Inheritance (5/30)
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Kevin felt slightly sick to his stomach walking into the house that evening. He had avoided meeting Scott - Scotty - up until then. He still wasn’t sure he wanted to. Of course, he was there, unlike Kitty who completely bailed. Kevin couldn’t decide if that was rude or if he was simply jealous he couldn’t get out of it too. Probably both.
“Hey, can I talk to you?”
Kevin turned to the sound of Tommy’s voice. He nodded and followed his older brother into the den, surprised to see Justin already seated at the couch. Kevin sat down next to him, staring at Tommy expectantly.
“So, I was just thinking it might be a good idea to know who the biological father is, after all.”
Kevin and Justin looked at each other, and then Kevin turned back to Tommy. “Really? A paternity test?”
“I don’t know, dude. I mean, we went into this thing thinking we weren’t going to know that.”
“I know, but then this whole thing with Scotty happened, and - ”
“That’s whose DNA we should be testing,” Kevin blurted out, hoping to change the subject. “We’re going on Holly’s word? How reliable is that?”
“Come on,” Justin said, turning to Kevin. “It makes sense.”
“Not really,” Kevin argued. “They weren’t together when he was born. Saul says Holly always denied it while Dad was alive. And now, suddenly, she gets a huge chunk of money, and she’s claiming that he really is Dad’s.”
Tommy rolled his eyes. “Dad had a relationship with her for almost 30 years. I’m sure he would have left her something even if she hadn’t had any kids.”
“Something, maybe,” Kevin argued, “but the way her share is divided really suggests that the fact that Scotty exists has to do with what she’s getting. She doesn’t know what the paperwork says, only that the money from the land goes to her and her child. Don’t you want to know beyond a reasonable doubt before we bring him in here like one of the family?”
“Did you bring your DNA kit with you?” Tommy asked mockingly.
“I could get a stray hair.”
“No, that’s not going to work,” Tommy replied. “You have to get it from the root. That’s how all the crime shows do it.”
Justin scoffed. “Are you both high? I talked to him for hours, OK? He’s Dad’s son. I can feel it.”
Kevin sighed. He was about to point out that Justin’s intuition wouldn’t hold up in a court of law when Nora walked into the living room.
“There you all are! I could use some help setting the table, please.”
The three men stood, following Nora to the dining room. As Kevin walked, he began to realize that his concerns were valid. They weren’t just something he made up to change the topic from Julia’s babies' paternity. Was Scotty really a Walker?
***
Scotty took a deep breath and exhaled shakily. He ran a hand through his hair and shifted on his feet. Then he reached out and rang the doorbell. Fighting an almost-irresistible urge to make a run for it, he waited for someone to open the door. Finally, someone did, and Scotty was face-to-face with Justin. Scotty sighed in relief that it was one of the Walkers he already knew.
“Hi,” Scotty said.
“Hey, Scotty. Come on in. Ready for this?”
“No,” Scotty answered succinctly and truthfully.
Justin laughed. “Show no fear.”
Scotty followed him through the house. Although it was bigger than most places he’d ever been in - more of a mansion, really - the layout was still pretty predictable. Justin and Scotty walked through a foyer, past a dining room and eventually into a kitchen. Several people were standing around an island in the center of the room, drinking wine.
“Everybody,” Justin announced. “This is Scotty.”
There was a brief but noticeable pause, and then Scotty was surrounded. He recognized Sarah, of course, and was happy to see her friendly face. Tommy introduced himself and his wife, Julia. Kevin smiled widely at him - perhaps too widely, but it was hard to judge, considering how dazzling the smile was. Scotty suppressed that thought almost immediately, finally turning to the older woman in the room. She walked up to him, hesitant, clearly trying to be a good hostess even as she fought what had to be conflicting emotions.
“Scotty, hi,” she said, holding out a hand. “I’m Nora Walker. Nice to meet you.”
He shook her hand, and they smiled at each other. As she ushered him into the dining room, with the others trailing along, Scotty felt a click with her almost immediately, and he could see why Justin praised her so much. He thought of his own mom and couldn’t help feeling a little envious.
The dinner was an…interesting affair. They seemed to alternate between easy conversation and awkward pauses, between asking him about his life and trying (and failing) not to come across as too nosy. Scotty responded as best he could, still feeling quite unsure. That didn’t help when he asked what he thought was an innocent question.
“Where’s the other sister? Um, Kitty?”
They all looked quickly at each other, and none of them seemed to want to answer. Scotty immediately figured it out.
“She didn’t want to meet me.”
“No!” Nora immediately said. “No…she had a date. With Senator McCallister.”
Scotty nodded, accepting the excuse graciously. “Yeah, I think I read about that.”
“They are quite the power couple,” Kevin commented, and Scotty immediately picked up on the underlying sarcasm.
He turned to the man sitting next to him and was somewhat surprised to find he couldn’t quite resist the opportunity to tease him. “I saw a picture of you too,” he observed casually. Just before he took a bite of his food, he added, “On theskinnyminnie.com.” He chewed quickly, then swallowed. “Are you really dating Chad Barry?”
Everyone else started snickering into their plates. Kevin wavered for a moment, finally answering, “No. Yeah. I mean, I know him.”
“Like Siegfried knows Roy,” Sarah muttered.
Scotty joined the others in laughter as Kevin glowered at his sister. Still chuckling, Scotty lifted his wine glass to his lips, finishing off his drink and returning the glass to the table.
“Oh,” Kevin said quickly, his voice sounding odd. “Do you need a refill?”
Scotty considered his glass for a minute, but before he could answer, Justin reached out and grabbed the glass.
“I’ll get it,” he said forcefully.
Before he knew it, Kevin and Justin were playing tug of war with his glass, both slightly leaning into his personal space as they fought over it. Scotty sat back, surprised and confused. Justin finally wrestled the glass away.
“I got it,” he said through clenched teeth.
“I’ll help,” Kevin shot back, following him into the kitchen.
Scotty looked around at the others, trying to figure out what just happened. He was relieved to see everyone else was just as shocked. He had been half-worried this was a regular occurrence.
“They are both very polite,” Nora finally said, with a self-conscious laugh.
Kevin and Justin eventually returned, and things settled. For a little while. Scotty was facing Sarah, asking her about her children, when it happened. He felt pressure on his shoulder and he turned. Kevin quickly drew his arm back, and Scotty furrowed his brow in confusion.
“Sorry. You, uh, you had a strand of hair.”
“What?” Scotty asked, twisting to look down at his shoulder.
“Oh God, Kevin,” Justin exclaimed.
Tommy buried his face in his palm, and Scotty glanced across the table at him.
“What’s going on?” Nora asked.
“Tell him the truth,” Justin ordered.
Kevin sighed, and Justin turned to Scotty. “He wants to do a DNA test.”
Scotty’s mouth dropped open as he looked at Kevin again.
“You were the one who got me started,” Kevin reminded Tommy.
Julia turned to Tommy, yelling at him as the others all started talking over each other.
“You tried to steal a piece of my hair to get my DNA?” Scotty asked, still not quite believing.
“I’m going to kill you!” Nora exclaimed behind him, and Scotty quickly moved back as he saw a dinner roll flying past him. Kevin flinched as it him, then glared at his mother in offense.
Scotty closed his mouth, pausing for a second. Then he shook his head. “I think I should go.”
“No, don’t!” Nora said.
“Scotty - ” Kevin began.
But Scotty wouldn’t listen. He slid his chair back and stood. “I don’t need this. You guys came to me,” he reminded them. “This is just…this is too much.” He looked apologetically at Nora, who was now standing herself. “I’m sorry. Thank you for dinner.”
And he walked out.
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Kevin felt slightly sick to his stomach walking into the house that evening. He had avoided meeting Scott - Scotty - up until then. He still wasn’t sure he wanted to. Of course, he was there, unlike Kitty who completely bailed. Kevin couldn’t decide if that was rude or if he was simply jealous he couldn’t get out of it too. Probably both.
“Hey, can I talk to you?”
Kevin turned to the sound of Tommy’s voice. He nodded and followed his older brother into the den, surprised to see Justin already seated at the couch. Kevin sat down next to him, staring at Tommy expectantly.
“So, I was just thinking it might be a good idea to know who the biological father is, after all.”
Kevin and Justin looked at each other, and then Kevin turned back to Tommy. “Really? A paternity test?”
“I don’t know, dude. I mean, we went into this thing thinking we weren’t going to know that.”
“I know, but then this whole thing with Scotty happened, and - ”
“That’s whose DNA we should be testing,” Kevin blurted out, hoping to change the subject. “We’re going on Holly’s word? How reliable is that?”
“Come on,” Justin said, turning to Kevin. “It makes sense.”
“Not really,” Kevin argued. “They weren’t together when he was born. Saul says Holly always denied it while Dad was alive. And now, suddenly, she gets a huge chunk of money, and she’s claiming that he really is Dad’s.”
Tommy rolled his eyes. “Dad had a relationship with her for almost 30 years. I’m sure he would have left her something even if she hadn’t had any kids.”
“Something, maybe,” Kevin argued, “but the way her share is divided really suggests that the fact that Scotty exists has to do with what she’s getting. She doesn’t know what the paperwork says, only that the money from the land goes to her and her child. Don’t you want to know beyond a reasonable doubt before we bring him in here like one of the family?”
“Did you bring your DNA kit with you?” Tommy asked mockingly.
“I could get a stray hair.”
“No, that’s not going to work,” Tommy replied. “You have to get it from the root. That’s how all the crime shows do it.”
Justin scoffed. “Are you both high? I talked to him for hours, OK? He’s Dad’s son. I can feel it.”
Kevin sighed. He was about to point out that Justin’s intuition wouldn’t hold up in a court of law when Nora walked into the living room.
“There you all are! I could use some help setting the table, please.”
The three men stood, following Nora to the dining room. As Kevin walked, he began to realize that his concerns were valid. They weren’t just something he made up to change the topic from Julia’s babies' paternity. Was Scotty really a Walker?
***
Scotty took a deep breath and exhaled shakily. He ran a hand through his hair and shifted on his feet. Then he reached out and rang the doorbell. Fighting an almost-irresistible urge to make a run for it, he waited for someone to open the door. Finally, someone did, and Scotty was face-to-face with Justin. Scotty sighed in relief that it was one of the Walkers he already knew.
“Hi,” Scotty said.
“Hey, Scotty. Come on in. Ready for this?”
“No,” Scotty answered succinctly and truthfully.
Justin laughed. “Show no fear.”
Scotty followed him through the house. Although it was bigger than most places he’d ever been in - more of a mansion, really - the layout was still pretty predictable. Justin and Scotty walked through a foyer, past a dining room and eventually into a kitchen. Several people were standing around an island in the center of the room, drinking wine.
“Everybody,” Justin announced. “This is Scotty.”
There was a brief but noticeable pause, and then Scotty was surrounded. He recognized Sarah, of course, and was happy to see her friendly face. Tommy introduced himself and his wife, Julia. Kevin smiled widely at him - perhaps too widely, but it was hard to judge, considering how dazzling the smile was. Scotty suppressed that thought almost immediately, finally turning to the older woman in the room. She walked up to him, hesitant, clearly trying to be a good hostess even as she fought what had to be conflicting emotions.
“Scotty, hi,” she said, holding out a hand. “I’m Nora Walker. Nice to meet you.”
He shook her hand, and they smiled at each other. As she ushered him into the dining room, with the others trailing along, Scotty felt a click with her almost immediately, and he could see why Justin praised her so much. He thought of his own mom and couldn’t help feeling a little envious.
The dinner was an…interesting affair. They seemed to alternate between easy conversation and awkward pauses, between asking him about his life and trying (and failing) not to come across as too nosy. Scotty responded as best he could, still feeling quite unsure. That didn’t help when he asked what he thought was an innocent question.
“Where’s the other sister? Um, Kitty?”
They all looked quickly at each other, and none of them seemed to want to answer. Scotty immediately figured it out.
“She didn’t want to meet me.”
“No!” Nora immediately said. “No…she had a date. With Senator McCallister.”
Scotty nodded, accepting the excuse graciously. “Yeah, I think I read about that.”
“They are quite the power couple,” Kevin commented, and Scotty immediately picked up on the underlying sarcasm.
He turned to the man sitting next to him and was somewhat surprised to find he couldn’t quite resist the opportunity to tease him. “I saw a picture of you too,” he observed casually. Just before he took a bite of his food, he added, “On theskinnyminnie.com.” He chewed quickly, then swallowed. “Are you really dating Chad Barry?”
Everyone else started snickering into their plates. Kevin wavered for a moment, finally answering, “No. Yeah. I mean, I know him.”
“Like Siegfried knows Roy,” Sarah muttered.
Scotty joined the others in laughter as Kevin glowered at his sister. Still chuckling, Scotty lifted his wine glass to his lips, finishing off his drink and returning the glass to the table.
“Oh,” Kevin said quickly, his voice sounding odd. “Do you need a refill?”
Scotty considered his glass for a minute, but before he could answer, Justin reached out and grabbed the glass.
“I’ll get it,” he said forcefully.
Before he knew it, Kevin and Justin were playing tug of war with his glass, both slightly leaning into his personal space as they fought over it. Scotty sat back, surprised and confused. Justin finally wrestled the glass away.
“I got it,” he said through clenched teeth.
“I’ll help,” Kevin shot back, following him into the kitchen.
Scotty looked around at the others, trying to figure out what just happened. He was relieved to see everyone else was just as shocked. He had been half-worried this was a regular occurrence.
“They are both very polite,” Nora finally said, with a self-conscious laugh.
Kevin and Justin eventually returned, and things settled. For a little while. Scotty was facing Sarah, asking her about her children, when it happened. He felt pressure on his shoulder and he turned. Kevin quickly drew his arm back, and Scotty furrowed his brow in confusion.
“Sorry. You, uh, you had a strand of hair.”
“What?” Scotty asked, twisting to look down at his shoulder.
“Oh God, Kevin,” Justin exclaimed.
Tommy buried his face in his palm, and Scotty glanced across the table at him.
“What’s going on?” Nora asked.
“Tell him the truth,” Justin ordered.
Kevin sighed, and Justin turned to Scotty. “He wants to do a DNA test.”
Scotty’s mouth dropped open as he looked at Kevin again.
“You were the one who got me started,” Kevin reminded Tommy.
Julia turned to Tommy, yelling at him as the others all started talking over each other.
“You tried to steal a piece of my hair to get my DNA?” Scotty asked, still not quite believing.
“I’m going to kill you!” Nora exclaimed behind him, and Scotty quickly moved back as he saw a dinner roll flying past him. Kevin flinched as it him, then glared at his mother in offense.
Scotty closed his mouth, pausing for a second. Then he shook his head. “I think I should go.”
“No, don’t!” Nora said.
“Scotty - ” Kevin began.
But Scotty wouldn’t listen. He slid his chair back and stood. “I don’t need this. You guys came to me,” he reminded them. “This is just…this is too much.” He looked apologetically at Nora, who was now standing herself. “I’m sorry. Thank you for dinner.”
And he walked out.
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