That evening, my oldest son, Daniel found me crying at the kitchen table.
“Mom? What happened?”
“I met your father’s younger brother.”
“I have an uncle?”
“Apparently. He’s fourteen, and I said something terrible to him.”
His mother would turn my life upside down again.
“Did you mean it?”
“No.”
“Then tell him that.”
I looked at James’s photograph.
I’d accused his family of abandoning people.
Then I’d walked away from a boy who thought he was another problem.
I said something terrible to him.
***
Margaret’s condition had deteriorated faster than her doctors expected. She died three weeks after our meeting.
Her attorney, Mr. Collins, asked me to visit his office.
“Margaret named you in her will,” Mr. Collins explained.
“Me?”
“Her estate is worth approximately three million dollars.”
She died three weeks after our meeting.
I stared at him. “Why would she leave me anything?”
“There’s a condition. You inherit the remaining estate if you become Noah’s legal guardian.”
“So she’s buying me?”
“Noah has a separate trust. If you refuse, your portion goes to other beneficiaries.”
“And Noah?”
There’s a condition.
“He’s with a temporary guardian. The court must approve any permanent placement.”
“We borrowed money for James’s medication. Now his mother offers me millions to raise his brother?”
“You have sixty days to apply.”
I took the papers home, torn between gratitude and anger.
But would Noah even want to live with us?
He’s with a temporary guardian.
***
That evening, I was sitting at the kitchen table, staring at the papers, when my son, Daniel, asked, “Mom, are we rich?”
“No.”
“But we could be?”
“Possibly.”
“What’s the catch?”
Would Noah even want to live with us?
I explained everything.
He listened quietly.
“Can Noah live here?”
“We barely have enough bedrooms.”
“I share with Michael anyway.”
Mom, are we rich?
“It’s not that simple.”
“Do you like him?”
“I hardly know him.”
“Did Dad?”
“Apparently, very much.”
It’s not that simple.
Daniel looked at James’s photograph. “Then why don’t we meet him?”
Then my sixteen-year-old asked one question I couldn’t stop thinking about.
“Would you take him if there wasn’t any money?”
I wanted to say yes immediately.
But I couldn’t.
I couldn’t stop thinking about.
I had six children who needed me. Bills covered our kitchen table.
I hadn’t slept properly since James died.
And Noah was a stranger.
“Mom?”
“I don’t know, Daniel.”
“Maybe you should find out.”
I wanted to say yes immediately.
***
For two days, I kept thinking about Noah standing in Margaret’s doorway.
‘I’m sorry I’m another problem.’
He’d lost his brother, then his grandmother. And the last time he’d seen me, I’d made him feel unwanted.
I picked up the phone and called Mr. Collins.
“I want to see Noah.”
‘I’m another problem.’
“To discuss guardianship?”
“No. I owe him an apology.”
“He’s at Margaret’s house with his temporary guardian today. I can arrange a visit.”
“Please do.”
I want to see Noah.
***
Noah was packing books when I arrived.
“Are you here because of the money?” he asked.
“No. I came to apologize.”
“You said you didn’t want another kid.”
“I was angry at the adults, Noah. Not you.”
I can arrange a visit.
“But you need the money.”
“Yes. I won’t lie about that.”
He looked down. “Then how am I supposed to know you want me?”
I sat beside him. “James told you about my children, didn’t he?”
Noah nodded.
I was angry at the adults, Noah. Not you.
“Daniel’s the oldest. Michael plays basketball. Sophie wants to be a veterinarian.”
He almost smiled. “James showed me your birthday videos. He said he wanted us to meet.”
“Then why didn’t he tell me?”
“He said you were already taking care of everybody. He didn’t want you worrying about me, too.”
I swallowed. “He should have trusted me.”
You need the money.
Noah looked at his hands. “If Grandma hadn’t left you anything, would you still be here?”
“Yes. But I won’t pretend taking in another child is easy.”
“Even with six kids?”
“Even then. And you get a say in what happens.”
“What if I don’t want to live with you?”
He didn’t want you worrying about me, too.
“Then we’ll find another arrangement.”
“Even if you lose the money?”
“Even then.”
