Page 7 of The Incredible Ordinary

“Dead. He’s been living here for the last six months.”

“Fantastic. Any other relatives?”

“An uncle,” Aiden says. He grabs a cup of coffee and splashes some bourbon into it before he takes a seat again. “The guy’s a deadbeat. Been skipping in and out of jail his whole life. Currently lives in a trailer park in Reno. Rory was with him for a while before somebody found Gerard.” He pours more bourbon into his cup, takes another sip, and makes a face. “Gerard’s lawyer insisted on a DNA test. The kid’s definitely his.”

The two of us look at each other in silence.

“So we’re fucked,” I finally say.

Aiden doesn’t say anything.

“What the hell are the two of us going to do with him?” I ask.

“Well, he’s thirteen, so I’m thinking we’ll feed him, clothe him. Make sure he goes to school.”

“Limit his screen time and tell him not to do drugs?” I suggest dryly. I lean my elbows on the table and rub my thumb and forefinger over my eyes. “Be one happy, fucked-up family?”

Aiden thinks about it for a moment, then shrugs. “Pretty much.”

“Jesus Christ. You’re insane.” I push my chair back and start to get up.

“He’s our brother,” Aiden says quietly.

I freeze, half up, half still sitting.

I stay like that for a long time.

Then I sink back down into my seat.

I can’t do it.

But I also can’tnotdo it.

He looks at me, and I feel like I’ve been put on the spot. The errant brother. The difficult one who always causes trouble and can’t seem to agree on anything out of spite.

I look away first.

I can’t do it.

But I can’tnotdo it.

I square my shoulders and lift my chin.

“What’s the plan?”

Thereisa plan. I know Aiden. There’s always a plan.

“Well,” he says slowly. His eyes remain on me, which does not bode well for me. “I have one year left of my fellowship. I can’t take a hiatus, and the days are… challenging.”

“Well, you know, it’s always a great idea to bring a kid into the mix when you’re too busy to take a shit,” I say dryly.

“You’re not,” Aiden says with a calmness that would set my teeth on edge under any other circumstances.

Not today.

I knew this was where we were headed, so I’m not pissed off anymore. I’m resigned.

I already know it’s happening. It’s one against one, but that firstonehas more determination than I could ever have. Besides, he’s right. I’m a fuckup with nothing on my plate other than time.