“I decided a little while ago that I would help him as long as he wants.” She looked behind her, watching Andy fill a plate with small pastries. “You rescued him from a crappy life and gave him an opportunity to find out who he is. That ginger haired boy might surprise all of us.”
When he returned, he had a Coke and a plate full of petit-fours. “Oh my God!” Sebastian’s outburst startled me. He stepped forward and grabbed one. “I love these!”
I leaned over to Abby. “Watch.” He devoured it in two bites.
“Excuse me.” Sebastian winked at me and took off for the dessert table.
Andy was happily munching on the cakes and ignored all the surrounding activity.
“So, Abby, how is the show doing?”
“I’ve always sold paintings, but the gallery owner wants me to do more like this one.” She was pointing to the Painted Ladies. “I can understand that. She would make more in commissions.” She looked around before saying anything. “It sold for three thousand dollars! Not bad for an old lady,” elbowing me in the ribs.
“I love the icing on these.” Turning around, I found Sebastian with a grin and crumbs on his chin. I rubbed them away with my thumb as his tongue darted out to catch it. “We have to have private time when we get home.” He whispered.
I felt the swell in my pants and counted backwards. “No argument here.” Andy wandered back to the dessert table.
“Boys.” The spell was quickly broken. “If I could have your attention for a moment.”
Sebastian chuckled. “Yes, Abby.” He had no difficulty in adapting to her new name.
“I haven’t painted in the Renaissance style for years, but I wondered if I might do a portrait of Andy?”
“Really?” We spoke in unison.
“Yes. I want to do one in a period style. Something…, possibly like Caravaggio, or maybe the fifteenth century.”
“Caravaggio?”
“Isaac, Caravaggio painted beautiful and sensual portraits of young men.” Sebastian smiled when he spoke. He turned to Abby. “So, he would wear something like a tunic, or maybe the padded clothing they wore in the late fourteen hundreds?”
I looked between them, lost.
“Yes! Caravaggio loved the male form. I want to do something classical. His face is exquisite, and that hair.” She sighed. “I think it would contrast lovely with the period.”
“Isaac?” I could tell that Sebastian was on board with the idea, and I couldn’t help but believe it would do wonders for Andy’s self-confidence.
“If you can get him to sit still that long I don’t have a problem.” I grinned as I tried to picture it.
Returning with more petit-fours we all turned to Andy. “What? I like them.” He licked his fingers before grabbing another.
Abby tapped a finger on her chin. “I’ve been talking to Sebastian and Isaac. How would you like to model for me?”
“Huh?” Andy’s expression was priceless.
“I’d like you to sit for me. I want to paint you.”
Sebastian and I were smiling as Andy looked at us and then back to Abby. “Can I keep my clothes on?”
His question reminded me of what his life had been like when he arrived in the city. I caught Sebastian’s expression, knowing he thought the same. Abby scrutinized Andy’s face, her voice calm. “You might wear a long flowing robe like the Roman’s wore, or maybe an outer garment with a high collar and cinched waist. Maybe something like you would see in one of Shakespeare’s plays like Romeo and Juliet.”
We watched as he pondered the idea. “Yeah. Sure. Why not? But what about my cast?”
Abby snorted at the remark. “First, I want to prepare several drawings for ideas. When we are ready for you to sit while I paint, your cast will be off.”
*****
We were about to crawl in bed when I decided to do a last-minute check on Andy in case he needed anything. His light was still on and I knocked on the door frame. "Need anything?"
"Can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"What was it like for you growing up?"
Whoa! I didn't see that one coming. I sat down on the edge of the bed and took a deep breath. "Well, it wasn't easy. My parents were drug addicts. We lived in a decent neighborhood. I was eight years old and one morning I got up to get ready for school and I was alone in the house. It wasn't unusual for me. I got dressed and had cereal and milk. My parents always left lunch money for me. I was about to lock the front door when I noticed my parents' car in the driveway. I could see them in the front seat so I walked up to the driver's window and knocked on the glass. When my dad didn't answer I knocked harder and then yelled."
I cleared my throat and Andy handed me the glass of water from his night stand. I took a sip and continued.
"Mrs. Johnson was getting the morning paper and saw me. She came over, looked in the car window, grabbed my hand and took me to her house. She sat me in the kitchen, whispered something to her husband, and went in their living room to make a call. A little while later the police came, and everyone went outside. I could hear them talking and one of them said into their radio that two junkies were dead from an overdose. From there they took me into foster care and I went from home to home. I never knew what my parents did, but I guess it involved them in some heavy drug dealing of some sort because of their hours and the way we lived, being in a nice neighborhood. Anyway, I bounced from home to home living with people that only cared about getting a check.
Eventually, a nice older couple took me in and I stayed with them until I graduated. They were Seventh Day Adventists. I came out to them when I was seventeen. They didn't approve, but let me stay until I graduated, and then they gave me money to settle somewhere, and I came to San Francisco, mostly because I didn't have a car."
He looked at me with wonder. "You didn't have it easy. You and Sebastian seem so different and yet you both seem perfect together."
I chuckled at his observation. "Opposites can attract as long as they share important values. Now, get some sleep." I tousled his hair and headed back to my love.
CHAPTER FIVE
Good News
Sebastian
Monday arrived, and I was at work helping set up an exhibit of costumes and textile arts. It so happened the focus was on the glamour of 1920s fashion, and I was having a blast with the silks, beads, decorative stones, and Art Deco jewelry. I was in the break room having coffee when Madeleine, one of the front desk attendants, came in. Once she spotted me, she dashed over, handing me a message. "A Mr. Hargrave called. He said he was your attorney and asked that you call him back at your earliest convenience. It sounded rather urgent. You can reach him at this number." I looked at the message wondering if it was bad news. "You can use Mrs. Andersen's office. She's still out on maternity leave."
"Can you let Steven know? He's in the hall for the new costume exhibit. Just ignore the closed exhibit sign." I left my coffee and made my way to the office. Please, please, let this be good news. The fact he wanted me to call at my earliest convenience gave me a queasy stomach. My hands shook as I dialed.
"Good afternoon. Hargrave and Murrow, Attorneys at Law. How may I direct your call?"
Breathe. "Candace, this is Sebastian Montgomery. Mr. Hargrave asked me to call."
"Why yes, Mr. Montgomery, I will put you through." She sounded calm. Maybe she didn't know what was wrong. Arthur answered on the fifth ring.
"Sebastian, glad you could call me back. There is an interesting development about Andy." My stomach dropped at the words. "Don't be alarmed. We now have leverage if there is any difficulty. It appears his parents never reported him missing. I will have James call the family. We know they must have received the notice from us about guardianship. Now, with the knowledge they never reported him missing, we can exert pressure on them to grant you guardianship."
I sat down. "How could they not have reported him missing? That's good news? That they never reported him missing?"
"Well…
yes." He sounded embarrassed. "Legally, it does work in our favor. It shows their lack of concern for Andy's welfare. We can use that information in court if they refuse to relinquish their parental rights."
Now that my nerves had settled somewhat, I took another tack. "Do what you have to do to get me custody. Offer them money if you have to. Threaten them with what we know about their not reporting his running away. I don't care. Andy has been through enough."
"I understand, Sebastian. As it stands now, this is all in our favor." He tried to sound reassuring, but, until this was resolved, doubts would plague Andy as to his future. "We now have the upper hand with their negligence. Once James has spoken to the parents, I will call you."
I called Isaac and filled him in on the latest news. He was angry that they never reported him missing, but settled down when I told him what Arthur said. Now we had leverage if they were difficult. Trying to lighten the conversation, I brought up this coming Sunday. Our plan was to have a birthday party for Andy on Sunday. His birthday was on the following Monday, August 22nd, so it would be a surprise. Abby's duty was to keep him occupied while the caterers arrived to set up the party, after which the guests would arrive. She would ask him to sit so she could sketch him, and if he became restless, she would teach him new techniques with charcoals. If he stayed in the re-purposed dining room, away from the front and rear windows, with luck, he would not notice the activity. After the call, I returned to work with a slight feeling of relief now that things were in our favor.
*****
It was Wednesday evening after dinner when Arthur called. He found out that Andy's parents never reported him missing because it would have embarrassed them with their church. The father tried to use his position as a parent to leverage a financial settlement, but Arthur stood firm. He threatened to report them to the local authorities and leak to the press about the reasons Andy had run away, and their not reporting it to the authorities. In truth, Arthur would have revealed nothing Andy had told him.
In the end, the father backed down and he and his wife agreed to relinquish all parental rights to their son. James found a local attorney through the Bar Association who would handle the paperwork for the parents, and Arthur informed them they had two days to meet with the attorney, or he would follow through with reporting them to the local sheriff and child services. Andy would be ours!
We called Abby to join us. I went to the refrigerator where we had been chilling a nice bottle of sparkling apple juice for weeks, just for this occasion, and handed it to Isaac. If Andy had been older, it would have been champagne, but since he was a minor, it was apple juice. This was a celebration for him and he had to take part. This was a true cause for celebration and I retrieved my Baccarat wine glasses from the small cabinet in the dining room.
When the artist in residence arrived, she didn't even knock, but used her key. "I made Andy's favorite cookies this afternoon and brought them with me."
Everyone settled in the living room and I poured four glasses. I watched as Andy took a sip and made a face. "This is gross!" We all laughed, and I told him to get a glass of milk for the cookies. Not everything was settled, but I had a good feeling about it.
"Andy?" I set my glass on the coffee table. Isaac and Abby stopped talking while Andy set down his half-eaten cookie. "I think… I mean we think." I pointed to Isaac and myself. "We thought it would be best for you to start school in the spring. In the meantime, how would you feel about getting a tutor to help you brush up on your studies."
"Sure." He picked up his half-eaten cookie and finished it.
Isaac and I looked at each other. He patted my knee. "Sure? Is that all you have to say?"
Andy looked at us like we had three heads between us. "Yeah. It makes sense. I've missed a lot of school and need to catch up. So, sure."
Abby laughed until tears fell. I think she might have had a brownie before coming down. "The boy is smart. I'll grant you that." She settled down, fanning her face.
"Can we play a game?" Andy piped in. We purchased several new board games since Andy came into our life.
Abby stood up. "I want to be up early and catch the morning light." It was getting late, and after giving hugs all around she sashayed out the door and upstairs. Once she left, Isaac, Andy, and I picked up the living room. I was loading the dishwasher while Isaac wiped down the coffee table. "Sebastian?" Andy surprised me, I thought he was in the living room.
"Yes, Andy?"
"I think I'd like to go to the school where Abby taught."
I felt as if I knew what was coming. "You mean Lowell High School?"
"Yeah." His answer was cautious.
"Any reason in particular?" I wanted him to have the confidence to tell us.
"Well…" He began taking the dishes I rinsed and loading them into the dishwasher. "I'd like to paint, and… maybe I could find a job so I can do that when I'm not working." We knew Abby had been giving him lessons, but still, other than a few of his drawings, he would not show us any of his work until he thought they were good enough.
Wiping my hands on a towel, I motioned him to the kitchen table to sit down. Grabbing both of us a soda from the refrigerator, I joined him. "Andy. Is that what you want to do?"
"Well, I can't stay with you guys forever. Once I get out of high school, I need to get a job."
My heart sank that he thought this was a temporary arrangement. "Answer me honestly. If you could be anything, what would you be? And if you don't know, that's fine. If you already know then what would you be? Just tell me."
Isaac walked into the kitchen and looked at us. "Am I missing something?"
"Andy thinks he needs to find a job after high school because he doesn't want to be a burden to us."
Isaac sat down at the table and winked at me before turning to Andy. "Are you in a hurry to leave?"
His expression paled. "No! No! I like it here."
I couldn't hide my grin from his shocked expression. "This is your home for as long as you want. There is no rush for you to leave. If you want to go to college, we'll pay for it." He relaxed. "Now, do you have an idea about what you want to do with your life?"
"Um… a lot of things. I want to paint, but I'd like to do what you do, but I know I need a job to support me."
"What do you mean?" He lost me with that.
Isaac was as confused as I was. "I don't think we understand. You want to work at the museum?"
"No! No… no…, I want to do something like what you do at Angel House when I'm older, but I still need to have a job."
Isaac squeezed my hand. "Okay. I think that would be great, volunteering at Angel House or anywhere else. But you want to be a painter?"
"Sure, but I have to have a job first until I can be famous or something."
I patted Isaac's hand, letting him know I would take over. "Andy, Abby said you have talent. She wants to develop that talent to help you become an artist. How about you live with us until that happens? Maybe when you get out of high school, you might take courses in art at the state college or an academy of some sort. There is no need for you to rush out of here and be on your own. This is your home now."
"That's right, Andy. We enjoy having you here." Isaac's voice broke as he spoke. "This is your home." He wiped a tear from his eye and Andy looked as if he had stabbed us.
"Jeez… I'm sorry. I… I… just thought…, my parents always said when I was old enough, I needed to support myself. How I had to get a job when I graduated so I wouldn't be a burden."
I opened my arms. "Come here, Andy." I drew him in my arms and felt his body shake, wetness running down my cheek. Isaac reached out and rubbed Andy's back.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
Stroking his hair, I knew my parents were cold, but his were heartless. "It's all right. Don't worry. This is your home and we love you. You're not a burden, sweetheart."
Isaac moved next to us and wrapped his arms around both of us. "Andy, you're family. What Sebastian said is true. We love you,
kid."
*****
Friday afternoon I received a call at the museum from Arthur. When I called back, I wanted to celebrate. It seemed that my attorney had put the fear of God into the Ludlows, or at least the fear of bad publicity. They had appeared at the local attorney's office the morning following the phone call and had signed the papers relinquishing custody of Andy, giving their consent for me as his guardian. Though they gave approval, it would still have to be approved by the court. I had already lined up character witnesses from Leland, my coworkers at the museum, and several friends. Arthur suggested that I not get a reference from Isaac, so as not to "complicate" the matter, though the court would be aware of our living situation. Arthur would have a background report on Isaac prepared for the court.
Sunday would be a big celebration, what with Andy's birthday and now this. Marilyn Taylor, who was the head of my department was passing by the vacant office when I got the news. "Goodness, Sebastian. What on earth has you so excited?"
When I explained what the phone call was about, she told me to go home and celebrate. I dashed out of the museum and hailed a taxi straight to Isaac. Traffic was backed up on Haight Street, so I paid for the ride and jumped out a few blocks before the center. When I arrived breathless at the door of the legal aid center, I saw Isaac doing an intake. He came over in a panic. "What happened?"
As I caught my breath I broke out in a huge grin. "He's ours!"
"What?" The confused look told me his mind was elsewhere.
"Andy is ours! Arthur called. They signed the papers. He's not officially ours but Arthur said it should be a simple formality. He knows a judge who will look favorably upon us as a family. Andy's ours!" I threw my arms around him and gave him a big kiss right there in the center.
He melted into my arms and then squeezed me around the waist tight, lifting me off my feet. "Andy is ours. He's ours!" He shouted.
Marguerite, the director of the center, came out and watched the scene while everyone else stared at us. "I am assuming there is a reason for this?" She didn't look angry, more curious as to what was going on.
An Unexpected Gift Page 6