in the order that it comes

Amanda knew Kyle wouldn't dare go this alone. Seeing his dad. The real one. Dr. Foster. Anyway, he'd need a lift to get there.

Did this mean he was changing his name to Kyle Foster? She wondered. Just one of the many thoughts running through her head.

"You're not nervous at all?" she said while they were taking the freeway over to the more elite side of town.

"Sure, I'm nervous." But he was so quiet. It was hard to tell. "I don't see the need to do this, you know, but Mom seems to think I should and well, you're coming so it should be OK." He nodded as if she made everything better, sort of like cool whip Amanda supposed.

"Its kind of freaky, I guess." She didn't know what else to say about it, but there they were at this big brick house in a gated community. There was even a pool in the back yard, but it was covered and then the snow. There was his father's young wife. All these trophy things that Kyle wasn't.

A lump formed in Amanda's throat. Suddenly, she felt like trailer trash. Although, there was one just down the road from her house, she'd grew up in an old neighborhood where the pipes were going bad and basements were a tad moldy, but she couldn't think anywhere else she would call home not here. And she got that feeling to when she looked at Kyle. What in the world were they getting in too?

So it was cordial. All smiles. The food was good, roast beef, mashed potatoes even fresh asparagus. And Dr. Foster went on a good bit about his other kids who were either in college or out of college. Kira was his fifth wife and a specialist in some medicine that Amanda never heard of.

"But I gotta tell you, I always wanted to be a grandfather," Dr. Foster smiled so genuine. "I didn't think it was possible."

Amanda thought she might throw up. Was he for real?

Kyle acted as if he didn't even hear him. He asked for more mashed potatoes. Amanda stayed even lipped. She wondered if Kyle would ever take a dime from him. She was betting he wouldn't.