With all of the surprise visits over the next few weeks, Gil didn't know why he was caught offguard by his mother asking about Heather.
He was in the kitchen, up to his elbows in the bubbles from the dishes he was washing. She stepped up next to him, touched his arm for attention, and hands started flying.
'Tell me about her.' He wanted to fake her out… pretend that her hands had moved too fast, but she had seen him "talk" faster to his teacher, so he was trapped.
Sighing, he raised his soaked hands. 'She is a friend from school.'
'She's here every day.'
'Does it bother you?'
A pause as she studied him, then a smile. 'No, but I wish you had told me.' His confused look made her falter, and she raised an eyebrow at him. "You didn't notice that she's pregnant?" The sound of her slurred words startled him, but then the actual words she'd said sunk in… It felt like a stab to the chest. Several things that Heather had said made sense all of a sudden, and Gil all but dropped the plate he had picked up to clean. Drying his hands, he snatched up his car keys, nearly running from the house.
It was dark, but Gil didn't care about manners. He had to see Heather… had to find proof that his mother was wrong.
The odds were against him.
Storming up the white stairs, he slammed his knuckles against the door three times. Minutes dragged on, and he felt his temper slowly calming. Three more knocks.
Five minutes. Three knocks.
Finally, the door swung open, revealing Heather's father, who looked as though he had just rolled out of bed. A bed he had been quite actively sharing with someone else.
"Is… Can I speak with Heather, sir?"
"She's doing her chores." The man's voice was gruff and low, but that was nothing new to Gil.
"I just need a few minutes, sure. I need to ask her something." That mad the man behind the door growl softly, and he pushed the door open, stepping out to face the young man directly.
"She isn't allowed to have a boyfriend. N'yer too old for her anyway. Get off my porch."
"That's not-"
"I said go!"
They glared at each other for a moment, then something came to his face, and Gil wished that he had gone. He turned and walked inside, and Grissom turned to hurry away. He got halfway down the stairs when there came shouting, fighting, and then the screen door was shoved open.
"Gil-!" "Here she is, idiot."
He didn't turn around, knowing exactly what he would see if he did.
"What's wrong? Too embarrassed to see what she really is?"
"No sir. I just won't grant you the pleasure of humiliating her." Without looking back, Gil walked to his car, got in, and drove home.
