Chapter 10

My fiftieth birthday party was great fun. I may have a large apartment, but it was packed with people. Almost my entire staff and their families were there plus numerous friends - naturally including Abe and Leah, Ramone and Debbie and even Mother Marianna. In such a sea of diversity, a blonde pregnant school girl didn't seem nearly as out of place as she would have in most other places. I noticed that either Jess or Elise stayed close to Laura almost the entire evening. Not in a demonstrative way, but nevertheless putting on a touching display of family solidarity. It wasn't lost on Mother Marianna's wise old eyes. "I see your daughters have taken to Laura," she said.

"Oh yes," I replied happily. "So much so that the three of them are ganging up on me."

"You seem remarkably complacent about that," she chuckled. "Anyway," she continued. "If I can briefly talk shop. We have never gotten any paperwork from Laura's old school - I don't think her parents ever signed that form you mentioned."

I shook my head. "No, they haven't - neither the one for you nor the one for me. We have heard nothing."

"Well," she said, "I didn't let that stop us. Laura's report sheet was duly sent to her parents. I defy any parent to take issue with it. She has As across the board and the most glowing testimonials from practically all her teachers praising her leadership and brilliance. Even her Phys Ed teacher expressed admiration for the care she takes in keeping herself fit and preparing her body for birth."

"Wow!" I said, enormously pleased.

"Yes, she is an unusual child - brilliant and mature beyond measure," Mother Marianna agreed. "Listen, it is early days I know, but I don't think there is any reason why she shouldn't graduate next year. If you arrange for some practical help then she should be able to keep up with the others through home study. I can authorize that she more or less comes and goes as she pleases - showing up for tests would help her keep track of where she stands. She is so bright I'm sure she can pass all her exams next summer."

"What sort of help were you thinking of?" I asked.

"Well, while the babies are very small it should be someone experienced. An old fashioned nurse, in fact if you can find one. Later you could hire an au-pair," Mother Marianna said.

I saw possibilities in this. Mother Marianna was right; it was early days and many things could happen - and would happen, like the birth! - but Laura's chances of getting through this life episode well looked bright.

Neither Laura nor Jonathan had to be 'put to bed' but we were all pretty tired when the last guests left. Ramone and Debbie stayed to the end and helped making the apartment at least habitable although we didn't do much by way of cleaning - I had enlisted my regular cleaning lady to come for an extra session Sunday.

As Ramone and Debbie were about to leave, Debbie took me aside. "I noticed the nature of your and Laura's relationship has changed," she said. That was hardly detective work; Laura had been on my arm when we received the guests and again when we farewelled people; any casual observer would have assumed Laura was the hostess. "It is quite different from what she told me and Lorraine five weeks ago," she continued. Her voice was level, but I sensed danger.

I refused to be intimidated or forced to the indignity of lying. "Yes, that's true," I replied. "We have fallen in love with each other."

"I take it I don't have to tell you what the law says?" she asked.

"No, you don't," I said, "but I had to tell Laura."

Debbie looked taken aback. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I had to tell her that if I did what she wanted me to, in the eyes of the law I would be no different from the guy who did it against her will. So we don't. At least not while she is under the age of consent," I said. Then with a grin I added "Happily that's not for much longer!"

Debbie had looked less tense during the first part of my answer, but now she flared up. "George, it's not that simple. You still can't have sex with her if she is in your care," she protested.

"But she isn't!" I said. "Even if her parents had signed those forms - and they never did - I would not be her guardian. In exactly two weeks she will be seventeen and can go, 'eh, can have sex with anyone she likes - provided the other person is over seventeen too."

I very nearly said 'go to bed', but changed it to 'have sex' in the last moment. 'The truth and nothing but the truth is fine; the whole truth is for Boy Scouts, ' as the old saying goes.

Debbie still looked uncomfortable - she obviously had personal issues with a fifty year old and a seventeen year old together, even if the law didn't. She changed track and voiced that objection. "Possibly. But do you think she should? Do you think it is right, George?"

I caught her flickering gaze and held it. "Yes Debbie, I do. And I respect that you don't."

She surrendered. "You're in for a lot of flak," she said.

"I know Debbie," I replied. "Lots of it. But I think it's worth it."

She gave me a little smile, pecked me on the cheek and ran to the elevator that Ramone was pointedly holding open. "Good night - thank you for a lovely party," she called as the doors closed behind her.

"What was that about?" Jess asked - my conversation with Debbie had not gone unnoticed and while I don't think the words had been heard, our body language must have been loud and clear.

"Oh, Debbie is not too keen on me and Laura falling in love," I said.

"Can she, you know, do anything?" Elise asked - giving voice to the very concern that was painted on Laura's face.

"No," I said - with more certainty than I felt. "I told her we're not having sex before Laura is seventeen and since I'm not Laura's guardian in any shape or form, there is nothing to stop us after that date."

It was only partially true. At seventeen Laura would be free to agree to have sex, but not being an adult she was not free to decide where she lived. In a sense we were in for 'a year in limbo'. I felt no reason to bring that concern up at 2 in the morning though and instead we all went to bed.

"Do you think we have to worry about Debbie?" Laura asked as she snuggled up close to me.

"Nah," I said. "Ramone will beat her into submission - verbally, I mean."

"Mmmmm," Laura said, but I think that was an answer to what I was doing to her nipples.

We slept in - and very nearly got caught by the cleaning lady who had decided to come a bit early. But nearly isn't quite; by the time she started her whirlwind cleaning process, Laura, Jonathan, my daughters and I were all sitting in the kitchen in dressing gowns eating breakfast. And who's to say who slept in which bed? We lazed around all day, tried to make a dent in the pile of leftovers for dinner and watched a movie before bedtime.

Monday morning before going to school, Laura said goodbye to Jess and Jonathan who would be leaving around mid-day. I had taken the morning off to drive them to the airport. Or so Joyce informed me. The scheduled meetings I thought I had were bogus.

So we got to sit down, Elise, Jess, Jonathan and I, talking things over. Jonathan asked the most questions, and mainly I had answers ready, but one of his questions did trigger a lot of soul searching. "Do you think she will stay, permanently, I mean?" he asked.

"Honestly, I don't know," I replied.

"But you want her to." It was more a statement than a question.

"Yes, I want her to," I replied.

"Oh, she'll stay," Elise said.

"But, I mean. Should she?" I asked - suddenly able to voice my inner turmoil. "Should I accept that? I will be an old man by the time those kids are teenagers. Will that be good for them?"

"Dad," Jess replied. "Other men have kids at fifty. It is not all that rare, you know. Stay healthy and fit. That's all you can do."

I knew that of course, but I voiced the real question. "Yes, but what about Laura? She's not quite seventeen, I'm fifty. Do I have the right to take her youth away?"

Jonathan's reply was prompt, sharp and poignant. "George, it was her rapist that did that, he and her bloody parents. You are giving her a unique chance to get her life back."

Elise was meeting up with a friend so we dropped her off in town on the way to the airport. Jess and Jonathan were going up to their new university town to start hunting for somewhere to live. "Listen," I said just as they were to go through security. "Don't rent a shitty place. Buy something. The market is rock-bottom and you will be there for at least five years - and forever if the tenure track comes good. But even after five years, I'm sure these strange times will have ended if you want to sell by then."

"That's all very well," Jonathan said, "but a research fellow in Biology and a PhD student in English Literature don't score high on credit ratings."

"I've instructed Abe to take care of that little detail," I replied. "Get in touch with him - I think you'll find that having GBS IT-Sec backing you will help a bit!"

Jonathan looked stunned and Jess flung herself in my arms. "Oh Dad, thank you!"

"And you spring that on us moments before we absolutely have to leave!" Jonathan said with a shake of his head.

"Of course," I laughed. "I couldn't have a little detail like a quarter of a million dollars standing in the way of your honest opinion, could I?"

They both laughed - until the somber nature of airport security forced them to resume a serious demeanor.

I picked Laura up at 'Sacred Heart' and drove us to work in high spirits. We have a very nice work environment at my company, but today the atmosphere was even friendlier. Everyone made comments about how great the party had been - both to me and to Laura, cementing the complete acceptance of her as my partner. Joyce laughed when she heard about the cleaner, but she didn't like hearing about Debbie at all. "Debbie's OK, but not very imaginative," she said. "And if she tells Lorraine about it in the wrong way, there could be trouble."