ALFRED PHILLIP RUZEK HOLLISTER

Alfie felt like he was going to vomit. He'd been out all day, he couldn't sit around and say nothing and he wanted to do this all at once. He could only do it once. So many times his courage had faltered over the last few days. He made plans, thought about cancelling them and started the process all over again.

At the end of the day he was raised by good men, to be a good man. His father was a good man and he didn't want to let him down. He didn't want to let his Pops down in the last few years of his life. He didn't want his sisters to be disappointed in him.

He'd gotten a phone call, four short days ago that had changed his life forever. That wasn't unfamiliar to him, his life had changed in the blink of an eye before. He was hoping that in the not too distant future this wouldn't bear the crushing weight that one did, one that he carried to this day but right now he was a little overwhelmed by it.

As he came through the house he could hear them all, he knew they were all here, the laughter swelled the closer he got. The back deck was crowded, Adam had enclosed it for winter and the heaters were pumping, it was a little stifling when he stepped through the door. No matter the weather Adam loved being outside. Sam saw him and ran at his Uncle, Alfie always picked him up and swung him through the air, it was a ritual. Poppy toddled towards him; her big brown eyes wide with delight. It felt familiar and comforting and he soaked it up for a brief moment.

Pops was having a cuddle of Lola's little boy, Billy. He was six months old and thriving and Sam adored him now that he was responding to him, his smiles were heart melting and Sam loved making him laugh. Up until then Sam was a little disappointed in his brother and told his parents as much, he was expecting something a little more 'fun'.

He thought of his two nephews and niece. How much he loved them and had loved being in their lives. He came home when Sam was eight weeks old and never left. That was more than three years ago. Such a long time but it had gone so quickly and he didn't regret spending that time here with his family and especially with his Pops, not until that phone call anyway.

Pops was an old, old man. He was slow in the body but he was still sharp and quick in the mind and they knew with each passing day they were getting nearer to the end. Pops knew it too and told them often.

"About time you got here." Iris scolded him. They had been waiting for him so they could have dinner and she was starving.

"Sorry." He shrugged, took the beer that Colton had offered him and took a big long drink. "I have something to tell you." He paused, and the silence was uncomfortable.

"Alfie, you are freaking me out a little." Mae could see how shook up he was. Their biggest fear was that he was going back to Australia to live, and while they would never stop him they just liked having him around.

He just bit the bullet. "I got a phone call a couple of days ago. Back in Australia, when I left… I was seeing a girl… for a about a year. Jedda." He was rambling. "…we broke up when I told her I was moving back to Chicago; she was angry at me for leaving… and we didn't keep in contact. She kinda fell off the grid a bit. A couple of weeks ago she died." He smiled a little painfully at the memory of Jedda, he wasn't sure he was in love with her although he did enjoy his time with her but he hadn't thought about her in more than three years. She really was one of those people that come into your life for a reason, to teach you something and then leave. "She was always a little consumed by demons I guess. That's what I liked about her, her demons, my demons bought us together."

They let him go, he had a far off look in his eye and it was quite unsettling. "Anyway. I guess they got the better of her. What I didn't know until last week was she had a three-year-old daughter, Adelaide." As soon as he said that Iris knew and so did the rest of them and he heard the gasps. "Addy, that's what they call her… I didn't know… I have a three year old daughter."

The stunned silence was only broken by the laughs and squeals of Sam as he chased Poppy across the deck. It was a little bittersweet. "I have a three year old daughter…" he repeated when no one said a word. "…that I never even knew existed. There is a little girl who thinks she doesn't have anyone in the world. She is in foster care at the moment. Jedda didn't have family, not family who could care for a child anyway. So…." He took a deep breath. "…I am going back to Australia on Wednesday to make arrangements to take custody of Adelaide and to bring her back here. I'd really like you to help me." Tears streamed down his face. "I don't know what else to do. I can't leave her with no -one, she's my daughter and she's alone and… I can't fucking breathe."

Iris moved first. "Alfie, I'll come with you. I want to come with you." He hugged his little sister; it was the first time since this had happened he'd had the comfort of someone's arms. It was a shock when they told him and he was in a state of disbelief, and then when they told him her name it had smacked him in the face. Alfie had always talked to Jedda about Iris, well he talked about all of them but he often talked about Iris because she was closest to him and how she was so little when their parents died and that she didn't remember them. He had no idea if that was why Jedda called their daughter Adelaide but he liked to think it was. The irony of Adelaide's age was not lost on him either. She was the same age Iris was when they were orphaned. Except Adelaide wasn't an orphan, she just didn't know it yet.

"Yeah?"

"Yes. Of course. You can't go alone; I won't let you."

"I don't understand." Adam was confused. He found it hard to hear things anymore and it took him a few moments to decipher things. All the noise around him made it hard. "What's happening? Where are you going?"

Alfie shook his head when Lola offered to tell him again. He wanted to do it and he sat down next to his Pops. He explained again to Adam what he had just told them. "Alfred, go get your little girl. She can't be alone." His Pops admonished him.

"I know Pops. I'm going on Wednesday."

"Do you have a photo?"

"I do…" He pulled out his phone. He had one photo, she was a beautiful dark-haired girl with caramel coloured skin, big beautiful brown eyes and long eyelashes. He had been surprised when he saw her for the first time. She definitely had her mother's colouring, not that Jedda had been dark but she was part indigenous. It was her eyes though, they were they eyes of her grandmother and great grandmother and Adam commented on them immediately.

"Those beautiful eyes." A tear trickled down his cheek. "I remember those eyes. I've loved those eyes for a long time."

He handed the phone to Lola, who was hovering and she passed it around to the others. "What happens now Alfie?" Lola asked him.

"I don't know really. I've been talking to a lawyer in Australia and I've got an appointment with an immigration lawyer in the morning. I had to have a DNA test done. She is my daughter. He has asked me to put together some information about my life here, to show that I can care for her, that I have a job, some support, somewhere to live all of that. To date none of Jedda's family have made contact, I don't think she had many blood relatives anyway. She had cut herself off from her family quite a few years ago. They weren't happy about her decision to move away and try to have a career. She was a nurse and she didn't want to be dragged back into their world. Her upbringing had been very nomadic and her parents were abusive alcoholics as were most of her siblings. She worked hard to get away from them. I know she wouldn't want her daughter to go back there, to that life. I don't want my daughter to have that life."

"What can we do?"

"I want to show them us, my family. Her family. That's all. I want to show her that she has people here ready to love her, a room for her to sleep in..."

"We can do that while you are gone." Mae offered quickly. He knew they would do whatever they could to help him. He suddenly felt a little less alone. It had been a long week, carrying this secret but he couldn't tell them until he understood what it all meant and what he was going to do.

"You are staying here?" Adam was definite on that. He wouldn't have it any other way.

"Of course Pops. I want to bring her back here, to this house. To my home."

It was all they talked about. They wanted to know about Jedda, the mother of Alfie's child and their life together. There wasn't a lot to tell. It had been about a year, maybe a little over and they had a very physical relationship and neither of them were ready for much more than that. When Alfie decided to come home he hadn't given Jedda much of a chance. She wanted him to choose her, to stay in Australia but he wasn't even going to consider it, he needed to be with his family, with his Pops. Jedda told him she wasn't prepared to do long distance, if he left he'd never hear from him again and true to her word that was the last she saw of him.

He did the math; Adelaide was born seven months after he left.

Eventually Alfie had to tell them that he needed to stop talking about it, he'd told them everything he knew. She was apparently a lovely sweet little girl who was confused and alone, he just wanted to get there. He did like that apparently Jedda had always told him that his Dad looked after animals and lived a long way away and one day she would get to meet him. Her one day was now a few days away.

Iris was waiting to talk to him alone, Adam went to bed and Colton left her downstairs. He knew that Iris was the one person Alfie would be the most honest and open with. "Are you okay Alfie?"

"I don't know Bug. I think I am still in shock."

"You really had no idea?"

"No, none. Jedda and I were in two different worlds. She had her friends and I had mine and we never really mixed. We had our own lives and as I said, she had demons, I had mine and that was okay. When I decided to come back here, when MiMi died she was hurt that I didn't want to stay. I think I loved her, in my own way or I could have one day and I asked her to think about coming with me but she told me that she didn't love me enough. We just weren't in that space.." he shrugged sadly, "..you know."

"I'm sorry Alfie."

"It's okay Bug. This was more important and honestly I don't know what I would have done if I had known about Adelaide."

"The right thing I think."

"Who knows what the fuck that is? You know, this is Pops and I owe him my life. If I didn't have Pops and MiMi I would have drowned Bug. I was seven years old and felt like all I ever had to be was the man of the house. Over there I wasn't any of that and I liked it. I felt like I was a little bit free."

"You didn't have to be the man of the house Alfie, you had to be you."

"I know, you don't know what that was like though Bug, being the only boy. I didn't want to let Dad down, I remember him talking to me about being the man of the house. I had to look after you."

"And you did. I love you so much Alfie."

"Ahh Bug, I'm glad you are coming with me. I couldn't do this without you." Alfie buried his head in her shoulder and sobbed. He finally let it all out, he'd been holding it in because he had nobody to share his pain with and he was hurting. His heart was breaking for a little girl that he'd never met, that he never knew about and that was part of him and she was all alone on the other side of the world. His world had just be shaken, her life had been obliterated and he knew that feeling all too well.

"I love you Alfie, I can't wait to see you be a Dad to your little girl." She kissed his forehead. "I am going to be with you every step of the way. I believe in you, if anyone can do this it is you."

Colton was asleep but woke up when Iris came in. "Big night Bug?" she snuggled into his arms. Her favourite spot to fall asleep was with Colton curled around her.

Now that everything had settled down and Iris was back their relationship had gone from strength to strength. She was doing some part time work for the Foundation until she got her feet under her again and Colton was happy back living with Iris and Pops and couldn't be happier.

"Holy fuck. I did not expect that….ever."

He kissed the back of her neck. "I'm glad you are going with him." He hadn't been surprised that Iris had offered to go, she didn't need to ask his permission. If that's what needed to be done then he was okay with that, but he would miss her like crazy. He'd only just got her back.

"You don't mind?"

"As long as you don't decide to live there or are gone too long." He rolled away and pulled Iris onto her back. "I'm going to miss you."

"You'll be okay, Pops will keep you company." Iris ran her hand over his chest and down towards his stomach. "He'll cuddle up to you if you ask."

"I don't want Pops company or to cuddle your Pops, that's weird. I'll miss you, I miss everything about you." Colton kissed her softly. "I hate not having your warm body next to mine."

"You've got three days to get some in the bank." Colton didn't need a second invitation, he was going to miss her but at the very least Iris would go away without a shadow of a doubt how much he loved her and how proud he was of her for supporting her brother. They had completely ignored Pops sex lecture and hadn't taken long to resume their activities after Iris came home, he was gentle with her though right up until Iris got frustrated and took control one day. It had been wild.

If the past week had been intense for Alfie, the next three days were off the charts. Lola and Mae where in a tizz and wanting to make sure Alfie had everything he needed, they wanted to talk to him but he struggled to talk about it with anyone but Iris. She had always been his centre, the one he turned too when he was struggling and Alfie was struggling.

Lola and Mae also found it hard to step back and let Iris deal with him. He was a bit erratic and they had to back off, he'd disappear for hours when it got too much and it was up to Iris to track him down.

The Immigration lawyer had been frustrating, there were more hurdles and hoops to jump through. The paperwork was exhausting and he felt like he was just constantly repeating himself.

Iris gave them a list of things to take care of, including preparing a room for Adelaide which Mae scoffed at, lists were her thing. "Don't go overboard until we know. Please." She knew Lola and Mae would just want to make things nice for Alfie and Adelaide and they wanted to help but she had to rein them in.

She also reminded them that they had to take care of Pops too. "Don't leave it all to Colt because you are too busy buzzing around getting things sorted for Adelaide."

That went down like a lead balloon. It was a tense few days for everyone. Alfie sat in the middle of it all, it swirled around him and he just let it. They were going to do what they wanted anyway, complaining about it only stressed everyone else out and Pops didn't need it.

Alfie had a couple of things to finish off at work before he left and was surprised when he got a call from reception telling him that his grandfather was here. Adam had called a Cab and made them bring him to the Zoo without anyone else knowing, he didn't want them making a fuss. The young girl on reception didn't know who he was which did not impress him at all. "My grandson works here; you need to call him and tell him I am here. Alfred Hollister." He barked at her.

"Alfred? Oh Alfie. I will call him." Adam told her that he'd be waiting at the tree and stalked off before she even had a chance to apologise.

Alfie jogged towards him, he was standing staring up at the tall Oak with his hands in his pockets. "Hey Pops." Alfie touched his back. "What are you doing here?"

"Seeing you."

"How'd you get here?"

"I caught a cab Alfred, I am not useless."

"I know Pops."

Adam stood and looked back up at the tree. "You know, I remember you asking me about this, Christmas was coming and you wanted Iris and Charlie to have a good Christmas because Iris was little and it was Charlie's first." Alfie let him go, he was telling a story and he knew better than to interrupt him. "I was so proud of you. You were a little boy and you only cared about everyone else. You never asked for anything for yourself, you were worried about Iris, about Mae. You kept telling us not to worry about Mae, that it was your job to worry and that she'd be okay and she'd talk soon. You slept with Iris for weeks and just held her hand. Every morning you'd bring her downstairs holding her hand. I knew they'd be okay because they had you."

"I didn't know what else to do." He had his hand on his Pops back to steady him. He adored this man; he'd been his strength for so long.

"Alfie, you did what your Dad raised you to do, look after his girls. I think you know how much those girls love you and love this place, this tree and the one in Australia. You did that, you gave them their Mom and Dad, just for a little bit."

"When I got that call, I came here and just stood here trying to figure out what to do."

"You knew what to do Alfie and I know that you are going to love that little girl and she is a lucky little thing because she has you. I have so much faith in you and I wanted to tell you that. I love you Alfred and I can't wait to meet your girl. I'm glad I am still here to see you be a Dad. I'm proud of you, MiMi is proud of you and more than anything…" he pointed to the tree… "They would be proud of you."

"I hope so."

"They loved you so much Alfie, I lost count of the times we helped your Mom up off the floor when she was pregnant with you. I remember one day I took her to hospital and called your Dad, she had wanted him to go out to a friend's wedding because all he had done was look after her and I had to call him and tell him I'd taken her to hospital." Adam shook his head sadly. "She didn't want me to tell him but I knew how angry he'd be if I tried to hide it from him, he adored your mother. He came in and refused to leave her side and before I left I watched him and he was so heartbroken, I watched your Dad cry because his Polly was sick and he couldn't help her but they did it, they hung on to each other and then there was you and none of that mattered anymore. They had this beautiful little boy."

"I'm glad I've got you Pops. I'm glad you came here today and I can't wait to meet Adelaide and tell her all about you."

It was almost a relief to get on the plane, not just because he was going to meet his daughter, but for thirty hours he could switch off from everything and everyone.