He received nothing but stunned silence. He couldn't blame them. He was stunned too.
...A nephew.
A half nephew, technically.
Crap, he couldn't even think straight right now. He couldn't do much of anything but replay that moment over and over; the lady's voice repeating that word over and over. This...it was too much. It was too much to absorb at this time. It was a good thing he was sitting down.
"What are you talking about?" Mom demanded after she recovered-though not completely. She must not have known whether to laugh or not. Obviously, she thought he must be joking. "How could you have a nephew?"
"Half nephew," He corrected absentmindedly. He was stalling on purpose to avoid having to tell this next part. He rubbed at his face. "My dad-he had another kid and well-"
Mom nodded slowly, digesting the information. It took a moment for her to speak again. "I always had a feeling he would meet someone else," she said quietly. "But what does that have to do with you?"
Gordon understood it faster. He was a lawyer, after all. "They need you to take custody of your your nephew, don't you?" He deduced.
Mom was shocked.
Charlie rubbed at his face again, no longer feeling hungry. How could he possibly eat when a bomb was just dropped on him? "Yeah," was the only thing he could say right now. "Yeah. They do, I mean, she didn't use those words but it's something like that."
He'd been unsure when the lady on the other end of the line asked if he was Charlie Conway. He'd said yes, of course. Then she began to explain the situation. He'd initially feared this was the human resource department calling him back to inform him he wasn't getting the job after all. But it had nothing to do with his job.
And all to do with a family he didn't even know existed.
"What did they bust his parents for?" Gordon asked carefully. "Do you know?"
"I don't know the full details," Charlie said, his mind racing as he tried to recall everything the woman had told him. He'd gone blank, barely registering her voice. "I don't really remember what she said but it was something about abuse or neglect and his parents aren't fit to take care of him anymore so they want me to do it for now because we're blood related."
"That poor child," Mom said with pity. "How old is he?"
"I don't know," Charlie said. "I didn't catch that part."
Gordon reached over to squeeze his arm. Charlie was grateful. Just a few minutes ago, he'd been excited and looked forward to Monday so he could start his career. And now Child Protective Services wanted him to play babysitter for someone who wasn't even fully related to him.
"Well, you'll have to find out," Mom said.
He side-eyed her. "Why?"
"What do you mean why?"
Charlie gawked at her. "Mom, I'm not doing it."
She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Excuse me?"
"I'm only twenty-three," he said reasonably.
"I can help you," came her determined response.
"I'm going to start teaching. I won't have time to watch over a kid and besides, I have no interest in getting to know the kid of my own half brother who I didn't know existed until just five minutes ago."
"Charlie, what are you saying?" She demanded. "He's your nephew."
"Half, Mom. Half nephew."
"It's all the same," She said stubbornly.
He nearly snorted. It definitely wasn't the same.
"He's family and you can't abandon family."
"He's not my family," he grumbled.
"Maybe you should think it over," Gordon advised, cautiously stepping into the conversation. "You're worked up right now and you won't think clearly."
"I'm thinking fine," he snapped. "I've already made up my mind. I'm not doing it."
"If you don't, he'll go to foster care," Gordon warned.
"So? He'll be happier that way," Charlie dismissed. He and the kid would be miserable if he came to live here. At least this way things would be fair to both of them.
Mom sighed sadly. "Please think about this, sweetheart."
"I did."
"No," She grew firmer, "you didn't. You're upset just like Gordon said. Now, ultimately it's your decision and I know you're upset about your dad and you have a right to be, but I really think you should think further about this. That little boy deserves to know he's going to be okay after who knows what's happened to him."
"What about me?" He exclaimed angrily, jumping to his feet once again. "I didn't know what happened to my dad. I didn't know anything and now I find out he had another family and you both just expect me to take care of his grandkid? It's not my responsibility!"
This made Mom go quiet. He knew it would. He'd feel bad later for being this rude but right now, he didn't care at all. He was angry. It wasn't fair. He'd been happy and now he had to deal with this. He thought they would understand! He thought Mom would see right away that he wasn't the person to handle raising a kid. He felt ganged up by the both of them. And he didn't like that feeling, not one bit.
"It's not the boy's fault, Charlie," Gordon said softly. "He couldn't help it that he was born into this situation. You can't blame him for it."
He knew that! But it didn't mean he had to like this one bit.
"Did the person you were speaking to say anything else?" Gordon asked.
That was clearly a tactic to divert the conversation for the moment so they wouldn't continue to argue. But whatever. Charlie responded anyway.
"He's in the hospital and they want me to stop by tomorrow to see him and go over stuff."
Which he had no intention of doing. He'd just have to call the woman in the morning and explain that he couldn't. He didn't think they'd said much to the kid so it wasn't like he would be disappointed. He'd just go to his new home and everyone would win.
And then his mom and Gordon would be disappointed because he didn't do it.
But...it was his life! They weren't the ones that were having their life thrown up and tossed in all different directions. They just expected him to go with it, as if it were a mild inconvenience and not a life changing commitment. He tried to tell himself it didn't matter, that it was fine if they were disappointed because he was an adult and could make decisions himself.
But then there was something deep down.
Something that made him feel conflicted.
Even though his reasons were legitimate, he couldn't help but wonder if they were right. He couldn't help but feel...curious. He'd never met his father before and this kid, he was an extension of the man. It might not be right to think of him that way but it was the truth. This might be his only chance at a glimpse into his father and what he was like-if he was still alive. The kid had to have met him. Unless he abandoned the kid's own dad.
Unless history was repeating itself.
Not to mention, he kept circling back to what his mom had said about family helping family.
He'd never met his father's family. If there was any still around, they'd never made any contact. His mom was an only child so there were no cousins from her side and her parents were dead-they'd both died by the time he'd gotten involved in peewee hockey. His grandmother had been an only child as well. His grandfather had had a brother but he died as a child from a fever.
It had only ever been the two of them. He used to get jealous at seeing his friends or anyone else with their families and wish he could have what they did.
And now he had a chance at having a nephew, which had never been a possibility before. And alright, maybe it sounded nice. But he wasn't father-or uncle, technically-material. Not yet. How was he supposed to handle any of this? What if the kid was super young? Crap, what if he wasn't potty trained yet? Oh, there was no way he would be doing that. There were limits. He had limits on what he would do.
"Just give it some thought," Mom requested, her voice soft. "Think about it until tomorrow morning and if you really don't want to do it, then you should tell them."
Charlie glanced at the both of them.
"We'll support you in whatever decision you make," Gordon assured him.
"That's right," Mom agreed.
He started to feel bad for blowing up at them. Maybe he overreacted a little. "I'm sorry," he murmured. His mom was probably dealing with her own emotions after hearing this revelation. He wasn't the only one affected by this. "Mom, are you okay?"
She knew what he was referring to. She smiled some, brushing at his hair like she used to do when he was a kid. "I'm fine."
"Are you sure?" Funny enough, he and Gordon asked her at the same time.
It amused her. A small smile came on her lips. "Yes, I'm sure."
"It's okay if you aren't," Gordon told her.
Her face dissolved into something softer. "I mean it. Neither of you have to worry about me, I'm just fine."
Charlie didn't know whether he believed that or not. Sometimes his mom said she was fine and she wasn't. Maybe this was her way of shielding him from what she was feeling. She used to do that a lot when he was a kid. But he was smart; he could tell the difference when she was making something up to spare him and when she was being sincere.
She sighed. "I just feel terrible for that little boy. I can't imagine what he's gone through and at such a young age, too." She looked at Charlie. "You're sure you don't know how old he is?"
Charlie shook his head. "No idea. But he can't be that old. His dad-" He was not going to refer to him as his brother, "is probably a few years younger than me."
It must have happened soon after he and his mom left. He found some woman willing to do it with him, subsequently getting pregnant with his child. Charlie didn't want to think about it-
But he wondered if that kid was loved.
If it made his dad a better person, to want to be a better person.
If he had a normal childhood.
It felt wrong to think about. His mom did the best she could. And then Bombay came along and made him and his friends into Ducks. It might not have been a childhood with both parents but it was a happy one regardless. He had a lot to be thankful for and it felt wrong to sit back and think about what could have been.
"If you do," Mom started, "you'll have a lot on your plate."
That's what I tried to tell you
"Toddlers are tricky to handle sometimes."
Charlie said nothing.
"You'll...have to tell the Ducks at some point," Gordon said.
"I know," Charlie muttered.
He didn't want to. They were his friends and he told them nearly everything, but he didn't want to explain his family troubles. They all knew he didn't have a dad and didn't have any memories of him. That was it. He wouldn't discuss it.
Their curiosity was harder to avoid come Father's Day. When they were all older, things got better. But as young kids who had no tact, he was asked questions.
"Honey, they'll understand," Mom said comfortingly.
He didn't want to be seen as the guy with problems. He knew a few of the guys like Fulton had their own family troubles but still. Things had started to work out in his favor.
And now this happened.
/
Charlie had to get out of the house for a little bit. He went to Adam's place. Peter was already there; they'd been watching a televised hockey game when he arrived, announced.
"You okay?" Adam frowned. He was sitting in an armchair while Peter was in another and Charlie was on the couch, face buried in his hands.
No, no. He was definitely not okay.
"I need a drink," Charlie moaned. "I need to get drunk until I forget everything."
He didn't notice the wrinkled nose that came from Peter.
"I'm not sure that's wise," Adam, the voice of reason, said.
"The Preppy's right," Peter said, to which Adam rolled his eyes. Even after all these years, he still got remarks made about his upbringing-all in good fun, though. "Come on, Conway, spill. Something's obviously up."
They had no idea...
"You don't have to," Adam cut in, "if you don't want to."
Peter was exasperated. "Oh come on-"
Charlie, breaking through their bickering, "I got a call from child protective services earlier."
Well, that did it.
Peter and Adam turned to stare. Adam was shocked just like Charlie's mom and Gordon had been. Peter-he wore a strange expression.
"Why would they call you?" Adam was confused.
"Because I apparently have a half nephew that needs to be taken care of," Charlie muttered.
Silence.
"A half nephew?" Peter repeated.
"But how can you have a half-oh, your dad," Adam realized.
"Yeah. I have a half 'brother' too. But apparently he can't even take care of his own kid so now they want me to do it," Charlie felt the irritation coming back. "I can't! I can't raise a kid. But Mom and Gordon seem to think I can."
Peter was quiet. Adam was concerned.
"And you just got the phone today?"
Charlie nodded. "They want me to stop by the hospital tomorrow to talk things over. I guess the kid's in bad shape."
"So are you going or-" Adam started.
"No. I'll tell her I can't and that she's got to find someone else to take care of him," Charlie shook his head. "I-I just can't."
"Why not?" Peter asked sharply.
Adam and Charlie were slightly taken back by Peter's question.
"What?"
"Why can't you take him in?"
"Do I look like I can take care of him?" Charlie scowled. "I have work now and I don't even know he existed until today."
"So?"
"So," Charlie felt annoyed. What of this was Peter's business? "I just don't want to. Shouldn't the kid go to someone that actually wants him?"
The room went still. Charlie shut his eyes. He didn't mean to sound that harsh.
Adam looked away, not wanting to get involved in this.
Peter's eyes darkened.
"That didn't come out right," Charlie said lamely.
"Oh, I think it came out perfectly," Peter spat.
"What's your problem?" Charlie crossed his arms, standing to his feet. Adam was in the middle, looking between them warily.
"You're my problem! Your nephew-"
"Half nephew."
"Does it matter?" Peter demanded.
"Why do you even care?" Charlie cried. This was ridiculous!
"Because I know how hard it can be to find a good family."
Adam and Charlie exchanged a look, not understanding.
Peter let out a heavy sigh. "I didn't move away because my dad got a new job. I moved because I was put into foster care."
"What?"
"My dad beat me," Peter said simply. "A lot. And he went too far one night. I was put in the hospital after a neighbor found me and they called CPS on my dad. I was taken to this family after I got released but I didn't stay long. I went through a few families before one couple decided to adopt me."
"I didn't know..." Charlie didn't know what to think about this.
"I didn't want people to know," Peter shrugged. "Didn't want anybody pitying me. Why do you think I don't drink? Dad was a drunk."
The pieces were starting to connect together. Things were making sense. Moments that had briefly puzzled him about Peter and his changed behavior now made sense.
Charlie plopped back down, sighing. His eyes were lowered to the floor. "I just don't know if I can do it," he said. "Everytime I look at him, I'm just going to remember how crappy my dad was and how he did this to us."
Peter's hands were in his jean pockets. "It's not the kid's fault," he told Charlie, seriously.
"I know that, it's just..."
"I can't make this decision for you, Conway," Peter said, unknowingly repeating what Charlie's mom had said. "But don't punish the kid, okay? He's gonna need a lot of help."
Charlie knew he was right. "Mom and Gordon really want me to think about it too."
Adam sat beside him. "If you do," he started, "you know we'd all be there to help. You don't have to be alone in this, Charlie."
"What if I screw up?" That was what really plagued Charlie. "I don't know what I'm doing."
"Does anyone?" Peter sighed. "Give the kid a chance. If it doesn't work out and it's better for him to be taken to someone else, then do that."
Charlie supposed that could work. "I guess."
Crap, was he really considering this?
"Yeah," he muttered out loud. "Guess I am."
Adam looked at Peter who shrugged again.
"I guess I'm doing this," Charlie announced with some apprehension.
"You don't sound sure," Adam said.
Of course I don't
"How could I possibly be sure?" Charlie leaned back, head upward toward the ceiling. "I don't know anything about parenting. I don't even know how old the kid is. What if he's not old enough for school yet? I don't have money to put out for someone to watch him."
"What about your mom?" Peter said.
"She's still working and she said she would help but I wouldn't want to ask her all the time," Charlie shifted. She'd already raised him. He didn't want her to have another kid to be responsible for.
"Well, you said you don't know how old he is. Maybe he's older," Adam said, trying to be the optimistic one. "You'll find out tomorrow."
"Yeah... Guess I will."
