Chapter 5 - Families

The front door clicked shut and Adrian was instantly filled with remorse. Why had he said nothing? What must Kate be thinking? For a fleeting moment, Adrian longed to rush outside and beg Kate to come back. But then he stopped himself. He had no idea what to say. He did not even know how he felt about the news. Kate was going to have a baby. His baby. He needed more time to think about this.

And so life went on as before. Except Adrian was changed. Gone was the arrogant, single minded businessman. For the first time in his life, Adrian did not know what to do. He found it difficult to concentrate at work. Thoughts of his baby, his own flesh and blood, kept intruding into his daily life. It was driving him crazy. Until one day he finally made up his mind. There was only one option open to him. If he was honest with himself, it had been clear from the beginning what he should do. With renewed resolution Adrian headed home to confront Kate.

Kate was still working at Adrian's house. She could not afford to give up her cleaning job. Especially now she was going to have an extra mouth to feed. She didn't really expect to see Adrian again. She recognized his type and had accepted that she was not going to be the one to change him. So she was more then a little surprised when she arrived at work and found Adrian waiting for her.

"Kate".

"Er... hi Adrian."

"Kate, I have something to ask you" Adrian mumbled.

Kated noted Adrian's flushed face and trembling voice. Was it possible? Was he about to ask her to marry him? No, surely not. There was no way she was going to win her way into the Quicksilver household.

"Kate" Adrian repeated, as he nervously fished something out of his shirt pocket. He awkwardly dropped down onto one knee. "Will you marry me?"




Kate beamed in response. "Of course I will" she breathed and reached out to embrace him.

****

The couple had little time to adapt to married life. It was not long before their baby boy, Ben Quicksilver, was born. Adrian adored his first born son.



He took to parenthood so well that he wasted no time in persuading Kate to have a second child. Another son, Byron, was born just a few years later.

****

Ben and Byron could not have been more different. Ben grew up into a friendly and fearless child. While Byron had a more atristic temparement, being an absent-minded, virtuoso sim. Nevertheless the boys were the best of friends and by the time he was a teenager, Ben was taking his role as big brother very seriously.

"Hey Byron. I heard about what happened at school yesterday".

Byron glanced up from his pancakes. "You're not going to tell Dad are you?"



"No, but you're gonna have to shape up soon or Dad will be hearing for himself straight from the headmaster."

"I know, I know. I didn't mean for it to happen."

"So why did you do it? That's the third time this month you've missed school. And for what? To hang out at the park?"

"Honestly, I didn't mean to miss school. I just stopped by at the park and some how lost track of time. There was this really cool guy, he was busking for money. You should have heard him, Ben. He was amazing. Anyway we got talking and by the time I realized I was missing school it didn't seem worth going in at all."



Ben looked at his younger brother and sighed. He knew that Byron wasn't going to change his ways. Byron couldn't help himself, he just wasn't like other kids. Not for the first time, Ben wondered how Byron had turned out to be so different from the rest of the family.

****

Life was good for the Quicksilver family. Or so Ben thought. Until one day he overheard a heated argument between his parents. Ben paused ouside his parent's bedroom to listen.

"I just can't believe this" Adrian shouted, his voice shaking with grief and anger.

"Adrian, please, it's not what you think" Kate pleaded.



Adrian ignored her and carried on. "And to think I would've never figured it out if I hadn't found this."

Ben bent to peer through the keyhole and saw his father shaking what looked like a yellowed newspaper clipping.

"Please Adrian, that was a long time ago."

"To think you've lied to me all this time. My God! How could you? You... you..." But Adrian was too angry to say any more. He strode towards the door so quickly, Ben hardly had enough time to jump out of the way and hide in the bathroom.

Ben listened as his father raced out of the house, slamming the front door behind him. What could have made his father so mad? Ben wan't used to hearing his parent's fight and he didn't like it. He prayed that whatever had upset his father would go away quickly.

*********

Go To Next Chapter