‹ Prequel: My 'Cool' Grandpa
My Un-'Cool' Half-Brother
Eddie
**Rosie's POV**
I stood there, stunned. Mike looked equally stunned, but Billie and Jack looked furious.
"Look, mate, I don't know who the hell you think you are, but you are not her half-brother. My wife does not need this, today of all days, so you can fu-"
I cut Jack off. "Explain."
"I'm two years older than you," he began. "My Mom and your dad got very drunk and they had a one night stand. Nine months later, I was born."
"You have no place here," Billie scowled. "You didn't know Tre, you have no reason to come so piss off."
"OK, I'll leave." Edwin turned towards the door.
"Wait," I heard myself say. What the fuck am I doing?
"What the fuck are you doing?" Billie Joe hissed.
"I don't know."
Edwin had turned around and was looking at me.
"How do you know you're really my half-brother? Just because you don't know who your father is doesn't mean he's my father."
"What? D'you want a DNA test?"
"Yes. I want proof."
"But for now," Billie interrupted. "Write your phone number and address down on this piece of paper and get the fuck out of my house."
I sighed. Billie would never change.
**A month later**
Today was the day the results of the DNA tests came back. I was so nervous. Jack and I were sitting in the living room, watching Jimmy and Frankie play together. We were sitting in silence, waiting for the mail to arrive. Jack grasped my hand. I was glad he was here.
Eddie and I had spent time together, I thought if he was my half-brother, I should spend some time with him. We had lunch, we took Jimmy and Frankie to the zoo, they seemed to like him, and Eddie was keen to babysit, but I didn't trust him enough; we barely knew each other, family or not, he wasn't looking after my children. Jack agreed with me completely.
I heard a noise. I jumped up and ran to the door. Lying on the doormat were various envelopes and a parcel. Amongst them was a brown, A4 envelope. I picked it up. It was addressed to me. Holding my breath, I opened it. I slid out the piece of paper and read the results.
It looked like Eddie was my half-brother.
I walked back into the living room. I sat back down on the couch and handed the piece of paper to Jack. He read it and then out it on the coffee table, looking stunned. Jimmy and Frankie had stopped playing and were staring at us.
"W'as wong Mommy?"
I came to my senses. I picked Frankie up and put her on my knee. "Nothing, sweetie. Shall we go and see Uncle Eddie today?"
Frankie grinned. "Yeah!"
Jimmy was sitting on Jack's lap. He frowned. "I do' like."
"What don't you like?" Jack asked.
"Ungle Teddy." Jack and I smiled. Jimmy and Frankie were still young, they had trouble enunciating. When they talked about the 'ducks' painted on their walls at 'Ganma and Ganpa's' many people thought they were saying a much ruder word, as did Jack and I when we first heard them say it.
"Why don't you like him?"
"He be scawy."
"OK, you can stay with Daddy and I'll take Frankie to see Uncle Eddie. Is it that OK, Frankie?"
"Yaay! Ungle Teddy!" Frankie clapped her hands. Jimmy was still scowling though.
Jack gave Jimmy a hug and tossed him up in the air.
"Cheer up, young man!"
Jimmy shrieked with delight.
"Jack, one day he'll puke all over you and you will really regret it. And y'know what? You won't get any sympathy from me." I carried Frankie upstairs and put her in her pink dungarees. She grabbed Mr Whirly and I carried her back downstairs and put her in her car seat. I said goodbye to Jimmy and Jack then drove to Rudy's Can't Fail Café.
Frankie babbled away in the back of the car and I smiled as I drove along. I pulled into an empty parking space and climbed out of the car. I took Frankie out of her carseat and carried her inside. Eddie was sitting at one of the tables. The waitress saw me and came right over as I was sitting down.
"Good morning, Mrs Armstrong-Cool. What may I get you?"
"Eddie?" I asked, looking at him as I sat Frankie down beside me.
"I'll have an espresso, please."
"I'll have a latte." The waitress made notes of our orders.
"I wan' tokat cake!" Frankie shrieked, clapping her hands.
"Can you bring her a glass of water please?"
The waitress smiled. "Alrighty then." She walked off to get our drinks.
"So," Eddie began. "Did you get the results?"
"Yeah. Turns out you are my half-brother."
We sat in silence for a while. The waitress had brought Frankie some colouring to keep her out of trouble.
"Ungle Teddy, I dwew a picter to 'oo." Frankie smiled proudly and showed us the piece of paper.
She had drawen herself, Jimmy, me, Jack and Eddie, standing in a field of flowers, with the sun above us. Well, that's what I think she meant it to look like.
"That's beautiful, Frankie," Eddie smiled.
"Dank 'oo. I wuv 'oo Ungle Teddy." She smiled at him and went back to her colouring.
"It's only just occurred to me, you've never mentioned your mother," I said, curious.
"You've never asked."
"Who is she? What's she like?"
"My Mom died of breast cancer three years ago. Her name was Jennifer Williams. She was a doctor, she was born in New York, but moved out to Cali when she was twnety-five. She met Frankito, our Dad, when she was twenty-seven and working in a bar. They got drunk, one thing lead to another and..well, here I am." Eddie smiled.
"Where were you born?"
"After that night, my grandmother was diagnosed with arthritis. My mom had to move back to New York to look after her. Then, she found out about me and I was born in New York on June 28th, where I've lived all my life. I'm divorced but I don't have any children, which you already knew. But, I've just sold my apartment in New York and I'm moving out here."
"You're moving here? That's great!" I got up and hugged him.
The waitress came over with our drinks.
"Dere's no tokat cake!" Frankie frowned at me.
"You're not allowed chocolate cake all the time, only when Mommy is too drunk to realise what she's giving you."
"Pese, tokat cake! Pese!" Frankie looked at me with her big blue eyes.
I sighed. I called the waitress over. "Ma'am, could I get a piece of chocolate cake over here?"
"No problem." She walked off towards the kitchen.
"Dank 'oo Mommy," grinned Frankie.
Eddie laughed and looked at me questioningly.
"She gave me the look," I reasoned.
"You push over!"
"I am not a push over!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Top it! Be gwon ups!" Frankie shouted at us, hands on her hips. Eddie and I looked at each other and burst out laughing. The waitress brought Frankie's chocolate cake over. She raised her eyebrows and walked away.
Frankie started using her fingers to pick up the chocolate cake. I didn't mind. Well, fingers were made before forks.
**2 hours later**
I pulled into the drive at home. I turned the car off and carried a sleeping Frankie inside. I tucked her in her cot next to Jimmy's and walked dwnstairs.
Jack was watching TV. He turned it off when I walked in.
"So?"
"He was OK." I replied.
"Oh." We were silent for a couple of minutes. "Rosie, do you want to go out to dinner in a week?"
"OK. Why? Are you going to propose?" I joked.
Jack smiled. "No, I just think it would be nice to have dinner, just the two of us. I could ask Mom and Dad to have Jimmy and Frankie for the night. If they say no, Grandma and Grandpa will jump at the chance."
"That would be great." I smiled. Jack put his arm round my shoulders and pulled me into a kiss.
We stayed up talking for a while and then went to bed.
**The Next Day**
Jack and I took Jimmy and Frankie to Billie and Adie's house. They loved playing with Jimmy and Frankie. Billie was 81 years old, but still managed to carry them round on his shoulders and play with them in the garden for hours on end.
After an hour, Jack's parents arrived. We sat down to eat lunch. Halfway through, Jack brought up the subject of babysitting.
"Um, Mom, Dad, could you possibly babysit for us sometime next week?"
"I'm afraid we're busy. We've decided to go and see your Mom's sister in Australia."
"Sweetie," Adie began. "We would, but we're going to Paris to promote Adeline."
There was a knock on the door. Billie went to answer it. He came back with Eddie.
"I thought I'd invite your brother to have lunch with us." They sat down.
"What were we talking about?" Billie asked.
"Baby-sittting." I replied. "Do you think Estelle would baby-sit?"
"I'll babysit." Eddie offered.
Jack and I glanced at each other. I felt slightly uncomfortable with it, and I could tell Jack did too.
"Yaay! Ungle Teddy baby-sit!" Frankie clapped her hands.
"OK, Eddie, that would be great, if you're sure it's not a problem," Jack sighed.
"No, it's fine. When?"
"Um, Thursday?"
"That's great."
"Yaaay! Ungle Teddy!" Frankie gave Eddie a big hug and sat on his lap.
"Frankie, when we're at the dinner table, please stay in your seat." I reprimanded her.
"Sorry," she mumbled, sliding back onto her seat.
After lunch, Jack and I went out into the garden.
"Are you sure you're OK with this, Jack?"
"Yeah. He's your brother. They'll be fine."
I smiled and gave Jack a kiss. I was being silly. The kids loved Eddie, I think. They'll be fine.
I stood there, stunned. Mike looked equally stunned, but Billie and Jack looked furious.
"Look, mate, I don't know who the hell you think you are, but you are not her half-brother. My wife does not need this, today of all days, so you can fu-"
I cut Jack off. "Explain."
"I'm two years older than you," he began. "My Mom and your dad got very drunk and they had a one night stand. Nine months later, I was born."
"You have no place here," Billie scowled. "You didn't know Tre, you have no reason to come so piss off."
"OK, I'll leave." Edwin turned towards the door.
"Wait," I heard myself say. What the fuck am I doing?
"What the fuck are you doing?" Billie Joe hissed.
"I don't know."
Edwin had turned around and was looking at me.
"How do you know you're really my half-brother? Just because you don't know who your father is doesn't mean he's my father."
"What? D'you want a DNA test?"
"Yes. I want proof."
"But for now," Billie interrupted. "Write your phone number and address down on this piece of paper and get the fuck out of my house."
I sighed. Billie would never change.
**A month later**
Today was the day the results of the DNA tests came back. I was so nervous. Jack and I were sitting in the living room, watching Jimmy and Frankie play together. We were sitting in silence, waiting for the mail to arrive. Jack grasped my hand. I was glad he was here.
Eddie and I had spent time together, I thought if he was my half-brother, I should spend some time with him. We had lunch, we took Jimmy and Frankie to the zoo, they seemed to like him, and Eddie was keen to babysit, but I didn't trust him enough; we barely knew each other, family or not, he wasn't looking after my children. Jack agreed with me completely.
I heard a noise. I jumped up and ran to the door. Lying on the doormat were various envelopes and a parcel. Amongst them was a brown, A4 envelope. I picked it up. It was addressed to me. Holding my breath, I opened it. I slid out the piece of paper and read the results.
It looked like Eddie was my half-brother.
I walked back into the living room. I sat back down on the couch and handed the piece of paper to Jack. He read it and then out it on the coffee table, looking stunned. Jimmy and Frankie had stopped playing and were staring at us.
"W'as wong Mommy?"
I came to my senses. I picked Frankie up and put her on my knee. "Nothing, sweetie. Shall we go and see Uncle Eddie today?"
Frankie grinned. "Yeah!"
Jimmy was sitting on Jack's lap. He frowned. "I do' like."
"What don't you like?" Jack asked.
"Ungle Teddy." Jack and I smiled. Jimmy and Frankie were still young, they had trouble enunciating. When they talked about the 'ducks' painted on their walls at 'Ganma and Ganpa's' many people thought they were saying a much ruder word, as did Jack and I when we first heard them say it.
"Why don't you like him?"
"He be scawy."
"OK, you can stay with Daddy and I'll take Frankie to see Uncle Eddie. Is it that OK, Frankie?"
"Yaay! Ungle Teddy!" Frankie clapped her hands. Jimmy was still scowling though.
Jack gave Jimmy a hug and tossed him up in the air.
"Cheer up, young man!"
Jimmy shrieked with delight.
"Jack, one day he'll puke all over you and you will really regret it. And y'know what? You won't get any sympathy from me." I carried Frankie upstairs and put her in her pink dungarees. She grabbed Mr Whirly and I carried her back downstairs and put her in her car seat. I said goodbye to Jimmy and Jack then drove to Rudy's Can't Fail Café.
Frankie babbled away in the back of the car and I smiled as I drove along. I pulled into an empty parking space and climbed out of the car. I took Frankie out of her carseat and carried her inside. Eddie was sitting at one of the tables. The waitress saw me and came right over as I was sitting down.
"Good morning, Mrs Armstrong-Cool. What may I get you?"
"Eddie?" I asked, looking at him as I sat Frankie down beside me.
"I'll have an espresso, please."
"I'll have a latte." The waitress made notes of our orders.
"I wan' tokat cake!" Frankie shrieked, clapping her hands.
"Can you bring her a glass of water please?"
The waitress smiled. "Alrighty then." She walked off to get our drinks.
"So," Eddie began. "Did you get the results?"
"Yeah. Turns out you are my half-brother."
We sat in silence for a while. The waitress had brought Frankie some colouring to keep her out of trouble.
"Ungle Teddy, I dwew a picter to 'oo." Frankie smiled proudly and showed us the piece of paper.
She had drawen herself, Jimmy, me, Jack and Eddie, standing in a field of flowers, with the sun above us. Well, that's what I think she meant it to look like.
"That's beautiful, Frankie," Eddie smiled.
"Dank 'oo. I wuv 'oo Ungle Teddy." She smiled at him and went back to her colouring.
"It's only just occurred to me, you've never mentioned your mother," I said, curious.
"You've never asked."
"Who is she? What's she like?"
"My Mom died of breast cancer three years ago. Her name was Jennifer Williams. She was a doctor, she was born in New York, but moved out to Cali when she was twnety-five. She met Frankito, our Dad, when she was twenty-seven and working in a bar. They got drunk, one thing lead to another and..well, here I am." Eddie smiled.
"Where were you born?"
"After that night, my grandmother was diagnosed with arthritis. My mom had to move back to New York to look after her. Then, she found out about me and I was born in New York on June 28th, where I've lived all my life. I'm divorced but I don't have any children, which you already knew. But, I've just sold my apartment in New York and I'm moving out here."
"You're moving here? That's great!" I got up and hugged him.
The waitress came over with our drinks.
"Dere's no tokat cake!" Frankie frowned at me.
"You're not allowed chocolate cake all the time, only when Mommy is too drunk to realise what she's giving you."
"Pese, tokat cake! Pese!" Frankie looked at me with her big blue eyes.
I sighed. I called the waitress over. "Ma'am, could I get a piece of chocolate cake over here?"
"No problem." She walked off towards the kitchen.
"Dank 'oo Mommy," grinned Frankie.
Eddie laughed and looked at me questioningly.
"She gave me the look," I reasoned.
"You push over!"
"I am not a push over!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Top it! Be gwon ups!" Frankie shouted at us, hands on her hips. Eddie and I looked at each other and burst out laughing. The waitress brought Frankie's chocolate cake over. She raised her eyebrows and walked away.
Frankie started using her fingers to pick up the chocolate cake. I didn't mind. Well, fingers were made before forks.
**2 hours later**
I pulled into the drive at home. I turned the car off and carried a sleeping Frankie inside. I tucked her in her cot next to Jimmy's and walked dwnstairs.
Jack was watching TV. He turned it off when I walked in.
"So?"
"He was OK." I replied.
"Oh." We were silent for a couple of minutes. "Rosie, do you want to go out to dinner in a week?"
"OK. Why? Are you going to propose?" I joked.
Jack smiled. "No, I just think it would be nice to have dinner, just the two of us. I could ask Mom and Dad to have Jimmy and Frankie for the night. If they say no, Grandma and Grandpa will jump at the chance."
"That would be great." I smiled. Jack put his arm round my shoulders and pulled me into a kiss.
We stayed up talking for a while and then went to bed.
**The Next Day**
Jack and I took Jimmy and Frankie to Billie and Adie's house. They loved playing with Jimmy and Frankie. Billie was 81 years old, but still managed to carry them round on his shoulders and play with them in the garden for hours on end.
After an hour, Jack's parents arrived. We sat down to eat lunch. Halfway through, Jack brought up the subject of babysitting.
"Um, Mom, Dad, could you possibly babysit for us sometime next week?"
"I'm afraid we're busy. We've decided to go and see your Mom's sister in Australia."
"Sweetie," Adie began. "We would, but we're going to Paris to promote Adeline."
There was a knock on the door. Billie went to answer it. He came back with Eddie.
"I thought I'd invite your brother to have lunch with us." They sat down.
"What were we talking about?" Billie asked.
"Baby-sittting." I replied. "Do you think Estelle would baby-sit?"
"I'll babysit." Eddie offered.
Jack and I glanced at each other. I felt slightly uncomfortable with it, and I could tell Jack did too.
"Yaay! Ungle Teddy baby-sit!" Frankie clapped her hands.
"OK, Eddie, that would be great, if you're sure it's not a problem," Jack sighed.
"No, it's fine. When?"
"Um, Thursday?"
"That's great."
"Yaaay! Ungle Teddy!" Frankie gave Eddie a big hug and sat on his lap.
"Frankie, when we're at the dinner table, please stay in your seat." I reprimanded her.
"Sorry," she mumbled, sliding back onto her seat.
After lunch, Jack and I went out into the garden.
"Are you sure you're OK with this, Jack?"
"Yeah. He's your brother. They'll be fine."
I smiled and gave Jack a kiss. I was being silly. The kids loved Eddie, I think. They'll be fine.