Bittersweet

~ ~ Ducks in a Row ~ ~

Following the line of people now passing the small guy, I waited my turn to head inside.

Passing the main entrance, I walked through some kind of scanner and then was told to hold my arms out the side whilst another metal scanner was run over my frame.  Moving on, it smelt almost clinical. Bleach and some other powerful scents wafted through the now open room.  Following the hugely worded directions painted on the wall, I made my way to an open booth to sign in.  The disinterested woman in the booth didn't make any eye contact as she shoved a waver and list of instructions toward me, talking in a monotone voice like she'd said it fifty times today already...which she probably had.

Quickly reading through it, I signed the last page before pushing it back toward her.  She then pushed a metal box my way, and I emptied my pockets before she came around the desk and padded me down for any concealed weapons or something.  I grinned like a fool at my thought of concealed weapon...as Jenna would sometimes refer to my man downstairs with the same name.

As the woman finally made eye contact, she gave me the once over as a weird look splashed across her face. Thank Christ I was only visiting.

Led to a room with everyone else, I waited.  It wasn't long before another buzzer sounded and double doors in the far corner opened and a familiar face walked toward me and sat down in the metal chair opposite. He looked surprised and confused.

"Gabe?"

"Hey Mikey."  Al's only living relative, her brother.  Well, I think he was her only living relative. Al never knew her father.

For a few moments we sat mirroring the same expression.  "I'm sorry about Al."  I finally said.

He nodded and shrugged. "Was bound to happen I guess."  He looked over at the other tables, especially paying attention to a blonde woman barely dressed visiting what looked like her dad.

"How are they treating you?"  Jesus, stupid question, but I blamed it on feeling uncomfortable.

His attention returned to me, furrowing his brows before relaxing, leaning back in his chair.  "So, what can I do for you, Gabe, as I don't think you just came all this way to admire my pretty face and to say you're sorry about Al."

I shook my head. "No, we need to talk about Elijah. Al's son."

He looked confused again, shifting in his seat, holding his hands up.  "Hey man. I know I'm due out of here in five months but there is no way I'm looking to hook up with a kid."

He thought I wanted to hand over Elijah to him. 

Christ, no.

"No, that's not why I'm here."  Jenna and I had talked about this for weeks.  She was sure the shoe was going to drop any moment, and someone would come to take Elijah away from us... his biological dad?  Al's brother?

"You know he's with me, living with me?"

"Yeah, she wrote, telling me."  He shook his head.  "Also went and got herself hitched to some big-time hotshot in Mexico.  Dude was old enough to be her gramps."  He twisted his face at the idea.

I knew nothing about the guy she'd married, but if he couldn't be bothered to turn up and sort through the funeral, well he didn't rate in my books.  "Did she tell you she registered me as Elijah's father?"

He nodded, scrubbing his hand across his chin.  "Yeah, I think she hoped you would give her a second chance, but I already know she had a second, third, fourth chance over the years."

"It was never going to happen. I've moved on.  I'm happy."

"Yeah, don't blame you, man." He rolled his eyes.  "Al never realised when she had a good thing going."