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“Since I got here.”
“And you didn’t tell us?” Robb demanded. “How could you not–”
“He wanted to give you a Christmas to remember,” Vidalia interrupted. She met Jason’s eyes. “That’s it, isn’t it? He was going to tell us all right after the holiday. But he didn’t want that news to ruin it. He wanted us all to have one wonderful, perfect family Christmas with him.”
“Almost word for word what he said to me,” Jason said, wiping a tear away from the corner of his eye before it could spill over.
“So this is...this is it? His time is up?” Vidalia asked.
“This fits what the doctors told him.”
Vidalia lowered her head, her girls were all around her, hugging her, touching her, holding her, patting her.
The ER doors opened and a grim faced doctor she didn’t know–she’d have so preferred someone she knew–came to stand among them. “He’s stable for now. We’ve got him settled in a room, and he’s comfortable.”
“I just can’t believe there’s no cure for him, Doctor,” Vidalia said. “He’s got more money than God. Surely somewhere in the world there’s a cure for this–”
“Thereisa cure, ma’am. He needs a bone marrow transplant, but he’s got a rare blood type and none of his sons are matches. He’s on the waiting list, but I’m afraid he’s run out of time.”
That buzzing sound came into her head again, and she heard nothing else. Nothing at all as she stood there with her gaze turned inward. And when she focused outward again they were all staring at her, and Selene stood closest of all. Searching her mother’s eyes, she said, “I have a rare blood type too, or so they tell me every time I give a pint. You should test me. Shouldn’t they, Mom?”
Vidalia met Selene’s eyes.
“I can do math, you know,” Selene said. “And I look a little like Joey.”
Vidalia could feel the realization of what Selene was talking about blinking into each person’s head in that waiting room. Her girls were looking at her in shock, and Bobby’s sons were staring at her in dawning realization, as well.
“Yes,” Vidalia said, nodding slowly. “Yes, Bobby and I had...one night together all those years ago, and yes, there’s a very good chance that was the night Selene was conceived. I was married, I was lonely, I was drunk, and.... No. No, you know what? I was in love. That’s what I was. I was in love with the man I was meant to be with. And I couldn’t be with him, and that was the tragedy. Not the affair. Not the pregnancy. Not even the lie I’ve told all this time. The tragedy is that we were meant to be together and we couldn’t be, and now we can be and he’s...he’s–”
“He’s found a donor,” Selene said softly. “I know it. I can feel it.” Turning, she kissed her husband hard. “I love you, Cory. And I’ve gotta do this.”
“I know you do. I’ll call your friends, get them to fire up their cauldrons. I know the deal.”
She smiled, and turned to the doctor. “Take me to the bone marrow drilling rig, Doc. It doesn’t sound like we have time to waste.”
The doctor looked befuddled, but seemed to be getting it. Before he could lead her away, Joey shot forward and hugged Selene hard. “I have a sister,” he said, sort of into her hair, but everyone heard it.
She seemed startled at first, but then she softened and hugged him back. “I always wanted a big brother,” she said, looking him in the eye, then past him at the other two. “Looks I got three of them now.”
Vidalia’s paralysis broke as her youngest pushed through the double doors, and she lunged forward, caught Selene’s shoulders, and held on. “Honey, wait. You don’t have to do this. To risk–”
“I’m doing it, Mom.” She smiled broadly, kissed Vidlia’s cheek. “Merry Christmas.” Then she looked back at her four sisters and stuck out her tongue. “Top that, bitches.” She winked and sashayed through the double doors that closed behind her.
Vidalia sat down, suddenly aware that everyone in this room now knew the secret she’d been so afraid of for so long. They all knew she’d been unfaithful to her husband. They all knew she’d sinned, given birth to another man’s child and lied about it. They all knew she wasn’t perfect.
Melusine pressed a styrofoam mug of cocoa into her hand and sank into the chair beside her. Edie sat in the one on other side, leaning on her shoulder. Maya and Kara knelt in front of her, holding her hands. “It’s okay, Mama,” Maya said.
“It was such a long time ago,” Kara added.
“And our father had kids by two other women,” Mel said.
“That we know of,” Edie added. “And he was secretly married to one of them.”
“It’s really okay, Mom. We love you. Nothing’s changed,” Maya said.
“Something’s changed,” Mel said. “We know you’re human now, like the rest of us. Frankly, I like you better with a few flaws.”
“And it explains a helluva lot about Selene,” Kara said.
