Chapter 16: Old Rivals

Helen was enjoying the Saturday afternoon drifting through her favorite mall. She was not really out to buy anything specific, but she enjoyed the leisure. It was a rare treat for a single mother to have an afternoon for herself and she wanted to make the most of it. Irina had volunteered to have Larissa for the afternoon and Helen much appreciated the offer. Of course, Irina would spoil her granddaughter rotten, but to Helen’s mind that was far preferable to her own parents’s attitude.

Walking past the entrance of an upscale drugstore she briefly contemplated if she needed anything from there. She had already decided against it when a voice vaguely familiar sounded from her right.

“Oh, my! Helen? Of course! Hey!”

Helen turned to see here former classmate and sometime competitor for Grant Taylor’s affections, Charlotte Konig.

“Charlotte!” she said with genuine surprise. She had not seen or heard of Charlotte since graduation. The young woman looked different, being dressed very casual, with no make-up in evidence. She also held a little boy’s hand. “How are you doing?”

“So-so,” Charlotte grinned. “The last years haven’t been easy. Oh, this is my little boy, Toby.”

Helen melted a little seeing the cute boy. “Hey, Toby!” she cooed offering her hand which the boy shook hesitantly.

“And you?” Charlotte asked.

“I’m in the same boat. I’ve got a little girl. She’s probably Toby’s age, one year old.”

“No way!” Charlotte gaped. “I heard about your parents making a scene at graduation and you breaking up with that preacher. Are you back together?”

“Nope. I’m single. My parents chucked me out. I live with my grandmother now, but Danny and his family also support me. I’m a sophomore at Penn. Danny and I share the parenting duties.”

“Danny? Danny Westbrook?”

“Yeah, we had a one-night-stand on prom night. Things between us went to shit after that, but we are pretty good together as parents. The Westbrooks treat me like family too.”

“Well, that takes the cake! You and Westbrook?”

“He’s a neat guy. Are you with Toby’s father?”

Charlotte’s face clouded. “That asshole? Never this side of hell! Let’s just say that I did you a favor when I ratted you out to your father about Grant.”

“Thought that it was you. Well, you’re right. From what I learned he’s a predator. He’s the father?”

“Sperm donor. He balked at paying child support for a year, but then he made the mistake of coming to Philly. Family court judge had him arrested until he paid the back support. He also had to post securities to cover support payments until Toby’s eighteen. Gave me a chance to get my credit card debt paid off and cut back on my work hours.”

“What do you do for a living?”

“I get a little money from my mom, but I also work at a private daycare center. The boss lets Toby stay for free while I work, so it’s perfect.”

“Gosh, Charlotte, I’m sorry. I thought I had it rough, you know, but that was peanuts. Are you two heading anywhere?”

“Nope, we’re pretty much done. Why?”

“Maybe we can have a coffee or something. Bury the hatchet for good, you know?”

“I ... umh...”

“My treat. Come, let’s bitch about guys and parents!”

“Talked me into it,” Charlotte laughed. “So your parents chucked you out?”

Two hours later, Helen had driven Charlotte and her son back home in Danny’s Volkswagen which was mostly hers to use these days. She had found out more about the events on and before prom night from Charlotte’s viewpoint, and what she learned made her grateful for never having become intimate with Grant Taylor. It also made her realize how lucky she was having Danny for Larissa’s father.

Monday and returning to the courses came early enough for Helen, but at least she got a break because Larissa had spent the Sunday with Danny, and he was dropping her off at the daycare. After a hurried breakfast with Trudy, Helen caught the bus to the campus. Her first class was World History, one of the few classes she shared with Danny and Ashley. Sure enough, Ashley was already sitting in her usual spot by the windows and Helen joined her.

“Hey, you!” Ashley greeted her with a brief smile.

“Hey! How was your weekend?”

“So, so. Lynn had a meet over the weekend and didn’t return until yesterday evening. Danny and I took Larissa for a walk. Exciting, isn’t it?”

Helen had to giggle. “Tell me about it. Where’s Danny?”

“Should be here any minute.”

Just then, the lecturer, Mrs. Shaker, entered the classroom and sat down behind the desk.

“Good morning,” she announced, getting the usual mumblings as an answer. “So, last Monday we were talking about the Austrian War of Succession and the rise of Prussia. Let us now have a look at the European power structure in the aftermath...”

The door opened and a harried-looking Danny entered, trying to be as unobtrusive as possible. Shaker noticed him however and creased her forehead.

“How nice of you to join us after all, Mr. Westbrook,” she grated.

“I’m sorry, Professor Shaker. I was held up at the daycare. They have a new employee there, and she couldn’t...”

“Mr. Westbrook, I want you to be in time. I don’t need flimsy excuses.”

“It was an explanation, Ma’am, not an excuse. I apologized too,” Danny answered.

“Let’s not split hairs now, Mr. Westbrook. You were late, and I don’t tolerate tardiness!”

“Yes, Ma’am. Again, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t let it ... Yes, Miss Gunderson?”

“Ma’am, three weeks ago, I was late for the same reason, and you let it pass.”

“Well, you’re a mother and...”

“Danny and I raise a daughter together, Ma’am. He does his share just as I do. I think you’re applying a double standard,” Helen stated calmly.

Mrs. Shaker’s mouth fell open, but she caught herself. “Would you rather get a reprimand too?”

“I’d prefer that to gender bias, Ma’am!” Helen shot back recklessly.

“Hear, hear!” Ashley announced at her side. “She’s got a point.”

Later Helen would recall how welcome Ashley’s words were. Right now, a number of students concurred with low mumblings, and Shaker obviously decided to cut her losses.

“Well, I was not aware of your situation. If your delay was due to responsible parenting on your part, we can let it pass. Let us now return to less enlightened times, shall we?

“After the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748, King Frederick II of Prussia emerged as a leading figure among the Protestant princes and...”

Shaker really was not a bad teacher, Helen mused, but she was somewhat of an ardent feminist which sometimes seemed to cloud her judgement. It did not show as much in her lectures where she carefully maintained a neutral viewpoint, but she was rather brusque to her male students. As always, even when her thoughts strayed a little, Helen made careful notes of the lecture for later reference. She would have to tread lightly with Shaker after this she feared, and it was better to be prepared.

However, when the class ended, Helen had decided on a different course and stayed behind.

“Umh, Mrs. Shaker, I would like to apologize for my tone before. I should have been more diplomatic. It’s just such a stroke of luck for me that Danny is taking his parenting so seriously. Without his help and that of his sister, I would have never managed my course load, let alone catch up with my courses after the birth of our daughter. It’s very important for me to have his continued support.”

“My dear Helen – may I call you Helen? – I can understand your point, but aren’t you getting support payments from him?”

“Yes, and Danny father established a huge trust fund for our daughter, but that’s only money. I want our daughter to have a father. I don’t want to drop her off at ever-changing nannies. Besides, Danny deserves positive feedback for his commitment. It’s only fair.”

“Yes, that is sensible. After all, how can we fight the old gender roles if we don’t encourage those breaking away from them. I’ll have a word with Mr. Westbrook in the next days to clear up the misunderstanding.”

Helen gave the woman a beaming smile. “That would be so great! Danny enjoys this class very much.”

Was that piling it on a little too thickly? No, Shaker actually blushed a little.

“All right then! No hard feelings and I understand your candid defense of your partner.”

Outside, Helen found Ashley and Danny waiting for her.

“‘Sup, Helen?” Danny asked.

“Just smoothing things over on our behalf. I told her a bit about our background and how you all have supported me. She’s okay now. She’s really not a bad teacher, just a bit...”

“Biased,” Danny supplied with a wry smile. “Okay, I’ll play nice with her.”

They left it at that and split to go to their next classes with Helen feeling quite smug over her handling of the situation.

Helen met with Charlotte again a week later. Helen picked her up after work and took her to Trudy’s place, planning to have dinner with her and her little boy. Danny was to pick up Larissa at the daycare and deliver her home to Helen, but he would be a bit later as she knew from experience. She and Charlotte went to the kitchen with little Toby and began the dinner preparations while Trudy wisely went upstairs to leave the two young women to their gossip.

Helen had learned a bit of cooking, both from Trudy and from Danny, and she was planning bucatini carbonara. Charlotte was given the important task of stirring the milk while it was heating and Helen chopped onions and some garlic and diced a quarter pound of baked ham. They were about to drop the bucatini into the simmering milk when the doorbell rang.

“Danny is early today,” she remarked. “Let’s switch off the range so I can get Larissa settled.”

It was indeed Danny with a tired looking Larissa on his arm.

“Hi, Helen. Good day?”

“Yeah, pretty good. You?”

“Okay. I finished early. I hope that’s okay?”

“Yeah, sure, bring her in! Guess who’s visiting?”

“Your parents?” Danny hazarded with a grin and got cuffed on his arm for his trouble.

“Smart ass! No, it’s Charlotte. She’s over for dinner with her little boy.”

“Great! You told me that you two made up, right? I’d say, give her my regards, but she might take it as sarcasm coming from me.”

“Nah, don’t worry,” Charlotte’s voice came from the kitchen door where she stood with a sheepish grin on her face. “How are you, Danny?”

“Well, I’m a dad and a student, so there is room for improvement,” Danny joked. “And you? Helen told me you have a son?”

Charlotte nodded with a wry smile. “Yes. His name’s Toby. He’s a sweet boy, contrary to what you’d expect given his asshole father.”

“I know I should say something but I have no clue who you’re talking about,” Danny offered.

“Grant Taylor,” Charlotte spat. “Boy, were you right about him! You never liked him, huh?”

“Oh, shit!” Danny said. “I had no idea. ‘Not liked’ is not what I’d say. I just never understood you guys fawning over him is all. He did a number on you on prom night, didn’t he?”

Charlotte nodded darkly. “Not only on prom night. He was a deadbeat father too, until a few months ago.”

“Just your basic asshole then,” Danny nodded. “Sorry. I know we were never buddies, but you deserve better.”

“Wow! Are you for real? No schadenfreude?”

Danny shrugged. “It’s not like I can point fingers. Helen and I screwed the pooch, too.”

“Yeah, but you are a father, not just a sperm donor,” Helen cut in. “Hey, have you any plans? Charlotte and I are making pasta. You wanna join us?”

“If Charlotte is okay with it, sure. It’s Lynn’s turn to cook tonight, and she’s got this idea that everything on a pig is edible.”

Helen laughed, knowing that he was joking. Caitlyn cooked home style dishes, but they were delicious.

“Can you watch the kids while we finish cooking?”

“Sure. It’s Toby, right? Anything I should know?”

“Nah, he’s pretty easy,” Charlotte answered while Helen was already beating a retreat towards the kitchen. She smiled inwardly. Charlotte had been pretty skeptical about Helen’s claims that Danny was useful around small kids. This would show her.

Charlotte joined her, resuming the stirring of the milk which was soon simmering. Helen tore open a bag of Rustichella d’Abruzzo bucatini and dumped them into the simmering milk. Charlotte kept stirring them while Helen gently fried the diced ham, garlic and chopped onions in butter. She also stirred four eggs with a quarter pound of grated Parmigiano cheese, freshly ground black pepper and salt, and when the bucatini were al dente, she poured the stirred eggs into the hot mass of pasta and milk. While the eggs were congealing in the hot milk, she poured the fried ham, onions and garlic on top and mixed everything.

“And done!” she announced with a smile. “Bucatini al carbonara.”

“Wow! You’re quite the cook these days,” Charlotte acknowledged. “So you do everything from scratch?”

“Pretty much. I learned from my grandma, but also from Danny and his mother.”

“His ... ah? ... mother?” Charlotte stuttered.