“I don’t know. So far, there’s no trace of such a family in our immediate area or even the state. The thing is, I was thinking of giving up the search for them, for the answers.”
I stared at him. I realized he wanted my approval for no longer trying to find Count Piro’s real family. He would be permanently a member of ours.
“I don’t think I could send him back to that world, if it’s out there.”
“What about him, Grandpa, what he wants?”
“I think he’s happy here.”
“But his brother and sisters?”
“I don’t know. Maybe they’ll turn up someday, maybe not.”
“Maybe they were all poisoned?”
“If not by arsenic, by their horrible imprisonment.”
“He doesn’t cry for them when he talks to Dr. Patrick?”
“Mostly for his twin sister, but even that is less and less. You’ve become more of a sister to him these days,” he added. “That’s very kind of you.”
“Who knows about all this?”
“You, me, Dorian, and of course Dr. Patrick.”
“Myra doesn’t know?”
He shook his head.
“So it’s all a big secret?”
“Yes.”
“And you want it to always be?”
He pressed his lips together and nodded.
Oh, Willie, I thought, you really are gone.
“He can’t replace Willie, Grandpa. I can’t think of him as Willie, no matter what he’s called and what we give him of Willie’s.”
“He won’t replace Willie. Willie will always be in our hearts and minds. He’s his own person and will grow into his own identity. For now, being William helps him adjust to this world, this life. Like I said, you don’t have to give me an answer right now. This is a family decision, and I won’t make it without you.”
“What did Dorian say?”
He smiled. “She said it was time to ask you.” He stood up.
“You’re going to marry her, aren’t you?” I asked.
“Would that bother you?”
“Not if you don’t take too much longer to do it,” I replied.
He smiled and nodded at my desk. “Sorry to take you away from math,” he said, and left laughing.
I didn’t return to my math.
I went to my window and looked out at the snow-covered grounds and the trees whose leafless branches glittered in the moonlight. I imagined Willie down there pulling his sled up the drive to take another run. I was at the bottom waiting for him to be sure he was all right. I was always looking after him one way or another.