Page 93 of Love Always

“Andy, listen to this,” she says, and I retell the story with more detail.

Casting an eye at Cory he motions us to a corner of the massive living room. The fire pops. Mateus sits with Cory and entertains my son so we three can speak.

“We hired Kevin to do odd jobs around here. I’ve always felt so sorry for him,” began Audrey.

“We never should’ve hired him,” says Andy.

“Okay, you were right, and I was wrong,” says Audrey. “I just cannot stand his father and I figured the poor kid was probably tormented, so we’d help him out. But early September he would tell us these stories of high school that were always very flattering about Kenny and then very unflattering about you.”

“I can only imagine what he said about me.”

“Well. You had a hard time, and we were concerned with your relationship with Kenny, but that was a long time ago. But what Kevin said about you was clearly made up. Preposterous. I finally told Andy there was something going on with that boy.”

Andy takes an iron poker and shifts logs on the fire. Sparks fly. “I had to let him go. He broke my chainsaw, didn’t fess up to it, then lied about getting paid, and finally I found him rifling through papers on my desk, so we let him go.”

“I just can’t believe that our grandson is sitting in our living room,” says Audrey, her blue eyes bright with tears. “Look at that, Andy. We will do anything for him,” she says, turning to me.

This is the part of the story Mateus helped me rehearse.

“I didn’t come here to ask for money. For years I didn’t want to tell you about Cory because I was afraid you would think that. That’s not what this is about. Cory is a wonderful child with challenges, yes, but he has a lot to give and,” I look at Mateus on the floor and he smiles at me, “a lot of love to receive. In the end, I had him because of Kenny and I think it’s important for him to know his grandparents.”

Now, Audrey really starts crying and her husband puts his arms around her. Then, with the ease that is true of families and with sense of belonging, we all just get on the floor, pick up blocks and begin.

΅

That night, on the way back, Mateus figures out a piece of the puzzle. Cory is in his booster seat and falls asleep immediately. We would have stayed for dinner except he had a melt-down and it really was time to go.

“How’s your leg?”

“It’s ok.”

I start to laugh. “Jack Carlson looked so sad last week when they found it.”

He grins. “Salt water does not help.”

“What were you thinking jumping in like that?”

He shrugs. “What was I thinking?”

I laugh.

“Actually, I did come up with an idea.” He glances at me. “I’m sure Kevin knew Kenny was the father. He probably took one look at that baby picture of Kenny on the mantle when he fixed the plumbing in the kitchen or whatever and put two and two together.”

“So?”

“What were the papers about that Kevin got into on Andy’s desk?”

I yawn. “He told me in the kitchen it had to do with their wills—they hadn’t done anything with them since Kenny was killed. Audrey said it’s like living with a carpenter. Your own house is never finished. Well, Andy never got around to changing their wills. They were going to divide their money up between a gift to Yale, several homeless shelters, and a sanctuary in Canada that takes in great apes that were experimented on.”

“No family then.”

I watch his hands on the steering wheel, take one, swiftly kiss it and slap it back in place. He grins.

“No. They were going to give it all away.”

“And now?”

I think back to what Audrey told me. “Now, it’s all different. They want to set up a trust fund for Cory.”