Christopher was woken up by his email going off. Half asleep he wiped at his eyes, trying to focus. He saw David's name pop up in his email, he quickly woke pulling his computer into his lap. Clicking on the email, Christopher had nothing but butterflies in his stomach.
Everything here is fine, your Nona has been quiet the last couple of days. I think Sophia is secretly happy. Nona and I have been sitting in the orchard every night, she has me read my book. She critics the hell out of it, I guess that's the perks of being married to a college professor all those years. We talk for hours, she's been telling me about Elio when he was young, about her husband and about your dad. I know I would have loved to have come too, but my book is almost done, once your dad approves of the last draft, I'm done with it and can send it to my publisher. I miss you too, you will be back before you know it. I'm glad you and Valentina are having fun. I've got to run, it's time to read to your Nona.
Christopher must have had the stupidest smile on his face. He turned to his brother who was giving him a look as well.
"David?" Jona asked, Christopher nodded.
"Yeah, David."
"What are you going to do when we get back home and he stops kissing you?" Jona asked, Christopher shot him a dirty look.
"He wouldn't stop just because we are home."
"Yeah he will, you're 17 he's almost 25. That shits illegal back home, you do know he turns 25 soon right?" Jona struck a nerve he could tell. He knew his brother hadn't thought that far ahead. Christopher didn't respond, he just got up out of bed and jumped in the shower. Jona took a deep breath, he didn't mean to ruin his brothers big day. He got up out of bed and headed to the bathroom, he stood figuring out what to say.
"Maybe I'm wrong Chris, don't listen to me I don't know anything." Jona knew his brother heard him. Christopher didn't respond right away, but it was low and hateful.
"Don't be stupid Jona, I live in my head. I should know when we get back it's going to be different."
Jona grabbed his tooth brush and headed to his parents room, he knew his brother was upset, so he left him alone. Jona knocked on his parents door.
"Yes?" Elio asked.
"I need to use your bathroom."
"Come on in." Oliver replied. Jona walked in to see them lying in bed, his dad on the computer and Elio reading the London post.
"Thanks, I'm going to be quick."
"Why aren't you using your own bathroom?" Oliver asked looking over his glasses.
"Chris is in there and I kind of upset him this morning, nothing big just said something I shouldn't have." Jona rubbed the back of his neck, praying his dad wouldn't ask anymore questions.
"Well make sure you talk it out, I don't want you two beating each other to a pulp ok?"
"I know dad, we'll talk it out. I promise." He went to go turn quickly to the bathroom.
"How was your music thing last night?" Elio asked, not moving from behind his paper.
"Ah, it was pretty cool. I'm going to go back again tonight, met a few people."
"That's good, I'm glad you are enjoying yourself this summer." Elio replied.
The football match started at 1 o'clock and they were in their box seat before the ceremony began. Christopher's sad demeanor changed the closer they got to the match, Jona knew his brother would be on a high after this.
"Boys look at me and say cheese." Oliver had his camera, Christopher, Jona and Elio all looked at Oliver smiling.
"Valentina take our picture." Oliver handed the camera to her.
"Everybody smile!" She captures the family at the happiest of their summer.
Everyone was decked out in Manchester United kit as they called it. Oliver spared no expenses on his boys this summer. They cheered along with everyone around them, only Christopher and Elio understood the game everyone else just followed along with their excitement.
Manchester was up Oliver understood that, he had never invested much into European football. He watched his oldest son as he cheered on the team, he'd not seen Christopher this happy in a long time. Oliver never thought he would see Christopher enjoy himself again, as a child Christopher was always happy. Oliver thought back to when his boys were little, Christopher was always on the go running, playing sports, never had a complaint about the world. Then there was his little Jona loud vivacious Jona, always running around the house singing and playing on his guitar.
As he stood looking at them he noticed their features, both tall, but Jona was much thinner than his brother. Christopher had the body of an athlete, Jonas hair had grown to nearly his shoulders, while Christopher's barely touched his ears. Their hair had gone to a light blonde while Oliver's had begun to turn silver on the sides. Sometimes Elio's mother would call Christopher by his father's name, Jona had similar features but he fared his mother a little more. Oliver was brought out of his thoughts by Christopher screaming happily with his hands in the air.
"WE WON!" Christopher cheered, he hugged Elio who was cheering as well. Everyone hugged everybody, they had even hugged strangers in the box. Oliver didn't understand cheering for people you didn't know but Christopher was invested. Just as Oliver had been when Christopher and his team went to the state finals. Oliver had never been so proud, he had spent the weeks before explaining American football to Elio. This was close to the time the boys were slowly coming around to the idea of Elio.
"Well if they won, then let's celebrate! We are going to the field to meet the players." Oliver wanted to remember this look on Christopher's face.
"You're actually joking with me right now?" Christopher jumped on his dad.
"No, we are actually going." Oliver didn't understand but he wasn't about to waste this time for his son. They were all escorted down to the field to meet the players.
Christopher was on cloud nine he met every player he could. His dad and Elio took pictures while he, Jona and Valentina met everyone. As the left the stadium Christopher was talking a thousand miles a minute.
"That's possibly the greatest thing I've ever seen in my life!"
"I think you broke him dad." Jona patted his dad on the back.
"Yeah I think I did." Oliver laughed.
They had dinner that night with Nan and Mark this time at a pub were they could be loud. Nan was in her element were she could be loud, drunk and a little rowdy. Oliver joined her as did Elio, they boys had never seen this side of them before. It was funny to see them completely let loose.
"You know what tonight reminds me of my dear?" Oliver asked Elio wrapping his long arm around Elios shoulder.
"No what does tonight remind you of?"
"That beautiful weekend we spent in Rome. We drank with the most interesting people. Elio was in love with everything that night. We meet so many interesting people." Olive gazed drunkenly at Elio who pushed on his shoulder lightly.
"While he had every woman in the room fawning over him, I had the poet's wife and I'm not sure if it was a man or a woman wanting to take me home. But those three days I wish I could live again and just put them on repeat." Elio leaned over kissing Oliver gently on the lips almost as they were both back in Rome.
"For god sakes guys do you really have to be all mushy and crap." Christopher was embarrassed by his parents affection toward each other, he tossed a roll at them. Smacking Elio in the side of the head, then landed in his plate.
"You are such a butt Christopher Adler!" Elio launches the roll back at him, of course he catches it. Oliver's phone rings, he reaches in his pocket to finish it out.
"Oh look it's Michael, hope everything at the house is ok." Oliver picks it up, his brows furrowed together as he listened to his neighbor. Elio looked concerned and mouthed what is it?
"Well I will call my lawyer to see what it's about, thanks for informing me Michael. See you in a few weeks." Oliver hung up the phone.
"I'm going to walk outside real quickly and talk call someone." Elio followed Oliver out.
"What is going on?" Elio asked.
"A courier delivered a certified letter yesterday and I'm calling Stan to see if he knows anything about it." Oliver called his lawyer, he was pacing now, Elio stood in place trying to keep up with the conversation. When he hung up he was red faced, Elio had never seen this side of Oliver.
"What happened?"
"She's gone, she sold the house, gave up custody of the boys and no one has been able to reach her not even her sister." Oliver blurted out. Elio grabbed his face forcing Oliver to look at him.
"Oliver, calm down please talk to me. Tell me everything Stan said."
"Madeline's lawyer called a meeting she had papers drawn up to give me full custody, she's given up all of her rights to them. I just have to sign them. She's sold the house, my half is waiting at his office and she left me a letter. She didn't give her lawyer any reason behind it. Stan said she put everything in the house in a storage unit. She even gave Chapman to the neighbors, Stan got him back though he's staying with him until we get back."
"Good thing your lawyer is your friend, they boys would be crushed if they lost Chapman. Oliver what are we going to tell the boys?"
"Honestly? I'm telling them nothing until I read that letter, Stan is scanning it at emailing it to me. Until then not telling them anything." Oliver caught the sight of his youngest son coming out of the restaurant. He quickly tried to change his mood.
"Hey we are going to head out see you back at the hotel." Jona walked to give his parents hugs, Christopher and Valentina followed behind. Oliver and Elio give them their goodbyes and their be carefuls. They walk back into the restaurant to tell Nan and Mark goodbye.
"We have to get out of here and I have something important to take care of."
"Oliver what's wrong?" Nancy asked jumping up out of her chair.
"I've got to get back to the hotel Nan, Madeleine's pulled a 180. She's not called the boys in two months, she's given up custody, sold the house and no one's heard of her. I'm losing my fucking mind because I don't know what to tell my sons!" Oliver shouted.
"I'm so sorry Oli, do you need anything?" Nan asked hugging Oliver.
"No I just need to get back to my room and figure out what the hell is going on." He grabbed Elio and hailed a taxi. Oliver didn't speak the entire trip back, Elio almost couldn't handle the silence.
"Oliver are you going to talk to me?" Elio asked, Oliver didn't look at him.
"I don't want to talk until I read the letter Elio, please understand."
Elio sat back in his seat, he didn't want to push Oliver any more than what he already was. They pulled up to the hotel and Oliver rushed out of the taxi leaving Elio behind to pay. Rushing up to the room Oliver quickly opened his computer, the first email was from Stan. He nearly lost his nerve but he had to read it, clicking on the email it opened.
Oliver,
I couldn't do it anymore, I needed to leave. I have sold the house, the cars and put everything that was in the house in a storage locker near where you live. I have given all the information to Stan.
I was starting to resent the boys, they are you made over. I couldn't look at them with happiness anymore, I couldn't remember the good times with them anymore. I have tried to move past what has happened over the last year. I hope they can forgive me one day, I do love them but I can't be their mom anymore, I need to start over. I hope you understand, I have also given you custody of Christopher and Jona. I know you were wanting all the answers but I don't have them. I just know that I need to do this. I need this for myself.
-M
Oliver sat looking at the screen, Elio saw the expression on his face, he'd never seen such anger in Oliver's body before.
"That's it! That's all she fucking had to say? How am I going to tell my children that their mother resents them because they look like me?" Oliver was yelling at this point, Elio tried to calm him with no avail.
"Oliver, Oliver look at me. We don't know what she's going through, she might be back next week we don't know. We just need to tell them, they are going to be living with us. The rest we will figure out together, you aren't alone in this Oliver."
Oliver sat down looking at Elio, tears running down his cheeks.
"Why did she have to do this? Honestly, when I left for those two months in the beginning to come to Italy. I talked to my boys everyday, she's barely spoken to them I don't understand it Elio. What parent leaves their children?" Oliver kept asking questions that Elio didn't have answers for, he was helpless. He wanted to take all of this weight off of Oliver's shoulders, he just didn't know how to do it.
Laughter erupted in living area, the kids had come back from their evening out. Oliver sat smoking in the window seat of the room. The laughter died down when they spotted Oliver.
"Is everything ok dad?" Christopher asked, his smile faltering. Oliver turned to look at them.
"Valentina if you don't mind I need to talk to my boys."
"No problem Mr. Adler." She turned walking out of the room.
"Dad, you're really worrying me." Jona sat down on the couch.
"Boys, I need to tell you something and I'm not sure how you are going to handle it. If you handle it the way I think you are, it's going to break my heart." Oliver sat in that room, telling his son's that their mother had left and that she was more and likely not coming back. When they were a little older, he would let them read the letter but until then they just needed to know the small part of it. It broke his heart to cradle his son's as they cried of broken hearts, cried for a mother whom they didn't know resented them.