Chubby and crew cut, with big glasses, Andy looked more like the Michelin man than the athlete I had pictured as Ivor\u2019s companion. But the calm, gentle way he took my hand, made me like him right away.<\/p>\n
The pair lived in a stucco house from the 1920s, half way up the Oakland hills, with hardwood floors, moldings, baseboards, a built-in china cabinet. The smell of pizza hit us the moment we stepped inside. Andy had baked a homemade crust and stewed a sauce with fresh tomatoes.<\/p>\n
The kids, I suppose, couldn\u2019t tell the difference between that and Round Table, but after Penny and Matt\u2019s starvation diet, I was happy to help myself to a fourth slice. Andy smiled shyly at me. \u201cGlad you like it,\u201d he said. \u201cNo, that\u2019s okay, there\u2019s plenty. Have some more salad?\u201d<\/p>\n
The kids soon took off for Gabriel\u2019s and Megan\u2019s rooms. In a moment paper airplanes were twisting down the stairwell to where the three of us sat swapping stories of parenthood. \u201cYou should see Megan when she\u2019s angry.\u201d Andy smiled and shook his head. \u201cShe turns purple, opens her mouth and nothing comes out for a good count of ten. You\u2019re standing there, waiting and she\u2019s just frozen in that pose, mouth gaping, as if trying to remember how to do it, and then all of a sudden comes the most piercing yowl you ever heard.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, well!\u201d A memory came back to me. \u201cI know where she gets that.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s exactly the word we used. \u2018Ivor\u2019s yowl.\u2019” I turned to Ivor. “Remember that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d said Ivor.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, come on. I bet you still do it once in a while.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI never.\u201d<\/p>\n
I was helping myself to a little more Cabernet when a sound like a lion with a megaphone blasted me so suddenly I knocked my glass over with the bottle.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, Ivor!\u201d Andy leapt up for a sponge.<\/p>\n
There was a rustle of footsteps on the stairs and in a moment all four kids had appeared. \u201cDad!\u201d Gabriel said. \u201cWhy did you do your yowl?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAunt Adrienne asked me to.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo it again,\u201d said Dante.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want to scare Chloe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chloe grabbed my leg. \u201cI like noises,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIvor, no,\u201d said Andy.<\/p>\n
But once again Ivor unleashed the monster. Dishes seemed to tremble on the table. Chloe hid her face in my lap.<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry,\u201d Ivor said. He leaned over to smile at her. \u201cSee, just me. Don\u2019t be scared.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chloe\u2019s voice came muffled. \u201cI\u2019m not.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAgain,\u201d said Gabriel.<\/p>\n
\u201cEnough!\u201d said Andy. \u201cOr I\u2019m going to call the Animal Control Department.\u201d He collected up the plates and headed for the kitchen.<\/p>\n
\u201cGo on upstairs,\u201d Ivor said to the kids. \u201cStart putting your toys away if you want time for a book.\u201d<\/p>\n
Megan, Dante and Gabriel hurried back upstairs. Chloe climbed on to me, finger in her mouth.<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry about that,\u201d Ivor said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, she\u2019s fine,\u201d I said. \u201cYou\u2019re good at this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYowling?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cKids.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ivor said nothing, stuffing a napkin into its ring.<\/p>\n
Andy reappeared with a dishtowel in his hand. \u201cCan we use you as a witness?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy? Is there a hearing?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot yet,\u201d Andy said. \u201cBut we\u2019re heading there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCourt?\u201d<\/p>\n
Andy leaned on the back of a chair. \u201cYou know, Julia lives only a couple of miles away from here. She\u2019s single. She complains constantly about juggling her job and her kids. She has them in daycare half the time, which she \u2013 we \u2013 can\u2019t really afford. But she won\u2019t think of letting them live here.\u201d<\/p>\n
I turned to Ivor. \u201cYou\u2019re trying to get custody?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou remember I said Goal Number One was finding Andy? Goal Number Two is getting to see my children every day. Or at least every week. I would love to have them live with me at least part time, say in the summer. But Julia won\u2019t go along with that. She\u2019s still very wounded. And I don\u2019t want to fight with her. Right now, I\u2019m just getting to the point where she can trust me enough to let go sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTell Adrienne about your commune idea,\u201d Andy said.<\/p>\n
Ivor swiveled to frown at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d Andy spread his hands innocently.<\/p>\n
I turned to Ivor. \u201cCommune?\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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