“You ready for this?” Gage asks as he joins me at the kitchen table for early-morning coffee.
The kids will be up soon, and I told him I needed caffeine to face this conversation. We decided to do it in the morning when they’re well rested. They tend to get crankier as the day goes on, as do I, so doing it now presents our best chance before Eleanor and Carter arrive this afternoon.
Tyler comes down first, followed shortly after by his sisters. I serve the pancakes I made earlier and join them at the table with Gage.
“So, guys, I wanted to tell you something exciting.”
“What?” Tyler asks around a mouthful of pancake.
“It turns out that you have another brother, and his name is Carter.” I pause to let that settle with them.
“We have another brother?” Sophia asks, glancing at Tyler as she often does to gauge his reaction.
“Where did he come from?” Tyler asks.
“He’s Daddy’s son, so that makes him your half brother.”
“Why did Daddy have another son?” Tyler asks, his chin quivering. “He had me.”
“Oh, sweetie, it had nothing to do with you. Sometimes these things just happen, but Daddy loved you so much. You were his pride and joy.” I wish I could stab Mike through the heart for doing this to us. Over these recent months, I’ve managed to compartmentalize what Mike did and keep it separate from Eleanor and Carter. I don’t blame them for his transgressions.
“Where is our brother?” Sophia asks.
“He’s on his way to see us right now. He and his mom, Eleanor, are coming to visit for a few days so you guys can get to know each other.”
“I don’t want to know him,” Tyler says, his chin still quivering.
“You should give him a chance,” Gage says. “He might turn out to be your best friend.”
“He won’t,” Tyler says. “I don’t want a brother.”
“I want a brother,” Laney says. “Will he play with me?”
“I’m sure he will,” I tell her, thankful for her sweet innocence. “I know this is a lot to understand, but all you need to know is that you and Carter had the same daddy, and he’s a very nice boy. I think you’ll like him a lot.”
“Have you met him?” Sophia asks.
“Only through FaceTime and photos his mom has sent me. He’s very sweet and funny, and he loves to play baseball, just like you do, Ty.”
At that, Tyler perks up ever so slightly. I’m hoping that once Carter arrives, Tyler will see only someone new to play with and not a potential rival.
The girls finish their breakfast, clear their plates and run off to watch Dora while Tyler sits staring out the window, looking as if he has the weight of the world on his little shoulders.
“I want to know how Daddy had another son,” he says, his gaze shifting to me. “Mommies and daddies are supposed to have children with each other. Not other people.”
“You’re right,” I tell him, following the therapist’s advice to give the smallest amount of information necessary to bring Carter into their lives. “They are.”
“Are you mad with Daddy because he had another son?”
“I was, but after I got to know Eleanor and Carter, I don’t blame them for mistakes that Daddy made, and you shouldn’t either.”
“Was Daddy a bad man?”
“No, honey. He was human, and human beings make mistakes. Sometimes they make big mistakes that hurt other people, but Daddy loved you and your sisters, and he loved Carter. He would want you two to be friends.”
“He would?”
“Yeah, I really think he would. Maybe you can try to be friends with Carter?”