Kin (13 page)

Annie turned to the officer. “If you need my testimony for any reason, I'll be happy to give it.”

“We'll take it from here,” he said.

“Get out of my house! Go preach to someone else, you goddamn snitch.”

As Henry tugged on Annie's arm to get her out of the house, she kept her finger pointed at the woman. “I'm going to be watching you. Don't think I won't. I come by here all the time and if I hear one peep out of that child I'm smashing that door again!”

“You heard her! She's threatening me!”

The police officer closed the door to separate the two women. Annie was almost hopping she was so mad. “Can you believe that?”

Henry took her arm and walked beside her as she mouthed off. It took her two blocks before she started to calm down. Finally, she gave a great sigh and pushed her hair out of her eyes. “I'm sorry. I'm going on and on, but gee whiz….”

Henry took both of her hands and stood in front of her. “I think I love you, Annie Macdonald.”

She was so surprised, she didn't say anything.

“Do you mind if I kiss you?”

Annie shook her head.

Henry reached up and Annie bent down slightly. It was a great kiss.

“I'd like to take you home to meet my mother,” he said.

“Hey, I told you I don't want no mama's boy.”

“I'm afraid you're stuck with me, because I have no intention of letting another man sweep you off your feet.”

“Is that right?”

“That's right.”

“I'll think of you hunting for Easter eggs on Sunday morning. Gotta go. Thanks for the coffee.”

“Any time.”

They went their separate ways.

Annie arrived at the house the same time as her father. He put his arm around her as they walked to the front door.

“How's my girl?”

“Someone told me they loved me not ten minutes ago.”

“How's that possible? You're still thirteen.”

“I'll be nineteen soon, Dad. You married Mom when she was eighteen.”

“Did I?”

“You know you did.”

Dad gave her shoulders a squeeze. “I'm not sure how I feel about some unknown boy taking my best girl away from me.”

“He's not a boy. He's a man.”

That's when her dad stopped. “What do you mean?”

“He's as old as the hills. He's thirty, a doctor, and brilliant, plus he's shorter than me.”

Dad looked away from her for a moment, as if processing the information. “Do you love him?”

“Not yet. He's got to chase me around the block a few more times before I make up my mind.”

Her dad kissed the top of her head. “That's my girl.”

Over supper at the kitchen table, Annie told them the story of the little boy, and then Dad told Mom about the man who was as old as the hills.

Her mother almost sputtered. “Snag him, for heaven's sake. He's a doctor!”

“What is it with mothers? You don't even know the guy but you want me to marry him because he's a doctor? Dr. Jekyll was a doctor, too.”

“Was he the one looking after Lila? Does he have red hair?”

“That's the one. Henry Pratfall.”

“Pratfall?”

“That's what I call him. It's a long story. His last name is Pratt.”

“Oh, he's sweet,” Mom smiled. “I was visiting Lila one day when he was making his rounds. He looks like the salt of the earth.”

Annie popped another piece of blueberry cake in her mouth. “He's also the only son of a widow who still makes him hunt for Easter eggs.”

Mom deflated. “Oh.”

“Exactly. So don't go planning the wedding any time soon.”

After dinner Dad went into Sydney to pick up David, who was coming home on the bus from Halifax. Dad asked her if she wanted to go, but Annie declined. She wanted to have a bath and soak her aching feet. They never got to linger in the tub at residence. There was always someone wanting to be next.

She was up in her room lounging on her bed when she heard David's voice come through the door and shout for their mother. She listened to Mom squeal back and then David's voice boomed up the stairs: “Where are you, squirt?”

“I'm too damn tired to come down,” she yelled. “You come up here.”

“After I have something to eat.”

This was always the ritual. The minute David walked in the door, Mom had his favourite dishes ready, a roast chicken dinner with mashed potatoes and gravy, buttery peas and carrots, and banana cream pie for dessert.

It always felt right when she heard her parents and her brother's voice laughing at the table downstairs. She was a kid again, being sent to bed early. Annie scooped up Squeak from the end of the bed and held the cat in her arms. “Remember the first day you arrived?”

Squeak squeaked and wiggled out of her arms and settled back at the bottom of the bed.

“Fine. Be like that.”

Lila was just drifting off when David bounded upstairs, threw his duffle bag in his room, and burst into hers.

“I missed you…Squeak!”

David picked up the cat and fell back on the bed. Squeak was now really miffed. She struggled and took a big leap to the floor, scooting out of the room in a hurry. David then smacked Annie on the bottom.

“Don't worry. I missed you too.”

Annie rolled on her side and scrunched the pillow under her head. “I don't think so. I'm sure you haven't had time to breathe with all the female attention. Why did you get the good looks in the family?”

David shrugged. “You don't need good looks. Everyone loves you anyway.”

She kicked him. “Hey! You're not supposed to agree with me.”

He settled his back against the wall. “How's nursing?”

“It's good. You can be bossy while pretending to be nice. I still have two years to go, so who knows. I may hate it this time next year. How's Dal?”

“It's good too, but I feel like it's not moving fast enough. I want to get it over with already and start making big bucks.”

“It's all about the money with you, isn't it?”

“What else is there? How's Lila?”

Annie had forgotten all about this particular mission. For a split second she thought she'd leave it till tomorrow, but she knew it might come up in conversation, as it was old news for everyone else. She sat up in bed and looked at him.

“What? You look funny.”

“I have something to tell you, and I think you're going to be mad at us.”

David stopped leaning on the wall and tensed up. “What's wrong with Lila?”

“She's fine now…well, she's not completely fine…but compared to before…”

David stood up. “What the hell is going on? I knew there was something wrong. I'm so stupid!”

Annie was taken aback. “Wait a minute. Calm down. You don't even know what I'm going to say.”

He immediately stopped reacting and looked embarrassed. “Sorry. It's been a long day. You gave me a bit of a fright, is all.”

“The only reason we didn't tell you is that Lila asked us not to.”

His face went blank. “Okay.”

“She had a baby.”

He froze.

“I know it's a lot to take in. She had a little girl last month, and quite frankly Lila nearly died having her, but thankfully they're both on the mend. We didn't want to worry you.”

“You didn't want to worry me? Am I a member of this family or not? Lila is very dear to me too. What if she had died? What right did you have not to tell me?”

Annie stood up. “David. Listen to me. She asked us not to tell anyone. No one knew but me and Aunt Eunie, Uncle Joe, and Mom and Dad. You know what people are like in a small town. She didn't want to be judged and ridiculed and we needed to protect her. It wasn't a conspiracy against you.”

“I'm not a stranger. I'm family.” He put his hands up to his head. “Do you mean to tell me she was pregnant at Christmas? She didn't look pregnant.”

“To tell you the truth she barely looked pregnant the day before she had Caroline. She developed endocarditis. With her heart trouble…”

“What heart trouble?”

Annie was confused. “Because of her rheumatic fever, her heart valve was damaged. You knew that.”

As soon as Annie said it, she remembered her conversation out in the back garden that beautiful summer day, when Lila had asked her not to say anything about her heart.

“Wait a minute. Lila wanted it kept a secret, but I assumed Mom told you at some point over the years.”

“No.” David's jaw was clenched tight.

“I'm so sorry, David. We just didn't want to worry you.”

“I went to war and back, and you didn't think I could handle
this
?” he yelled. “Who do you people think you are?”

Their parents appeared in the doorway, looking concerned.

“What's all the shouting about?”

“It's about discovering I'm a second-class citizen as far as this family goes. I'm not a schoolboy who can't be told that Lila had a baby. This conspiracy of silence makes me feel like a fool.”

David rushed past his parents and ran down the stairs, slamming the front door.

“I never even looked at it that way,” Annie said. “I didn't think he'd feel shut out.”

“Oh dear,” Mom fretted. “What should we do, Kenzie?”

“He's allowed to have feelings. Give him some time.”

They waited for David to come back in, but it was near midnight before he returned. He stood in the doorway of the parlour, where they'd gathered. He looked chilled.

“Didn't you have a coat?” Mom worried.

“Forget the coat. Everyone, I'm sorry for getting angry. I realize you were put in a difficult situation. But please, the next time something important happens in this family, let me know.”

They all murmured their consent. Annie jumped out of her chair to hug him, but David put out his hand to hold her back. “It's been a long day. Goodnight.” He bolted up the stairs.

Dad got out of his chair. “It has been a long day. Let's get some sleep.”

* * *

Lila knew David was coming home that weekend, and she prepared herself for his visit. When she heard his car pull in the yard, she sat up straight in bed and held on to the covers with clenched hands. She told herself to relax, but it was impossible. David was higher strung than Ewan, and she couldn't be sure he wouldn't start yelling at her. She heard voices of greeting and the murmur of conversation, as he no doubt took a peek at the new addition to the family. Lila was on pins and needles until she heard the door to the attic stairs open. There were footsteps and then…Annie.

Lila forgot to breathe for a moment. “Annie. I'm glad you're here.”

“Your daughter gets cuter and chubbier every time I see her. I have a feeling Aunt Eunie is feeding her evaporated milk.” Annie walked over and gave Lila a kiss before she sat on the bed.

“Did you have a nice Easter?” Lila asked.

“It was fine. A bunch of eggs at breakfast and that fruit bread Mom makes every year. I love that stuff toasted. Then church, and all the little girls in their Easter bonnets. That will be Caroline one day. So what did you do?”

Lila gestured at the room with a sweep of her arm. “This.”

“It must be hard.”

“Whenever I feel low, I remember who I'm doing this for.”

“Good plan.”

“So did David get home for Easter?”

“Yep. Ate all Mom's cooking and then left.”

“He's gone? I thought he might drop by and see the baby.”

Annie gave a big sigh. “We had a bit of a brouhaha when I told him about you and Caroline.”

Lila's stomach knotted. “What did he say?”

“He wasn't exactly happy that we kept it a secret from him. He blew up and then stormed out of the house. The rest of the weekend, he was pretty quiet. He left this morning to go back to Halifax.”

“He's mad at me.”

Annie shook her head. “No, he's mad at us from keeping it a secret, and he does have a point. He felt left out.”

Lila looked out the window. “He must be angry with me, if he didn't even come to see the baby.”

“He'll get over it. Don't be so worried. Let him have his sulk and he'll be fine.”

Annie went downstairs to get the baby and bring her up so they could both coo over her. Lila wanted Annie to leave, but she couldn't let on, so she smiled as Annie made silly faces at Caroline. The baby looked at her very solemnly with her big button eyes.

“I don't think she likes me,” Annie worried. “She's not smiling. Why aren't you smiling, little girl? I'm your Auntie Annie. Good lord, try and say that three times.”

“She's a little shy with people but she loves Freddy. Watch this.” Lila looked to the other bed where Freddy was stretched out. “Freddy! Freddy!”

Fred's head popped up. He still looked half asleep.

“Don't bother poor old Fred,” Annie said. “I'll take Caroline over to him.”

Annie walked over to the dog and knelt down so Caroline and Freddy were eye to eye. Caroline gave him a big smile. Freddy flopped his head back on the mattress as a clear message to leave him alone.

“I see she's going to have her mother's way with animals. Yes you are! Yes you are!” Annie bounced Caroline up and down and Lila was just about to tell her to stop when Caroline spit up all over the front of Annie's blouse.

“Okay, the verdict is in. She does hate me. Excuse me while I give her back to her grandmother.”

Lila's heart pounded. It never occurred to her that David would be so angry that he'd disappear from her life for good. As far as he knew, the baby was his—and he wasn't even interested in meeting her.

Lila's motherly instinct to protect her child tripled.

David could go to hell.