Gavin and Carolyn were sitting in the family room of her father’s house waiting for him to come home. Gavin felt this situation should be addressed by his father-in-law. John told him about the test results before he married Carolyn. But he did not want his daughter to know for several reasons and Gavin did not feel it was his place to tell her now. “Hello Gavin,” Senator John Roth extended his hand as he walked into the room. He then turned to Carolyn and hugged her, “Hello baby girl. It’s good to see you.”
“Hello John. Lena.” Gavin replied.
“Gavin and Carolyn. What a surprise.” Lena spoke.
“Hello Daddy,” Carolyn spoke. When she first saw that report she couldn’t wait to tell her father but now, after Gavin’s reaction, she was unsure about what she thought was a fake report. She looked to him for reassurance. “Lena, could you give us a moment?” Gavin asked.
“What’s going on Gavin? John asked looking between him and Carolyn.”
The fear of losing the one person that she knew loved her no matter what, that she had always kept hidden was threatening to surface. Standing there looking at her father and Lena together almost confirmed the results. Seeing her distress was a little more than Gavin could take. Her hands shook the entire ride over there. Now he wished there was something he could do to shield her from this blow she was about to receive. He walked over and took her hand in his.
“Whatever you need to say can’t be that bad. Just spit it out,” Lena said.
John looked at his wife, he had a renewed sense of life since marrying her a year ago. But he knew his wife and his daughter did not and would never get along. “Lena,” he cautioned.
He walked over and stood in front of Carolyn. “Baby what is it?” He asked concerned.
“Daddy, are you Tracy’s father?”
John took a step back as if he had been slapped in the face. He looked to Gavin with a quizzical stare. Gavin slightly shook his head. He then looked back at Carolyn. “I was putting some papers in the safe in your bedroom. I saw a medical envelope and I thought something was wrong with you and you weren’t telling me. So I opened the envelope and read it. At first I thought it was something she used to get you to marry her. Now I don’t know. So I’m asking you daddy. Are you Tracy’s father?”
John closed his eyes and exhaled. He then turned to his wife, who did not know the results of the test, but there was no expression on her face. He turned back and reached for Carolyn’s hands. “Baby girl, you are my heart. You know that.”
She pulled her hands from her father and took a step back, “You didn’t answer my question.” She shook her head not sure where to look or who to turn to. She just knew she couldn’t look at him. Gavin went to gather her in his arms, but she put her hands up to stop him. “Answer my question Daddy,” she yelled.
A stunned John stood there, not sure if he should lie or tell her the truth. “Lena and Gavin, leave us alone for a minute please.”
Lena held her head high and walked out of the room. Gavin hesitated as he looked at Carolyn. “I’m here for you. I love you,” He kissed her temple and walked out of the room.
Carolyn looked up at her father with tears gathering in her eyes and waited.
“Yes,” John said.
The tears poured like a sink that reached its limit. Carolyn sat in the chair behind her, feeling her legs giving out on her. “Baby, I didn’t know until JD came to me about a picture of me, Lena and his father. I didn’t just meet Lena last year. I met her about twenty-five years earlier. We had a one night stand and Tracy was conceived.”
“JD knows?”
“Yes he does.”
“Gavin?”
“Yes.”
“Tracy?” she asked angrily.
“No, she doesn’t know.”
She nodded her head. “All this time you said I was your only baby girl—your special gift from God. Not so special now, you have two of us. Are there any more?” she raised her voice. “Do I have a brother or two out there too Daddy?”
“Carolyn,” he attempted to reason with her. “I know this is a shock and I did not want you to find out this way.”
“Huh, you didn’t want me to find out at all did you? If it wasn’t for this crap going on with Gavin I would have never gone into your safe and I would have never seen the test results. Is this why Mother left you?”
“Carolyn.”
“All this time you made Mother out to be the monster for leaving her child behind to have the good life her family could afford. Yet you left your child to grow up thinking another man was her father, she didn’t have a good life Daddy living with that woman you now call your wife. Do you realize that?”
“What happened with your mother did not have anything to do with this. Your mother left for the life of luxury her family could give her that was not a lie. Baby girl,” he sighed, “If you saw the report, you know when it was done. That’s when I found out. But it doesn’t matter, you are my baby girl and you always will be.”
“Technically, that’s not true Daddy.” The anguish could be heard clearly in her voice, “See Daddy I’m older than Tracy. So technically, she is your baby girl—not me.” She shook her head as tears streamed down her face. She picked up her purse and coat and walked out of the room. John ran behind her into the foyer, where Gavin and Lena stood. “Carolyn, don’t do this Baby girl.”
She turned and looked up at her father, “Don’t ever call me that again.” She swung the door opened and walked out.
Gavin looked at John, “I’ll talk to her,” he said and closed the door behind him when he left.
John stood there, not sure what to do. He then turned to his wife.
Lena looked at the man, who turned her world upside down a years ago. He may be sixty years old, but he was still a tall handsome man and she did love him. He kept this information from her for his own reasons that she was sure of and they were going to have to deal with that. But for now she had to find a way to help him with his daughter, Carolyn. “We have two options here. We can continue to pretend this information doesn’t exist. Or we can tell your other daughter the truth before Carolyn does.” She walked over, put her hands around her husband’s waist and rested her head on his chest. He held her tight, grateful she would give him a reprieve for now. “Whatever you want to do I will stand by you. But I will not allow Carolyn to hurt my daughter because she is angry with you. Do you understand?”
He looked down at his wife, “Thank you for not over reacting to this.”
She looked up at him. “Oh, that’s coming, Carolyn is just more important at the moment. But don’t’ get it twisted. You will experience my wrath later.”
“I have no doubt,” he smiled at her. “I have to go to Carolyn.”
“No, she’s not going to hear anything you have to say right now. It’s time for you to call her mother.”
“Like hell,” he said and pulled away.
“You made your bed. Now you lie in it.”