Accidents Happen - 9. Chapter 9 - Birthday ... Surprise?

Chapter 9 – Birthday … Surprise?

Charlie was thrown off by his encounter in the book store. He walked quickly around the corner and gathered his mother’s gifts for the girls. Without checking anything he put everything in the back of his car and drove off towards his parent’s home.

The drive gave him time to think. Oh my God, he is married. I should have checked when he was in the hospital. I never noticed a ring. I nearly got a married man killed trying to save me. Charlie’s mind was running in a vicious circle, but before he let it overwhelm him, his attention was taken up with the traffic on the road. While still shaken, it was now like he had walked into his classroom and he became completely focused- on getting there safely.

It was about a quarter after one when Charlie pulled up in front of his parent’s home. He pulled into the driveway and carefully began gathering his packages from out of the car.

“Hey Charlie, need a hand?” The deep voice of his father, Joe, called from the house.

“I got it Dad. Oh wait a minute, could you help? I have Mom’s gifts for the girls out here as well.” Charlie called over his shoulder as he began to gather the sports bag and the box from Disney out of his trunk. As he turned there stood his father looking rested and ready to lend a hand.

“What did she get them? You know your mother only half fills me in on these things,” he whispered to Charlie.

“Don’t you believe a word your father says Charlie. He knows what I bought, or would if he listened to me at all.” His mother called from the front door. Even Charlie wasn’t sure how she had heard his father’s comment from where she stood.

Charlie strode to the back of the car and handed his father the paintings his mother had framed for the girls. Then he grabbed the book out of the back seat and headed up to his mother, pausing only long enough to kiss her cheek on the way in.

“Your father is going to gather all the gifts on the table in the dining room, so you might as well just put yours there after you wrap them, Charlie. Extra wrapping paper and tags are in my office upstairs. Once you finish come down stairs and help me get the food ready for the party,” his mother rattled off as she headed toward the kitchen.

“You know your mother, once she gets a head of steam you should just stay out of her way. Go get your stuff wrapped Charlie. I’ll put these in the dining room.”

Charlie went to the closet in his mother’s office and pulled out her box of wrapping paper. There were all shades of colors and styles but Charlie found something he thought would work. For Kathy he wrapped her gifts in a bright pink paper that had Mickey Mouse outlines on it. The snow globe was quickly wrapped up and he dropped the sports backpack into a large gift bag that he found in the back of the closet. For Rebecca’s gift, he found a large box to put the book in. Then he wrapped it a pale blue paper that had stars and moons over it. He found his mother also had Happy Birthday tags and wrote one out for both gifts and filled out the tag on the gift bag. Having finished, Charlie toted them down and put them on the table in the dining room.

While he had been wrapping his gifts more of the family had arrived. Rick had arrived with his wife, Tonya. They were busy talking to his father over the living room. Their oldest son, William, was kidding around with Maria’s daughter Joan. Charlie looked, but Bobby and Jeanette hadn’t arrived yet with the twins. In the corner drinking a can of Pepsi were Rick Junior and his sister Kristy. Kristy was just twenty-two now, and had been working with her boyfriend in his family’s restaurant since age sixteen. That just left Maria and Jim to arrive with their other child, Joe.

Charlie walked over to the window to say hello to his niece and nephew.

“Hey Rick. Hi Kristy. How are you both doing?”

“Hey, Unc. I'm staying out of trouble for the moment. Although, truth be told there are things going on, no… never mind.” Rick kept looking out the window. Charlie wondered if something was wrong.

“Don’t mind him, Charlie. He’s just in a mood,” Kristy said softly.

“Something I can help with?”

“No,” Rick said rather tensely.

Charlie looked over and noticed how rigid Rick was holding himself. Something was definitely wrong here. He looked at Kristy who just silently shook her head no and mouthed not now to him. Charlie nodded in response and walked over to say hello William and Joan.

“Hi guys. How are things in your neck of the woods?”

William towered over Charlie. At six foot three, with two hundred pounds of solid muscle, people always noticed William when he walked into a room. He was three years older than Charlie and had his degree in building design. He had been busy lately working at the construction site where his latest design was in Maine. Joan had taken after her mother and had pursued an art career. While her mother worked on restoration and painting, Joan took to stone work and wood carving. She had been named an up and coming artist in the latest New York Times article.

“You know how it is, Uncle Charlie, work and then more work,” William said with a smile.

“Well, at least it is for him. Me, I’m taking a small break after that last project. Who knew someone would want my statues for their garden in Spain? I wasn’t expecting to be flown out there and do all the work in their yard. Last time I let my business manager make the arrangements. The first week I burned to a crisp.”

Charlie laughed, but could see the joking manner in which Joan said it all. He was proud that his family worked so hard at their jobs. He was enjoying the conversation so much he didn’t notice when his brother Rick walked up behind him and grabbed him from behind.

“So, little brother, still ignoring me?”

“How can I ignore the mountain that loves to rip me off my feet? Jeez, Rick, put me down.”

The family burst into laughter all around them.

Charlie was dangling in Rick’s bear hug about a foot off the ground. It was hard to look dignified or work up the proper rage with everyone laughing.

“You still haven’t said hello, Charlie,” his brother announced rather loudly.

“Well, I was making my way around the room you big brute, you just had to wait your turn,” Charlie grunted out as Rick finally put him down.

“Sorry, baby brother. You know I can’t resist picking on you.”

“Yeah, yeah, right Rick. You just got upset because you had to change my diapers. You’ve told me.” Charlie said it with such a straight face that Rick started to laugh.

The whole room started to laugh at the playful banter between Charlie and Rick when suddenly Barbara appeared in the door way. “I am glad to see the family getting along, but I believe I told Charlie to come help me in the kitchen. Now the rest of you miscreants get the room ready. The girls should be here in a moment.”

Charlie sheepishly followed his mother into the kitchen. He could see she had been busy. There were chips and dip in bowls, her special bacon turnovers on trays, and she was in the process of pulling a quiche out of the oven. The kitchen smelled delicious and Charlie walked over and snagged a chip.

“If you start eating all the food in here, Charlie, so help me God, I am going to crack you over the head with a rolling pin.”

Charlie smiled and popped the chip in his mouth.

“Stop eating and grab the celery out of the fridge to chop up for the dip. There are also carrots in the crisper. Snag a few and slice them up for me too.”

“Yes, Mom. I’m on it.”

“Good, while you do it tell me what has you out of sorts too.”

Charlie froze. How could she possibly know he was out of sorts? Sometimes, that woman scares me.

“Well,” began Charlie trying to find a way to deflect her. “Rick Junior is upset. I will have to check on him later to find out why.”

“He had a break up with his boyfriend that no one is supposed to know about. But that isn’t what is bothering you.”

Charlie froze with the knife in one hand and the celery in the other. “Mom, Rick is straight. I’ve met his girlfriends many times.”

“Charlie, Rick is bisexual and just had his heart broken by his first guy. Don’t you listen to your nieces and nephews?”

“Mom? You knew he was bisexual?”

“Why is everyone always surprised by what I know? Granted I know my son will flip when he finds out, but yes I know.”

“Wait, Rick doesn’t know his son is Bi? You do?”

“Charlie, stop asking silly questions and tell me what has you so upset!”

Charlie wasn’t sure which was more surreal at that moment. Charlie stopped cutting and finally told his mother about the accident. The look she gave him as he explained how he nearly walked out into traffic was enough to make him pause. He took a breath and just rushed on with everything else, giving a quick overview of going to see Scott Reeds and buying the gift that morning. He said he felt terrible that a family man had almost gotten killed saving him.

“Scott Reeds was his name?”

“Yes, why Mom?”

“Oh, just going to have to drop him a thank you note is all.”

The casual way she said that to Charlie alerted him more than a card going to happen shortly. He was about to ask more when his brother Bobby walked into the kitchen.

“Hi Mom!” Bobby walked over and kissed her cheek.

“Bobby, so glad you are here. Jeanette is in with everyone else?”

“Yes, she is. Hey Charlie. See Mom still has you on kitchen duty.”

“Well she knows she can always draft me for that. Are my favorite nieces here with you?”

“Naturally. Although Rebecca says she has an announcement to make at the party.”

Barbara stopped and stared at Bobby for a moment. Then shook her head and handed him a platter of her turnovers. “Go take this out to the mob.”

“Yes, Mom. See you out there in a moment Charlie.”

Charlie looked at his mother. “You know what she is going to announce, don’t you?”

“Charlie, you act like I read minds. Let’s just say I suspect what she is going to announce.”

Charlie just shrugged his shoulders and carried out a dish of chips and dip for the family.

The party was a hit. Everyone was soon talking and eating and having a ball. Eventually the girls were seated and their grandmother carried out the cake she had baked for them that read Happy 23^rd Birthday Rebecca and Kathleen. The girls were then given their gifts. Rebecca cried when she seen the signed copy of the Harry Potter book and rushed over to hug Charlie. Kathy laughed when she opened the bag with her new sports bag, but even she cried when she opened up the snow globe.

After everything was cleaned up, and things were starting to wind down, Rebecca asked everyone to take a seat.

“You all know how little I like the limelight. Kathy is usually the one running around, but I wanted to tell everyone some big news. I have had someone very special come into my life. They asked if after graduation I would move with them to Connecticut and marry them.”

Smiles were on everyone’s faces and people started to move toward Rebecca in a rush when she held up her hand.

“Stop. I haven’t finished. Her name is Juanita and I love her completely.”

That stopped most of the family cold. Barbara took that moment and walked right up to Rebecca and hugged her. Joe followed his wife and told Becca he couldn’t wait to meet her girlfriend.

Bobby and Jeanette just looked at each other. They knew all about it, and for them it was no surprise. Rick, however, looked like he was going to have a heart attack in the corner. Rick Junior kept looking from his father to his cousin and the sense of fear rolling off him was making Charlie sick.

“Well I hope you will allow me to paint your wedding portrait,” was Maria’s only comment as she smiled at her niece.

Charlie stood there feeling sort of sick. He watched how various members of the family either completely accepted Becca’s surprise announcement, or were furious with it. He couldn’t help but see how scared Rick Junior was. Hell, even he was shaking with fear, and he didn’t even know why. Some days he wondered if the simple life he thought he lead would ever really be simple.