Farraway Mist ?A Wattpad featured story?

Chapter 26: A Car Ride

"I'm exhausted," Scout announced, smothering a yawn with her fist as she snuggled into George's side.

They were in the back of the warm car, headed back to Surrey after a day of shopping, eating, and meeting with publicists, producers, writers, and myriad other people whose jobs and names Scout had already forgotten.

"Are you too tired to talk?" George asked, enjoying the feeling of having her and the baby leaning on him in the dark, quiet car.

"No, I guess not," she responded. "I mean, not to tired to listen, probably. Why? What do we need to talk about?"

"Well, it could wait, but I need to talk to you before Christmas," George said. "And it's kind of serious."

Scout started to sit up, but George pulled her back down to rest against him, saying, "No, you're fine where you are, love, just relax, please." He dropped a kiss on her hair. "And you're right, all you have to do is listen, mainly. It won't take long, it's just something you should know, okay?"

Scout nodded, wondering if he was going to say something about what crazy Kelly had brought up in the ladies' room earlier. She had been fired, of course, or "sacked", as they said in England, and sent off to her "people" somewhere in the north of England, with very strict instructions never to be in the vicinity of George or Scout again, or the police would be called immediately. Paperwork had been put in place with George's attorneys to that effect already. George was furious, as were Kelly's employers, and she'd been made to leave the building before George would even let Scout leave the conference room where they waited.

But when he began talking, it was about his childhood. "So you know I'm quite a bit younger than my brother and sister, right?" he asked. "Steven's thirty-four, and Joanie's thirty-two, and I'm twenty-six. Quite a gap."

No words seemed to be required, so Scout just nodded, stroking his hand, which was, of course, on her tummy.

"Well, I was a surprise," he said, and Scout could hear the smile in his voice. "Don't get me wrong, a welcome surprise. I mean, I think I was. They tell me they were quite happy, at any rate." He chuckled. "So anyway, there they were, a happy family of four, and along we came."

Scout started to sit up again, but remembered his words and lay back down, merely repeating, "We?"

"Yeah. I was a twin." And he sighed. "My parents were overjoyed, you know? We were fraternal, two boys. And even though I get called 'good-looking' and 'handsome' all the time," and Scout could hear the self-deprecation in his voice, "Oliver was actually the better looking of the two of us." George was silent for a while, and Scout wondered if he was finished talking.

"I've seen photographs, and I actually remember him a bit, you know? He was the most beautiful child." George's voice grew soft and misty with memory. "He had the most gorgeous, curly, dark hair. And he was so full of life, always cheerful, always laughing." And again, he was silent for so long that Scout thought he might be finished.

"George, what happened to him?" she asked.

"He, um, drowned," George said. "We were at a public pool, and Ollie and I were wearing little floatie things to help us swim, but his got snagged and ripped or something, and no one noticed until it was too late. My parents were distracted, you know, trying to keep track of four of us. We were only three." George's voice was even softer than before.

"My father spoke to parliament and got the laws changed, the grade of polymer and plastic they used to make the floaties," George continued.

And now Scout did sit up, she put her arms around poor George and held him, pulling his head under her chin and kissing his temple, telling him how sorry she was.