WHO: Rhett and Xo WHEN: Afternoon, Saturday the 18th WHERE: Along the Snoqualmie. :D SUMMARY: Rhett's shoots his 5,000 dollar picnic lunch before it even begins by asking Xo for a paternity test. What follows is not fun for either of them. WARNINGS: Paternity, custody, arguments
When someone had told him about the picnic auction, Rhett had been intrigued. Lunch with a mystery-person? What wasn’t to like? The auction itself hadn’t gone anything like Rhett had planned and he was still more than a bit confused about the schematics, but it had been a wholly new experience and Rhett sincerely hoped that someone made a romantic comedy centered on the event one day.
If only that had been the Fall City idea that had caught Cecelia’s eye.
Rhett was looking for a nice spot along the Snoqualmie. “It’s an intriguing tradition, isn’t it?”
This was, well, not exactly what Xo had been expecting. Sure the picnic she had. After all, that had been the whole point. After all, why else would she have made a basket or helped put together the event?
“I've always liked it.” Is what she said instead, with all the confidence it came with. “Which means it's always fun when I get to help run it. So I didn't make as many extra baskets this year.”
“You make extra baskets?” Rhett wasn't sure if she meant for herself or for others.
“Oh yeah, for people who say they won’t make one but I know that they want to. They’re just too shy or too proud or two wrapped up in their own concept of masculinity.” Xo waved it off. “But then they always have fun.”
Rhett chuckled. “It sounds like quite the service. The people here are lucky to have someone like you looking out for them. If you survive the bidding, I can’t imagine any real harm a picnic lunch can do. Maybe you make a new friend. Maybe an enemy becomes friendlier. In any case, it’s food and a good cause.”
The only downside had been when JJ and Henry March had been trying to steal Hugh’s basket. Rhett still did not understand why either man would do so.
“There’s something I’ve been meaning to speak to you about.” Maybe Rhett buying her basket was fortuitous. Or maybe Rhett was about to eat his own words and create an unpleasant picnic lunch.
Well that depended entirely on who got your basket. She could only imagine what Tia Lola would do with Eddie. But then again at least Eddie would likely have fun so there was that. “It’s true. Plus, who doesn’t like a surprise?” she smiled off the thought.
But the next point was a surprise. “Really? Should I go on the record?” she teased gently.
Rhett laughed at that and shook his head. “No, no, no. Not necessary.” He sobered. He was quiet while he tried to phrase. “Some things my sister and niece have said have thrown into doubt something that I've always taken as a certainty. Which, in retrospect, I can see how that may have been foolish…”
Rhett made eye contact. “I want to know for certain whether or not Oliver is our son. If you are willing, I would like to do the test, if you are open to that? I do not intend to change anything you do not want changed. You're his mother, you've already made great sacrifices to raise him the way you wish. But if he is, I do not want to continue to shirk any responsibility through ignorance. If he isn't, I can at least narrow that field for you and for him one day if he ever wishes to find out who his father is.”
What started with a laugh quickly led to the chill of blood draining from Xo’s cheeks as Rhett continued on. Defenses were raised immediately and Xo’s arms found themselves crossing without her even being conscious of it. She stopped following him, staring at the back of his head.
“There is no our. Or them. There’s just my son.” Xo’s voice went flat.
Rhett stopped too. He turned and looked at her. “He will always be your son. I don't want you to feel like I am trying to take anything away. That's not my intention. But if you are open to it, I would like to know.”
“Why?” Xo’s frown seemed to crack her face, stormy and defensive. “What would it even begin to change?”
Rhett’s face broke. His brow furrowed, eyes a mixture of hurt and upset. “Having had a child, how can you even ask that?”
“I had a child.” Xo replied, her jaw set against whatever hurt expression Rhett might decide to throw at her. “And I’m not about to let anyone take him away from me.”
“I am not going to take your son away from you,” Rhett repeated.
“Oh really?” she insisted. “And if somehow that test came back that you were his father, you’re just going to do nothing about it?”
“Of course, I'd do something! Of course. And we would discuss that when the time came. But I would never take him away from you. I would never take a child from their mother, and I would never take Oliver away from you. You two are a package deal. I would not split you up.”
“You wouldn’t take him, but you just have all the money to pay your fancy lawyer to make sure you got what you wanted.” Xo glared at him, setting down her basket on the ground. “It was a one night fling, Rhett. And you seemed perfectly happy with not knowing.”
“It was a one night fling, but the timing means that it could have resulted in more. I am not happy with not knowing. I didn’t know that I didn’t know.”
“My lawyer does what I want her to do, and hurting you or taking your son from you is not what I'd want. If it’s necessary, I’d do a contract to it. If that would reassure you.” Rhett stepped forward to close the distance between them. “You are an incredible woman. You work hard. You are smart and funny and kind. You are willing to do anything for your family and friends and you love the people around you with this unrivaled passion and intensity that could topple anything in its path. You’re the best thing in his life. Whether Olly is or he isn't, there isn't one second in his life where he could have you that I would not want him to.”
Xo stepped away, her chin held high and stubborn. “A contract? That's supposed to make me feel better? You don't know anything about me or my son but now you've suddenly figured out the math and you want a DNA test and a contract?”
Well, yes, a contract was. But if it didn’t make her feel better, Rhett definitely didn’t want one. “I’ve been trying to get to know you, Xo. Whatever results the DNA test would yield, I want to get to know you. But yes. Your terms.” Rhett had known this conversation would be difficult. He’d been dreading it and trying to muster the nerve for awhile, but...it was already so much more than he thought… He’d thought… “Don’t you want to know, Xo?” He looked at her sad. Imploring. “We could find out together.” The two of them. She wouldn’t have to be alone.
“Why would I want to know?” Xo demanded. “The only benefit I see is a medical history.”
Rhett looked smacked for a moment. Like he’d been sucker-punched. She knew how to go for the chest. Xiomara did. It took him a few seconds. His voice was quieter. “You have a father, yes? You have a mother? You have siblings. You’re family-oriented. Don’t you want those things for Olly if he can have them? If he does have them?” This wasn’t just about Rhett. “If he’s my son, he has three sisters. He has four more aunts. He has two more grandparents. It would make Euphemia his cousin.”
“He already has Effie!” She pointed out. “How much time have you spent with your kids, Rhett? You live in the middle of nowhere. You go off to film sets for your movies. He has plenty of family right here.”
Rhett had to bite back a retort about how not one moment ago she’d said there would be no benefit to Oliver spending time with him anyway. She was intent to argue or to put him down no matter what direction he went or what he said. “He has more family. That he does not know he has. That he could know he has. If he never finds out who his father is, he’ll never get any time at all.”
Her teeth ground against each other. “So? He's already got family.”
“Knowing that family,” Rhett said, looking at her. “Which half and which of your siblings would you choose to erase?”
“My parents werent a random hookup in an airport.” Xo pointed out. Physically as she pointed at him. “My dad didn't show up six years later, spend months ignoring the possible math, and then demand a blood test and a contract.”
“I'm not demanding anything.” Rhett had never once made a demand here. “It wasn't that I ignored it. The six year comment is not fair.” If he hadn’t come to Fall City for this film, Xiomara would have never even told him. How could he have shown up earlier when he didn’t even know? And he hadn’t ignored the math, he just hadn’t thought it was possible for reasons that had nothing to do with her. He still had a very hard time to believe it was possible. “You don't know me either,” He pointed out. “I don't want a contract. I just made that offer because I thought you might want one. And if your parents were a random hookup in an airport and you could have one of them or you could have both, are you saying you'd only want to ever know about one?”
“You are too demanding! You've had months, months Rhett!”
That was an exaggeration. “I didn't think it was possible.” Rhett started. “And then I was looking for an appropriate time to broach the subject.” He was in a town he didn’t feel safe. He was dealing with an ongoing harassment case that might not ever be resolved because Rhett suspected it was ghosts. He was trying to reconcile with a family he hadn’t been a part of for thirty years. Trying to make a depressed and stubborn girl see that he’d cared about her. This was the hardest film he’d ever done. He was in the middle of a murder investigation involving a woman he’d been in love with once.
“Why the hell wouldn't you think it was possible, Rhett?” Her foot stomped. “And don't give me that curse answer.”
“The curse is the answer!” That was the whole reason he didn't think it was possible. He couldn't give her another answer because that was the answer.
“The curse is an excuse!” Xo insisted, her jaw set. “It was a reason you didn’t have to think about it. Only oh no now you have and I’m just supposed to what? Be grateful?”
“It’s not an excuse!” Rhett snapped. “It’s not that at all. I’m not asking you to be grateful. I’m not asking you to be anything. This is a discussion. I’m telling you that I would like to find out for sure. If he is, I would like to do whatever you would allow. Either way, I want to know.”
“And you still haven’t said why.” Xo insisted, not backing down. “Because why, Rhett? Guilt? It wouldn’t change anything in your life to not know.”
“It kills me not to know. I don’t know what it is, but the idea that I don’t know kills me. Please, Xo.”
“What, for the all of a few days you’ve even entertained the possibility?”
“Yes.” Rhett insisted, earnest. “Every day I’ve entertained the possibility.”
“The whole handful of days.” She huffed, almost a laugh as she shook her head. “I can’t even believe you.”
“It’s been more than that,” Rhett said. Even if it hadn’t been as many as she would have liked. If she had told him six years ago that she had gotten pregnant, and he was a potential father, Rhett would have gotten there a lot sooner. He had a website. He read every letter and email he received. If she’d even told him when he’d arrived in town. But she hadn’t. She’d been more intent to make him jump through hoops and play games instead. “I don’t expect you to understand,” Rhett said. “I don’t expect anyone to. But I am not making excuses. I am here and I am asking you to think about this. Please, Xiomara.”
“Don’t call me that!” her finger went back up, pointing straight at him. “You don’t get to call me that.” He didn’t get to call her by her full name, he didn’t know her like that.
“Please, Xo. Just think about it, alright?”
Her lips tightened and she resisted the urge to kick him. Violence wasn’t going to solve anything. “I’ll think about it.” she spat out, turning around to stomp away. “Enjoy your picnic.”
Rhett thought about following her. But nothing he’d said during their conversation had made a difference and he’d said everything that he could say. The sound of the river and her footsteps made him feel ill as he watched her go.
He picked up her basket and headed back home. Rhett didn’t feel like a picnic either anymore.