“I am. I will, always.”
“No,” she said. “I want it to be legal. Mike doesn’t want him.” She wiped her eyes and looked away. “He doesn’t think Charlie is his.”
I thought of Charlie, so tall for his age, with his blonde hair and olive skin. He didn’t look anything like Mike. “Is he Mike’s?”
Cassie didn’t answer for a minute, then said, “I don’t know.”
Oh, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. “It doesn’t matter if he isn’t biologically Mike’s. Under the law, he was born while you were married, so Charlie is his son unless Mike contests it.”
“How do you know this crap?”
I shrugged. If you spent long enough bouncing around the family court system, you picked up a lot of details from a lot of sad stories.
“Last time I went to the doctor I signed a bunch of stuff. I signed a DNR.”
I felt tears start again. “Ok. Thank you for telling me.”
“I wrote a will. They have forms. I left the house to you. And Charlie. I left him to you, also.” She had her head leaned back on the bench, eyes closed.
“Cassie, you know I’ll always take care of him, but Mike—”
“He wrote a letter saying that he doesn’t want Charlie. I made him write it and sign it.”
My first thought was that I needed to find that letter so that Charlie would never, ever see it. “I don’t know if a letter…ok. We’ll figure it out. I love Charlie, and I’ll always take care of him.”
Cassie opened her eyes and looked at me. “Thank you.”
“No matter what you say, Cass, I think if I needed it, you would be there for me.” I thought about Luke, wanting to help me. “I’m glad to be here. It’s my pleasure.”
She looked at me, then said, “I’m really tired.” I helped herup, just as two SUVs turned into our driveway. “What’s going on?”
“Hang on.” I tucked her back in the blankets on the bench. “I’ll be right back.”
“Emily Brennan?” one of the drivers asked me, and I had the momentary urge to say no and run.
“Yes, I’m Emily.”
“Luke Whitaker asked me to deliver this car to you.” He handed me the keys. “It’s washed, tank’s topped off. If you could mention that to Mr. Whitaker.”
“Uh, yes, I’ll tell him. Thank you.”
He nodded and got into the other SUV, which backed out of the driveway. I stared at the keys in my hand. Milos’ car was a Porsche. A Porsche SUV. I had never even touched a Porsche.
“Emmy, what is going on?” Cassie called. She was standing, leaning on the fence, and I hurried back to her.
“Um, Luke is loaning us a car.” I didn’t look at her. “Let’s get inside.”
She was quiet as I helped her up the stairs and back into bed.
“Can I get you anything?” I asked. “It’s almost time for me to go pick up Charlie. You look better. I think fresh air was good for you.” I was babbling.
Cassie eyed me. “So Luke. I never would have thought it.”
I nodded. “I know I’m just sloppy seconds.”
“No.”
I looked at her.
