5. Wednesday, May 9, 2012
WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2012
T he next day, during her lunch hour, Julia realized with a gasp that, in all the excitement of the week, she had completely forgotten the kids would be Skyping with Kevin that Saturday. No doubt Robert would tell Kevin not only about their Tuesday whale watching trip, but the events of the entire week – almost all of which involved William. And Julia would never ask her kids to hide anything from their father.
“Where is my brain these days?” she groaned to her empty office, banging her forehead on her desk.
It’s not like the kids Skyping with Kevin was unusual – it happened every Saturday. But Julia supposed she had been a bit... distracted ... this past week. With mounting dread, she realized there was no way around it – she would have to tell Kevin about William before Saturday.
She immediately called her cousin Erin.
“Good afternoon; Whelan Family Law. How may I help you?” It was the receptionist, doing the same job Julia once did for Erin six years ago.
“Um… hi. This is Julia Beale. I’m Erin Whelan’s cousin, and I’m also a client.”
“Yes; hi, Ms. Beale! How can I help you? ”
“Um... well, I have an appointment with Erin next Monday, but I have a fairly urgent issue I was hoping to discuss before this Saturday. I was wondering if it might be possible to squeeze in a quick phone call this week?”
The receptionist sucked an unpromising breath through her teeth. “I’m afraid Erin is super booked these days, Ms. Beale, but let me just check his calendar.”
Julia’s water bottle stalled in mid-air, halfway through its journey to her mouth. “Check… whose calendar?” When the receptionist hesitated, Julia set the water bottle back on her desk. “Sorry – I was talking about my cousin, Erin. Erin Whelan?”
Another beat. “That’s who I was talking about, too.”
Julia shook her head, as if to clear it. “I’m sorry… I thought you said ‘ his calendar’ a second ago.”
After another few beats, during which Julia grew more and more impatient, the receptionist said breathlessly, “Ms. Beale... you know Erin is transitioning, right?”
Julia nearly had to stop her jaw from hitting the tabletop. “ What?! ”
A gasp reached Julia’s ears across the ether. “Oh my God, you didn’t know! But haven’t you been working with him on your divorce?”
“That was finalized over six months ago.”
“And you haven’t talked to him since?”
“No,” Julia conceded slowly. She thought back to the previous year, when she met her cousin so many times at his office. Other than the one time he briefly mentioned his divorce, he had never once let on to what he was going through. Julia’s head was still reeling, and she flattened her palms on her desktop to steady herself. “If he’s changed his pronouns, I’m surprised he hasn’t changed his name.”
The receptionist laughed. “He just spells it the boy way now!” When Julia stammered in confusion, the receptionist clarified, “A-a-r-o-n. I sent an email to all of his clients four months ago.”
“I must have overlooked it,” Julia murmured, her mind running a hundred directions at once as she listened to the receptionist’s fingertips flying over her keyboard.
“Yeah, I’m afraid he doesn't have any openings at all between now and Monday,” the receptionist confirmed, “but surely, as his cousin, you have an ‘in’ with him.”
Julia considered her options. She had Aaron’s personal cell phone number, but she didn’t think it was right to presume upon their family relationship by texting him about her legal issues. Sure, Aaron was always friendly with Julia when they worked together and while Julia was his client. But they had never interacted outside of those situations – not even as family members.
Still, Julia felt nauseous at the prospect of talking to Kevin without first consulting Aaron.
The shop’s doorbell sounded, alerting Julia to a customer, so she thanked Aaron’s receptionist and hung up.
Emerging from her office, Julia found the gray-haired couple who dropped by every Wednesday to reminisce about Uncle Rob and Tim. Julia proudly displayed her uncles' memorabilia all over the shop. Mitch and José were among the lucky few to have survived the AIDS epidemic that decimated The Castro and claimed her uncles’ lives. They always lingered for at least thirty minutes, and they never failed to buy something for their tank – to make it worth her while, they claimed.
“Taking a trip down memory lane with two people who remember my uncles? That’s payment enough,” Julia said every time; and they all got misty-eyed together.
After they left with their new artificial coral, Julia finished wiping her eyes, then finally ducked back into her office to call Aaron.
Just before it went to voicemail, the decidedly masculine voice on the other end answered, “Aaron Whelan speaking.”
“Aaron!” She was so relieved he had picked up that she practically bellowed his name. “It's Julia. Beale. Your cousin.”
“Yeah, I know. I have your name in my contacts, you know.”
Julia gave a self-conscious laugh. The background noise told Julia he was in a car. “Are you driving? I can call you later.”
“I have that newfangled Bluetooth in my car.”
“Oh, right. I just... I wasn’t sure if it was appropriate to call you about business on your cell; but now that I’m thinking about it, I guess it’s not just business. I’m ashamed to admit I only found out about your transition a few minutes ago, from your receptionist. ”
“I’m sorry,” he breathed out, as if mortified.
“No, I’m sorry. Your receptionist told me she sent an email to your clients, but I obviously overlooked it.”
“I guess I should have called you personally. You’re not just any client; you’re family, and a friend.”
Julia found that both surprising and flattering, since she and Aaron had never been close outside of work and business. But she said, “No worries! We all have busy lives. I haven’t been good about keeping in touch, either.”
“Well, maybe we should remedy that. I’d love to hang out sometime.”
Her heart soaring, Julia beamed into the phone. “That would be fantastic. And congratulations, by the way!”
“Thank you.” He seemed to be waiting for her to initiate the business part of the call. “So...”
Julia chuckled anxiously. “Yeah; so. Wait until you hear this.”
“Uh-oh.”
Julia cleared her throat. “So, um... William and I are back together.”
A long pause. “ The William?”
“The man himself. And now he knows about Robert.”
“Oh, shit.”
Julia gave another, rueful laugh. “That bad, huh?”
“More like a massive plot twist. So, wait – does Kevin know yet?”
“No.”
“Good.”
Wincing, Julia pinched the bridge of her nose. “But I think I should probably tell him today or tomorrow.”
“Oh, God... why?”
“Because the kids have their weekly Skype call with Kevin on Saturday. And they kind of already know about William, too.”
“Jesus, Julia!” he said, half teasing, half dismayed. “You have zero chill where that man is concerned.”
Julia still ducked her head, as if Aaron could see her. “Please don’t yell,” she quipped. “I know it’s less than ideal.”
“Understatement of the decade. Do you mean to tell me Robert already knows that William is his biological father? ”
“God, no! He just knows Will and I are together – dating – whatever.” Grimacing again, she added, “ Buuut… ”
“Ah, yes; there’s always a but with you, isn't there?”
“Paige does already know that William is Robert’s biological dad. Apparently, Phoebe told her two years ago, when Paige was only eleven.”
“Jesus effing Christ. Why the hell did Phoebe do that?”
After recounting Paige’s story, Julia concluded with, “So I think it’s important to tell Kevin before Saturday, because I’m not going to ask the kids to keep any secrets, and it’s bound to come out during their Skype call. I mean, what are the odds that Robert won’t tell him about our whale watching trip with William?”
“Jesus.”
“It’s a long story, Aaron, but take my word for it – Robert and William knowing each other wasn’t one hundred percent in my control. The way William found out about Robert, and the way Robert met William… And then once they met each other–”
“Okay, whatever you say,” he blurted with typical lawyerly impatience. Over her six years of working for attorneys, Julia had learned not to let it ruffle her. “So, you need to tell Kevin before Saturday.”
“Yeah, but what are the legal implications?”
“Listen, I’m on my way to a meeting in West Portal, and the kids are with Dirk this week. If you can get away, would you like to discuss all this stuff over dinner somewhere?”
Julia perked up at the possibility, then sagged again when she remembered Robert had tee-ball practice every Wednesday. But she felt sure that, under the circumstances, her mother wouldn’t mind bringing him. “Ever been to MacGowan’s Irish Pub?”
“I’ve only heard the horror stories.”
Julia gave a rueful laugh. “Meet you there at six.”
MacGowan’s, on Taraval, looked exactly the same, except the patrons were older and grayer. Walking in, Julia found the same wood-paneled bar in the center of the room; the same tired pool tables and dartboards to the left. The same mirrored Guinness and Murphy’s signs, and the same raised stage in the back where she first heard William sing the song he wrote for her. The stage was empty at the moment, so U2 blared over the speakers instead.
Then there was the open doorway leading to the back room, for patrons who actually wanted to talk. Julia requested a table for two and took a seat facing the entrance to watch for her cousin. She ordered a pint of cider and tried to distract herself with her phone to quell her nervous fidgeting.
A minute later, there he was in the doorway between the two halves of the pub, scanning for Julia. A wave of nervous adrenaline surged into Julia’s veins, but she smiled and waved until Aaron spotted her.
He wore a stiff social smile as he came forward, and Julia sensed he was gauging her reaction to seeing him post-transition for the first time. She rose from her seat and gave him a smile and a hug, as usual.
“Aaron. You look like a million bucks.”
“Thanks. That’s about what it cost.”
After a moment to gauge if he was joking, Julia finally let herself laugh when his eyes sparkled. While he settled into the chair opposite hers, she surveyed him, from his neatly trimmed salt-and-pepper hair and day’s-worth of stubble, to his perfectly tailored charcoal suit.
“Has anyone ever told you you’re a dead-ringer for Daniel Day-Lewis?”
He gave a full-throated laugh. “Um… definitely not?”
“Work that,” she said, winking. “How are the kids?”
“They’re good. Rina’s about to graduate from Davis, and Tula’s about to graduate from high school.”
Julia’s jaw dropped. “You’re kidding. Already?”
Aaron leaned back in his chair and crossed his ankle over his knee. “Believe it when they say it goes by fast.”
Not for the first time, Julia reeled at the reminder that Paige would be an adult in less than five years. “I believe it. Where are they headed after graduation?”
“Rina has a job waiting for her with Dirk. And Tula’s going to Cal, of course.” Grinning, Aaron added, “Don’t tell Holly.”
The friendly rivalry between Aaron, a Berkeley grad, and their mutual cousin Holly, a Stanford alumnus, was legendary. Like the rivalry between Cal and Stanford, themselves. “And Theo? How old is he now?”
“Fifteen. All the changes have been hard on him, but he’s getting there.”
Julia murmured sympathetically. “But what about you, Aaron? How are you holding up?”
“You know, I’m okay. I don’t have to tell you divorce is hard, but Dirk and I are moving through it. We’ve come out on the other side as better friends than ever. I have a loving family and supportive coworkers, and I know just how lucky I am. But I won’t lie, it’s still hard sometimes... and lonely.”
Julia’s heart squeezed in empathy. “Don’t let yourself stay lonely. I still intend to hold you to your word.”
He tilted his head. “My word?”
“About hanging out more often. I can even introduce you to William. You can see for yourself why I have zero chill where that man is concerned.”
He rolled his eyes, but he was grinning. “Duly noted.”
The server appeared to take Aaron’s drink order and both of their food orders. After she left, Aaron folded his arms on the tabletop and pinned Julia’s eyes with his. Julia recognized that look from her months of working for him. It was his let's get down to brass tacks look.
“Since you mentioned him, you know William has zero legal rights here, don’t you?” he began.
“You mean paternity rights?” The little bit of legal research Julia had managed to conduct over the past few days had prepared her. “Yeah, I got that impression.”
“Were you hoping for some other outcome?”
“I was hoping William would get a chance to know his son. To spend time with Robert and help raise him, and be a second dad to him. But can Kevin keep him from interacting with Robert?”
“Not during your custodial time, unless, of course, he can show that William is a danger to Robert.”
“Well, he can’t.”
“But William would still have no legal rights of his own to Robert. That means if you and William broke up again, and you decided you didn’t want him to see Robert anymore, William would have no recourse. Depending on the circumstances, that might actually be a good thing. But it also means if, God forbid, you were to die while Robert was a minor, and Kevin wasn’t inclined to allow William access to Robert, then William would still have no legal recourse.”
Julia leaned back in her seat, fidgeting uneasily with her fingernails. “Okay, but let’s say William and I got married someday. In that situation – if I die while Robert is a minor – would William have any recourse?”
“Not even then.”
“Even though William is the biological father?”
“William’s opportunity to establish himself as the legal father expired on Robert’s second birthday. But since he didn’t, and Kevin’s name is on the birth certificate, Kevin is the father – period, end of statement.”
“But William didn’t even know about Robert’s existence until now, much less that he was Robert’s father.”
Aaron sighed, unwrapped his silverware, and draped his napkin in his lap. “Listen, Julia... if you and William are really determined to establish him as the legal father and blow a ton of money and emotional energy on a long shot, William could argue before a court that you and Kevin willingly defrauded him. In other words, if it weren’t for you and Kevin concealing Robert’s true paternity, William would have stepped up and made a claim for custody. But even then, he’d almost certainly lose. And you can just imagine the potential ramifications for you and Kevin, being accused of fraud.”
Julia twisted her own paper napkin into a tight rope. “Yeah, no, that sounds terrible.”
After a beat or two, Aaron asked, “Have you stumbled across California Family Code Section 7611 yet?”
Julia frowned down at the tabletop. “Yeah.”
“Then you already know – there’s a presumption that if Kevin is on the birth certificate, he’s the father. The presumed father has rights over the biological father, as long as he’s the one who’s been raising and supporting Robert all this time. And by the way, it also means Kevin can’t get out of his obligations, including financial support.”
“I don’t see Kevin trying that; but then again, he’s surprised me before.”
“Well, if he did, he’d also lose his rights to Robert.” After a moment’s pause to allow it to sink in, Aaron gently added, “Kevin is the only dad Robert has ever known.”
Julia sighed. “I know, and I don’t want to interfere with their relationship; I really don’t.”
“On top of that, Robert and Paige have grown up together as siblings. If everyone can set aside their egos and come to terms with what’s best for Robert, I think you should all agree that William is Robert’s other dad, and he gets to spend time with Robert during your custodial time. It wouldn’t be legally binding, of course, but as it stands, there’s nothing Kevin can do about it. Now – how you do that? That’s what a family therapist is for.”
“Luckily, we already have one. Clio’s the best.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Aaron added, “How do you think William will feel about having no rights here?”
“He already knows that’s probably the case. And he also gets that Robert still needs Kevin in his life, and he’s totally fine with it.”
“Good. And how do you think Kevin will react to hearing that William is back in the picture?”
“No clue,” Julia admitted. “I mean, now that we’re divorced, he shouldn’t see William as a romantic rival. I’m just not sure how threatened he’ll feel, knowing William is Robert’s biological dad. Or how much resentment he still feels over the relationship William and I had when he ran off to Brazil.”
“I wish I could help you with that.”
“Aaron, you’ve been super helpful. It sounds pretty cut and dried.”
“Pretty much. But listen, keep me posted if any more questions come up – and for Christ’s sake, don’t go through my receptionist next time.”
Julia grinned. “Okay, if you insist; but you may come to regret that offer.”
Aaron grinned right back. “Okay, but if so, I’ll just block your number.”