Part 2— Charlie's Distraction

Colby sat on the couch, dozing in the afternoon sun. The lineup sheet he was trying to write for Nena's next Little League game was still blank. He hadn't been able to stop yawning, though being the coach for Nena's team was usually a fun thing. He hadn't been sleeping well lately, since Charlie hadn't been. Charlie had something bothering him and Colby hoped that he'd work himself up to talking to Colby about it soon.

Colby was not only sleeping poorly because of it, he was also starting to get nervous. With Charlie it was impossible to tell how significant the issue might be. Charlie had agonized for days before telling Colby that he wanted something other than pancakes for Sunday brunch. Another time, Charlie had stewed a long while before announcing that he wanted to move to Alaska to study fluid dynamics in glaciers, before they all melted. Colby had been able to talk Charlie out of Alaska and had changed the usual Sunday food, but until he knew the problem, he couldn't deal with it. And he couldn't relax, either.

"Humph," Nena said loudly from nearby and Colby opened his eyes. He looked over to where Nena was standing next to an easel, a smear of blue paint on her cheek, but she wasn't talking to him. Instead, she was staring with a frown at her latest painting. Colby couldn't see what she was painting, but it probably wouldn't make a difference if he could – he wouldn't know what it was anyway. Nena had explained many times that she tried to paint 'feelings,' but to Colby the paintings just looked like colorful messes. Not that that stopped him from proudly displaying them all over the house and at work. Nena stepped back from her standing easel and reached for a new tube of paint. Alan had gone overboard last time he'd been at the art supplies store, no doubt hoping that they had a budding Georgia O'Keefe on their hands. Colby didn't know how long Nena's interest in painting would last, but at least she wasn't playing video games.

He'd almost dozed off again when he heard the outside door opening. He looked up to see Charlie coming in from the garage, an earnest look on his face. Colby felt a mixture of dread and relief. Finally, Charlie is ready to tell me what's going on.

"Cole?" Charlie said. "Can I talk to you?"

"Definitely," Colby said with a smile.

Charlie's lips quirked, acknowledging that he'd been distracted. He looked over at Nena and said to Colby, "Can we go outside?"

Colby nodded and set his notepad aside. Suddenly, he was wide awake.

They stepped outside onto the patio and Charlie slid the door shut behind them. Colby pulled up a chair and gazed expectantly at Charlie. Charlie ran his hand through his hair, smearing a line of chalk across his face that looked a lot like Nena's paint smear. Colby gripped his hands together and tried to prepare himself.

But when it came, Colby was stunned.

"Cole?" Charlie asked. "Have you … have you ever thought about having another child?"

Colby's jaw dropped and he stared at Charlie.

"Well?" Charlie prompted.

"Umm," Colby fumbled. "Not really, I mean, Nena wasn't on purpose, though I'm so glad I've got her, but it wasn't … There wasn't any thought involved in it."

"Well, I've been thinking about it a lot," Charlie said, lowering himself into a chair. "Can't stop thinking about it."

"You're thinking about adopting?" Colby asked cautiously.

"No, a genetic child."

Colby felt his eyes bugging out of his head. "But …"

"We'd use a surrogate mother."

"But …"

"We could get an egg donation from the place that has my sperm. They could use my sperm that they already have, unless fresh is better, though—"

"Charlie," Colby interrupted with a squeak. "You want to have a baby?"

"Yeah," Charlie said, quietly but firmly.

"One night with Ojas does not prepare you to have a baby! Doesn't prepare me!" Colby felt panic growing in him. He hadn't been involved in Nena's life, really, until she was almost five. Until she was walking and talking and potty-trained.

"I figure we could get a nanny, or something," Charlie said.

"You … you want to have a baby then hire someone else to care for it? What's the point?"

Charlie glared at him. "You didn't raise Nena from a baby. What was the point with her?"

"I didn't have a choice about that!" Colby snapped. "Jenny wouldn't let me be involved!"

"I know," Charlie held up his hands in a placating gesture. "Sorry, I just … I just want a baby. My own baby. Eppes genes."

Colby stared at him, dazed. Maybe they should have moved to Alaska, after all.