Best Friend's Brother - Chapter Ten

         It took three days for the excitement to wear off.  Sure I was still happy about having a baby but the reality finally sank in.  I was going to be having Matt’s baby and he had a girlfriend.  Whitney was going to be an aunt but I didn't want to tell her brother about the baby because it would screw his life up.  I felt guilty about refusing to tell Bree who the father was but I couldn't bring myself to explain the situation to her.  She knew I’d only slept with one guy but she hadn't pried when I’d refused to tell her a name.  She respected my privacy and I was thankful for that.
         Before I could really think it through I was in my car on my way to Whitney’s house by four o’clock.  I didn't expect her to be home on a Saturday afternoon with three young kids but I had to check.
         I rang the doorbell a second before it was wrenched open by a surprised Whitney.  “Claire, you really don’t want to be here right now.”
         I opened my mouth to ask her why when Anastasia stuck her head into the crack.  “Auntie Claire!” she called loud enough to wake the dead.
         Whitney sighed and opened the door up wide.  “You might as well come in now.”
         I looked at her quizzically and she mouthed the word Matt.  My eyes opened wide and I realized that he was visiting this weekend.  I felt like an idiot for not remembering sooner.
         Anastasia grabbed my hand.  “Come, I want you to meet my new friend.”
         I smiled down at her.  “And who would this friend be?”
         “It’s a surprise!” she said.
         I followed her into the living room where I saw the back of Matt’s head as he watched the TV.  I tensed slightly but forced myself to relax.
         He turned around when Anastasia cleared her throat.  He looked surprised to see me since I’d obviously been avoiding him every time he was in town since our encounter.
         He stood up and his eyes lit a little bit.  “Claire, it’s good to see you.”
         I smiled politely.  “It’s been a while, Matt.”
         He laughed.  “Only about a month or so but I know what you mean.  It’s like I haven’t seen you in forever.”
         There was movement on the couch and I turned to see a small girl with long ginger hair and big green eyes looking at me questioningly.  Her open face fit perfectly with the voice on the phone and it was easy to tell this was Marcie.
         I smiled at her.  “It’s nice to actually meet you, Marcie.”
         Confusion crossed her eyes for a second before she squealed, jumped up, and threw her arms around me.  “Claire!”
         I laughed and tentatively hugged her back.  “I guess we met sooner than was expected.”
         She beamed at me and pulled me to the couch and into the spot that Matt had been occupying.  “Gosh, you’re even more beautiful that I thought you would be.  I’m so happy I don’t need to be worried about you or else I’d be really worried.  You know?”
         I smiled.  “There’s nothing to worry about.  I promise.”
         Matt looked totally lost.  “You two know each other?”
         Marcie waved away the thought.  “It was a single phone call so we don’t really know each other but I can’t wait until we do!”
         My smile felt glued to my face.  “I’m sure we’ll get along just fine.  I have to admit that I didn't expect to see you this weekend.”
         She laughed.  “Well, Matt wasn't going to take me but once he said that he was visiting Whitney I just knew I had to come along.  He let it slip that you two were best friends and I thought that if I stuck around enough I’d eventually run into you while we were here.”
         I had to laugh at her enthusiasm.  I didn't have the heart to tell her I had planned to stay away from Matt until after the baby was born.  It would just complicate things that didn't need to be complicated.
         Whitney appeared with a crying Simon on her hip.  “Claire, he’s crying because of something he won’t tell me.  He said only you would know what to do.  A little help?”
         I smiled for real and stood up.  I slid Simon into my arms and he buried his snotty face into my neck.  “I’ll be right back.”
         I carried him upstairs into his bedroom and then sat on his bed with him.  “What’s wrong, Bud?”
         “J-J-Jace found out I'm a super hero.  My powers will d-d-d- go poof!”
         I stroked his hair and rocked him slightly.  “Shh, you’ll be okay.  I’m sure I can create a forget spell that’ll work on him and then your powers will come back, right?”
         He shook his head.  “You can’t!”
         I kissed his head.  “Aw, Simon.  I’m your sidekick, right?”  He nodded reluctantly.  “Then it’s my job to help solve this.  I made the promise to protect you secret, right?”
         He nodded again and stopped crying.  “Can you?”
         I kissed his head again and nodded.  I would do anything for the little boy in my arms.  “Give me five minutes and I’ll have everything fix, okay?  I’ll bring you to Mommy and you can keep her busy while I make the potion, alright?”
         He smiled and I stood up to carry him downstairs.  He wiped his nose on my shirt – my very expensive shirt – but I pretended not to notice.
         Whitney was waiting at the bottom of the stairs and she smiled when Simon held his arms out to her.  “Basement!” he cried.
         I laughed as I watched them head for the basement.  Once they were out of sight I went in search of Jace.
         He was playing with his toys in the kitchen so it would be easier than I thought to get this done with quickly.
         He looked up when I entered and smiled.  “I know a secret!”
         I pretended to be surprised.  “Really?”
         He nodded.  “It’s really good, too!”
         “Can you tell me?” I asked crouching down to his level.
         He crawled over to me and put his hands around my ears.  “Simon’s a super hero.”
         I gasped and did my best to look shocked.  “No way!”
         He nodded very seriously.  “I saw him being all super.  I swear.”
         I pretended to think about this.  “Wait, if you know about this, wouldn't his powers vanish?”
         Jace’s eyes widened.  “Oh no!  What do we do?”
         “Hmm,” I said all seriously.  “I think we need to forget all about this.”
         “But how, Auntie Claire?”
         I snapped my fingers like I got a great idea.  “I know!  My Mama taught me this thing in case anyone found out something they needed to forget but didn't know how to.  It’s a secret but I think we need to use it!”
         Jace nodded seriously.  “What is it?  A potion?”
         I nodded and stood up.  “Shall we see if we have all the ingredients?”
         He nodded.  “Can I see what they are?”
         I pretended to think about it.  “I don’t know, my Mama told me never to show the secret recipe to anyone.”
         He deflated slightly.  “You can’t go against your Mama’s word.  I guess I can’t know.”
         “How about if you help me put it together but don’t know what’s in it?  Then you’d be a big help to me, Jace.”
         He jumped up and smiled.  “I can mix it together?”
         I smiled right back at him.  “Sure thing!”
         “Deal!”
         I laughed and opened the fridge.  Inside there was a lot of juice so I took out a couple kinds that I thought would taste good together.
         I held the juice behind my back and smiled at Jace.  “Close your eyes so I can get it ready.  I think we have everything we need here.”
         He did as I asked with a giant smile. 
         I took out cups and poured a little bit of juice into each one.  Once the last bottle was back in the fridge I closed the door. 
         “You can open your eyes now,” I said.
         Jace’s eyes popped open and he gasped at the cups.  He didn't realize that some of them held the same things but that was part of the magic.  “My turn?”
         I nodded and held him where he could reach the glasses.
         He happily went to work mixing this and that until the juice took on a very unattractive shade of brown.  He made sure that two glasses held the same amount and he handed one to me.  “You need one, too.”
         I nodded seriously and set him down.  “Are you ready for this?”
         He nodded.  “You ready?”
         I nodded just as seriously as he had.  “One, two –”
         “Three!” he yelled before downing the glass of juice.  He giggled when it was gone.  “It was a sweet potion!”
         I finished mine and nodded.  It tasted better than I thought it would.  “It’s very sweet.  Just like you.”
         He giggled again.  “Don’t you feel funny?”
         I nodded a little.  “I feel like I’m forgetting something magical.”
         He nodded.  “Me, too.  I think we did it!”
         “Did what?” I asked with a wink.
         He giggled.  “I don’t know.”
         I laughed and he giggled all the way back to his toys.
         I left him to his playing and found Simon asking Whitney whether it had been five minutes yet.  I popped my head into the basement so that they could see me.
         Simon smiled wide.  “Did you do it?”
         I smiled back at him and nodded.  “Mission accomplished.  Jace doesn't remember anything.”
         Whitney looked between us.  “What doesn't Jace know?”
         Simon whispered something to Whitney and she gasped.  “You don’t say!”
         He nodded and smiled at me.  “I think we need the potion again, Auntie Cwaire!”
         I laughed and nodded.  “I think your Mama does need the potion.”