CHAPTER SEVEN
After dinner that night, twelve year old Jake went upstairs to do his homework while ten year old Hannah and seven year old Kelly watched TV. Sam was outside sweeping up the patio so Kirsty decided this was a good time to talk to her eldest.
She found Seb lying on his bed reading. " Seb," Kirsty greeted her son, " would you like to tell me why you were so rude to my cousin?"
" It's nothing." Seb mumbled, his head buried in the book. Kirsty reached over and snatched it from his hands.
" Mum!" Seb exploded, " I have to read that for school."
" You can read it later," Kirsty put it on his nightstand, " Now, what did Don say that got you so upset?"
" It's nothing Grandad has done," Seb, blurted, " It's something you haven't done."
Kirsty's eyes opened wide at his unexpected accusation, " What do you mean by that son?"
" You burned all your photos of my dad," Seb reminded her, " so I've never seen him. So today, Grandad gave me one of his albums to keep."
Kirsty frowned. " Seb, it's best if you just forget about your father. Why, you didn't even know him and-"
" That's a terrible thing to say!" Seb shouted, " I want to keep the memory of my father alive. I want to find out as much as I can about him and you're not gonna stop me."
" Keep your voice down Sebastian Donald Miller." Kirsty scolded, " You have a father Seb-Sam."
" He's not my real father." Seb argued, " I want to know about Seb Snr Mum…why wont you share your memories about him to me?"
" It's too painful," Kirsty's eyes looked pleadingly at him, " Please Seb, it hurts too much to think about him. I might have married and moved on, but there's always a place in my heart for your father."
Seb sighed, " I guess I'll have to ask Grandad about him. He was his grandson after all."
" It's better if you didn't ask at all," Kirsty advised, " Seb's death devastated the old man. Just stick to your album Seb."
" Okay," Seb muttered, " I won't ask him."
" Good." Kirsty leaned forward and kissed her son's forehead before leaving the room.
* * *
Kirsty was sitting curled up on the couch with Sam. The kids were all in bed and the house was quiet.
" Seb's really upset with me," Kirsty was telling Sam, " He's angry that I won't tell him about his dad."
" Maybe I should have a talk with him, straighten him out." Sam suggested, playing with Kirsty's long hair.
" No, it's okay." Kirsty sighed, " I'll work it out."
" You know what I think?"
" What?"
" That Seb should changed his last name from Miller to Banks." Sam said, " He's my legal son now, I've signed all the papers. But the kid insists on keeping his father's name."
" Sam…changing his last name will get him even more upset. He'll never do it."
" I'll make him change his mind…you can count on that." Sam assured his wife.
After dinner that night, twelve year old Jake went upstairs to do his homework while ten year old Hannah and seven year old Kelly watched TV. Sam was outside sweeping up the patio so Kirsty decided this was a good time to talk to her eldest.
She found Seb lying on his bed reading. " Seb," Kirsty greeted her son, " would you like to tell me why you were so rude to my cousin?"
" It's nothing." Seb mumbled, his head buried in the book. Kirsty reached over and snatched it from his hands.
" Mum!" Seb exploded, " I have to read that for school."
" You can read it later," Kirsty put it on his nightstand, " Now, what did Don say that got you so upset?"
" It's nothing Grandad has done," Seb, blurted, " It's something you haven't done."
Kirsty's eyes opened wide at his unexpected accusation, " What do you mean by that son?"
" You burned all your photos of my dad," Seb reminded her, " so I've never seen him. So today, Grandad gave me one of his albums to keep."
Kirsty frowned. " Seb, it's best if you just forget about your father. Why, you didn't even know him and-"
" That's a terrible thing to say!" Seb shouted, " I want to keep the memory of my father alive. I want to find out as much as I can about him and you're not gonna stop me."
" Keep your voice down Sebastian Donald Miller." Kirsty scolded, " You have a father Seb-Sam."
" He's not my real father." Seb argued, " I want to know about Seb Snr Mum…why wont you share your memories about him to me?"
" It's too painful," Kirsty's eyes looked pleadingly at him, " Please Seb, it hurts too much to think about him. I might have married and moved on, but there's always a place in my heart for your father."
Seb sighed, " I guess I'll have to ask Grandad about him. He was his grandson after all."
" It's better if you didn't ask at all," Kirsty advised, " Seb's death devastated the old man. Just stick to your album Seb."
" Okay," Seb muttered, " I won't ask him."
" Good." Kirsty leaned forward and kissed her son's forehead before leaving the room.
* * *
Kirsty was sitting curled up on the couch with Sam. The kids were all in bed and the house was quiet.
" Seb's really upset with me," Kirsty was telling Sam, " He's angry that I won't tell him about his dad."
" Maybe I should have a talk with him, straighten him out." Sam suggested, playing with Kirsty's long hair.
" No, it's okay." Kirsty sighed, " I'll work it out."
" You know what I think?"
" What?"
" That Seb should changed his last name from Miller to Banks." Sam said, " He's my legal son now, I've signed all the papers. But the kid insists on keeping his father's name."
" Sam…changing his last name will get him even more upset. He'll never do it."
" I'll make him change his mind…you can count on that." Sam assured his wife.