33. Elias
Elias did not do good parent. By that, he meant parents didn’t particularly like him. Maybe it was the long hair and beard, or maybe it was the scruffy boots. Or maybe it was just him. After all, his own parents didn’t really like him either.
It had never bothered him before, but impressing Kate’s parents was important to him. They were the grandparents of his future child, and they would be in each other’s lives for… well, forever. It was kind of important that they like him.
It was more than just his need for approval. He would hate for his child to be maligned because the grandparents didn’t like the father. He would also hate it for them to turn his child against him. Of course, that would only happen if they were as vindictive as his own parents, which he really hoped wasn’t the case. There were also Kate’s feelings to be considered. Elias wanted to be in her life for a long time. He wanted them to make a family, and maybe even another baby. Elias did not want to be the wedge that put distance between Kate and her parents.
Elias followed everyone through to the sitting room. Kate and her mother went to the kitchen to make tea, leaving Elias alone with Doug.
Doug sat in a large leather recliner. The fancy kind, with a cupholder. Elias chose to sit on a single chair opposite, leaving the two-seater lounge for Kate and April. He figured it was the appropriate hot seat for the upcoming interrogation.
Doug was examining him closely, and Elias braced for the questions.
‘Sculpting, hey? Like pottery?’
‘Ah, no,’ Elias said, resting his elbows on his thighs and clasping his hands between his knees. He cleared his throat. ‘Metal. I work with metal.’
‘Jewellery?’
‘I do make some jewellery, but mostly I work on large scale pieces.’
‘Like those horses in Scotland?’
It took a moment for Elias to grasp his meaning. He was talking about the famous thirty-metre-high sculpture of two horse heads named ‘The Kelpies’ by Andy Scott.
‘Sort of, yes.’ Elias would never have thought to compare himself or his work to that piece, which was iconic.
Doug nodded. ‘Not much of an art fan, myself. Don’t see the point of it really, unless it’s just to pretty up the place. April loves those little porcelain figurines Wedgwood make, but I can’t see the value, personally.’
Way to completely devalue his entire career, but okay. Elias knew that not everybody appreciated art, especially when it was of the abstract variety.
‘Have you done anything I might have seen?’
‘I had an exhibition at a local gallery recently?—’
‘Don’t go to art galleries.’
‘Right.’
‘So you make a living doing that? Or do you still live in your parents’ garage?’
‘Dad,’ Kate admonished, coming into the room with a plate of brownies.
‘What? I’m just trying to get to know the man. What’s the harm in that?’
Elias smiled at Kate to let her know he was fine. He wasn’t, but he didn’t want her to know that.
It really was quite amazing how someone could take an instant dislike to him after no more than five minutes in his presence. Maybe he really was the problem.
‘Will Hugo be joining us too?’ April asked as she followed Kate into the room with a tray of tea.
There was an actual teapot and everything, with little teacups and saucers that Elias had no idea how he would hold. His fingers were not exactly designed for delicate things.
‘No,’ Kate said, taking a seat on the couch. ‘That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.’
‘He’s such a nice man. You know, just the other day, he sent me flowers. I mean, out of the blue. Isn’t that sweet?’
Kate looked horrified, and Elias had to bite down to stop him saying something he would regret.
Fucking Hugo.
‘Why is Hugo sending you flowers, Mum?’
‘Oh, he wanted to thank me for the gift I sent him.’
‘You sent him a gift?’
‘Just a little something I saw that made me think of him.’
‘That Hugo has a good head on his shoulders. Runs a solid business too. He’s going places. Going to be a great father?—’
‘Dad! Stop.’
‘What?’ Doug took the cup of tea April offered him and leaned back in his chair, watching Elias over the rim.
Was that quip about him being a father supposed to rattle Elias? Well, it did… not that he would show it.
‘Thank you,’ Elias said as he took the dainty cup and saucer from April.
‘I thought you were coming over to talk about the baby,’ April said, giving Elias a side-eye. ‘That’s why I expected Hugo to be here.’
‘Hugo is no longer going to be my donor,’ Kate said.
‘Have you decided not to go ahead with the procedure, then?’ The way April asked, casually, but almost too casually, was a giveaway. April was not a fan of Kate’s decision to embark on parenting alone. Maybe that was why she had been keeping in touch with Hugo. Maybe she hoped Kate and Hugo would end up together.
‘I’m already pregnant,’ Kate said.
April sucked in a breath, and Doug shot forward so fast he very nearly threw his tea—cup and all—at Elias. What was it with these people and perpetually spilling their tea? On him, no less.
‘What!’
Doug’s roar made Elias stand to his feet. If Kate needed protecting, he would be the one doing it. Kate shook her head at him, and he slowly lowered himself back to the chair.
‘Who… who’s the father?’ April’s voice rose precariously at the end, and she avoided looking at Elias.
He shouldn’t have come. He should have let Kate tell her parents on her own and then introduced him when they were already invested in the pregnancy. It was a mistake for him to be there. They had already passed judgement on him, and now it would be impossible for them to accept Kate’s pregnancy or the baby.
‘Elias is the father. We are in a relationship.’
‘You’re… you’re in a relationship with him?’ Doug’s arse was barely touching the seat. He looked like he was about to throttle Elias at any moment.
‘He’s just a baby himself,’ April said, clutching her non-existent pearls.
‘Don’t be ridiculous. He’s a fully functioning and financially stable adult who runs his own business,’ Kate said.
It was nice to hear her defend him, but he knew it wouldn’t work.
‘You call art a ‘financially stable’ career choice?’ Doug spat.
‘But… Hugo,’ April said, looking at Kate with wide eyes. ‘We liked Hugo.’
Elias couldn’t sit there any longer. He couldn’t listen to all the reasons why he was not a suitable partner for Kate and certainly not an appropriate father for her baby.
He stood. ‘It appears you need some time to talk privately,’ he said.
‘Elias—’
‘No. It’s fine. I’ll leave you to talk. Call me when you’re done, and I’ll pick you up.’
‘I’ll come with you,’ Kate said, standing.
He shook his head. ‘You stay.’ He turned to Doug and then April. ‘It was… good to meet you.’
He didn’t wait for their reply, stalking out of the house with his back erect and his head held high. It wasn’t until he got into the car that he let go of his tightly held emotions. He started shaking, so much so that he didn’t think he’d be able to drive. But he couldn’t stay in the car outside their house. He needed to at least drive around the block where they couldn’t see him.
He took some deep breaths. Started the car and eased away from the curb. He only intended to drive around the corner, but once he was moving, he didn’t stop until he was pulling up outside his own house.
How long had it been since he was here? He couldn’t even remember. The time with Kate had blurred, and it almost felt like a dream.
He got out of the car and let himself into the house. He didn’t know why he’d come here. He flopped onto the couch and dropped his head against the back rest. He knew he was a screwup. He knew he was not someone who should even contemplate procreating, and yet there was still the desire within him. A desire to connect.
He pulled out his phone and called Levi. It was instinct. It’s what he had always done whenever he was in a situation where he couldn’t see his way clear. They hadn’t spoken since Elias’ revelation about Kate and the baby. Elias had been giving Levi time to adjust and to come to terms with it. But he couldn’t wait anymore. He needed his brother.
‘What’s wrong? Are you okay? Is Kate okay? Is the baby okay?’
Elias smiled ruefully. He knew Levi would eventually pull Kate and the baby into his protective circle. But it was small comfort when there was a very real possibility Kate’s parents would sabotage the still tenuous relationship.
‘Kate and the baby are fine,’ Elias said. ‘Me… not so much.’
‘What’s wrong? Where are you? I’ll come to you.’
‘I’m home’ Except it didn’t feel like home anymore. Kate’s place was his home now.
‘I’ll come?—’
‘No. Just… I just need to talk. I need some advice.’
Levi was silent, and then he let out an audible breath. ‘Okay. What do you need to talk about?’
‘Kate’s parents hate me.’
Levi didn’t say anything.
‘They knew Kate was planning IVF with Dr Douchebag. They want him to be the father.’
‘Why are you at your place and not with Kate?’
‘Because… a person can only put up with being insulted to their face for so long, you know?’
‘Do you think, what’s his name? Dr Douchebag? Do you think he would be a better father?’
‘No. I also don’t think he is good for Kate. He gives me weird vibes. I don’t like the way he looks at her.’
‘Is it someone she works with?’
‘No. He’s an old friend. Kate thinks his interest is platonic, but that’s definitely not what it looks like to me. He’s been talking to Kate’s parents behind her back, buying her mother gifts and shit. It’s just creepy, you know? And they love him. He’s some fancy tech guru, and I’m just an artist.’
‘You’re a six-figure artist,’ Levi said.
‘I don’t think that would matter to them.’
‘You’re also the man Kate chose.’
Elias’ squirrelling thoughts paused. ‘What?’
‘Kate chose to have your baby. She chose to be with you. Not Dr Douchebag. You, Elias.’
‘She chose me.’
Elias didn’t think anyone had ever chosen him before. Okay, Levi had chosen him, but he was his brother, that didn’t exactly count. No one had ever freely chosen Elias when they had other options. But Kate had.
‘I have to go,’ Elias said.
‘Yeah. You do.’
Elias disconnected and ran back out to his truck. He climbed in and headed back to Kate’s parents’ place. Kate chose him, so why was he giving up so easily?