Giles began to leave but then he stopped. “Do you want to have lunch later? It might be a long day for me at the office.”
Reb smirked. “I can tell you’re being a little bit clingy. Give me a call when you’re ready to eat. We can work something out.”
“Don’t say the word clingy in front of the press. It’s bad for my manly image,” Giles quipped before he exited the house.
Reb thought about their situation while she sat in her favorite chair. After a short while, she picked up her cell phone and called Priscilla.
In Las Vegas, the southern belle heard her cell phone ring while she was helping the children get ready for school. She looked at the phone number and answered with, “What’s up, Reb?”
“Hi, Priscilla. I need to ask you about something. Did you hear about the fertility clinic fiasco on the news yet?” Reb wondered out loud.
“Of course I did. It’s the main topic that everyone is gossiping about. I thought you would say something when you were ready,” Priscilla answered.
“Terrific. The entire nation probably knows. Anyway, I wanted to talk about it. This issue is very stressful and confusing to me,” Reb admitted.
Priscilla packed lunches for her kids while she balanced the phone between her ear and shoulder. “Do you think it has to be such a bad thing? I think it might finally help you grow up. In my honest opinion, I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for both of you. You weren’t able to conceive for a long time, and now this child has come out of thin air.”
“You’re probably right, but it’s still really scary,” Reb muttered.
“Well, one problem occurred to me. Your son thinks he belongs to another family. It’s going to cause issues, and he might have a difficult time adjusting to a new household at first. However, I’m sure he’ll learn to love you,” Priscilla explained.
Reb groaned. “That doesn’t make me feel any better.”
Priscilla picked up her purse and car keys. “Parenthood comes with a lot a surprises and unexpected turns. You just need to get used to it. I’m dropping the kids off at school and heading to work. We can talk later when I have more time. Stop freaking out about it.”
Reb rolled her eyes. “Thanks. I’ll catch you later.”
She hung up the phone and started to work on her computer. Reb became sidetracked though, when she heard a group of men talking and making a commotion nearby. She got up and used her baton to limp toward the front window. The curious woman looked out the window and saw four bandits on her property.
One of the bandits pulled out branch clippers. “These ponies would sell for a hefty price on the black market. Reb Nelson has award-winning ponies and they’re in high demand. We can break them out of the pen with these branch clippers.”
Another bandit agreed with him. “Yeah, this was a great idea. Hurry up before people see us!”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. Bandits are invading my ranch. Honestly, these idiots are becoming vermin,” Reb grumbled.
She walked to the basement and then reentered the living room, carrying a Steampunk sniper rifle. Reb exited the house and then she propped her rifle on the porch railing. She aimed the rifle at a small explosive that Giles had planted to scare away predators. The explosive was somewhat near the bandits, but far enough away to scare them rather than causing injury or death.
“How much money do you think we’ll get for these ponies?” one of the bandits inquired of the others.
Another bandit answered, “I don’t know. Probably thousands of dollars.”
Reb carefully aimed the rifle and adjusted the scope’s view. “This little trap will make you scatter like cockroaches,” she said quietly to herself.
She fired a bullet at the explosive and nailed it. The explosive detonated and sent the four bandits careening backward. They got up and fled from the ranch.
“Let’s get out of here! This place has booby traps!” one of the bandits yelled as they all ran away.
Reb chuckled at her little victory. “I feel a whole lot better now. Maybe these changes will work out after all.”
Meanwhile, Giles was having trouble concentrating at the office. He fiddled with his pen and read a few documents. The attorney was frustrated and confused regarding the recent discovery of a possible son. Giles worried that fatherhood would impact his career in a negative way. He also worried about developing an emotional connection with the boy. He was reading some paperwork, but was interrupted when he heard his cell phone ring. He recognized the phone number.
“Hi, Beau. What do you need?” Giles said in a monotone.
“I’m just wondering if you heard anything interesting on the news lately?” Beauregard replied, while he worked on a canvas.
Giles rubbed his forehead. “Obviously, you’re talking about my possible paternity of a boy who’s living in Dallas.”
“You got it. Malcolm and I saw the news last night. How are you taking it?” Beauregard wondered out loud.
“Well, it’s taking my mind off the constant violence in our nation,” Giles muttered.
Beauregard realized that his agent was struggling with the issue. “You sound a little frustrated.”
“That’s an understatement. I feel confused, angry, scared, glad, and excited; all at the same time. My emotions don’t make any sense. It’s irritating because I don’t like to handle emotional matters,” Giles complained.
Beauregard reassured him, “Cheer up! It must be a lot better to have an older kid. You’ve missed the worst parts, like changing diapers, cleaning up vomit, listening to a baby cry all night, and such.”
Giles tapped his fingers on the desk. “Actually, that’s not good. This boy never bonded with me and Reb. He could have serious issues that we can’t handle. I don’t know anything about his personality. Reb is worried about this part and I agree with her. How can we be parents to a boy who doesn’t love us?”
“Believe it or not, you have the potential to be a really good father. You’re successful, structured, and honest. Kids need structure; that was my problem growing up. My parents didn’t put in the effort to keep me structured and I really screwed up my life for several years. Your kid might resent some elements of a structured household, but he’ll appreciate it in the end,” Beauregard lectured.
Giles felt conflicted. “I appreciate your efforts to cheer me up. Reb and I just need to figure out how to be parents. It’s not an ideal situation, but this is our responsibility. Right now, I have a lot of work to finish. We can talk later, Beau.”
The attorney ended their conversation and distracted himself with office work.
After she dropped off the kids at school, Priscilla used an earpiece to call Gable on her way to work. “Sweetheart, are you there?”
The casino owner answered his cell phone. “Yeah, I’m already at the office.”
“We didn’t have a chance to talk about it yet. What do you think about Reb and Giles having a child?” Priscilla asked.
Gable thought about it for a few seconds. “It might be good for them. Back when Reb and I were kids, she was the only daughter, the youngest child, a spoiled brat, and a daddy’s girl. I had to be the responsible one and she was allowed to get away with murder. When she got older, Reb got married to Giles and he spoils her too. I think it would be a good experience for her to make someone else’s needs a priority. It’ll make her a better person, and I think the public will appreciate her more for those improvements.”
“That’s pretty good insight. Actually, I think she and Giles have the potential to be great parents under the right circumstances. However, they need to control their weaknesses. Reb is impatient, selfish, and vain. Giles is unemotional, strict, and blunt. If they can’t control those elements, it could be the downfall of their brand new family,” Priscilla explained in a worried tone.
Gable remained optimistic. “I think this event is happening for a very specific reason. Give them time. I’m sure they’ll make it work.”
Back in Oklahoma, Reb
closed a case file as she sat in her personal office at home. Her cell phone rang and she picked it up. Reb didn’t recognize the phone number, but she answered it anyway.
“Can I help you?” the attorney sternly asked.
She heard a young voice on the phone say, “Reb, I finally found you! It took days for me to find your phone number, but it worked! I’m your son, Parker!”
Chapter 5
Reb furiously shouted into the phone, “Where did you get this phone number? If this is a joke, I’m going to prosecute you!”
“It’s not a joke! I saw my picture on the news and it said you might be my real mother. It wasn’t hard to find your number. I figured out a way to find it online. Honestly, it probably wasn’t legal, but I had to speak with you. I’ve seen you on television a lot. You seem really cool and fearless. I thought it was awesome that you fought against pirates. You’re married to a guy named Giles Hyde, right? Does that mean he’s my real father?” the boy said.
Reb was intrigued. “You’re a very smart boy, Parker. I don’t want to give you the wrong impression. The authorities don’t know if we’re your parents yet. They’re still running a big investigation.”
“The news said it’s a ninety-eight percent chance. I think it’s almost full proof. Can we meet soon?” Parker asked.
“Wait a minute. Until further notice, you already have parents and I don’t think they want you talking with strangers. We can make arrangements if it becomes appropriate,” Reb insisted.
Parker complained, “But I’ve heard so much about you! The Nelsons are America’s royal family! It would be awesome to be your kid!”
“You already have a loving family. They raised you from birth,” Reb lectured.
“But they’re never home. Sometimes I feel like they don’t care about me because we don’t spend very much time together. My parents are always traveling and going to parties. I don’t have any brothers or sisters, so home is a lonely place. Your family seems to be really close. I’m sure you and Giles would take really good care of me,” Parker argued.
Reb felt somewhat guilty, but she remained firm. “We would do our best to raise you the right way, but that’s not the point. Your father is an important man in the oil industry. He’s gone a lot to work hard and make money for your family. I’m sure you have a very easy life at home.”
Parker was disappointed and said, “I thought you would be glad to hear from me.”
“Tell you what. We can talk more later. I have a lot of work to finish and we shouldn’t meet until more details are released. Does that sound fair?” Reb patiently suggested.
Parker groaned. “I guess. Can we talk tomorrow?”
“Maybe. By the way, don’t tell your parents about finding my phone number online. They’ll get really upset,” Reb firmly stated.
“Deal. We can talk later,” Parker said, before he hung up the phone.
Reb put her phone away and thought about the situation. “This is crazy. I’m getting too deep in this mess,” she said to herself.
Back in New York City, Malcolm sat on Beauregard’s couch while they planned the afternoon.
“I have an idea. We should give Reb and Giles a surprise visit!” Malcolm said and then smirked.
Beauregard thought his friend’s idea was inappropriate. “That’s bad timing. I talked to Giles on the phone. He’s a hot mess and I know Reb will be much worse. Let’s give them a chance to settle into the concept of parenthood. It’s a life-changing event.”
Malcolm protested, “But I go back to work in a few days! This is the perfect opportunity to get information out of Reb. I want to know how she really feels about the fertility clinic disaster. Besides, I want to tell her about my safari. It was amazing. She bought those tickets for me and I haven’t had a chance to thank her.”
Beauregard nervously bit his lip. “All right, but don’t give them a hard time. Right now, they need support.”
Meanwhile, Percy and Savannah packed their luggage for the trip to Oklahoma. They focused on the trip to take their minds off the fertility problem.
“We’ll only be gone for three days. You don’t need to pack the entire closet,” Percy teased.
Savannah continued to stuff her suitcase. “I’m a big figure in the fashion industry. Style and class mean everything to my reputation.”
Percy shrugged. “Remy might appreciate your uncanny style. He seems like the type of guy who enjoys beautiful women. Granted, I don’t know anything about him.”
“I found information on some of the social networking sites last night. It sounds like he’s enthusiastic and intelligent, but also a compulsive party animal,” Savannah said, as she zipped her suitcase.
“Well, he was open-minded enough to meet with us,” Percy replied.
“Remy might be the one looking for an upgrade. According to social media, we’re America’s royal family. Of course he’ll feel obliged to befriend us,” Savannah commented.
Percy finished packing his suitcase. “I guess that makes sense. Regardless of his motivation, someone like Remy will be a valuable business connection. We don’t know very many politicians, and they can be great allies. I don’t like to admit it, but power is important for corporate people like us.”
Savannah held Percy’s hand and said, “I agree, but power has to be used the right way. There was a lot of corruption in the 21st Century, but I think we’re heading in the right direction this time.”
“Exactly. We’ll never be able to create a perfect nation, but we can try,” Percy stated.
The following day was quiet, a serene Saturday morning for Reb and Giles. They enjoyed a full English breakfast accompanied by hot tea. It was a large meal with bacon, sausage, toast, scrambled eggs, baked beans, sautéed tomatoes, mushrooms, and hash browns.
Giles ate some scrambled eggs before he asked, “So, is the idea of motherhood sinking in yet?”
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean I’m thrilled about it,” Reb grumbled.
Giles used a knife to spread some butter on a slice of toast. “You’re not fooling me. I can tell you’re warming up to the possibility of having a son.”
Reb felt guilty. “Actually, we have to talk about that. Our potential son’s name is Parker, and I know this because he called my cell phone yesterday.”
Giles was shocked. “What? How did he find your number?”
“Apparently, Parker has mad techno skills like my father. I don’t mind getting to know the boy, but he’s too enthusiastic about switching families. It sounds like he doesn’t get a lot attention at home,” Reb explained.
“I assume his parents love him. They wanted a child badly enough to get artificial insemination,” Giles said, as he picked up his cup of tea.
Reb munched on a strip of bacon, but stopped to say, “Sometimes, people need an heir. It isn’t necessarily about love.”
“You could say that about our marriage. The same situation pertains to your parents, and Gable too. All of us got married for political reasons, but we fell in love anyway. I also doubt that your mother had two kids because she’s a family woman. Your parents probably needed heirs, but they took really good care of you guys anyway,” Giles pointed out.
Reb picked up some baked beans with her fork. “I see your point. This whole situation is up in the air. Parker wants to become part of our family, but he might not be our son. I just don’t want to disappoint him.”
Giles felt confused. “It’s ironic that one boy is such a huge obstacle for us. We survived everything, including the Apocalypse, grafting our bodies, changing our culture, rebuilding the nation, the Utopian revival, and a ship full of pirates. It doesn’t make any sense.”
“Unfortunately, the smallest issues can cause the biggest catastrophes,” Reb muttered.
They heard the doorbell ring.
“That must be your parents, or Gable and Priscilla,” Giles said, as he cut up a sausage link.
Reb stood up. “I’ll get it.”
She walked through the
hallway and then opened the front door.
A young boy was standing on the porch and declared, “Mom, it’s really you!”
Parker ran in the house and hugged Reb. She was paralyzed with fright, and then she fainted again.
Chapter 6
Reb woke up and found herself on the couch.
Giles leaned over her and asked, “Are you okay? You completely passed out.”
Parker also approached Reb. “I can tell you were really surprised to see me, but that’s okay. We’ll have plenty of time to learn more about each other.”
Reb leaped to her feet and tweaked her bummed leg in the process. “What are you doing here? I thought you lived in Dallas!”
“Well, I snuck out last night. I hitched a ride on buses and trucks. It was a lot of fun. I’ve been on the road for two days,” Parker explained.
Giles placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? You could have been kidnapped, or killed! There are a lot of scary people on the road. Furthermore, your parents must be really worried. They probably called the police and are searching for you right now.”
“What did you eat for the past two days?” Reb asked him.
Parker proudly replied, “Chips and soda. One of the truck drivers gave me beef jerky. He was really nice.”
Reb groaned. “Perfect.”
“Look, you can’t stay here. You don’t realize it, but this counts as kidnapping. We’re not your legal guardians,” Giles firmly stated.
Parker felt hurt. “I don’t understand. You guys should be glad to see me. We’re supposed to be a family.”
“Don’t jump to conclusions. We don’t know enough details yet. You’re taking blind leaps without thinking about consequences,” Giles pointed out.
Reb added her own opinion to the conversation. “Parker, this investigation has a process. Why don’t you want to stay home? I’m sure you have a very comfortable life. There’s no reason to run away.”
“You don’t understand! My parents don’t care about me! They care more about their friends and business contacts than me! Sometimes they’re gone for weeks at a time!” Parker complained.
The Post-Apocalyptic Society: A Nelson and Hyde Revolution Page 26