Chapter 5
The back screen door slammed shut with a deafening sound.
" Mom.?.", Jared yelled.
" Upstairs.", Sara replied.
Jared bounded up the stairs. As he turned to the entrance of the bedroom, Sara was just coming out of the bathroom putting on a shirt. Grissom was sitting in the edge of the bed, trying to recover from being on the edge of passion and having to force himself to return without satisfaction.
" What ya doin'?" Jared said looking at Grissom.
"We were just catching up, and talking about you." Sara replied. "Why don't you show your father your room while I go down and start dinner."
"OK, come on,", Jared said, waving for his father to stand. " I've got a bunch of stuff I've been saving for you to see." Grissom looked over at Sara and she nodded as to say go ahead. He rose and followed his son to the closed door of his son's bedroom.
Jared opened his door with a sense of pride. He had waited a long time to show his dad his accomplishments. Grissom entered the room and his eyes were immediately drawn to the numerous posters on the walls of sports idols and muscle cars. All around the room were colorful representations of basketball stars, football stars and baseball legends. Standing atop of the dresser were half-a-dozen trophies awarded for participation in intramural baseball. Along side the trophies, pictures of Grissom, photos from newspaper clippings, articles of how Gil Grissom, Las Vegas Crime Lab solved yet another case.
Grissom reached out to pick up one of the photos.
" Mom gave those to me." He said.
" That was a long time ago." Grissom replied, "I'm surprised she kept these".
" She kept everything that had to do with you." Jared said. "Her and Uncle Jim tried their best to make me believe you were all right."
"But you don't think so?" Grissom questioned.
"Naw, you must be kinda OK if mom still keeps loving you." Jared said looking out of his window. "But why didn't you call us or anything?"
" I tried to find your mom but she ran from me, and I never knew you were born." Grissom said.
" I know, Uncle Jim told me that she didn't want to tell you cause you would just come be with us because of me, and that isn't the way it's suppose to be". Jared said.
They stood in quiet for some time just gazing at each other. Grissom couldn't believe how much he looked like his mother. Jared was tall for his age. He would look down at all of his other friends and it intimidated them. Once his peers got to know him, they realized he was a down to earth individual and had a very kind heart. Jared was gifted with talents in baseball. Even though they moved from school to school, he was able to play ball as a starter on every team. He knew his father liked baseball, and he use to dream that his dad was at every game and would cheer him on.
Jared finally broke the silence, "How long are you gonna stay?"
"I'm not sure, I really didn't know I was coming here." Grissom said.
"Oh, yeah well, we knew you were coming." Jared replied.
Brass peered around the corner, " You coming down for dinner?".
Jared bounded towards the door, "OK, I'm hungry."
Grissom stood in the boy's room looking around. Brass hung around the door wanting to approach Grissom about the way he brought him here.
" Are you OK?" Brass asked.
" Yeah, but I still don't know what's really going on, what Sara is trying to tell me." Grissom said.
" She will, we're not going anywhere for awhile, unless you want to."
" No, I want to stay, at least for a few days, if she wants me too." Grissom said.
Brass and Grissom moved down the stairs and to the kitchen. Sara was moving around the room setting the table. "Clean up guys, dinner is served."
It was late by the time the dishes were washed and the kitchen put back in order. Brass and Jared had a good fire going in the living room and they were sitting and chatting among themselves. When Grissom and Sara joined them, Jared excused himself and went to bed, leaving just the three of them to talk.
Brass started what was to be the most devastating discussion Grissom has ever had.
" Would you like to know why everyone has deceived you into coming here?" Brass asked.
"Well, yes, but I am almost afraid to ask." Grissom said hesitantly.
Sara sat down in the worn wooden rocking chair next to the fireplace. She was noticeably tired and weak. " Against Brass's better judgment, I asked him to bring you here after all these years." She said.
"You see, there's something you need to know, and I hope you can understand. What I am doing is what is best for my son, our son." She said, and took a sip from her glass of wine.
