Rev. Washington nodded. “Bianica is coming over this morning with John Lewis,” he said. “You can see how the two boys get along.”
“Gives me hope for Gregory that he’d name his son John Lewis,” Ryan said.
“That’s what Cage and Corey think too,” Mrs. Washington said. “Gregory will be all right. All my boys will be. I have faith.”
“Then I’m off,” Rev. Washington said.
“Would you tell Dr. Clarke I will be making an appointment?” Ryan asked. He cut up some toast into strips for Rafael.
“You know her?”
“Ironically, she was my doctor too,” Ryan said.
Rev. Washington said nothing more, although he had to be curious. Dr. Clarke was a psychiatrist, not a medical doctor. He kissed his wife and went out the door.
Ryan rinsed the dishes and loaded the dishwasher while Rafael chattered incomprehensibly to the two of them. Mrs. Washington laughed, and so did Ryan, which made Rafael talk even more. “I gather it’s not Spanish either?” she said.
Ryan shook his head. “Don’t think so,” he said.
At Mrs. Washington’s quiet urging, he took Rafael into the bathroom to wash his hands, and to use the toilet. She had a toy waiting for Rafael when they came back out.
“OK,” she said, “Some thoughts. You’re already starting to bond with Rafael, and that’s good. Short-term? He needs that. He’s at an age where if he doesn’t learn to attach to other people now, he will never be able to form deep relationships as an adult. He’s obviously had a loving home of extended family to grow up in, because he’s bonding easily with you and with us.”
“Teresa may have been preparing him,” Ryan said. His throat was tight from her comments about attachments. Was that what went wrong with him? He didn’t know. “He called me Papá this morning.”
“She was planning ahead then,” Mrs. Washington observed. “Long term? You need to be prepared to honor that bond if you’re going to let it form. It’s not fair to a child to create a bond and then abandon it if it becomes inconvenient.”
Ryan nodded slowly. “I can’t abandon my son,” he said. “I won’t.”
“Good. Now. Scheduling. Because of COVID, I’m working from home these days. I have become pretty much an in-office director anyway these last few years as we’ve grown. I spend more time on management and grant writing than anything else. And more time speaking to the city council than to the homeless themselves,” she said. Ryan didn’t think she sounded like she totally appreciated the changes. “The good news is that makes me available to help with Rafael. So, I’d like to suggest that Bianica take him part of the day when you’re in classes, and I take him early evenings when you’re at the newsroom. And on weekends, assuming you go in then too?”
He nodded.
“I’d suggest you take him with you sometimes.”
He considered that idea and agreed. “I won’t be the first single parent to bring a child in.”
“Good. It will give him more time with you and will make him seem more a part of your life,” she said.
The doorbell rang. She went to get it and let her daughter-in-law in with a hug. “Grandma!” a little boy about Rafael’s age yelled as he flung himself around her neck.
“Hi Ryan!” Bianica said cheerfully. “And this is Rafael?”
Rafael leaned against Ryan, as he stood up to say hello. “Rafael, this is Ms. Washington and her son John Lewis,” he said gently. “Can you say hello?”
“Hello,” Rafael said softly, clutching Ryan’s pant leg.
“How about I take the two boys out to the back yard to play?” Mrs. Washington said. “I don’t think Rafael has seen what’s out there yet.”
Bianica watched as her son went tearing out the back door. “So, Teresa’s son,” she said.
Ryan nodded. He’d forgotten that Bianica knew Teresa. He filled her in on yesterday’s drama.
“Harsh,” she said. “What are you going to do?”
Ryan frowned. Everyone kept asking him that. What did they think he was going to do? Abandon him? His son? “Do what she asked,” he said. “Take care of our son.”
Bianica nodded. “OK, then. It will be good to have someone for John Lewis to play with. We’ll work out a schedule. And Gregory wants to talk to you. He has an idea about money.”
Gregory always had ideas about money, Ryan thought, unsure what was new. Something must have shown on his face because she laughed. “He says he thinks you should get the commission on the alumni advertising program that just came in because you lined it up last summer? To expand the budget so we could be year around during the protests?”
Ryan made sure his face gave nothing away. How much did Gregory guess, he wondered?
“Anyway, he said that should help with expenses, because having a kid is expensive.” She rolled her eyes.
Ryan had the money, but he nodded anyway. “And that way I can pay you for childcare,” he said. “And the Washingtons’ some rent.”
“They’ll tell you to keep it,” Bianica said. “But you should offer. They’ll appreciate that.”
They hammered out a schedule, and Mrs. Washington brought the boys back in, both giggling. “They’ll do,” she said. “We may not survive it, but they’re doing just fine.”
She looked at the schedule and nodded. “Yes,” she said. “That does look good.”
Ryan looked at his watch. “I need to go to campus,” he said with apology. “I’ve got a class this afternoon, and I need to check in at the office first.”
“And talk to Gregory,” Bianica reminded him.
He nodded. He squatted down and gave Rafael a hug. “I’ll be home later, hijo,” he said. “You will be a good boy?”
He nodded and held on tightly. Ryan looked up at Mrs. Washington and raised an eyebrow. “Should I take him with me?” he asked.
She hesitated, but Bianica intervened. “Rafael?” You will stay with me and John Lewis? And have lunch?”
Rafael looked at her and then at John Lewis; he nodded.
“Good boy,” Ryan said, ruffling his hair.
Twenty minutes later he was headed
