Love, create & innovate - not necessarily in that order

10. The mother and the single father

Eddy answered the phone call from an unidentified phone number.

"...Hello?"

"Hi Eddy, It's Brett Yang.. from Yang Industries. ..How are you?"

"Brett..? Hey... I'm good. Nice hearing from you. What's up?"

It's been a week since Eddy and Caitlyn made their visit to Yang Industries.

"Eddy, I'm actually in Melbourne right now. I've just flown down from Brisbane for business. Would you have any time to catch up by any chance ?"

"Oh... yeah, sure. Whereabouts in Melbourne are you now?"

Eddy opened his front door.

"Hey Brett, c'mon in. Thanks for coming over. I've gotta go pick up Caitlyn from school soon so I thought it was best you just came over and dropped in."

"Hi Eddy, good to see you again. Thanks for having me over."

They sat in the living room and sipped coffee that Eddy had prepared.

Eddy shook his head and chuckled.

"Brett, Caitlyn's been talking non-stop about Yang Industries since we've been there. Thank you so much for letting us visit."

Brett smiled back.

"You're welcome, Eddy. Perhaps she might want to come work with us in the future."

"Well, she's got her mind set on studying biomedical engineering, for sure."

"That's awesome."

"So.. Eddy, you're a full-time Dad?"

Eddy glanced up from his mug.

"Yes."

"...Does Caitlyn get to see her mother at all?"

"Oh.. yeah, sometimes.. like a couple of weekends every month.. maybe a few extra days during the holidays..."

"...Doesn't she want to see her daughter more often?"

Eddy moved his mug away from his mouth and bit his lower lip.

"...Well she's actually her surrogate mother and egg donor but she didn't want to be involved in the parenting of things."

"Oh.. well then it's nice that she actually is involved then..."

Eddy shrugged.

"Well.. you see, she's actually my ex's sister... ...I'm the ...other donor.. the biological father."

"Oh. O..kay...OMG, I'm sorry for prying.. you didn't have to tell me all this.. I shouldn't be asking.."

Eddy looked straight at Brett.

"...So just why exactly are you asking then?"

Brett bit his lower lip.

"I.. I don't know. I guess I find you.. intriguing.."

Eddy smiled.

"Brett, I actually don't mind you asking. Ask away. I think this is the first time I'm telling anybody outside family."

"...So.. your... um.. ex..?"

Eddy shrugged.

"He couldn't handle Caitlyn's symbrachydactyly... "

Brett looked up.

"...He...?"

Eddy raised an eyebrow.