Read Online Family Dynamics (Pam of Babylon Book Five) by Suzanne Jenkins - Free Book Online
Authors: Suzanne Jenkins
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was watching him and smiled at him, and that was all the opening he needed. They embraced, and Ashton fought back the tears. Ted thought, All will be well . He walked over to a large picture window that faced Broadway, and not believing his eyes, saw a man standing on his head with his legs crossed yoga fashion, playing the guitar, and a three-legged dog standing next to him.
“Am I really seeing this?” he asked. The others walked over, and laughter followed.
“He begs there all weekend,” Natalie said. “I’ve heard he has a full-time job during the week. Open the window, Ted. He plays a good guitar.” But Ted declined. It was too hot out to be opening up windows. And he was starting to get nervous again. Thankfully, Ashton would get the ball rolling for them.
“So, my friends, what do we do now?” Ashton asked.
“Let’s eat, and we can talk then,” Natalie said. “Follow me.” They walked through a doorway to the left of the bookshelves and into a small kitchen that was large enough for a table and two chairs and a barstool. “Sit,” she said, pulling out the chairs. She had the food arranged, fresh bagels from a local bakery, lox and cream cheese, sliced tomato, and onion. She had a bowl of whitefish salad and coleslaw and a fresh pineapple she’d sliced. Also, some decadent-looking pastries.
“Oh, my,” Ted said, and Ashton nodded in agreement. They enjoyed the brunch, but the conversation remained awkward until Ashton finally brought up the girl’s name: Deborah.
“So what do we do now? Will Penny Able arrange a meeting? How does this work?” Ashton asked.
“That’s probably exactly how it will work. Let’s call her now, OK?” The men nodded in agreement again. Natalie got her cell phone from the counter, dialed the number, and got an answering machine. She gave the message as if they had written a narrative for her to follow. Ashton found himself wondering how lucky they were to have a like-minded person in this difficult situation.
“Ms. Able,” Natalie Borg said, “regarding Deborah Phillips, I’m with Ted Dale, and we are in agreement that we would like to meet Miss Phillips together at her earliest convenience. Please call me as soon as you are able.” She hung up and had a little chuckle. “Sorry, Ms. Able, call me when you are able.” They laughed out loud. “I must be giddy from nerves.”
They talked about their current life situations into the late afternoon. Neither Ted nor Natalie did any reminiscing, for which Ashton was grateful. Once they started talking, the men no longer noticed how unattractive Natalie Borg was trying desperately to be, and she no longer noticed that the father of her child was gay. A process of alchemy was taking place, bonding them so that at the end of their time together, they would be fast friends who would spend Sundays together, have brunch on Saturdays, and visit each other’s homes, regardless of what the young woman who was their daughter would do. It was this united front that Natalie would meet the following day, when she met her daughter for the first time.
The hardened, sarcastic Deborah Phillips would burst into tears when she met them, crying out, “You are exactly as I imagined you both!” The Earth Mother and the father with a joint and long hair—well, not exactly—but a gay man with a beautiful husband? Almost as nice. Zach accompanied her to meet her birth parents, for moral support.
Ted and Natalie felt terrible about the Phillipses. It wasn’t fair to them. Ted would make it his duty to speak softly but sternly to his daughter about honoring them for caring for her when her birth parents were unwilling to. It hurt Natalie to hear it put that way, but it was the truth, and the only way the odd quartet would survive was by total honesty.
“I knew from the time I could reason that I didn’t belong to them,” Debbie argued.
“But it wasn’t their fault,” Ted countered. “They unselfishly took you to love
“Am I really seeing this?” he asked. The others walked over, and laughter followed.
“He begs there all weekend,” Natalie said. “I’ve heard he has a full-time job during the week. Open the window, Ted. He plays a good guitar.” But Ted declined. It was too hot out to be opening up windows. And he was starting to get nervous again. Thankfully, Ashton would get the ball rolling for them.
“So, my friends, what do we do now?” Ashton asked.
“Let’s eat, and we can talk then,” Natalie said. “Follow me.” They walked through a doorway to the left of the bookshelves and into a small kitchen that was large enough for a table and two chairs and a barstool. “Sit,” she said, pulling out the chairs. She had the food arranged, fresh bagels from a local bakery, lox and cream cheese, sliced tomato, and onion. She had a bowl of whitefish salad and coleslaw and a fresh pineapple she’d sliced. Also, some decadent-looking pastries.
“Oh, my,” Ted said, and Ashton nodded in agreement. They enjoyed the brunch, but the conversation remained awkward until Ashton finally brought up the girl’s name: Deborah.
“So what do we do now? Will Penny Able arrange a meeting? How does this work?” Ashton asked.
“That’s probably exactly how it will work. Let’s call her now, OK?” The men nodded in agreement again. Natalie got her cell phone from the counter, dialed the number, and got an answering machine. She gave the message as if they had written a narrative for her to follow. Ashton found himself wondering how lucky they were to have a like-minded person in this difficult situation.
“Ms. Able,” Natalie Borg said, “regarding Deborah Phillips, I’m with Ted Dale, and we are in agreement that we would like to meet Miss Phillips together at her earliest convenience. Please call me as soon as you are able.” She hung up and had a little chuckle. “Sorry, Ms. Able, call me when you are able.” They laughed out loud. “I must be giddy from nerves.”
They talked about their current life situations into the late afternoon. Neither Ted nor Natalie did any reminiscing, for which Ashton was grateful. Once they started talking, the men no longer noticed how unattractive Natalie Borg was trying desperately to be, and she no longer noticed that the father of her child was gay. A process of alchemy was taking place, bonding them so that at the end of their time together, they would be fast friends who would spend Sundays together, have brunch on Saturdays, and visit each other’s homes, regardless of what the young woman who was their daughter would do. It was this united front that Natalie would meet the following day, when she met her daughter for the first time.
The hardened, sarcastic Deborah Phillips would burst into tears when she met them, crying out, “You are exactly as I imagined you both!” The Earth Mother and the father with a joint and long hair—well, not exactly—but a gay man with a beautiful husband? Almost as nice. Zach accompanied her to meet her birth parents, for moral support.
Ted and Natalie felt terrible about the Phillipses. It wasn’t fair to them. Ted would make it his duty to speak softly but sternly to his daughter about honoring them for caring for her when her birth parents were unwilling to. It hurt Natalie to hear it put that way, but it was the truth, and the only way the odd quartet would survive was by total honesty.
“I knew from the time I could reason that I didn’t belong to them,” Debbie argued.
“But it wasn’t their fault,” Ted countered. “They unselfishly took you to love
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