Post by StoryGirl83 on Oct 4, 2008 23:07:36 GMT -5
Chapter Thirty-One – Eighteen or Eighty-One
Everyone was silent for almost a minute, no one quite sure what to say. Chris gulped, his throat feeling strangely clogged up. “I’m sorry about your sister, Dad.” His voice came out in a whisper.
Leo looked across the room at his younger son. “It was a very long time ago. Lydia’s son must be sixty-four now.”
“Wait,” Wyatt looked at his dad surprised. “The baby survived?”
Leo nodded. “He knows nothing of magic, so even now that I am not bound by the whitelighter rule of not visiting those I knew in my past, I can’t exactly go up to him and tell him I am his eighty-one-year-old uncle.”
Chris chuckled. “Eighty-one, huh?”
Leo nodded. “Yes, eighty-one.”
“I wouldn’t put you a day past thirty,” Chris retorted.
“I look that old, do I?” Leo asked, eyebrows raised. “Considering whitelighters don’t age, and I’ve only not been one for a short time, I should look younger.”
“Time has a way of aging even those who don’t age,” Chris informed him. “How old were you when you died, anyway?”
“Eighteen,” Wyatt reminded him. “Don’t you pay attention?”
Chris shook his head, which caused his brother and aunt to laugh. He scowled at them. “That wasn’t a denial.”
“Whatever,” Wyatt laughed. “It sure looked like one.”
“Weren’t you downstairs with Piper and Phoebe?” Paige asked, suddenly.
Chris nodded. “That’s right. Mom sent me up to collect everyone for dinner.”
“That was fast,” Paige commented.
“Not really,” Chris protested. Sheepishly he added, “Mom wasn’t actually finished when she sent me up, but she figured by the time I got everyone down she would be.”
“And Aunt Phoebe?” Wyatt asked curious. “I would have thought she would have been the logical one to send up here.”
“She’s setting the table,” Chris informed him. “Mom figured that was safe.”
“Did she describe it that way in Phoebe’s hearing?” Paige asked amused.
Chris nodded.
Paige snickered. “Well, I guess we’d better get downstairs.” She looked at her two small nephews in her arms. “Some help please.”
Chris strode across the room and picked up little Wyatt out of her arms. “Hey, little buddy.”
Little Wyatt looked up at him. “Cwis?”
Chris nodded. “Yeah.”
Paige managed to stand once she only had one nephew in her arms. “Thanks, Chris.”
“Not a problem, Aunt Paige,” Chris smiled at her. He looked down at his little big brother in his arms. “Are you ready to eat, Wyatt?”
“I . . .” Wyatt’s voice trailed off as he realized that Chris was talking to his younger version. “Oh.”
Chris grinned, but didn’t look up. Really, Wy. You’d think you were the only one in this room named Wyatt.
Wyatt almost laughed out loud. I am.
Chris looked up at him and chuckled. Too true, unless you count Dad, of course.
Last names don’t count.
Chris looked back down at little Wyatt. “Well, are you ready to eat?”
Little Wyatt grinned up at him. “Yeah!” he exclaimed excitedly.
Chris looked back up at those around him. “Then, let’s go.” He walked out of the bedroom and headed downstairs.