He can’t dance. Subscribes to Architectural Digest . Wears a pocket protector, always has.”
“Daddy,” Reggie interrupted. “No, he doesn’t and never did.”
“Oh hell, yes, Reg,” Kyle smiled. “Wasn’t until recently that he quit wearing button down shirts.” He looked back to Marybeth. “Now he only wears black tee-shirts. Probably has two dozen of them. Always pressed. Always hung up. Tee shirts.” He paused, smiling. “If that isn’t bad enough, he watches golf and fishing on television.”
Marybeth stifled a giggle and covered her eyes. “Kyle, please.”
“Marcus is just versatile,” Aunt Rose said as she tried on her silk scarf and gloves. “No one’s like Marcus.”
The doorbell rang.
Reggie jumped up. “That’ll be my gift from Marcus. I’ll get it.”
Eliza appeared in the living room as Reggie made her way through the maze of kids and guests. “Marcus is having Reggie’s gift delivered here?”
Kyle shrugged. “Came yesterday, actually.”
Moments later, Reggie returned from the foyer arm-in-arm with David, the computer guy. “Everyone, this is David.”
Aunt Rose smiled. “Isn’t that sweet. Look at the handsome man Marcus got Reggie for Christmas. Didn’t get me one. I’d a taken him too.”
George stood up and extended his hand to David. “My son got you for Reggie?”
“Not really,” David smiled. “He got her a laptop, iPad and phone. I was there to hook her up… um, rather, it up.”
“I see.” George cleared his throat, eyebrows raised. “And I got a pen. An iPad?”
“And computer.” Reggie turned to David. “You already met my father. This is Marcus’ mom, Eliza. Eliza, I should have told you he was coming.”
“We’ve always got plenty on Christmas.” She shook David’s hand. “Nice to, uh, meet you. Will you excuse me?” Eliza scooted from the room.
Kyle quickly followed. At the kitchen door he heard pots banging, then was almost run over by two fleeing cousins and Eliza’s sister. Kyle walked in, unafraid. “I can tell Reggie to have him leave, if you’d like,” he offered.
“I never mind company on Christmas. Never.” Eliza kept her back to Kyle.
“Nice looking guy that David.”
Eliza slammed a pot.
Kyle jumped. “All right, Eliza, what is it? You’re mad.”
“No.” Eliza turned from the stove, her arms folded. “Not mad. Maybe dejected. It’s just... well, Marcus,” Eliza sighed, “never had a relationship, marriage or not, last longer than a year. Reggie’s the only stable woman he has. I was kind of... well, with Reggie finally coming out of her shell, you know, Herbie was that first step. Thank God for Herbie. I was hoping, with this blasphemous clone thing in Marcus’ life, and the trouble he’s going to face...”
“Eliza, you’re rambling. Spit it out”
Eliza threw Kyle a scalding look. “Don’t be upset about this. But I was hoping that finally Marcus and Reggie would be together.”
“Why would that upset me? And, I think your Marcus is thinking that way. He called Reggie up last month and asked her to have his baby.”
Eliza’s eyes grew wide. “No. Kyle Stevens, you wouldn’t be telling me this to make me feel better now would you?”
“No. It’s the truth. Called her up and said, ‘Reg, have my kid’. She was up for it, too, but something happened, I don’t know.” Kyle shrugged. “But now, there’s this computer guy... Eliza?” Before Kyle knew it Eliza had picked up a plate of cookies and hastened to the kitchen door. “Where are you going?”
“Snacks.” She grinned ear-to-ear, backing into the kitchen door and humming Joy to the World .
“Cookies!” she announced, as she set the platter on the coffee table. “And, Reggie, you eat up, sweetie. You’ll need to...” Eliza paused, and then added, “...with you and Marcus making me a grandmother soon.”
Eliza continued humming in the resultant silence and headed back to the kitchen.
Kyle stopped her as she passed
“Daddy,” Reggie interrupted. “No, he doesn’t and never did.”
“Oh hell, yes, Reg,” Kyle smiled. “Wasn’t until recently that he quit wearing button down shirts.” He looked back to Marybeth. “Now he only wears black tee-shirts. Probably has two dozen of them. Always pressed. Always hung up. Tee shirts.” He paused, smiling. “If that isn’t bad enough, he watches golf and fishing on television.”
Marybeth stifled a giggle and covered her eyes. “Kyle, please.”
“Marcus is just versatile,” Aunt Rose said as she tried on her silk scarf and gloves. “No one’s like Marcus.”
The doorbell rang.
Reggie jumped up. “That’ll be my gift from Marcus. I’ll get it.”
Eliza appeared in the living room as Reggie made her way through the maze of kids and guests. “Marcus is having Reggie’s gift delivered here?”
Kyle shrugged. “Came yesterday, actually.”
Moments later, Reggie returned from the foyer arm-in-arm with David, the computer guy. “Everyone, this is David.”
Aunt Rose smiled. “Isn’t that sweet. Look at the handsome man Marcus got Reggie for Christmas. Didn’t get me one. I’d a taken him too.”
George stood up and extended his hand to David. “My son got you for Reggie?”
“Not really,” David smiled. “He got her a laptop, iPad and phone. I was there to hook her up… um, rather, it up.”
“I see.” George cleared his throat, eyebrows raised. “And I got a pen. An iPad?”
“And computer.” Reggie turned to David. “You already met my father. This is Marcus’ mom, Eliza. Eliza, I should have told you he was coming.”
“We’ve always got plenty on Christmas.” She shook David’s hand. “Nice to, uh, meet you. Will you excuse me?” Eliza scooted from the room.
Kyle quickly followed. At the kitchen door he heard pots banging, then was almost run over by two fleeing cousins and Eliza’s sister. Kyle walked in, unafraid. “I can tell Reggie to have him leave, if you’d like,” he offered.
“I never mind company on Christmas. Never.” Eliza kept her back to Kyle.
“Nice looking guy that David.”
Eliza slammed a pot.
Kyle jumped. “All right, Eliza, what is it? You’re mad.”
“No.” Eliza turned from the stove, her arms folded. “Not mad. Maybe dejected. It’s just... well, Marcus,” Eliza sighed, “never had a relationship, marriage or not, last longer than a year. Reggie’s the only stable woman he has. I was kind of... well, with Reggie finally coming out of her shell, you know, Herbie was that first step. Thank God for Herbie. I was hoping, with this blasphemous clone thing in Marcus’ life, and the trouble he’s going to face...”
“Eliza, you’re rambling. Spit it out”
Eliza threw Kyle a scalding look. “Don’t be upset about this. But I was hoping that finally Marcus and Reggie would be together.”
“Why would that upset me? And, I think your Marcus is thinking that way. He called Reggie up last month and asked her to have his baby.”
Eliza’s eyes grew wide. “No. Kyle Stevens, you wouldn’t be telling me this to make me feel better now would you?”
“No. It’s the truth. Called her up and said, ‘Reg, have my kid’. She was up for it, too, but something happened, I don’t know.” Kyle shrugged. “But now, there’s this computer guy... Eliza?” Before Kyle knew it Eliza had picked up a plate of cookies and hastened to the kitchen door. “Where are you going?”
“Snacks.” She grinned ear-to-ear, backing into the kitchen door and humming Joy to the World .
“Cookies!” she announced, as she set the platter on the coffee table. “And, Reggie, you eat up, sweetie. You’ll need to...” Eliza paused, and then added, “...with you and Marcus making me a grandmother soon.”
Eliza continued humming in the resultant silence and headed back to the kitchen.
Kyle stopped her as she passed
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