“Skywalker,” he said, “followed by the year.”
“As in Luke Skywalker?” I asked with extra unbelievableness!
“Errr … who’s that?” He laughed. “Perfectly good password that I’ll have to change now that you know it. I need those files quick. How fast do you think you can get them to me?”
“Within a half hour?”
“Great. I’ll call Lee and tell her you’re coming.”
Mom was in the study, writing again. She was a freelance writer and was working against some “hard deadline”—whatever that was. She usually didn’t want to be bothered when that was the case, but I stuck my head in:
“Just got a call from Uncle Zack. He wants me to go over and send him some files. He’s in New York and needs them bad.”
“Go ahead. Take the car. What do I care? I’ll never leave this room again because I can’t find an ending to this piece. And it needs to be done by Monday. It’ll never, ever, ever be done.”
“I guess you’ll have to give up,” I said. I went over and gave Mom a big hug. She melted into it and I hung on for a silent minute. I knew the clock was running, but what’s a minute when your mother needs something?
“Give up! When did I ever give up—on anything?”
“Never. Never did and never will.”
“Say hi to your aunt for me. I haven’t seen her since the party.
****************************
Auntie Lee opened the door way too fast. She had a kind of wild look to her as she pulled me in.
“Fate,” she said. “Hurry up. Send those things to your uncle. Hurry up.”
I went to Uncle Zack’s study, logged in, composed an email, attached the files, and hit send. Done. All in less than five minutes. Nothing any genius couldn’t do. Or anyone who had the slightest grasp of how to use a computer.
I had never been on this computer. It was an old Windows desktop that my uncle had used for years. It was ancient.
Being a curious boy, I wondered if he had any old family photos. I searched “family”—nothing. I searched “Zack”—a million things—all work-related. I searched “Zoey”—and one folder appeared, labeled “ZoeyTwins”—there was nothing in it.
“Done yet?” Auntie Lee called? “Hurry up!”
“Almost!” I called back. Then I shut down the computer.
“Where are you,” I called.
“Living room!”
Auntie Lee was looking out the front window. She turned and said: “Fate!”
“Like destiny fate?”
“Exactly. Fate that you’re here. What else could it be?”
“Uncle’s work? I don’t know what you’re getting at.”
“Mikey … I’m pregnant!”
“WHAT! Auntie Lee! This is so awesome!”
She rushed over and kissed me right on the mouth. “And your the father! You’re a dad! You got me pregnant!”
“I can’t believe it! I mean, I can, but can’t. It all has to sink in! This is awesome! Are you sure?”
She pulled out two plastic tabs and showed them to me. I took them and looked. One had the dark gray word “Pregnant” on it, the other had a blue plus sign.
“Oh my God! Two for two. One … yes! And then the other a backup,” I said.
“Yup! I peed on those, by the way!” She laughed a giddy laugh.
“Your pee is like Holy water today! Because it tells us you’re going to be a mom. For the first time, a real life mom! You’re going to be so great at it. I know it!”