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“Should I wear a tie?”
Spencer glanced up from tying his shoes to look at Jack. “You don’t have to wear a tie.” The boy was definitely his father’s son. In anticipation of meeting Diana Reid, he had put on his nicest pair of pants and a dress shirt. He was holding up his favorite tie featuring Captain America on in.
“You’re wearing a tie.” Jack looked at him like he had grown an extra head since he had gotten out of the shower.
Spencer laughed. “I always wear ties. I’m dressed the way I normally dress. You’re the one that’s dressing up. You can wear the tie if you want. My mom won’t care.”
The boy considered for a moment. “I want to wear it.” He moved in front of Spencer and held it out.
“I’m doing it my way. Not your dad’s way.” Spencer informed him, taking the tie. He draped it across his lap and reached up to undo the top button of Jack’s collar. He tied the tie loosely and left it hanging slightly off-center. “Let’s roll up your sleeves too. For that extra cool.”
Jack grinned at him before turning serious. “Do you think she’ll like me?”
“My mom is going to think you’re great. But remember that she’s sick. She might not even know who I am, so don’t take it personally if she doesn’t know who you are.” Spencer stood up and grabbed his messenger bag.
“I know.” The boy nodded and took Spencer’s hand after shrugging on his backpack. They went to the lobby of the hotel and caught a cab to the sanitarium where Diana lived. Jack waited patiently while Spencer checked in at the visitor’s desk.
“Who’s your mini-me, Doctor Reid?” The nurse smiled warmly and offered Jack a sucker from a basket on the counter.
He signed the logbook for the pair of them. “My fiance’s son. I thought if she was having a good day that I could introduce him to my mom.”
“It’s been a good morning so far. She’s out on the terrace in fact. Would you like me to show you back?”
“No, that’s okay. I remember where it is.” He led Jack to the terrace. He paused just outside the door to look around. He spotted his mother sitting on a bench in the shade reading a book. He squeezed Jack’s hand gently when it slipped into his own. They went over. “Hi, Mom.”
“Spencer, did I know you were coming?” Diana smiled up at him.
He shook his head and leaned over to kiss her cheek. “No. Last minute trip.”
“Sit.” She waved her hand at a chair across from her. She watched him settle in the chair with Jack on his lap. “You’re Jack. Spencer’s letters are full of you. He even sent me a picture.”
“Really?” Jack grinned at Spencer over his shoulder.
Diana nodded and flipped her book open to the back of the book. “I keep it in whichever book I’m currently reading with a photo of Spencer.” She removed the two photos and held them out for Jack’s inspection.
Jack smiled and passed them back to her. “I brought you a present.” He opened his backpack and fished out a small wrapped box. He held it out to her nervously and chewed his lip while she unwrapped and opened the box to reveal a silver picture frame containing a photo of him with Spencer and Aaron.
“It’s lovely. Thank you, Jack. We can put it in my room later.” She held her arms out and gestured for him to come hug her. She smoothed his hair while she cradled him against her. She patted the seat next to her. “Sit with me while I catch up with Spencer.” He grinned and settled next to her, taking out a book to read.
Spencer smiled watching his mom keep her arm around Jack while they talked about the latest happenings in his life. It was a relief that she had accepted the boy so quickly. Their conversation turned to wedding plans. “Are you sure you don’t want us to come here for the wedding, Mom?”
“I’m sure, Spencer. All of your friends are back east. Stay there. One of the nurses said that she can help me use something called Skype to watch it.” She nodded.
“We use Skype when Dad and Papa are traveling. I can hold the laptop at the wedding.” Jack’s head popped up.
Diana stroked his hair. “So you’re an expert then? Maybe you should teach me how to use it.”
“Aunt Penny’s the expert. It took her ages to teach Dad and Papa how to use it. I can still show you though if you have a laptop.” He smiled at her hopefully.
“I don’t have my own, but maybe once in a while, I could use one of the center’s computers so you and I could use it. Let’s go put this frame away and ask a nurse while Spencer finds us some coffee.” She smiled back at him.
“Okay…” Spencer nodded. His mom hated computers, but she was agreeing to Skype with Jack. He didn’t want either of them getting hurt when she couldn’t follow through. He followed them inside, turning left towards the public dining room for coffee while they turned right towards the patient rooms. He fixed a cup of coffee for his mom and himself and grabbed a soda for Jack. He started towards his mom’s room. He found it empty but noticed that the picture frame had been placed on the nightstand next to a framed picture of him as a child.
“They’re in the computer lab. Your son is so sweet,” a nurse smiled passing by.
“Thanks. Down there?” he pointed. At her nod, he went down the hall. He slipped inside the room silently so he could watch Jack showing Diana how to use the computer. The boy patiently helped her get the hang of the mouse and explained what the different icons on the desktop were for.
The pair opened Skype, and Jack chewed his lip thoughtfully. “Um, Dad’s at a conference. Aunt Jess was doing something with her boyfriend, so we can’t Skype either of them. Maybe Aunt Penny? She almost always takes my Skype call. She’s not really my aunt. She works with Dad and Papa, but I call all of them Aunt or Uncle.” He explained and typed in what he needed to contact the tech analyst.
She answered quickly. “Hey, Jack!” She chirped happily as soon as she saw him.
“Hi, Aunt Penny. I’m trying to teach Grandma how to use Skype so we can talk sometimes.” Jack waved. Spencer nearly dropped the drinks he was holding when he heard Jack call his mother Grandma.
“Hello, Mrs. Reid, we’ve met briefly before. It’s nice to see you again.” Penelope smiled.
Diana frowned slightly. “I’m sorry. I don’t remember that.”
“No big. Hey, Spencer,” she said when he stepped up behind them.
“I already let you have coffee with breakfast,” he said when Jack made a face at the soda he was handed. “Hi, Penelope. Did Jack interrupt anything important?”
“He’s usually more important than anything I’ve got going.” She shook her head with a smile. “How’s the trip so far?”
“Good. Papa says we can go to the M&M store later.” Jack grinned.
Penelope grinned and clapped her hands. “Bring me a bag of only pink ones, please?”
He nodded. “We will.”
She glanced to the side and nodded at someone offscreen. “I need to go now, Sweetie, but I’m glad you’re having a good trip. Remember all the details to tell me when you get back.”
“Okay, bye Aunt Penny.” Jack waved and turned off the Skype. He turned to Diana “Want me to write down the instructions?”
“Please.” She nodded. “Let’s go to the common room.” Jack nodded and picked up his backpack and led the way.
Spencer watched his mother. “Mom, why are you doing the computer thing? You hate computers.”
“He’s a sweet boy,” she said and sipped her coffee. Her son studied her for signs that she was slipping away from her lucidity. “Stop looking at me like that. I’m fine.”
“I don’t want him to be disappointed when you’re having a bad day and can’t talk to him.” It pained him to admit to his mother that he didn’t have faith that she would always be as lucid as she was in that moment, but he had to be realistic and protect Jack from being hurt.
She stopped walking and put a gentle hand on his arm. “The amazing thing about children is that they understand much more than you realize they do. He knows that I’m sick and that I won’t always be able to talk to him on that thing. But he wants to know that when I feel up to it, he can talk to me.”
He frowned at her. “He didn’t say any of that.”
“You didn’t even know he’d written to me, did you?” She pulled a folded envelope out of her pocket and held it out. She waited while he read the letter from Jack introducing himself and explaining that he was going to be Spencer’s son soon. He had detailed a lot of his life for the woman including his love for all things Captain America. He wrote about how he had borrowed his aunt’s laptop to research her schizophrenia so he could understand why she lived in the sanitarium. Spencer smiled when he read the admission that the boy had copied her address off one of Spencer’s letters and that neither his Papa or Dad knew he was writing. The letter ended with the remark that he would like to write to her again and a postscript inquiring if he could call her Grandma. “While you were fetching our drinks, I told him he could.”
“Could what?” Spencer handed the letter back.
“Call me Grandma and write to me again. He knows that I’m not always myself. He’s a very bright child. I see you in him already. You’re a great father, Spencer.” She patted his cheek and turned into the common room.