“Who is that?”
She said nothing.
“Who is Eli?”
“My son.”
For several seconds, I honestly thought I had heard her wrong.
“Your what?”
“My son.”
I stared toward the stairs.
“You’re telling me Frank had a grandson?”
Claire began crying.
I didn’t.
Not yet.
“How old is he?”
“Twelve.”
I sat down.
Twelve years.
Twelve Christmases.
Twelve birthdays.
For years, I had mailed Claire cards, gifts, invitations, and holiday packages.
Every December, I asked Frank whether we should send something extra.
Every December, he told me Claire preferred keeping things simple.
Apparently, “simple” meant leaving an entire human being out of the story.
I looked at Claire.
“Did Frank know?”
Her silence answered before her mouth did.
Something inside me cracked.
“How long?”
“Since Eli was little.”
“How little?”
“Three.”
I pushed up from the chair so quickly it scraped across the floor.
“Nine years?”
“Diane, please.”
“Frank knew for nine years?”
Claire covered her face.
“Yes.”
My anger changed direction so quickly it made me dizzy.
