Total pages in book: 225
Estimated words: 218500 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1093(@200wpm)___ 874(@250wpm)___ 728(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 218500 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1093(@200wpm)___ 874(@250wpm)___ 728(@300wpm)
“Sorry I didn’t call first, but something came up and I wanted to talk to you in person.”
“I’d say so,” Mom says, looking rattled. “Mrs. Johanson just messaged me not five minutes ago to say her daughter saw your face on a gossip blog. Said you got married. I was just about to come talk to your father about it.”
“Married?” Dad asks, eyes landing on my left hand.
“Yes, sir. Ma’am,” Derek says and keeps talking as we walk to the family room. “Chloe and Adam’s relationship has been over for a while now. They were keeping up pretenses for a variety of reasons, mostly because your daughter is so selfless.”
My eyes dart to him with warning. “Derek.”
“No, Chloe, don’t take the blame here. At all. She always does this, doesn’t she?” he says, looking at them like they know this about me and will agree with him.
My parents just stare for a beat before Dad says, “I’ll put on a pot of coffee.”
“It’s nearly nine o’clock. I’ll take herbal tea. Have decaf, Harold; you know you can’t drink coffee this time of night,” Mom says.
“Decaf sounds fine,” Derek says. “You’ll have to excuse my appearance. We came here from the hotel we’d planned to stay at. These were to be our traveling clothes for the morning to leave for our honeymoon, but we hurried here when that gossip blog hit our radar.”
“Oh?” Mom inquires.
“I’ll explain once the coffee’s done, if that’s all right,” Derek returns.
“Of course, please sit,” Mom invites.
“Tea or decaf, Chloe?” Dad asks.
“Just water for me, thanks, Dad,” I manage.
Dad salutes me and heads to the kitchen.
Mom sits on one couch, Derek and I sit on the other one that faces her.
“Pam, where’s the decaf?” Dad calls out.
Mom excuses herself and joins Dad in the kitchen.
I look at Derek. “Please let me deal with the rest of this.”
“Why?” he asks, looking perplexed.
“Because God knows what’ll come out of your mouth,” I mutter.
“Do you have a plan for how to deal with this?”
“No.”
“I’ve got it. Don’t sweat it.”
I guess it all had to come out eventually, right? Instead of waiting for the right time to tell my family, no time like now, I guess. One less thing to worry about. Because I already have more than enough to stress about. Before I can ponder it further, Mom is back, Dad with her, and carrying a tray with cups, milk and sugar, along with a bottle of water.
“Coffee’s on. I’ll fetch it in a minute,” Dad says.
“You have a lovely home, Doctor and Mrs. Turner,” Derek says.
“Thank you, Derek,” Dad says. “Since you’re becoming part of the family, again, it’s Hal and Pam.”
“Appreciated. Chloe spoke so fondly of her childhood home. I see why,” he adds.
My parents smile at him, but don’t reply. I follow Derek’s eyes, which are pointed at the mantle over the fireplace.
In the center of it sits an eight by ten framed family portrait of the four of us. It was taken when Bryan was twelve, I was thirteen. They’re all light brown-haired. I’m a dark brunette. They’re all brown-eyed. I’m blue-eyed. The photo wasn’t taken long after I found out I’m adopted and every time I’ve looked at that picture all I’ve seen is how one of these things is not like the other.
“So… married?” Dad prompts. “That’s a surprise.”
“City hall?” Mom asks and there’s distaste there.
And as much as it’s a subject I don’t want to address, I’m grateful that there’s not enough dead air for Derek to bring up a taboo subject like my brother. At least I hope he has the good sense to avoid that topic. Although I’m not sure he does.
“I know it was very sudden, but…” I say, and let it hang.
My parents wait.
I’m stumped.
I’ve had a traumatic day. I can’t think.
“But when you know, you know,” Derek speaks up, wrapping his arm around me. “I knew early on. She took a bit of convincing. I just didn’t want to wait.”
Mom asks, “Forgive me Derek, but Chloe, when did things end with Adam? You and I just spoke yesterday, and you didn’t say anything. You’ve only lived in that new house a short while.”
“You were busy, on your way to dinner, so…” I fib. As if I might have told her all my secrets if she’d given me the time.
“Oh,” she says softly.
Before I’m able to say anything further to explain when things with Adam ended, Derek speaks.
“It’s only been just over a week since Chloe technically moved out. But that relationship was on the verge of ending long before that. He was dishonest with your daughter about a lot of things even before his accident.”
I grimace and shoot him a kill look.
He sighs. “She won’t speak poorly of him, feeling bad about his accident and all that, but she really hung in there much longer than she should have given all that he put her through.”