The Henson Brothers: Two Complete Novels

by Girard, Dara

  "Because I want you here."

  "No, you don't. You never wanted me. That's why you gave me to Dad after the divorce and visited twice a year."

  "That's not true."

  "It is true. You didn't want me then and you don't want me now."

  "I did want you. I wanted you to have everything your dad could provide. You know I'm not as wealthy as he is."

  Nina began coloring again.

  To Adriana's own ears her reasoning sounded ridiculous, abdicating her role of mother so that Nina could have the wealth Laurence offered. How could a seven-year-old—no matter how bright—understand that? All Nina understood was that she had been abandoned. That she had a mother she would see a couple of times a year who asked her about school and gave her gifts.

  "You might not understand this now," Adriana said slowly. "But I do love you and I wanted you to have the best. Unfortunately, I also made a mistake. I wasn't always there for you and that's a mother's job. I'm sorry."

  Nina turned the page and started coloring a new picture.

  Adriana didn't know what else to say, hoping that time would be a healer. "I'm going to see Uncle Eric tomorrow."

  Nina looked up, excited. "Can I come?"

  "No, you'll be in school. Is there anything you want me to tell him?" Adriana asked when her face fell.

  "Give him this." She handed her a piece of paper.

  Adriana looked down at a drawing—a picture of a man and a girl in a garden. Her absence from the picture was worse than Nina's silence.

  * * *

  Adriana gasped when Eric opened the door, looking like a mugging victim. "My God! No wonder you weren't at work. Did Bruce find you?"

  He rested his arms on the door frame. "No. A little brotherly love. How can I help you?"

  She tugged on the strap of her handbag. "I just wanted to see you."

  He coughed. "You never returned my calls."

  "Nina turned the ringer off and other mischief. I'm not very popular right now."

  Silence fell.

  "I'm sorry about the books," she said.

  Eric shrugged. "It's okay."

  "Let's not start lying to each other now. I hurt you and I'm sorry."

  He lowered his eyes. "You were right though."

  "No, I wasn't. They were beautiful. I just couldn't see that at first. I guess I was jealous that she prefers your gifts to mine. That you can make her happy while I can't."

  He coughed.

  "You have a cold."

  "Nothing to worry about."

  She stared at the floor, then looked at him. "Please don't shut her out because of me. It's not fair. She really likes you, you're her only friend. She drew you a picture." She took it from her purse and handed it to him. "You and her in a secret garden."

  Eric stared down at the picture. His voice was low. "Are you here for her or for you?"

  "Both."

  He didn't look up, but he held open his arms. She fell into them, burying her face in his chest. "I'm sorry."

  "So your ringer was off and you didn't get my messages?" he asked.

  "Seven-year-olds are tricky creatures. Who knows what else she did."

  "She's angry."

  Adriana looked up at him. "You'll make her feel better."

  "I can't fix your relationship with Nina. It's between the both of you."

  "I know, but you make her happy." She touched his cheek. "Now what happened to your face?"

  "Drake found it offensive and tried to rearrange it."

  She hit him playfully in the chest. "The truth."

  He winced.

  She frowned. "He hit you in the chest too?"

  "He hit me everywhere. Don't worry, I lived by the motto it is better to give than to receive."

  "What happened?"

  "We had a disagreement."

  "About what?"

  His eyes swept her face. "Doesn't matter anymore."

  Eric sighed as his lips brushed her forehead. The scent of her shampoo came to him in a tantalizing aroma of strawberries. This was becoming a bad habit. He liked holding her and there was nothing sexual about it. That wasn't like him. It came from more than a primitive need. It was like a homecoming, a sense of safety, of belonging to someone. It was dangerous territory, but he couldn't resist the allure, the precipice that promised either success or failure.

  Adriana rested her cheek against his chest. Safe, solid, secure. Those weren't the words she would have used to describe the men in her life, but Eric was all three. Words she used to scoff at, words she felt were confining and provincial were now like nuggets of gold. But it was still just an affair and whatever feelings she had were her secrets to keep.

  "Nina really cares about you," she said, masking her own feelings with those of her daughter. "I bet she can't wait to see you. Why don't you pick her up tomorrow at the bus stop?"

  "Shouldn't I wait until the bruises go?"

  She rubbed her chin and studied him. "How do you feel about makeup?"

  * * *

  He saw her first—wrapped in her winter coat and gloves as if she were trekking across Alaska, her face a mask of composure as she stepped from the bus. She looked up and saw him. Her face lit up with such joy his heart lurched. He wanted to attribute it to his cold, but knew that wasn't the case. He had missed her. She ran up to him, then skidded to a stop, not sure whether to hug him or shake his hand. He lifted her up in his arms. "How are you doing?"

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed tight. "I'm so glad you're back." She pulled away and stared at him. "Did you get my picture?"

  He set her down and took her hand. "Yes, I put it in my office."

  This pleased her. She began to skip beside him.

  "Why didn't you let your mother in the secret garden too?"

  "She's different than us." She looked up at him, curious. "You know that."

  "Different doesn't mean bad."

  She shrugged, unconcerned. "I know." She suddenly clapped her hands. "Now that you're here we can finish The Secret Garden!" She raced ahead of him into the building.

  * * *

  He tried to read, but could only manage ten minutes before a fit of coughing interrupted the story flow. He ignored Adriana's worried look as he closed the book and suggested something else to do. Nina was too happy to care. They started the herb garden in the kitchen. Eric helped her pronounce the different names and together they drew pictures of what the herbs would look like grown. Then they set the little greenhouse on the windowsill.

  Later, Nina showed him her school projects and the pumpkin—a small one the size of a grapefruit—she'd picked out on the school trip to a pumpkin patch in Maryland. He lifted it up and glanced at Adriana hanging near the window. She had been keeping a distance since he had arrived.

  "I think your little pumpkin needs a mother," he said. "Let's all go out and buy a big pumpkin that we can carve. Your mother could cook the seeds or make a pie."

  Adriana looked horrified; Nina didn't notice. "That sounds like fun." They made a date for the weekend.

  "I don't know how to cook pumpkin seeds," Adriana said in a low whisper once Nina had left the room. "I don't know how to cook a pie either. And I've never carved a pumpkin."

  He looked at her, amazed. "Never?"

  "No, my brothers always did it."

  He patted her on the shoulder. "Then I'll let you take all the guts out."

  * * *

  Nina made her way through the pumpkin patch with a childish enthusiasm that was catching. Big, bright, orange pumpkins lay about like sleeping chariots waiting for the fairy godmother's wand. Tall trees changing colors sighed in the warm day against a gentle breeze.

  Eric nudged Adriana forward. "Why don't you go help her pick one?"

  She shoved her hands in her jacket pockets. "I don't think so."

  "Try." He coughed.

  "You should be wearing a scarf."

  "A cough elixir?"

  "Don't be facety. That cough should have
gone by now. You probably picked it up when you visited Nina."

  "Relax. When I cough up a kidney, I'll see a physician."

  She rolled her eyes. "Men."

  "Women," he countered. "You'd rather scold me than talk to your daughter."

  "I didn't make that choice. She won't talk to me."

  "How old are you? Six?"

  Adriana glared at him, then sighed. "Point taken."

  "Good." Eric turned. "I'm going to ask this guy about his squashes."

  She approached her daughter with trepidation. She forced a smile. "This is fun, isn't it?"

  Nina nodded.

  She pointed to a pumpkin. "I think that would make a great witch."

  Nina looked confused. "What?"

  "Don't you look at the pumpkins and pretend to see what faces they have?"

  "No, I just make sure they're round."

  "They're round but they have personalities too." Adriana walked up to one. "Like this one is sad. See how its stem is drooping?" She glanced at another. "And this one is sneering. It's more like an oval than a circle."

  Nina giggled. "That's silly," she said, but was eager to play along. They searched the patch looking for a pumpkin with the perfect expression. They both stopped at one with a lot of personality: A pumpkin with an extra little growth.

  Nina wrung her hands, unsure. "Uncle Eric wanted a big one."

  Adriana tilted her head to the side, measuring it. "It's sort of big."

  Eric came up to them. He saw what they were considering and groaned. "Oh no."

  "It's cute," Adriana said.

  "It's deformed."

  Nina nodded. "Just like Quasimodo." Adriana stared at her, then realized she meant the cartoon, not the novel. "He's got his own hunchback and everything," she continued.

  Eric picked it up. "Since you two have already made your decision, I'll keep my thoughts to myself. Come on. Let's give it a face."

  * * *

  "It's a shame there's no lightning," Eric said as they all stood in the kitchen. The pumpkins sat on newspapers on the table and they stood around it.

  Nina looked at him, puzzled. "Why?"

  "Because," he replied in a deep, slow voice, "there's nothing like bringing a pumpkin to life while there's a storm. The sound of a cold, harsh wind beating against the window, lightning slashing through the sky, tearing through the darkness as you raise your knife and sink it into the tough flesh." He stabbed the pumpkin. Adriana and Nina jumped. He grinned and pulled out the knife. "Oh well." He handed it to Adriana.

  She took a step back. "I said I'll take the insides out. I'm not cutting it."

  "Fine." He quickly cut the top and placed it aside. "There you are." He gestured to the seeds and stringy membrane. "Do you have your tools?"

  Adriana held up a large spoon, Nina an ice cream scoop.

  "Then begin."

  Adriana tried to maintain a cool expression as she sank her hand inside the pumpkin, her knuckles brushing against the slimy side. Nina kneeled on a chair and scooped out the smaller pumpkin.

  Once all the guts were out, Eric checked to make sure they'd scraped the bottoms flat so the candles would sit level. Then they debated on the faces. They finally agreed on one smiling and one scary face. Adriana used a crayon to draw a scary face, Nina a happy one. Eric carved them. Later, he carefully pushed out the pieces, displaying the final product. He then coated the cut surfaces with Vaseline to seal in the pumpkin's internal moisture and help slow down the dehydration process. Nina and Adriana placed the candles inside and headed to the balcony.

  "Come on, Uncle Eric," Nina called when she noticed him standing by the door.

  "That's okay," he replied. "I can see from here."

  "But it's nice out."

  "I know." He nodded. "Nice breeze."

  Adriana said, "He's making sure everything looks nice from the house." She caught Eric's eye and saw him relax. Nina shrugged and they went back inside. They sat on the couch, Nina sitting between the adults, and watched "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown."

  "So what do you want to be for Halloween?" Eric asked Nina as a Garfield special came on.

  She thought. "An anthropologist."

  Eric and Adriana shared a look. How typical of her. Not a fairy or a gypsy or even a superhero—an anthropologist.

  "But I don't have a costume," she said sadly.

  Adriana said, "I can make you one."

  "Really?"

  "I love creating costumes." She grabbed a sketch pad. "How do you want to look?"

  Nina began to describe her costume and Adriana sketched an outfit that had Nina bouncing up and down with excitement. Eric said he would come to see her and take her trick-or-treating.

  Nina went to bed and whispered to herself, "This is going to be the best Halloween ever."

  * * *

  Eric squinted at the words in front of him. His headache seemed to make everything double and wouldn't cease. He could barely raise his head when he heard his office door open.

  "You look awful," Drake greeted, coming into the room. "What are you still doing here?"

  "I think it's called working."

  "Nice to see your disposition has improved."

  Eric rubbed his forehead.

  Drake sat in the seat in front of him. "Take the day."

  He had too much to do. He had deadlines to meet and he wanted to be free for Halloween. "Why did you stop by?"

  "Cassie wants to invite you for Halloween. Marcus's first trick-or-treating adventure. We're going to have a small party with his best friend and then go out."

  "What is he going to be?"

  "A tomato. I'm going to be taking lots of pictures."

  Eric nodded. "Blackmail."

  "Exactly."

  He smiled faintly at the image. "Sorry, I can't make it. I'm taking Nina trick-or-treating."

  Drake hesitated. "Are you sure you'll be up to it?"

  Eric blinked. Damn, even his brother was beginning to double. "Yes."

  "You should rest. I think I can hear your lungs expanding."

  "That's what happens when your brother punctures them."

  "Hey, I've only recently begun to blink my left eye."

  "I think purple's a pretty color on you."

  Drake stood. "Well, happy Halloween."

  "You could have just called."

  He opened the door. "I know."

  Eric allowed a small grin. "Thanks."

  Drake nodded and left.

  * * *

  "Mom! You're walking in the swamp again."

  "Sorry," Adriana said, stepping out of the imaginary swamp. Nina had turned her living room into a jungle. She loved her costume so much that once she reached home, she changed and pretended to explore the deep jungles of the living room. It had been a gradual change—cushions moved, candles missing, Elissa wearing a blue handkerchief—until Adriana had caught Nina hiding behind a lamp.

  They stared at each other, Nina gazing up at her, waiting for punishment. Adriana just tipped an imaginary hat, warned her to wear bug spray, and walked away. At that moment their relationship changed. As did her living room. At first Adriana was going to protest her pillows being scattered across the floor and her silk throw being used as a mosquito net. But it was so delightful seeing Nina out of her room and acting like a child, she said nothing.

  "You're still in it, near the quicksand," Nina warned. "Here, let me save you." She got into her imaginary canoe and paddled toward her. "Get in."

  She did.

  Nina whispered, "You have to be quiet."

  Adriana nodded, then gasped.

  "What is it?"

  "I see a crocodile rising out of the water."

  "Where?"

  She pointed. "See that moving log? Now its eyes are coming above the water."

  "That's an alligator, Mommy. See the long, rounded snout?"

  Adriana resisted rolling her eyes. Even in play, her daughter had to correct her. "Now it's opening its mouth."

&nb
sp; Nina visibly shivered. "Let's get out of here." She paddled to firm ground. "Do you know how to get back to camp?"

  "Yes. Dinner will be ready in two hours. We'll have snake."

  Nina scrunched up her nose. "But we had snake last time."

  "Then we'll have barbecued lizard with chocolate ants for dessert."

  Nina licked her lips. "That sounds good."

  * * *

  At dinner Nina was quiet.

  "You have to take your hat off," Adriana said after grace.

  She put her hat aside. She picked at her brownie in her kid's frozen dinner.

  "Your chocolate ants are not crunchy enough?" Adriana asked, noticing her lack of appetite.

  "I don't want to go to boarding school," she said in a quiet voice.

  "I wasn't planning to send you."

  Her eyes watered. "But I said really bad things."

  "They were hurtful, but I forgive you... like you forgive me." It was a question rather than a statement.

  Nina nodded.

  "Then all's well."

  She shook her head, tears falling. "I didn't mean what I said. You're not stupid, you're fun. I wish... I wish..."

  Adriana held her hand. "All is in the past. That was eons ago when we visited the Galapagos Islands and saw the golden rays. Now we're in the jungle and we're..." She faltered.

  Nina gave her a watery smile. "Now we're friends."

  * * *

  He was late. Adriana checked her watch again, then looked at Nina, who waited on the couch. Her anthropologist hat sat low on her forehead while she swung her legs shielded in tall boots. "He may not be coming, sweetie. Why don't we get started?"

  "He'll be here," Nina said, confident. The doorbell rang. Adriana answered the door, relieved. Relief turned to worry when she saw Eric's face. He looked exhausted.

  He pushed up his glasses. "Sorry I'm late. I had to get things done."

  His voice was deeper than usual with a raspy quality. "Can you do this?"

  He didn't meet her eyes. "Of course."

  Nina came up to him. "Do you like my costume?"

  "And just who are you, madam?"

  She giggled. "It's me, Nina."

  He rubbed his chin. "Yes, I see the resemblance." He held out his arm. "Let's go."

  Adriana hesitated, then grabbed her keys.

  * * *

  "Wow! Look at all that I got!" Nina said, dumping her candy on the living room floor. Adriana helped her separate the unwrapped candy as Eric sat on the couch watching TV. He'd become unusually quiet since they'd returned. Nina sent Adriana a worried glance.