Page 12 of Collin: Episodes 10-12
Diego frowned. He patted Collin on the shoulder. “Okay. Okay.”
Mr. Reevesworth joined Collin on the porch a few minutes later. He took off a pair of gloves ignoring the stink eye his security guard was giving him.
“What did you do?” Collin glanced between the two of them.
“I inspected the roof.” Mr. Reevesworth looked pleased with himself. “It’s been a long time, but I did roofing work before Linda and I found out we were inheriting our uncle’s estate.”
“Oh.” Collin rubbed the back of his head. “What did you find?”
“It needs replacing, badly, but so far, I don’t see real water damage inside except around one window upstairs. We’re fortunate it’s a drier climate here.”
“I don’t think Mom’s going to want to talk about fixing the roof.”
“Probably not.” Mr. Reevesworth pressed his lips into a thin line.
Dr. Ryker started setting up the ritual space in the backyard a little while later. She still wasn’t speaking to anyone but Alice, though that was only because Alice ventured out with hot chocolate and microwave-warmed waffles. She came back and joined Collin and Mr. Reevesworth in the kitchen and sat in Collin’s lap.
“I think Mom was crying about Dad again. She’s got the big sunglasses on.”
Collin hugged his sister. “Crying means that they loved each other. That’s a good thing.”
“I know. But why does it feel like it’s a good thing that won’t let her have any other good things?” Alice slumped forward, elbows on the table, and rested her chin in her hands. “How about you, Mr. Richard? Do you still have your dad?”
“My father had a complicated relationship with family, but he tried. He had me and my sister when he was older, though. And he traveled a lot.”
“I’m sorry.” Alice twisted her fingers.
Mr. Reevesworth shook his head. “Don’t be. Linda, my sister, is my only blood relation. But we do have family and close friends to rely on. Holidays are never lonely.”
“Well, now you have me, too!”
Mr. Reevesworth inclined his head. “Yes, we do. Have you picked a weekend to come out, yet?”
Alice sat up straight, almost hitting Collin with her shoulder. “No! Let me do that.”
Dr. Ryker was cold and distant in the afternoon and going into the evening. Alice put on a Halloween outfit—Robin from One Piece with the big white hat and sunglasses—and filled a large plastic pumpkin with candy to hand out on the porch. The security guards conferred with Mr. Reevesworth and split their positions. One was out on the street leaning against the car, and one was inside by the front window in the living room. Arturo and his family appeared to have kept Collin’s presence quiet, and there were no cameras or news people joining the trick-or-treaters. Collin put on a face mask and glasses and told all the kids he was dressed up as a spy. In his nice new black suit, they believed him. A couple of the adults joked that he was double-oh seven or part of The Matrix.
Mr. Reevesworth, however, stayed back. At some point, he was on the phone, but then he returned to the living room.
“Everything all right, sir?” Collin asked in a break between fairy princesses and Spidermen.
“Just calling my sister for advice,” Mr. Reevesworth said. “I’m thinking we will head back early, maybe even tonight, well, after midnight.”
“If you want to, sir.”
“What do you have planned here for tomorrow?”
“Nothing.” Collin shrugged. “We’re not really do things kind of people. If we need to go back, then we can go back.”
“Do you need to stay?”
Collin grimaced. He glanced back at Alice, who was chatting with the security guard. “Alice is coming out soon, so I think it’s okay. Mom isn’t very social right now, but she’ll ask when I’m coming back if I leave early.”
“But what do you need, Collin?”
Collin’s shoulders slumped. “Honestly, sir, I’d like to be home. I feel bad, but…”
“I’ll see about changing our flight time, then.”
