The Harbour...Chapter 40: The birds and the bees
“Hi Aunt Carolyn,” he said with a weak smile.
All of the children in her circle of friends called the adults aunt and uncle.
“Have you been with Maya all this time?”
His eyes opened wide, and he cleared his throat. He glanced at the ground and then back at Carolyn.
“I...I...I have a...a...girlfriend who lives in the neighbourhood,” he said, his eyes blinking rapidly.
Carolyn’s face softened, and she smiled. “Oooo...anyone I know.”
He shrugged. “Um....”
“Okay, okay. I’ll stop prying. Hop in. I’ll give you a lift home, before your parents start to panic.”
“No, no. That’s okay. They’re out for the evening, and it’s not that far.” He cleared his throat.
“I’m not asking you Charlie,” she said smiling.
“I’ll let you deal with how you get out of trouble if they find out, but I will not have Patrick and Teresa’s son out wandering the streets at midnight on a school night. Get in.”
His shoulders sagged as she held the passenger door open. He slipped into the seat beside her, smiled unconvincingly and then looked away, staring straight ahead.
Charlie’s dad Patrick Benoit was her best friend Cassie’s brother, and his mother was Marco’s sister, so the families had a long history. Charlie and Maya met in kindergarten and by time the Benoits moved into the neighbourhood a few years later, they were already best friends.
Charlie was like a second son to Carolyn, and in all these years she had never seen him so uncomfortable.
“So do your parents know you’re out visiting a girl late on a school night?” She asked, as they pulled away from the sidewalk.
“No,” he said softly.
“And her parents?”
“They’re...out,” his voice was growing softer with each exchange.
“You like this girl a lot?” She asked.
He nodded and cleared his throat.
Carolyn had grown up with four ‘girl-magnet’ brothers, and one of them, Rob had at 16 managed to get their neighbour’s 19 year old housekeeper pregnant. Her niece Ariel, was now twenty.
“I hope you remember everything you learned in health class,” she said, glancing over at Charlie.
“Yes,” he squeaked.
“So you’re being careful.”
She was sure she heard him catch his breath.
“We’re not at that stage yet,” he whispered, with a small gasp.
“Yet? So you’re thinking about it?”
Silence.
She glanced over at Charlie. He was staring at the glove compartment a look of horror plastered on his face.
She smiled and patted his arm.
“Charlie, relax. I remember what it is like to be a teenager and not be able to think straight when you were around someone you liked.”
He let out a long breath, and gave her a shaky smile.
She slowed down as they turned onto the street where he lived and approached the elegant, two story French Colonial home with wrap around verandas, and a cobblestone walkway lined with massive rose bushes.
Patrick was a restoration architect who had a gift for bringing aging properties back to life.
“So you’re thinking about taking that next step?” She asked gently.
“I think boys are always thinking about it,” he mumbled, seeming to be sinking lower into the seat.
“And her?”
“She wants to too. But...”
She pulled up outside the tall wrought iron gate, the light from the gate posts finding it’s way through the tinted windows of her SUV.
“I’m not really sure that she’s as ready as she thinks she is,” he said, so softly that she had to strain to hear him.
“I sure hope she appreciates what a great guy she has,” Carolyn said smiling over at Charlie.
With the light filtering through the window, she could see that his cheeks were flushed.
“I want to tell you to wait until you are older, but I don’t know that that will work, so I’m just going to tell you to please, please be careful. You know there’re other things...”
“Aunt Carolyn...” Charlie sputtered, clutching at the door handle, and looking at her pleadingly.
“Okay. Okay!” She said waving her hands in the air.
“I think I’ve said enough.”
“Yes. Yes you have,” he gasped, opening the door and scrambling out.
“Thank you. ‘Night!” He said, closing the door hurriedly.
And making light work of unhinging the complicated bolt on the gate, he fled toward the house.
Carolyn smiled as she drove away.
“He’s such a good boy,” she thought to herself.
“I hope Maya finds someone like him someday.”
