Red Rain

21

At LaGuardia Airport, Mark hugged Lea and held her close, wrapped her up like a prize that had almost been lost. He wanted to plant a hundred kisses on her face. The strong emotion welled in him, taking him by surprise. He was usually so level, no tidal waves of feeling rocking his calm.

But he let her go when he saw the two blond creatures gazing at him. My new sons?

Yes, they were beautiful boys. Their deep blue eyes were almost unreal. And Lea’s description-angels-came pretty close to describing the sweetness, the innocence on their pale faces.

So why didn’t he feel some kind of immediate connection with them? The wave of emotion seemed to pull back, leaving him with an empty feeling as he stared at the boys over Lea’s shoulder.

He didn’t want them here. He had argued with Lea almost until their plane had taken off. But he hoped that when he saw them. . when he actually saw the two angels, he would fall for them the way Lea had, and his doubts and objections would fade away.

What a disappointment that their hopeful blue-eyed stares only aroused a feeling of dread.

And now, after the long drive to Sag Harbor, here they were in his house. About to meet his kids. About to join his family.

Just like that. Two strangers to take care of and worry about. And love.

The boys seem really happy to be here, Mark thought. They haven’t stopped smiling.

Guiding them to the living room, Lea stood behind them, as if backing them up, or maybe blocking any retreat. Her expression was tense. Mark noticed her eyes were bloodshot. She had one hand lightly on Samuel’s slender shoulder.

Ira stood halfway up the stairs, his chin on the wooden banister. He stared down warily at the two boys, gripping the banister tightly with both hands as if holding on for dear life.

He’s staring at them like they were circus freaks. I told Ira to give them a friendly welcome. Did he forget?

“Ira, come down and say hi to your new brothers.” Mark motioned him down.

“Hi,” he said, without budging from his perch.

“Ira, come down.” Lea’s voice sounded tight, shriller than usual. “Can’t you shake hands?”

“Kids don’t shake hands.” Ira’s reply.

The twins gazed up at him with those sweet smiles on their faces. Their blue eyes appeared to glow. Like jewels, Mark thought. They are extraordinary-looking. He thought of beautifully crafted dolls.

Except they were so skinny, so gaunt. The red T-shirts and long white shorts hung on them like scarecrow clothes. Their flat white sneakers were as long as clown shoes.

We’ve got to buy them clothes. Then see about putting some meat on their bones.

The twins stepped forward, almost in unison, and gazed around the living room. “How nice is this?” Samuel said. “We never had a couch.” He put a hand on the back of the green leather couch and squeezed it. Mark saw that when he removed his hand, he left a sweat stain on the leather.

Daniel turned back to Ira on the stairs. “Do you like to swim?”

Ira scrunched up his face, as if he had to think about it. “Not if the water’s cold.”

Is he going to say anything friendly or positive?

Guess it’ll take time.

“Where do you like to swim?” Daniel asked Ira. He was definitely trying to break the ice. “In the bay or in the ocean?”

“My friend Ethan has a pool,” Ira said, chin on the banister. He didn’t move from behind the bars of the banister, safe in his cage up there.

Roz came bursting into the room from the kitchen, holding Axl by one hand as the chubby, dark-haired boy toddled beside her. She wore a long blue denim sleeveless dress and was barefoot, as usual. Axl had a little sunburn on his arms. She had taken him to the bay beach this morning.

“Welcome! Welcome!” Roz threw her arms around Daniel and hugged him, then pulled his brother into a hug, as if they had known each other for years. Roz wasn’t usually this demonstrative, but she had told Mark she planned to do all she could to welcome the boys into a warm home.

Axl stuck out his stubby arms toward the twins, as if he wanted a hug, too. To everyone’s surprise, including Axl’s, Samuel picked the two-year-old up in his arms and hugged him. Axl grabbed a fistful of the boy’s blond hair and tugged it hard. Samuel laughed and spun Axl around.

His twin watched the whole thing with a dimpled smile. When Samuel returned Axl to the floor, Daniel pointed at the toddler. “He’s funny-looking.”

Roz’s happy expression changed. “What did you say?”

“He’s funny-looking. His face makes me laugh.”

Roz moved toward Axl as if she had to protect him. “He has a perfectly nice face. And his hair is coming in nice and curly.”

“He’s funny-looking,” Daniel repeated. “No lie.”

Lea stepped toward him and spoke up. “Sometimes it’s better to say something nice,” she said.

“Sometimes.” Daniel’s smile returned. He exchanged a quick glance with his brother. “But the laddy looks like a chimpanzee, don’t you know?”

“Panzee,” Axl repeated. He giggled. He seemed to like the word. “Panzee.”

Roz started to say something but restrained herself. “Well, I hope you boys like it here. Welcome to our family.”

“We like it already,” Samuel said. “We never had a couch.”

“Mark, show them their room,” Lea said.

But before Mark could move, the front door swung open, letting in a burst of warm sunshine, followed by Elena. She stopped at the door and called to the new arrivals. “Hey, guys! You’re here!”

They turned and studied her.

She swept into the room and shook hands with both of them at once. “Oh, wow. How do I tell you apart?”

“I’m the smart one,” Daniel said.

“He’s the weird one,” Samuel told her.

“You can tell them by the dimples,” Lea offered. “See? Daniel has those dimples on his cheeks and Samuel doesn’t.”

“Weird,” Elena said. She squinted at them. “Do you always dress alike?”

“Your mum bought us this,” Daniel said, tugging at the baggy red T-shirt. “We lost our clothes. We lost everything.” His voice cracked on the last word. He lowered his eyes.

“Don’t worry.” Lea stepped up behind them and put a hand on each one’s shoulder. “That’s the first thing on my list. We’ll go shopping and buy you all the clothes you need.”

They turned their heads and smiled up at her.

Lea sighed. “Oh, I’m just so happy you are both here. Look at me. I have tears in my eyes.” She walked over to Mark and pressed her face against the front of his shirt. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“Panzee,” Axl offered.

Daniel reached down and picked Axl up again. Axl poked his nose against Daniel’s nose. “Chimpanzee,” Daniel said.

“Panzee.” Axl repeated the word.

Daniel lifted his eyes to Roz. “Do you feed him lots and lots of bananas?”

Roz squinted at him. “Excuse me?”

“You know. Chimpanzee food?”

Again, Mark saw Roz restrain herself. “I guess I’ll have to get used to your sense of humor, Daniel.”

Samuel snickered. “Daniel doesn’t have a sense of humor. He’s just strange, don’t you know.”

“Chimpanzee,” Daniel and Axl said in unison. Then they both giggled.

Daniel turned back to Roz. “He’s my new pet.”

Roz’s mouth dropped open.

Daniel twirled Axl above his head. Axl laughed. “Yes, boyo. You’re my new pet. Gonna slip you lots and lots of peanuts.”

“Panzee,” Axl repeated and tossed back his head and giggled.

“Look how sweet they are,” Lea whispered, leaning her head against Mark’s shoulder and squeezing his arm. “They’re being so nice to Axl. Isn’t that the sweetest?”

“I’m not sure Roz would agree with you,” Mark whispered back, watching Daniel twirl Axl faster and faster. “She looks upset.”

“They’re just being playful,” Lea said, tears glistening in her eyes. “They don’t know they insulted Roz. They’re not trying to be mean.”

The twins appeared to like their attic room. Mark had hired some local carpenters to add walls and finish the ceiling and carpet the floor and paint the room a comforting pastel blue-green.

The eaves were low, so they all had to duck their heads. He and Roz had gone to Hildreth’s, the old department store in Southampton, and bought soft-looking, comfortable, homey furniture for the room. And twin beds, which Mark placed side by side at the end of the attic, with the window looking down to the backyard.

Now they were bouncing on their beds, giggling and raising their hands to the low ceiling. Watching them, Lea clapped her hands and let out a gleeful cheer. “They like the room, Mark.” She kissed his cheek. Her face was wet from her tears.

Mark playfully tugged her hair. “I’m glad you’re so happy.”

“I am happy. I just know we’re doing the right thing. I have such a strong feeling. . ”

Elena stood behind them at the top of the attic stairs. She appeared to be studying the twins as if they were zoo specimens. Ira had chosen not to join them up here.

Earlier in the week, when Mark broke the news to Elena that Lea was coming home with two orphaned boys, he was prepared for some kind of strong reaction. He didn’t expect the shrug he received and the muttered “Whatever.”

Then she quickly added, “As long as they stay out of my room and don’t annoy my friends.”

That broke the tension. “They’re going to be a little strange at first,” he warned her. “They grew up on a tiny island. And they’ve been through a lot of tragedy.”

Elena rolled her eyes. “Dad, they’re twelve, right? Of course they’re going to be strange.”

They both laughed.

He knew Elena would take it in stride, as she did everything. There would definitely be problems with her along the way. A teenager with three younger brothers in the house? No way there wouldn’t be conflicts and fights and tears. But Elena could always be counted on to ride out any emotional wave.

Ira was a different story. Take him to town for lunch and talk to him again? Tell him he had to pitch in and make this work? Tell him the family really needed his help?

Mark knew he’d just roll his eyes and say, “Tell me something I don’t know.”

Or worse: “Shut up, Dad. You’re a jerk. ”

The twins were on their backs now, sprawled on the beds, luxuriating, sinking their heads into the pale green pillows. The room was pale blue and green, water colors, soothing and perhaps, a reminder of their island home.

Roz and Mark had put a lot of thought into all this while Lea was working to bring them off the island.

“Let’s show the boys the rest of the house,” Lea said. “Come on, get up, guys. We’ll give you the grand tour.”

Elena led the way downstairs. Her room was at the near end of the hall. She pushed the door open so the boys could take a glimpse. Above her bed, she had a framed poster of a girl gymnast, arms outstretched, flying high in the air. The closet door was covered with cutout photos of actors from the teen-trauma TV shows she watched on her computer. Skirts and jeans and colorful tops were strewn all over the floor. Elena had a lot of good qualities, but she wasn’t neat.

“Nice room,” Daniel said. He pushed Samuel out of the doorway to get a better look. He pointed to the gymnast poster. “Is that you?”

Elena rolled her eyes. “I wish.”

Daniel started into the room, but Elena pushed a hand against his chest. “Two words to remember about my room, guys,” she said.

They trained their blue eyes on her. “Two words?” Daniel asked.

“Keep out,” she said.

They both burst out laughing. As if she had made a hilarious joke. They laughed and shook their heads. Daniel raised his hand for Elena to slap him a high five.

“You’re funny, Elena,” he said. Samuel nodded agreement.

“I’m serious,” Elena insisted.

“Let’s move on with the tour,” Mark said. He guided the boys to the next room. His office. He pointed out the desktop PC and his shelves of psychology books, and the piece of moon rock on his desk. They took a quick glance but didn’t seem at all interested.

At the end of the hall, Elena said, “This is Ira’s room.”

The boys shoved each other as they eagerly trotted down the hall. Their too-big sneakers made floppy sounds on the thick, white carpet. They all burst into Ira’s room.

He lay sprawled on the bed, white earplugs in his ears, tapping away on a handheld game player. He didn’t stop or look up as everyone invaded his room.

“Ira?” Mark called. “Earth calling Ira. You have visitors.”

Ira tapped away, eyes on the game player.

The twins walked around the room. Daniel strode to the two windows, pushed back the gray curtains, and gazed down at the front yard and the street. Afternoon sunlight poured in, making his blond hair glow.

Ira’s room was bare and undecorated. The walls were plain white. On the narrow strip of wall between the windows, he had a small, framed photograph of himself shaking hands with New York’s governor, after Ira had won a state citizenship essay contest.

No other art or decoration in the room except for a small black stenciled octopus on the wall over his headboard. Mark didn’t understand the octopus. Ira wasn’t into sea life at all. In fact, he was timid and frightened around the ocean.

A low bookshelf stood beside the long white counter that served as his desk. The closet door was closed. No dirty clothing on the floor.

Ira didn’t like clutter. He said keeping his room white and bare helped him concentrate on his homework. Nothing to distract him. And he said it helped him sleep at night because there were no scary shadows.

Samuel studied Ira’s laptop. Photos of Ira and his friends on a class trip shuffled on the screen, Ira’s screensaver. Daniel moved to the bed and sat down on the edge of the white quilt.

Lea tugged the earplugs from Ira’s ears. He sat up straight, blinking in surprise. “Hey-”

“We’re showing Daniel and Samuel the house,” Lea said. “Do you want to tell them anything about your room?”

Ira shook his head. “Not really.”

“Awesome room,” Samuel said. “Sunny. Like an island morning, you know?”

Lea leaned toward Mark. “Don’t you love their accent? Sometimes the way they talk. . it’s like poetry.”

Daniel stepped up to Ira. His face turned serious. “Can I have your room?”

A short laugh burst from Ira’s throat. “Huh? I don’t think so.”

Lea took a step toward Daniel. “You like Ira’s room, sweetheart? It’s kind of bare, don’t you think?”

Daniel didn’t respond. He wrapped a hand around Ira’s upper arm. His eyes locked intently on Ira’s startled face.

“No. Really,” Daniel said, lowering his voice. “Can I have your room?”

Ira raised his eyes to Mark. A pleading glance. Mark felt too stunned to react.

“I’ll have your room,” Daniel repeated, patting Ira’s shoulder. “Okay?”