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“I did.” She hoped this wouldn’t send her teenage daughter off on a spree of one-night stands just because her mom had done it. Sera wondered if she shouldn’t have told her.
“Do you know how dangerous that is? You could have caught something or gotten pregnant!” Emma lectured her mom as if she was the mom.
“I do, and I will not do it again.” She kissed her daughter’s forehead and hugged her. “I did get pregnant. With you. Harrison is your dad. That’s why you look so much like him.”
It was the first time she had ever told her daughter anything about her father. Emma had never asked. Not once. Mostly it had been a relief to not have to answer questions that Sera didn’t want to think about much less talk about, but she wondered if her daughter had ever wanted to know and just didn’t ask. Nobody in the house had a dad, after all.
Emma shook her head at the admission. “I do not. What about Violet? Where’s her dad? Now that you’re suddenly telling everyone about dads, where’s hers?”
“In the kitchen. You two share a dad.”
“Why didn’t you get together with him years ago? Where has he been for all these years?” Emma demanded. The anger was back.
“He was married, and I was married.” Sera thought it better tell her everything, or she would have more questions later. Hopefully, fifteen was old enough to hear all the details.
“Mom!”
“I’m not proud of myself, but you’re old enough to know the truth.”
“I don’t think I am.” Emma looked at the ceiling and closed her eyes.
“Too bad, honey. You’re a Lovely.” Sera kissed her forehead again, then ran her fingers through her hair, relieved that one of her daughters knew the truth. “Now come down when you’re ready. I have to tell Violet and maybe the big girls.”
“They don’t know?” Emma’s eyes snapped to her. Sera told the big girls nearly everything.
“Nope, just you and Agatha.”
“I am the second person you told, after Ag?”
“Emma, this is a big part of you. Agatha has known since Violet was born. Harrison found out yesterday. So, I guess it’s up to you to tell the big girls. I want to tell Violet.”
“Me?” she asked in wonder.
“You, Em. I think Harrison and I will take Violet out for breakfast, and you can tell the big girls. They’ll enjoy hearing it from you.” A plus from that plan was that Sera could put off the interrogation she knew was coming her way. The Lovely sisters didn’t even know that the little girls shared a dad.
One last squeeze of her daughter’s leg, and she left Emma alone. Emma was going to love being the one sharing what she knew about Sera and Harrison’s relationship with her sisters. Especially since the sisters always knew more than her, at least until today.
In her room, Sera changed into jeans and headed down the stairs. In the kitchen, Harrison was still on the same stool, listening to her daughters go on and on with stories about everything and everyone.
“Harrison, I think you and I and Violet should go out for breakfast,” she announced, stopping Lucy in the middle of a story about Sera that neither Violet nor Harrison should actually hear the end of. Mostly Harrison because Violet wouldn’t understand what Lucy meant.
“Didn’t we just eat?” he asked, looking around the kitchen that was still filled with breakfast items and remnants of the meal that had been eaten. He looked comfortable with Violet was on his lap, who was currently still eating a cinnamon roll as fast as she could.
“We have something we need to talk to Violet about, and nothing is open but restaurants right now. So, breakfast it is.” Sera pulled the plate away from her daughter, who nearly growled at her.
“Okay,” Harrison shrugged and agreed. With his daughter on his hip, they headed for the door, Sera calling goodbyes and pushing him as they went. Not that any of the sisters said goodbye back; they were all just staring at their retreating forms.
Outside, he took her hand and stopped. “What was that all about? How can you still be hungry?”
“I’m letting Emma tell the girls …” Sera stopped because she didn’t want to tell Violet yet. “And we’re telling V.”
“You told Emma without me?”
“Yes, she was angry and hurt, but I knew she would be. But now she’s better about it. I felt letting her tell the big girls would make her more excited about it. You can tell Violet if it helps.” Sera stated, her eyes not looking at the girl, as if that made her not there.
“Tell me what? What does Emma know that I don’t?” the little girl demanded from his arms.
Both adults ignored her, and Harrison hissed, “It doesn’t. I wanted to be there. I have missed fifteen years of her life, Sera. Now I missed another thing.”
