew her closer. "This is my beautiful wife of 17 years, Franny."
Laurie gave Franny a broad smile. "I imagine your children must be equally beautiful."
"Only when he's asleep," Franny said.
Neil clarified for her. "We have a 13-year-old son named Wilbur, and he thinks he knows everything."
"Oh, you have to bring him over some time," Laurie said excitedly. "Maybe we can get together in the next few days, all four of us."
"That sounds...great," Neil said. "Yeah, maybe..."
"Let's do lunch on Saturday," Franny offered. Neil looked at her in surprise.
"That sounds wonderful. Come out to my place, and I can order out. Maybe a pizza from that one place in town. What's it called? Galactic Pizza?"
Neil and Franny grinned at each other. "That's my brother-in-law's business," Neil said. "How does Chinese sound? We'll pay."
Laurie gave him a look that said "Shame on you for leaving your brother-in-law out," but she smiled. "Chinese sounds wonderful, and...you don't need to buy. I can scrape some change together."
"Oh, no, we insist," Franny said. "You're opening your home to us, so we'd like to return the favor."
Laurie smiled kindly. "Thank you. I look forward to seeing you in person Saturday. I have so much to tell you." Her smile faded. Obviously not all of her news was good.
Neil pretended not to have noticed her attitude change. "Yeah, I have a lot to tell you, too. I can't wait to meet you in person. Some time soon I'll have to introduce you to the rest of my family. They're chomping at the bit to meet you."
Laurie looked at him nervously. "And...your mom and dad?"
Neil gave her a reassuring smile. "They're the ones heading the welcoming committee. They'll have my hide if I keep you to myself. They'll treat you like you've always been a Robinson. That's how they treat Franny's brothers, and they don't even have the same last name."
Laurie's smile this time was one of genuine relief.
Wilbur listened as the trio inside exchanged addresses, said their good-byes and hung up. That was his cue to get out of there before one of his parents opened the door. He tip-toed away and slipped into his bedroom. The idea of meeting this strange woman who was supposedly his grandmother upset him a bit. He remembered the apprehension he'd shown Lewis at the idea of taking him back to see his mother in the first place. He could only hope this whole situation would turn out for the best. He had to admit, he was curious about her.
Wilbur changed into his pajamas and flopped down on his bed. He'd have to pretend he had no idea what was going to happen Saturday. Surely Laurie Ashton couldn't be all bad? Wilbur curled up and drifted off to sleep, hundreds of thoughts flying through his mind.