Forging Splendor

by S R Nulton

  He sighed and waved her off, heading off into the living room and greeting an older man with a hug. “Papá. Good to see you.”

  “You too, mijo.” The man took a step back and examined Ethan before grabbing the younger man’s head and shaking it. “You need a haircut!”

  The women laughed, but I was dragged over and introduced next.

  “Eduardo Pacifico, a pleasure to meet you.”

  “Agatha Avondale. The pleasure’s all mine.”

  The gentleman smiled. “You’re parents liked alliteration?”

  “Only with me, and I don’t think they realized they’d done it. My middle name is ‘Grace’ and I’m the youngest of three. Thalia and Joy were lucky that they missed all the fun. The jokes in Jr. High about my initials standing for Alcoholic Anonymous got old real quick.”

  Geo started busting up. “Is that why you don’t drink?” he asked when he calmed down a bit.

  “No, I just don’t like the taste of alcohol. It certainly helped though.”

  Things settled down a little after that. Well, right up until I was invited into the kitchen with the women.

  “So, Aggy, how did you meet my son?” Marina asked as I helped her roll some enchiladas.

  I snorted lightly. “You and I both know that Rosa told you already, but I’ll humor you. I was assigned as a personal assistant to his ex-wife when they first married. I was reassigned just before their divorce and came back when Neil decided to send Ethan a new assistant.”

  “That was very neatly done, mija, now tell me what is really going on. Neil would not have forgotten so quickly that you knew my Ethan.”

  “No, no he didn’t. I guess Geo was bugging Ethan about needing a new assistant, which was very true, and he decided to call Neil. Not the best choice, but he was probably tired just thinking about having to interview people and went for the easy option. Neil was trying to play some game or other, I’m not sure what exactly his goal was, but he definitely wanted an informant.”

  “Like me!” Rosa chimed in. “He wishes he could have me as a spy.”

  “He probably does,” I agreed, thinking about all the dirt the woman could give Mr. Montgomery and grateful that she wasn’t working for him. “Anyway, I told Ethan everything and he offered me the position anyway. Eventually.”

  Marina raised a brow and turned to Rosa for more details.

  “What she left out was working unpaid and secretly for three weeks ‘til he remembered she was there.”

  That seemed to satisfy Ethan’s mom and she nodded in understanding. “He is very stubborn, that one. My other children were much easier in that regard. It’s a shame they are living so far away. I would love to have them all under the same roof once again. But that is enough complaining. It is time to put this in the oven and enjoy the family that is here, yes?”

  “Si!” Rosa exclaimed. “And it is time to ask that one how long they intend to dance around each other. It is like watching two people try to find each other with blindfolds on.”

  At that point, my face could have doubled as a neon sign it was so bright. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I denied. “We’re co-workers. Friends maybe, but nothing more.”

  Both women laughed raucously at me. It actually drew Geo into the kitchen to find out what the joke was.

  “She- she says that their only friends,” Rosa wheezed, trying to catch her breath.

  This time Geo was the one laughing. “Yeah, sure, if friends stare longingly at each other or sculpt statues of the other person. He has an entire series going right now that is devoted to different aspects of her. The first one was about her coloring and the next is about her laugh. It’s a bit nauseating, or it would be if either of them actually did something besides denying it.” He settled down next to Rosa and stared me down when I started to say something.

  “It’s not like that,” I said weakly.

  Marina shook her head. “Mija, let me put it to you this way: Ethan has created statues of people only three times. The first was one that he called ‘Familia’ and it is in our backyard right now. The next was called ‘Reunion’ and is at Geo’s home. The third is the one he did for you.”

  I blinked. “You mean he didn’t…”

  “Make one for JJ?” Geo finished. “No. And ‘Grace’ was only auctioned off because he didn’t think you would accept it if he gave it to you. Well, that and he thought you’d prefer it auctioned for charity. Plus, he is very good friends with the people who purchased it and knew that they were going to install it in the children’s wing.”

  The conversation switched at that point to how Geo’s sisters were doing, but my thoughts were whirling rapidly around my head. I had never allowed myself to become interested in him before because he was off limits. He was married, then he was my boss and my landlord. It wasn’t appropriate, but their words were quickly making me reevaluate our friendship and see it for what it was: more.

  The question became, did Ethan agree with their assessments?

  ~

  Dinner was completely ridiculous and so much fun! For one thing, I got to see Ethan open up completely and enjoy himself. His brooding quietness fell away and I got to see him tease his parents and watch his eyes crinkle as he laughed with the others. I loved seeing him that way.

  It felt a lot like being home with my sisters and aunts for the holidays, but with a little shot of excitement. Everyone was joking around, teasing each other and bringing up funny stories. Old arguments were rehashed in utterly ridiculous ways that involved pantomime and Geo arranging his plate so that the tamale was the trebuchet and the wine glass on the other side of the table was the bounce house that he and Ethan had somehow launched into a pool. And, yes, it made about that much sense.

  Oh, and Ethan was right, Geo did flirt horribly. With Rosa and Marina. Apparently he was a huge fan of their cooking and wanted one of them to run away with him so that he could have it every day. Of course, Eduardo was encouraged to defend his wife’s honor.

  His response was, “But he’d drop you back off the minute he realized you don’t cook except for holidays.”

  He ended up having a napkin thrown at him, but skillfully dodged and told Geo that he was better off sticking to Rosa if he wanted food at a decent hour.

  “Alright, off with you! You boys know your duties. I expect everything spotless before anyone leaves tonight,” Marina declared imperiously at the end of the meal. Then she stood and dragged me out back to the patio to relax while the men did the dishes and put everything away.

  “Sit, sit! It’s tradition. If they won’t cook, then they have to clean. It saves on time to establish the rules early, you see? That way they don’t have to think too hard. They might strain something.”

  We laughed and settled on a loveseat that overlooked Marina’s small back garden. At the center was the statue she’d mentioned earlier, but it was too dark to see.

  “You’ll have to come back during the day,” she said, noticing where my attention was. “It is lovely. Full of emotion. Then again, so was he. Still is, really.”

  I bit my lip, but drew enough courage to ask, “What was he like growing up?”

  She smiled, the same smile as millions of other mothers use when talking about their children, one full of pride and love. “Determined. He refused to give up when he really wanted something. He wanted to learn how to sculpt, so he read everything he could about it and then just went for it. He wanted to become an engineer, so he did. He wanted to ride a bike, so he kept trying and trying until he did. Even when we told him it was time to come in. He was determined to learn that day and he did. But that’s not really what you want to know about.”

  “It isn’t?”

  “No, mija. You want to know how he came to live with us. When his mother came into the hospital, everyone was on pins and needles. Neil had a great deal of money and no one wanted to cause problems for him or his wife. But he didn’t come, and Candace needed help getting Ethan into the world. The whole proc
ess was difficult for mother and child. Then they had to take him away from her for a little bit to tend to his injuries, all a result of trying to save his life. The scarring wasn’t severe, but it was rather traumatic for everyone involved. Doctors and nurses do not enjoy causing pain.

  “When they showed Candace the baby, she started crying. No one could make out what she was talking about, but she kept saying Neil would never accept him, that she’d lose them all. Lose everything. The nurses were worried about her and put her under observation, but it became worse when they realized that the babe had a clubfoot. My friend, Aubrey, was working that night when Candace left. Aubrey had met her once before, when she found out that Neil was using her to cheat on his wife. She said that Candace seemed relieved to see someone she recognized and told her to take care of Ethan. Then she left.

  “I was called in to perform surgery on his foot, something that Candace had already signed off on. It went well and he was ready to go home soon after, but no one ever came. Aubrey didn’t have a stable life, but she talked to me and I decided to take him home with me. We worked together and got the paperwork signed and I took my Ethan home with me. Eduardo had just decided to quit his job after an argument with his boss, so he watched Ethan when I couldn’t. The boy’s health had him in and out of the hospital for a little bit, but then things settled and he became a happy child and a wonderful big brother to my other two.”

  We were both still looking out into the darkness, as if it held the answers to everything.

  “But why didn’t they give him up completely? Why couldn’t you adopt him immediately?”

  “Oh, mija, we wanted to from the very start, but they wouldn’t let us for some reason. On his 18th birthday, we officially adopted him. He kept the last name ‘Black’ because he was training as a blacksmith and thought it appropriate. His full name is actually Ethan Brone Black Pacifico. We wanted to adopt him much earlier, but before that… well, I’m sure you know how little the Montgomery’s like to throw away an asset. And that’s what he was to them, an asset that might someday have its usefulness. They reconnected with him when he was in college because of his friendship with Geo. I personally think that was arranged by Neil, but I didn’t want to say anything because Geo so clearly needed us. He is a very angry boy, with good reason, but it is still dangerous to be that angry all the time.”

  I sat there and processed everything for a moment before asking, “Why doesn’t he talk about any of you? I mean, you have two other children too, right?”

  She smiled sadly. “Sí. And he doesn’t say anything because the one time he did, we ended up with a reporter following Julianna and making her very uncomfortable. Ethan was enraged when he found out she’d been harassed, even if it was just by a college paper. He decided to not use our last name for anything that might draw attention to us. He is a very protective man, my son, particularly with his little sister.”

  I nodded, recognizing the truth in her words. There were a lot of little things he did that could be overlooked, but his protective streak had been in full evidence when we’d gone kayaking. He was so cautious about pushing my comfort levels and making sure I felt safe, that I was safe. He was a gentleman, through and through, and Marina and Eduardo were to thank for all of it.

  Before I could thank her for raising such a wonderful man, the back door opened and Ethan popped his head out.

  “Aggy, time to head home.”

  Home, I thought to myself as we said our goodbyes. That sounds lovely. I wonder if he actually means it.

  CHAPTER 11: TIME FOR REINFORCEMENTS

  “AND IN OTHER news, Candace Montgomery-Black, wife of prominent businessman Neil Montgomery was hospitalized yesterday. She is known mostly for her charity work with several women’s shelters in the area and in the last 15 years her annual gala has raised over $20 million for them. The initial report we received suggests that her hospitalization is the result of alcohol poisoning, but details have been scarce and no official report has been released. Let’s go to our local correspondent, Chip Green, for more on this story. Chip, what have you heard out there?”

  “Well, Sandy, as you said there hasn’t been an official report but with the help of my sources I have been able to cobble together a basic outline of what happened. According to the police, paramedics were called to the Montgomery residence at 8 o’clock last night with a report that Mrs. Montgomery-Black, age 55, was unconscious and not responding. As we know, Mrs. Montgomery-Black is the wife of Neil Montgomery and the mother of six. According to my sources, it was one of her children who found her. Her teenage daughter was returning home from studying at a friend’s house when she found her mother. When paramedics arrived, Mrs. Montgomery-Black’s breathing was slow and her blood-alcohol was very high, so they rushed her to the hospital here in downtown. Again, there has been no official statement made and there is still no word from the family, but at this time it is believed that she is stable.”

  “Has there been any information about the circumstances leading to this incident?”

  “There has not. My sources tell me that it was a normal night for the household. According to friends of the family, it wasn’t unusual to see Mrs. Montgomery-Black consuming alcohol, but never to the extent that she became drunk. There are many rumors flying around about what may have caused this incident, but again, there has been no official statement from the family, nor has anyone been able to get in contact with them for a statement. It seems we will all just have to wait and see.”

  “Any news about how Neil Montgomery is dealing with this?”

  “There isn’t Sandy, and no one has reported seeing him at the hospital, nor have they seen the oldest child, Cayden Montgomery. Cayden is the Vice President in charge of Acquisitions at his family’s company and is well known for his on-again, off-again relationship with model Jacintha Jonquil Dove, his brother’s ex-wife. According to witnesses, the rest of the family arrived during the night, with the exception of Mr. Montgomery, Cayden Montgomery, and Mrs. Montgomery-Black’s second son, Ethan Black. Ethan is a well-known artist, sculptor and jewelry designer who has been estranged from the family for years. No one is quite certain what caused the separation, but it seems that he has not been in contact with his mother for quite a while. When and if any of those three will show up is anyone’s guess at this point, Sandy.”

  “Well, thank you Chip and we look forward to your report on the latest golf tournament. Next up is the weather with Harold Rain. Harold, what’s the forecast look like this wee–“

  Ethan stared at the television in shock. He’d finally gotten a handle on his commissions, so he’d gone kayaking that morning and decided to be lazy and watch the news. He hadn’t expected it to be a news report about his mother being hospitalized for her drinking. Not that he knew anything about her drinking. They weren’t close by any means.

  And things had been so peaceful. He knew that the incident was sure to stir up the reporter’s interest in him and he wasn’t pleased about that.

  The night before, he had been surrounded by family, enjoying seeing them interact with his assistant. Aggy had been totally comfortable in his childhood home and had laughed most of the night away. It was one of the first times in years that he had been so happy.

  He smiled as he remembered the glow she had as his Papá had told her stories about him getting in and out of scrapes as a child. She had lit up from the inside and shimmered like moon on the water. No, more like a fire opal in a spotlight. Iridescent but smooth and so very complex. She had such simple wants and desires, but she was so full of contradictions. She was all woman but loved violent action movies and had been begging him to teach her how to throw knives for weeks. Aggy was an artist but loved structure and discipline. She was also a beautiful woman but he doubted she knew it, like that country song by Sammy Kershaw.

  She was just so different from JJ! His ex was more like a diamond. Hard, transparent, cutting, glittering, and thought of far too highly by the general public. There wa
s no softness, no gentle curve. Just edges on an overvalued rock. He’d always found it ironic that her favorite stone was a pearl because she had nothing in common with them. Pearls were soft, easy to scratch, and much too subtle for a woman like her.

  And now, instead of thinking of the soft, beautiful woman living on his property, he was thinking of his mother and his ex-wife, the two women who had abandoned him in the worst ways possible.

  Still, he didn’t want Candace hurt. No matter what she’d done to him, she was still his mother. Maybe he should call. He decided to call, but before he could, his phone rang.

  “Hey man, I just heard,” Geo said as soon as he answered. “How are you?”

  “Been better. I just saw it on the news.” Ethan paused, then asked, “How are you doing? You’re closer to her than I am.”

  Geo sighed. “You never want to talk about her… but maybe we should. E, I don’t know how to really tell you, but she’s been bad for a few years now. She drinks a lot and can usually hold it but it just keeps getting worse. I mean, I don’t know what to tell you except she was good at keeping it quiet.” He stopped talking for a moment. “I’m heading over to meet up with the girls. They tried to get ahold of me last night, but my phone got soaked when I was checking on the club and I didn’t get the message until this morning. Do you want to come?”

  Ethan groaned. “I almost do, but they wouldn’t want me there. They don’t know me. And neither does she. It’d be like inviting some random guy off the street.”

  That was one of Ethan’s biggest regrets, that he wasn’t closer to his sisters. Geo had grown up with them, but Ethan hadn’t and he missed the closeness that could have been. He loved his adopted siblings, but he was of the mindset that you couldn’t have too much family. The distance was so painful for him, actually, that he usually avoided thinking of them at all.

  “I understand. I’ll tell them you said that. They’ll get it too. Maybe I can bring them up for a beach day, yeah? When all this blows over? That way they can get to know you and get away from the city, all at once.”