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She nods vigorously. “Oh, my darling. I’m so sorry. But that’s why I’ve come, now to see you.”
“And now that you have, there’s no need for you to stay.” I say to my plate.
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“Please look at me,” she says in a stern voice.
I grit my teeth and take a deep breath before I obey. She’s smiling, and looks so much like Bethany that it takes my breath away. Her dark hair cascades over her slim shoulders and frames her face in a way that highlights her high cheekbones and wide set blue eyes. She hasn’t aged a day since the last time I saw her. I feel like I’ve aged a hundred years.
She smiles, deeply enough that twin dimples that she didn’t pass on to any of us appear in her cheeks. “I saw the very romantic moment you shared with your handsome musician and my heart could not have been fuller. Love like that is the most sustaining gift you will ever receive.”
I’m taken aback by her attempt to make small talk. I don’t know her well enough to be able to tell if she’s nervous or if she really thinks that I came to catch up. So, I get straight to the point.
“He’s the son of Andrew Wolfe and Sasha Bosch. He’s my brother.”
Her smile disappears and her eyes grow bleak. “Jude told me that was what you thought. Just this week and when I heard, I got the first flight I could catch. Because I had to tell you.”
“Tell me what?” I demand, my headache getting worse by the minute.
Her swallow is audible and her eyes fill with tears.
“Drew isn’t your father.”
“What?” I surge out of my chair.
“He wouldn’t let me take you. I begged him. But he told me the only way I could have you in my life was to stay. Legally, there was nothing I could do. He threatened to cut off my alimony if I said anything. So, I didn’t.”
A terrible realization settles. “Oh, God, he knew.” The words come out in a choked sob.
“He did. In that town - he is the law. There is no hope for anyone who wants a life contrary to his wishes…If I stayed, I would have died. I knew you’d be okay. You had your siblings. And they loved you. But I couldn’t bear to live that way any longer.”
“So, who is he?”
“Who is who?”
“My father, Mother. Who is it?” I snap, and slam my hand down onto the table and she flinches and bring her stark eyes back into the focus.
“I don’t know what to say,” she breathes and leans away from me.
“Why don’t you tell me the truth. Who is my father?”
Her swallow is audible and her eyes fill with tears. “Michael.”
“Michael? Your husband? And he doesn’t know either?”
She shakes her head slowly. “No. When I was married, we were together just once. He was married, too. And not as unhappily as I was. I got pregnant and your father knew right away you weren’t his because I hadn’t slept with him after I found out about Sasha.”
“So, what happened? How did you end up back together?”
“When I finally left. Drew, he left his wife too. When Drew found out about us, those embezzlement charges came out of nowhere and it was either stay and fight them or leave. He has everyone here in his pocket. So, we left. We came to the one place where we could live without fear of being pulled back to the United States. But your fa— Drew, all of that was his doing.”
My mind is reeling. I take a deep breath to center myself and force my mind back to the questions that still needed answers.
“He had other affairs, but the one with Sasha was different. And after she left Drew changed…he had been an unfaithful spouse before, but now he was cruel and distant. His visits weren’t just about sex. He started beating me. He never left visible bruises, but over the course of a year, it escalated and one night he lost control. He broke things that wouldn’t heal on their own. And I couldn’t hide it with make up, so he sent me to his mother’s. She was still in Austin then, and he told everyone I as there for some R &R.” Her lips twist bitterly.
“That’s where I ran into Michael. He used to work at Wolfe in Winsome and had moved on to work for the Foundation in Austin. I’d always known that he loved me. But, I’d held him at arm’s length because to even think of having an affair was courting disaster. One night…he came to the house and Agnes wasn’t there…I was struggling badly. He was kind, and patient. And I let him comfort me, It was just one night, but it was the most beautiful night of my life. And that’s when we made you.”
She gives me a tremulous smile and places a hand on the table palm up. I only hesitate for a moment before I put mine on top.
