"Rylan, how can you say that?" Duncan asked appalled by what he had just
heard.
"It's true."
"It can't be," he said gently. "There has to be a reason, maybe you just don't know it."
Rylan looked at him. "The first two times, she had a reason. Now, she just doesn't want me." Her bottom lip trembled.
Duncan shifted and put his arm around her. "The first two times?" he asked.
Rylan remained quiet for a moment and Duncan could tell by the look on her face that she was debating what to do. "I'm the youngest of five," she started quietly. "I have four older brothers."
"What are their names?"
"Kevin, Brendan, Whitney, they're twins, and Skylar."
"Do they live with your mom? Is that why you think she doesn't want you?"
"No, none of us do. She gave us all up." She blinked a couple times trying to fight back the tears that stung at her eyes.
"Rylan, what happened?" Duncan gently probed hoping to help.
"When I was real little, not even two, my dad got real sick and he couldn't work. So my mom got a job and left all us kids with him. But he just kept getting worse, and she couldn't take care of him and all of us. So she called CPS and they took us away. Kevin refused to let me go to a home by myself so they found a couple that were willing to take a one-year-old and a ten-year-old. And my other brothers went somewhere else. Every other weekend we'd go see my mom, they wouldn't let us see my dad, I don't know why. My mom kept telling us it was only temporary. She lied. Then when I was six, my dad died. The only things I know about him is what Kevin told me, he didn't want me to forget him. But I kinda have. When I was eight my mom had a job and decided she wanted all of us back. So we moved back." She took a few deep breaths and Duncan waited for her to continue. "I guess she didn't realize how much money it took to raise five kids, cause we started running out real fast. There was never enough food, it was really cold and we couldn't afford to pay the heating bill, we were all growing like crazy and clothes got too small really fast. She couldn't take it. So one day CPS showed up again. They took me, Skylar and the twins. Kevin was almost eighteen, he joined the Marines. The twins got adopted real fast, they were cute, smart, funny, people wanted them." She fell silent and continued to fight the emotions bubbling up inside her.
"What happened to Skylar?" Duncan asked hoping that maybe he could talk Tessa into getting a bigger house and another kid. He'd figure out a way to handle it all later.
"Three years ago, he got real sick." Duncan immediately regretted asking the question. "I think it might have been whatever my dad had. Nobody ever told me. But he died two years ago. He was my age, he wanted to be a Marine like Kevin, but he never got the chance. So, now I'm the only one left." She lost the battle and let the tears fall.
"Rylan, I am so sorry." Duncan held her tightly.
"But you wanna know what really pisses me off?" Rylan asked over his shoulder. He let go of the hug but kept his hands on her shoulders.
"What?"
"What really pisses me off is that she had the nerve," Rylan's voice had a dangerous edge to it even as the tears fell down her cheeks. "The nerve to tell me, yesterday, that she was married. Then to top it all off, she invited me to dinner so I could meet my step dad and their two kids. Apparently the older one looks just like me. I wanna know how she can tell," she scoffed.
"You think she doesn't want you because she has two kids and she's keeping them," Duncan stated fighting the urge to get that woman's address and give her a piece of his mind.
"I makes since doesn't it? That's why I wanted you to go to the hospital with me. To show her I didn't need her. I knew that if she was there and I was there and she knew she'd want to come see me. And I wanted to let her know that I found something better. That I don't care that I'm not part of her life, that I don't need her, or want her, or anything."
"Good for you," Duncan cheered her. "You moved on, you put it behind you. You're stronger than that."
"Damn right I am!" Rylan agreed.
"You don't need her."
"Hell no!"
"You got it all covered."
"Damn straight!"
"You got everything you need right here."
"And in Paris," Rylan added. "No offence, but you gotta let Tessa and Richie in on this."
"Them, too," Duncan consented.
"If I got everything I need, how come I feel so rotten?" Rylan asked suddenly her voice shaking.
"Because you have a heart," Duncan answered. "And it's been hurt pretty bad. You're not made of stone."
"Wish I was," Rylan sniffed.
"It's hard to love stone," he said gently hugging her again. "It's pretty easy to love you. You're a good kid, Rylan. And that lady is missing out on a hell of show. But I think she does miss you."
"You do?" she asked sniffing and looking up at him without letting go of him.
"Why else would she keep wanting to see you at the hospital? Maybe she wants you back in her life and doesn't know how to ask."
"Well, she can forget it. She had her chance and she blew it, twice. I don't want to get to know her or her new family."
"And no one is going to force you to. It's your decision, and I'll support whatever decision you make," Duncan assured her. "I think I've got something that will make you feel better." He got up and went into the kitchen and returned with a pint of chocolate fudge and caramel ripple ice cream and a spoon. He crouched down in front of her and gave it to her. "I was going to save this for later, but I think you need it now."
She laughed lightly. "What makes you think food will make me feel better?"
"Because," he shrugged with a grin. She blushed and looked down. "Hey," he said raising her chin to meet her eyes. "I'm sorry, sweat heart, this has got to be really rough on you. But, you're right, you know. You found something better. Tough luck to your mom, you're ours now. And were not letting you go anywhere. You got that?"
"Yes, sir," she said with a salute.
"Do you want to be alone?" he asked. She nodded. "Okay, I'll be down stairs if you need me."
Duncan could hear Rylan's sobs begin before he was even half way down the stairs.
. . . . . .
"Rylan, it's been over an hour Chris has to go home," Duncan said. That afternoon Chris had come by with Rylan's books and Duncan decided to lift the grounding and let him stay to cheer her up.
"Really?" she asked.
"Really. I'm not falling for that look again. So you two say good-bye then I want you out of here," Duncan said pointing at Chris and then leaving the teens alone.
After Chris had left Duncan rejoined Rylan in the living room.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Homework," she grumbled good-naturedly digging around in her bag and pulling out her chemistry book.
"Actually I was going to say, you look tired," Duncan said.
"Maybe a little," she admitted. Duncan smiled; she even sounded like Richie at times.
"Do you want to take a nap, maybe relax in the tub?" he offered. "I promise I'll check for towels myself."
She rolled her eyes. "Both actually sound pretty nice."
"So both it is," Duncan said taking the heavy book from her hands and putting it on the coffee table. "Which do you want first?"
Rylan thought for a second. "Bath," she decided.
"Okay." He got up and followed her to his bedroom. "Sit down for a second. I'll get everything ready for you," he ordered going into the bathroom. He sifted through the bottles on Tessa's counter and found lavender scented bubble bath soap and poured it into the hot water as he filled the large tub. He lit a couple candles and set a towel next to the tub. He had done this plenty of times before for Tessa, granted he usually joined her, but Rylan needed to be pampered today. So he was going to do it.
Rylan watched Duncan move around in the bathroom and wondered what he was doing. She ran her hand over the soft fabric of their bedspread. She loved Duncan and Tessa's bed. It was so big, and soft, and comforting somehow. Casting a quick glance towards the bathroom to make sure Duncan wasn't looking, she decided to see if their pillows were as cushy as they looked. They were.
Once everything was ready Duncan went back out into the room to get Rylan, and found her fast asleep on his bed. He smiled; she looked so small all alone in their king sized four-post bed. Shaking his head he went into the bathroom and blew out the candles and pulled the plug in the drain. Before he left he took the quilt off the trunk at the foot of the bed and covered Rylan up. Somehow he couldn't resist kissing her forehead softly.
"Good Night, Rylan."
TBC
"It's true."
"It can't be," he said gently. "There has to be a reason, maybe you just don't know it."
Rylan looked at him. "The first two times, she had a reason. Now, she just doesn't want me." Her bottom lip trembled.
Duncan shifted and put his arm around her. "The first two times?" he asked.
Rylan remained quiet for a moment and Duncan could tell by the look on her face that she was debating what to do. "I'm the youngest of five," she started quietly. "I have four older brothers."
"What are their names?"
"Kevin, Brendan, Whitney, they're twins, and Skylar."
"Do they live with your mom? Is that why you think she doesn't want you?"
"No, none of us do. She gave us all up." She blinked a couple times trying to fight back the tears that stung at her eyes.
"Rylan, what happened?" Duncan gently probed hoping to help.
"When I was real little, not even two, my dad got real sick and he couldn't work. So my mom got a job and left all us kids with him. But he just kept getting worse, and she couldn't take care of him and all of us. So she called CPS and they took us away. Kevin refused to let me go to a home by myself so they found a couple that were willing to take a one-year-old and a ten-year-old. And my other brothers went somewhere else. Every other weekend we'd go see my mom, they wouldn't let us see my dad, I don't know why. My mom kept telling us it was only temporary. She lied. Then when I was six, my dad died. The only things I know about him is what Kevin told me, he didn't want me to forget him. But I kinda have. When I was eight my mom had a job and decided she wanted all of us back. So we moved back." She took a few deep breaths and Duncan waited for her to continue. "I guess she didn't realize how much money it took to raise five kids, cause we started running out real fast. There was never enough food, it was really cold and we couldn't afford to pay the heating bill, we were all growing like crazy and clothes got too small really fast. She couldn't take it. So one day CPS showed up again. They took me, Skylar and the twins. Kevin was almost eighteen, he joined the Marines. The twins got adopted real fast, they were cute, smart, funny, people wanted them." She fell silent and continued to fight the emotions bubbling up inside her.
"What happened to Skylar?" Duncan asked hoping that maybe he could talk Tessa into getting a bigger house and another kid. He'd figure out a way to handle it all later.
"Three years ago, he got real sick." Duncan immediately regretted asking the question. "I think it might have been whatever my dad had. Nobody ever told me. But he died two years ago. He was my age, he wanted to be a Marine like Kevin, but he never got the chance. So, now I'm the only one left." She lost the battle and let the tears fall.
"Rylan, I am so sorry." Duncan held her tightly.
"But you wanna know what really pisses me off?" Rylan asked over his shoulder. He let go of the hug but kept his hands on her shoulders.
"What?"
"What really pisses me off is that she had the nerve," Rylan's voice had a dangerous edge to it even as the tears fell down her cheeks. "The nerve to tell me, yesterday, that she was married. Then to top it all off, she invited me to dinner so I could meet my step dad and their two kids. Apparently the older one looks just like me. I wanna know how she can tell," she scoffed.
"You think she doesn't want you because she has two kids and she's keeping them," Duncan stated fighting the urge to get that woman's address and give her a piece of his mind.
"I makes since doesn't it? That's why I wanted you to go to the hospital with me. To show her I didn't need her. I knew that if she was there and I was there and she knew she'd want to come see me. And I wanted to let her know that I found something better. That I don't care that I'm not part of her life, that I don't need her, or want her, or anything."
"Good for you," Duncan cheered her. "You moved on, you put it behind you. You're stronger than that."
"Damn right I am!" Rylan agreed.
"You don't need her."
"Hell no!"
"You got it all covered."
"Damn straight!"
"You got everything you need right here."
"And in Paris," Rylan added. "No offence, but you gotta let Tessa and Richie in on this."
"Them, too," Duncan consented.
"If I got everything I need, how come I feel so rotten?" Rylan asked suddenly her voice shaking.
"Because you have a heart," Duncan answered. "And it's been hurt pretty bad. You're not made of stone."
"Wish I was," Rylan sniffed.
"It's hard to love stone," he said gently hugging her again. "It's pretty easy to love you. You're a good kid, Rylan. And that lady is missing out on a hell of show. But I think she does miss you."
"You do?" she asked sniffing and looking up at him without letting go of him.
"Why else would she keep wanting to see you at the hospital? Maybe she wants you back in her life and doesn't know how to ask."
"Well, she can forget it. She had her chance and she blew it, twice. I don't want to get to know her or her new family."
"And no one is going to force you to. It's your decision, and I'll support whatever decision you make," Duncan assured her. "I think I've got something that will make you feel better." He got up and went into the kitchen and returned with a pint of chocolate fudge and caramel ripple ice cream and a spoon. He crouched down in front of her and gave it to her. "I was going to save this for later, but I think you need it now."
She laughed lightly. "What makes you think food will make me feel better?"
"Because," he shrugged with a grin. She blushed and looked down. "Hey," he said raising her chin to meet her eyes. "I'm sorry, sweat heart, this has got to be really rough on you. But, you're right, you know. You found something better. Tough luck to your mom, you're ours now. And were not letting you go anywhere. You got that?"
"Yes, sir," she said with a salute.
"Do you want to be alone?" he asked. She nodded. "Okay, I'll be down stairs if you need me."
Duncan could hear Rylan's sobs begin before he was even half way down the stairs.
. . . . . .
"Rylan, it's been over an hour Chris has to go home," Duncan said. That afternoon Chris had come by with Rylan's books and Duncan decided to lift the grounding and let him stay to cheer her up.
"Really?" she asked.
"Really. I'm not falling for that look again. So you two say good-bye then I want you out of here," Duncan said pointing at Chris and then leaving the teens alone.
After Chris had left Duncan rejoined Rylan in the living room.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Homework," she grumbled good-naturedly digging around in her bag and pulling out her chemistry book.
"Actually I was going to say, you look tired," Duncan said.
"Maybe a little," she admitted. Duncan smiled; she even sounded like Richie at times.
"Do you want to take a nap, maybe relax in the tub?" he offered. "I promise I'll check for towels myself."
She rolled her eyes. "Both actually sound pretty nice."
"So both it is," Duncan said taking the heavy book from her hands and putting it on the coffee table. "Which do you want first?"
Rylan thought for a second. "Bath," she decided.
"Okay." He got up and followed her to his bedroom. "Sit down for a second. I'll get everything ready for you," he ordered going into the bathroom. He sifted through the bottles on Tessa's counter and found lavender scented bubble bath soap and poured it into the hot water as he filled the large tub. He lit a couple candles and set a towel next to the tub. He had done this plenty of times before for Tessa, granted he usually joined her, but Rylan needed to be pampered today. So he was going to do it.
Rylan watched Duncan move around in the bathroom and wondered what he was doing. She ran her hand over the soft fabric of their bedspread. She loved Duncan and Tessa's bed. It was so big, and soft, and comforting somehow. Casting a quick glance towards the bathroom to make sure Duncan wasn't looking, she decided to see if their pillows were as cushy as they looked. They were.
Once everything was ready Duncan went back out into the room to get Rylan, and found her fast asleep on his bed. He smiled; she looked so small all alone in their king sized four-post bed. Shaking his head he went into the bathroom and blew out the candles and pulled the plug in the drain. Before he left he took the quilt off the trunk at the foot of the bed and covered Rylan up. Somehow he couldn't resist kissing her forehead softly.
"Good Night, Rylan."
TBC