20. Tori #2
The four of us played all afternoon, cycling through the toys one by one, playing the games we liked and setting aside the ones that were too easy.
Max was quick to learn, and I felt a surge of pride.
After a few hours, Stefan stepped out to make a work call and Anja settled into a chair with her e-reader, leaving me to bond with Max by myself.
“I heard you went to the zoo recently,” I said. We were rebuilding the Lego city after it had gotten clobbered by the lumbering triceratops. “That’s pretty cool.”
“Yeah,” Max said, his head bouncing up and down in an enthusiastic nod. “We saw ALL the animals.”
“All of them? Wow.” I couldn’t help grinning. “What was the biggest animal you saw?”
He thought about it for a moment. “You mean the tallest or the heaviest?”
“How about the heaviest?”
“The elephants,” he said, very sure of himself. “The giraffes were the tallest, though.”
“Makes sense,” I said. “What was the smallest animal you got to see?”
That took a little longer to figure out, but I could see him thinking hard, his tongue sticking out of one side of his mouth. “The spiders,” he finally said. “But we saw some pretty big spiders too.”
“Gross,” I said with a shiver, eliciting a laugh from him. “So, do you think you liked the big animals or the little animals best?”
“I like all animals,” he said with a shrug. “Big and small.”
My heart clenched with love for him. He was so charming.
How could my father have this beautiful, brilliant child and not even know about him? He’d done some undeniably selfish things in his life, but this was seriously next-level.
Despite our estrangement, I still loved my father because he was my father, and he’d raised me with love…
but part of me couldn’t forgive him for the way he’d chosen to live his life.
He had cheated on Michelle, who was the closest person I had to a mother.
He had slept with Anja, and probably other prostitutes, and he had done so without protection, putting everyone’s health at risk.
And he was actively working to protect Konstantin and the trafficking ring that KZM supported.
I didn’t know if I’d ever be able to talk to him again, or if our relationship was even reconcilable.
Max let out a yawn and I looked at my watch and found that it was later than I’d thought.
“Do you want to get him home for dinner soon?” I asked Anja.
“Let’s get a pizza,” Stefan suggested, coming over to help us clean up all the toys.
“I love pizza!” Max said. “With all the toppings! Can we stay, Mom?”
Anja laughed. “We can stay for dinner, sure.”
Upstairs in the condo, Stefan called in our order while Anja set Max up in the living room with some animated adventure movie with talking animals. When the pizza arrived, she brought him a slice and returned to eat with me and Stefan in the dining room.
“He’s really great,” I told Anja.
She beamed. “He is, isn’t he?”
“So smart,” I gushed. “And sweet as pie.”
“I’m glad you called. It’s nice for Max to get to know his family.” She paused. “But honestly, I still don’t know what to tell him about you. Or his father.”
I nodded. “I understand.”
Reaching over, I took Stefan’s hand. While playing with Max, I had thought a lot about what I wanted, and how I could be involved in my brother’s life. I couldn’t just act like he didn’t exist, or that we weren’t related. He was a part of me. A part of my family. Nothing could change that.
“I realize this is all really complicated for everyone,” I told Anja, “but I want to be in Max’s life, however I can be. If you’re comfortable telling him that I’m his half-sister—when you think it’s the right time, I mean—I would be thrilled.”
Anja smiled, but I could tell that she was still hesitant.
“We don’t have to tell him anything if you don’t want to,” I quickly added. “Or if you want to wait until he’s older…”
“No,” Anja said. “I would love to tell him. I think it would be good for him, and it’s obvious that he likes you very much.” She cleared her throat, looking down so that her hair fell in front of her face. “But I’m worried. I don’t know what the senator will say. Or do.”
“Honestly, you have every right to be nervous,” I said. “I’m sorry to say so, but my father won’t be happy to learn about Max’s existence, I can tell you that.”
Anja’s face fell, but she didn’t look surprised, just disappointed.
I continued, “Not only will it be a huge bombshell for him personally—and also my stepmother—but this is an election year.”
“An illegitimate child could ruin him professionally,” Stefan agreed.
“But he needs to know,” I added. “And I think the world also needs to know what kind of man he is. No more secrets.”
Anja was nodding. “No more secrets.”
Stefan squeezed my hand. He knew how hard this was for me. How hard it would be for my family. But whatever happened, he’d be by my side. That was the most important thing.
“So would you be able to…get me an appointment with the senator?” Anja asked us.
“We can do that,” Stefan said.
“He’s out of town right now, in DC,” I told her, “but he’ll be back soon.”
“As soon as he’s back then,” Anja said firmly. “Only, I have to ask…” She looked at us pleadingly. “Will you come? I don’t want to be alone with him when I break the news. And I don’t think he will try anything if you are there. It will make things easier, safer. Please.”
“Of course,” I said, knowing I spoke for both myself and Stefan. “We’ll set up the meeting with my father and be with you every step of the way. We’re happy to do it.”
“That’s what family is for,” Stefan added.