Meeting The Half Family

He pulled up to the Greenhouse restaurant ten minutes early. His heart was pounding with excitement, but dread engulfed him at the same time. Why had he done this to himself, he could have just left sleeping dogs lie. Travis started his grunt and groaned to wake up when the truck stopped moving. 

Toby came out of the daze and he kicked his seat. Walking in the hostess lit up as he approached. She was a pretty little country thing. Back in the day, she would be his for the night if he just put out a little effort. Come on mister testosterone, Missy has only been gone a few days he chastised. That was his problem. They give him all he wants and then leave. 

"Yes, I believe we have a reservation, McBride for five and I will need a booster seat." 

She took them back to a large round table that could sit ten and he thought thank you he didn't want to have to sit in a booth with them. She took half the chairs away and lined the wall with them. He got Travis situated and took a seat facing the entrance. He remembered a gangster in a movie saying to never sit with your back to the front door. 

A tall young lanky kid, with shaggy Bieber-styled dishwater blonde hair, opened the front door. He stood to the side to let the two women behind him walk in. That was training by his father, hold the door for a lady or get your head smacked. If she left him ten years ago why does he know this, was Toby's first warning. The woman was kind of pretty in a very country cheap way and thin like I don't make enough to eat properly.

*

Given the opportunity and some money, she could be pretty. The girl who followed was a pretty thing, well-built, and knew how to use what she had. Toby hesitantly stood as Travis complained he was hungry and waved to get their attention. "They are here stop complaining the hostess will bring your menu," Toby told Travis as they approached. Both kids were grinning, and Kate was smiling. 

The boy laughed as they shook hands. "I told my friends we were related, and they laughed and called me a liar. Can I get a picture of us together to prove them wrong," he asked, and Toby posed next to him for a selfie. 

Kate stepped forward and hugged him as Katlynn came forward doing the same. "It is nice to meet you. We have been so excited to meet you. We didn't know you existed."

"I didn't know you did either, I didn't know if my father was even alive at this point," Toby told them as they all sat. 

Kate said, "Yes, he called all drunk and said that is my son in that movie. Apparently, someone came knocking on his door right after the opening. I don't even think he knew what they were talking about, but he took credit," she said as she sat on the other side of Travis. "Oh, he is so cute," she said, running her fingers through his hair that still had not been cut. 

"Thank you, I'm hungry," Travis told them.

They all laughed, and she said, "So am I."

Toby introduced him to everyone.

"SO, this is exciting," Kate said smiling brightly, "I'm assuming you're the young man who lived in the house out in, I think it was Lavon. He took me out there after his mother died to see if I was interested in living there."

"She was his wife and I'm his son who he abandoned over two years before she died. She got on disability, and I cut lawns and did anything else I could to make money. The day she was buried he kicked me out and I haven't seen him since. He was an abusive mean man to me all my life," Toby told them with anger showing in his facial expressions.

"Well, when I met him, he was so nice, but right after Katlynn came along his mean side set in, and when I was pregnant with Kyle, he hit me again and that was it for me. I moved back in with my parents." 

"That was my mother's problem; she didn't have anyone to go to for help. On top of that, at the time he was a police officer and there was no one to protect her or me. All this height and weight came after he left, I had no way to defend myself from him. So, I can tell you still see him," Toby said looking at Kyle. 

"Sometimes," Kate told him, "when he can blow a sober breath count at Child Protective Services. He was endangering my children. I had to get them involved when Kyle was nine. He was just too difficult to deal with. Otherwise he sits in that house he bought after he sold the other house and drinks. He is on disability from the police department for an accident he probably caused. He never told me he was married before and you're supposed to be a younger brother. He claims you were out of control, and he has nothing to do with you."

"Well as you can see it was a lie. I made it without his help."

"You must look like your mother because you look nothing like my father," Katlynn said.

"Thank you, I don't want anything to remind me of him."

"So, what happened to your mother," Kate asked.

"She was an alcoholic and drank herself to death."

"He claimed his mother did that,"

"Nope, his wife that he beat unmercifully for years, and it was easier to be passed out drunk before he came home than to deal with him. He would just kick her for being useless. I hid from him most days. After he left, she did what she was used to and kept on drinking. She was a broken woman, and I was just trying to keep food in my mouth and finish school. He was never to be seen again until she died. Someone called him I guess, and he came and kicked me out. Leaving me homeless and on my own at barely eighteen. I was lucky I had good friends. That was the last time I saw my father, 'the kind and gentle soul he was'." He hoped they heard the sarcasm. 

"Yeah, I have had a few of those hits," Kyle complained.

"I figured that after I saw you hold the door for the ladies. For some reason, he thought holding a door for a woman proved he was a gentleman but beating them was Ok too. I'm just glad to hear you didn't stay around."

"Daddy I'm hungry," Travis complained again. 

"Do you know what you want?" Toby asked as he looked at the menu. 

He pointed at an item and said, "Tacos."

"That is for big people, don't they have a kids menu?" Toby asked and looked over the pages. Finding it on the back page, "See, here is the kid's menu pick something from there. I know you think you're all grown up, but your belly is not that big."

He groaned and started looking again.

Kate asked sweetly, "How old is he," she asked, running her fingers through his hair. 

"He'll be fifteen months old in two weeks," Toby told them as Travis tapped his arm.

"Look at the tacos here too."

"Good we'll order that, you want anything else," Toby asked looking at the kid's drinks. He was trying hard not to laugh and was letting the information soak in. Kyle may not get it because he is a boy, but Kate and Katlynn should be awed. He loved watching people's expressions when they saw what he could do. Liana and those teachers' expressions were priceless. They haven't seen this new one yet.

"Well they only have milk, apple juice, or water," Toby offered him and said, "Y'all order anything you want," he told them as his mouth watered, they had something he hadn't had in a long time, fish tacos. This was more of a burger place, but he told them to pick the place. 

They ordered a few appetizers. Travis was starting to protest the lack of food. Yes, they had a late lunch, but this is a very late dinner. So, while they ate Toby told them about Travis being a genius. He played along and spelled words thrown at him and sang a few silly songs for them. 

"So, Katlynn, are you about to graduate," Toby asked.

"I am, in June right before my birthday. I plan to go to community college and then North Texas State in a couple of years," she told him excitedly, she did have plans for her future. "Dad said he would buy me a car," Katlynn said, and Kate cleared her throat Kyle chuckled and turned his head. It appeared to keep her from seeing them laugh at her. 

"Is that your way of saying yeah right," Toby asked, and they both laughed. "So, what kind of car do you want?" he asked, not wanting to burst her bubble. 

"Nothing fancy just so it runs well, my dad is pretty bad at picking cars," she told him, remembering the crappy ones he had bought for her mother. 

"Well, find what you want and email me, and let me see what you're interested in," he said and wrote the address on a napkin. "I'm leaving town soon. I'm making a new movie this summer and I'll be gone for a while."

That got Kyle's attention, he asked, "What is this movie about?"

Toby looked at him closely as he spoke to him, he looked nothing like his father either. Not that the man was ugly he was just plain. Kyle had his mother's look in a masculine way. His blonder features are the opposite of Toby's, but he will be handsome when he grows into his body. He is at that gangly stage right now. He hopes she takes this money and spends it well. 

"Aliens like in the old alien movies, but this time they come to a future earth. I'm a military man and we battle them. We have to fight to save humanity," He said and raised his muscular arm in a teasing gesture. "I have no idea where this movie will be filmed. It has to be a high budget just for the sets alone," and how much he is being paid Toby told them. He was not sure why they wanted him, and he was not sure what part he played but he was in it to win it. He must be someone important in the movie to pay him that much. Which boggled his mind. Why him? 

"Kate, what do you do for a living?" Toby asked, bringing his mind back to now.

"Me?" Kate asks as he looks at her, "Nothing as exciting as you. I manage the Dollar Store on the east side of town. We do a pretty good amount of business," she said and looked proud. 

"Store manager is a good job, I never managed anything except to pay my rent. I lucked into this acting world, and I don't plan on staying in it long."

"That is not true you managed to make something of yourself with no one's help to guide you. That is impressive and you should be proud. And your son shall be a handful as he grows testing your skills every day. Mine are far from geniuses and they have tested me daily. They are both good kids it is just hard by myself,"

"You're right, another reason to not do any more movies, but I have hired a good teacher for him. She will go with us wherever they send us, and I hope she will stay with him when we come back. She is so good with him," Toby told them he didn't want to start looking for someone new until he surpassed her. She has a college degree and he hopes it will take a while. 

They finished their meal and they ran out of subjects to talk about, so as the table was cleared Toby passed her the check saying. "Your best bet is to buy a house, which is something you can depend on." 

"I know and I have been looking since you made the offer. I would prefer to move out of the Denton area and get away from your father. He tends to insinuate himself into the place we live. We live in that tiny apartment because he can't stand the confines."

"So, if he knows you have moved, he follows?"

"Yes, and he camps out in front and pounds on the door until we let him in. He always finds us," Katlynn complained, letting him know she didn't like it. 

Toby looked around the restaurant and wondered how to help them. "He must know someone in the utility billing office or something. How could he find you otherwise?"

"You may have hit it. I always wondered how he knew. One time we stayed in a hotel for weeks and he didn't find us, but as soon as we moved into an apartment he knew."

"Yeah there he was smacking my mother around when I got home," Kyle complained.

"You need to move far away and not use the same electric company anymore."

"True I used them because I didn't have to pay a deposit because I have used them for so long," Kate told him.

"So, you left him ten years ago but not really. He has found you each time you tried to leave him behind. Katlynn is graduating in a few months. I suggest you stay put until she does, then see if you can transfer with your job somewhere else and tell no one where you're going."

"I was thinking the same thing, just disappearing."

"Or have Toby expose that his police force won't protect you because he used to be a cop here," Katlynn offered as an alternative. 

"When was the last time you called the cops?" Toby asked.

"I think it was about five years ago. The ones who came said, 'Aah, he is a good old boy just letting off steam.' But they did take him away and he stayed away for a few months," Kate told him.

"So, I take it you don't want to move from here," Toby asked looking at Katlynn and Kyle.

"Not really, all my friends are here, and Kyle is on all the sports teams and has friends. I plan to go to school here," Katlynn complained she had it all planned out.

"Does he beat on you?" 

"Only if we try and get him off my mother." 

"Is that any way to live, afraid he will show up at your door at any time," he asked and both kids looked down at the table. "I'll see what I can do. It may require a protective order which you will have to request but let me check into that. Does he pay child support?" 

They all laughed. "He said he would kill us all first. If I wouldn't marry him those weren't his kids. At first, I wanted to marry him, but he didn't want to. Then his 'Mother' died and by then I didn't want to marry him. He had become abusive."

"Like I said, don't do anything right now and I'll do some investigating and figure out how to keep him away from all of you," he told them, having no idea how to accomplish this feat. 

He'll call PI David and pick his brain. He needs someone he could depend on to help her in Denton. Hugs and kisses and they were gone.

*

Toby ran scenarios all the way home on ways to help her, again moving away was the best idea. Kyle is fifteen he could adjust. He thought about when he was fifteen and how his friends had helped him when his dad left. How sweet their mothers had been to him bringing him food when all the money was gone his mother had to have her bottles. He knows Kyle has had a difficult life and his friends are important to him too. 

He ran the problem in circles half the way home. He set his mind to rest. David the PI will know what to do and who to call. Apparently, Kate was not that interested in moving or she would have backed him up. He took a deep breath and thought he may be chasing rats. He wished he had someone to bounce this off.