DOMINIC - 4 YEARS AGO
Chapter Two
My mom called from downstairs. I was busy playing in my room and wondering when basketball season would open again.
My dad told me I was the best player there ever was.
I don’t think he was telling the truth but it didn’t matter.
I think he thought I was the best player.
He used to go to my games every weekend.
Right up until he couldn’t leave the hospital.
With slow steps I made my way downstairs. Some of them creaked. My dad used to comment that he should fix it. Now, I hoped no one ever would. The noise would always remind me of my dad.
I missed him so much. Mom had a new boyfriend.
I didn’t really like him. But she was so happy when she was around him.
She smiled more. Not the same smile she had for Dad.
No, that was only for him. But she smiled and I wanted to see her smile.
So, I would pretend to like her new boyfriend, Bill. He came around a lot.
Mom said he was between jobs and I wondered what that meant.
She said something about the school needing a janitor.
When Mom mentioned that the other night, Bill sneered.
Dad used to say that all jobs were important.
Maybe the guy didn’t like cleaning up after high school students. Mom said they were very messy.
When I walked into the living room, I could see my mom through the arch, sitting at the dining table. There was a white plastic stick lying next to her arm.
“Dom, sweetie, come over here.” My mom had the sweetest voice. She would read me stories and immediately I would know I was safe and could fall asleep. I loved hearing her voice. “I need to talk to you about something.”
That was her serious voice. Still sweet, but it meant she was about to tell me something bad. Sometimes it meant I was in trouble. But that couldn’t be it. I had tried my hardest to be good since Dad died.
The last time she used that voice was when she told me my dad was dead. I didn’t like that voice. My grandmother was old. Maybe she died. I hoped not. Besides me, she was my mom’s only family. She was my dad’s mother and my mom often said the sweet old woman already had one foot in the grave.
My bare feet felt heavy as I made my way over to my mom.
As I turned the corner into the dining room, Bill came into view.
He was sitting at the other end of the large formal dining table and gave me a weird smile.
My mom didn’t like using the dining room.
She preferred we use the kitchen table. That was a lot smaller.
Bill wasn’t creepy, there was just something I didn’t like. Like Marcus Brewster in my class. We were both good kids and every teacher said we should get along because we had so much in common, but we just didn’t. Maybe it was like that. Maybe Bill and I were just not meant to get along.
Then again, it didn’t feel the same as Marcus Brewster. But I couldn’t say why I felt that way, it just weirded me out. The way he would stop smiling when he thought we weren’t looking. Or the way he snooped when Mom left the room. Maybe it was that.
Not that he stole anything. At least not that I could see, and my mom never said anything.
At least not that I overheard. Because she wouldn’t say anything to me.
She thought I was still a baby she needed to protect.
And I wasn’t. I was the Man of the House now and it was my job to protect her.
And I wanted her to be happy. Which was why I pasted on a smile for Bill.
He smiled back. “Hello, Dominic. Your Mom and I have something we need to talk to you about.”
“I’ll handle this, Bill.” Mom used her mom-voice. The one that said not to interrupt her. “Sweetie, why don’t you come sit down next to me.”
I did as she said and shoved my butt on the ugly brown chair next to her. I sat forward so my feet touched the ground. When my feet dangled, I felt like a little kid and I needed to grow up. My mom needed me to be strong for her.
“Am I in trouble?” I knew I wasn’t but it was good to make sure.
My mom ran her fingers through her long dark hair and put it back in its hair tie.
We had different color skins because I was adopted when I was baby.
My mom said a couple who were far too young to have children wanted me to have a better life.
I believed her because I had the best life. Except, I missed my dad.
My mom took my hands in hers. I was only eleven but my hands were nearly the same size as hers. “No, sweetie, you are not in trouble. But I do need to talk to you about something serious.”
I pushed my shoulders back and planted my feet firmly on the floor.
“Okay.” I nodded. “Hit me.”
My Mom smiled as her gaze wavered to Bill. And then back to me. “Bill and I are going to get married.”
That was not what I was expecting. Not that I expected anything. But if I was, that would not be it.
“What? Why?” That made no sense. My Mom had a husband.
She didn’t need another one. Sure, she wanted friends.
That made sense. But she had a job so the money part was sorted.
And I was around to take care of her otherwise.
There was no reason to bring another man into our house.
I got off the chair, wanting to storm off.
“We don’t need another man in the house. ”
“Dominic Henry Bayers, sit down.”
My Mom only used my middle name when she meant business.
Slowly I slid on to the chair. Only half my butt was actually on the chair and my feet were still on the floor.
I glared at Bill and then looked back at my mom.
“People live together when they get married. Is he moving in here? Or are we going to move into his small apartment? Because he only has one room, we can’t all fit. ”
I had only been there once when he invited my mom and me for dinner. He didn’t really cook. Apparently, he got his mother to make the food and bring it to his apartment since he wasn’t actually working. I guess that meant he couldn’t buy groceries.
“Dom, mind your tone. I have more to tell you.” She looked at me with wide eyes and thin lips. “But if you can’t act responsibly, all you’re doing is proving you can’t handle all the news I have to tell you.”
I frowned at my mom. “There’s more? Are you pregnant?”
My mom’s cheeks turned red. My dad used to say he loved it when she went all rosy. “Actually, yes.”
“I thought you couldn’t have kids and you were happy with just me.”
“I am happy with you, sweetie. You are the most important person in my life.” She pulled me out of the chair and onto her lap.
“Your dad couldn’t have children. His first round of cancer robbed him of that blessing.
And you were always enough for your dad and me.
” She let out a little chuckle. “More than enough, actually.”
I turned to Bill. “Am I not enough for you?”
My Mom turned my face to look at her once more. “That’s not how it works, sweetie. We didn’t plan for me to fall pregnant. At least not right away. But here we are. And you’re going to be the best big brother. Isn’t it great?”
“I suppose.” I looked at the floor. I was still on my mom’s lap and I was trying hard not to cry. “When will the baby be here?”
My mom smiled at me, and I knew I couldn’t cry. She was happy and I didn’t want to take that away, “If my calculations are correct. Your little brother or sister will be here in about seven months.”
I counted the months in my head. My eyes widened. “I’ll be a whole twelve years older. That’s not normal.”
“Oh, sweetie. Families don’t look one way. All families are different.”
“Okay.” I turned to face my mom once more as something occurred to me. “Will I share my trust fund with my new brother or sister?”
“What?” My mom lifted a brow
“Grandma said I have a trust full of money that I will get when I am a man. Will I share it with him or her?”
“Sweetie. That’s money your dad left for you. No one can touch that until you are much, much older.”
I nodded. I didn’t know what a trust was, but I hoped it was like a bank.
It made more sense for Dad to leave money in a bank account.
I hope the trust thing wasn’t a treasure chest. Though that would be so cool.
But it didn’t make any sense. I decided my mom knew better than me about the trust and not question it further.
“Mom, can I go to my room? I want to finish my homework. And then I want to read. I got another Alex Rider book out of the library.”
“Sure, sweetie.” She lifted me off her lap and turned me to face her. “You are my best boy. And if the next baby is a boy. I’ll have two best boys. You never have to worry about that.”
I wasn’t worried. At least not about the baby.
But Bill, yeah, I didn’t like him. I gave my mom a kiss and walked out.
Before I even reached the stairs, I heard my mom and Bill talking.
They were whispering but it was loud. Like they were scolding one another but they didn’t want me to hear.
My Mom and Dad used to do that sometimes.
I crept back to the wall next to the dining room.
Bill sounded angry. “You never told me his inheritance was tied up in a trust.”
“Why does it matter? You won’t be taking care of him financially.” My Mom’s whisper was softer. She was more confused than angry. “Dorian left me enough money to take care of both me and Dominic for the rest of our lives.”
“So, his kid will be better off than my kid.” I couldn’t see his face but he was definitely angry. “You told me not to distinguish between my kid and Dom. And here you are, doing the same.”
“That is not fair.” My Mom did raise her voice at that point.
“I pay for Dom’s school fees. I pay for all his activities from the money Dorian left me.
There is no way I could afford what he needs on a teacher’s salary.
But Dorian made sure I didn’t need a second job.
And that Dom wouldn’t need student loans when it came time for college.
He’s a smart kid and he wants to be a doctor.
Dorian made sure he could make that dream come true. ”
“And what about my kids? They’ll see the difference.”
“No, they won’t.” My Mom let out a little laugh.
It didn’t sound like she was laughing at Bill.
Not really. It was like she used to do when my dad did something silly.
“By the time this little one is ready for high school, Dom will be nearly done with med school. They will have totally different lives. And we will be different people.”
“Yeah.” Bill didn't sound happy. “I suppose it will not be a problem.”
His words said one thing but Dom got the impression that it would be a very big problem.