"Hamilton knows, George."
"Knows?" George Germaine repeated absent mindedly as he rifled through the refrigerator looking for a beer as his mind rifled through recent events hoping to identify just what is was that Mignon said their best friend knew. "Knows what?"
"About Larry," Mignon said plainly as she dried another dish and stowed it away in the cabinet to her right.
"Ah ha! There it is!" George exclaimed, locating the elusive last beer hiding behind the milk jug. He plucked it from the shelf and let the refrigerator door swing shut. And then Mignon's meaning sank in as he realized that she was referring to Larry's paternity and not recent events in the district attorney's office or something. Suddenly he couldn't tell if the chill that had come over him was from that realization or from the beer.
Confusion was etched on his still boyish face as he looked over at his raven haired wife. "But how? Did he figure it out on his own somehow? I mean, Hamilton is a really smart guy, but we've been so careful…"
Mignon stopped him with a slender hand up and George trailed off. "I told him at lunch today. Normally, I would have discussed the matter with you first, but… you see, I bumped into Larry at lunch today. He appeared to be on a date with Katie. That forced our hand obviously. Larry is on his way over soon so I can tell him."
"Are you sure it was a date though? Maybe they bumped into each other like you did them and they just decided to have lunch. It's not like they didn't spend a lot of time together as kids and teens."
Mignon sighed heavily as she plucked another dish out of the water and began cleaning it. "It's possible, George, but in case it's more serious than that I believe the responsible thing to do is reveal the truth. Biologically, Larry is the half brother to all of Hamilton's daughters and it's better they find that out before something un-sibling like develops."
Glancing up at the ceiling, George was the one to let out the deep sigh. "You're right of course, Mignon. How did Hamilton take it? I'm surprised he didn't race over here to slug the shit out of me."
"He was shocked and angry, but overall he took it well. I was impressed. Still, it remains to be seen how he'll act in the coming days and weeks once it really sinks in. I hope it doesn't adversely affect his working relationship with Larry too much since they both work in the same office. I am very… concerned about that."
The sudden sound of the front door being pushed open stopped the couple's conversation.
"Larry," Mignon realized as she and George exchanged looks. It wasn't going to be the easiest conversation. "In here, Larry," she called.
Larry joined them in the kitchen with his easy smile lighting up his handsome face. "Mom, dad. It's great to see you. It feels like it's been ages since I've been over, but it's probably only been a few weeks," he joked.
His smile faded to concern though when he noticed how tense and serious his parents were. He hoped it wasn't something truly serious like an illness or death in the family. "Is something wrong?"
"It's… serious, but nothing tragic, son." She considered asking them to sit down in the living room or at the dining room table or something, but Larry had a lot of energy and when fired up, he tended to bolt out of chairs and pace and move around, much like Hamilton Burger did. It was probably better if they simply remained in the kitchen where he had plenty of room.
"Wait… is this about seeing me with Katie earlier today?" Larry couldn't imagine anything else recently that might have triggered concern in his mother. "Because she and I are both adults. I know we practically grew up together, but I promise we won't let it screw up your friendship with Hamilton. Heck, I already work with the guy. If your friendship can survive that…"
Mignon's eyes squeezed shut and she grimaced at the confirmation of her worst fears. Alright, well maybe not her worst, but in the ballpark. "Larry…," she forced out, not wanting to hurt her son. She didn't even know how long he and Katie had been seeing each other. "Larry, you can't date Hamilton's daughters. Any of them."
The young man bristled, misinterpreting his mother's concerns. "Mother, she and I are grown adults. It's not for you or anyone else to dictate to us whether or not we can see each other!"
"Larry, Katie is your half sister."
Larry stared at his mother as if she'd suddenly sprouted a second head and the room fell so silent one could hear a pin drop.
After a moment, he grinned and laughed, deciding it was all a prank and that at any moment, his mother would crack that mischievous smile of hers, offer him a soda, and go back to washing dishes like she had done when he was a child. Only this time, she didn't and her left eyebrow raised in icy disapproval.
Larry sobered up quickly and the room suddenly began swimming. "Oh my god," he said in disbelief. "It's true?! Mother, please tell me it isn't true?!"
"I wish I could, Larry. Hamilton Burger is your biological father."
His bright blue eyes widened as that reality began setting in as well. He hadn't even made it that far in processing it all; still stuck in the horrifying news that Helen was his half sister. It was just his luck he supposed to have a broken relationship radar. First that nutcase, Carina Willeen and now a half sister he never knew he was related to.
"Mother, I have to work with him! Does he even know? Has he known all this time? No wonder I was so readily accepted there!" Larry ground out angrily, turning away from Mignon.
George watched in silence from the corner of the kitchen near the dining room. He'd answer any questions Larry directed at him, but for now it was between Larry and Mignon. She was handling it much better than he felt he would have anyway.
"He knows," Mignon said unflinchingly. It was surprisingly easier than she'd imagined to look her son in the eye with this. She supposed it was because she still had absolute conviction that she was right in the way she'd handled it all from day one. She just adjusted the sails if the winds changed. "I told him at lunch after I saw you with Katie."
"Well, at least there won't be any surprises when I see him in the office tomorrow," he said sarcastically as he made his way back out the way he came.
"Larry!" Mignon called after him. "Larry, I know you're upset, but let me explain!"
Larry just glared at her as he angrily yanked open the door to his car and dropped himself into the driver's seat. "Some other time maybe. Right now, I'm not certain what explanation you could offer that I'd be ready to accept."
He pulled out of the driveway abruptly in a screech of tires and drove off, leaving Mignon to ponder how she'd ever smooth things over.
"He just needs a few days to calm down, you know that. He's his father's son like that. It'll be alright," George murmured as he rested a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Covering his hand with hers, Mignon squeezed it, thankful for George's strong and steady presence; not just then, but over all the years they'd known each other.