Serendipity & the Sequel

A Secret is Never A Secret

Breathing heavily, Daniel sharply brought his hand to the bridge of his nose. He paced. Walking away from Robby, who immediately began to apologize for everything. Pain laced in his voice, sending tremors down his throat as he spoke.

"Mr. LaRusso, I- I was gonna tell you-"

"Was this all just a con?" Daniel snapped in dismay, "some kind of sick mind game you tried to pull off?"

Your throat was dry, yet you gulped anyway. Your voice was barely a whisper as it exited your lips, on the verge of a building shout. "Daniel it wasn't like that!"

"You lied to me!" He shouted, "Both of you lied to me. You knew all along who he was, didn't you?"

You shook your head violently, "No! Daniel-"

"Mr. LaRusso," Robby intercepted with eyes full of worry, "please-"

But Daniel's response was quick and pointed, like a slap to the face. He spat venom as he cornered Robby into the doorway.

"Get out! Now. Don't come back to this house! Not to the dealership! Not ever! You got that?! Ever again!"

Robby didn't even have a chance to plead once more before Daniel slammed the door in his face.

You couldn't help but jump in your skin. You were surprised the frosted glass didn't shatter on impact.

Daniel made his way back into your view, causing you to take a hasty step backward. All of this was expected, just not like this. Not so soon. Sure, you had pictured Daniel and your husband flipping their lid when they found out the truth, but you weren't expecting it to unfold the way it did. You were stunned, like a bird who had just flown into a closed window, fearful and unable to move. It was a mystery how you had managed to stay standing in one position for so long. You felt your legs lose their feeling, your hands which were wrapped up so tightly that your knuckles lost their color, unraveled slowly at your sides. A jagged breath escaped your parted lips. And on that breath, rode the faintest of a whisper.

"Daniel, you don't understand-"

"I understand clearly." His voice was still as stern as it was when he was speaking to Robby, "you sabotaged me! You jeopardized everything by keeping this from me, do you understand?!"

Finally, you found your voice, biting back at his vicious words with your own. "Do you really think I wanted this to happen?! I have been playing both sides of the game, Daniel. I have kept Robby a secret from you and Johnny. I have spent weeks gaining his trust in hopes that I could make things right between him and his father! Robby is just a kid, Daniel. You should know better than anyone what it's like to be a poor kid with no hope! You were his hope, Daniel! And you threw it all away because of a high school rivalry?"

He pointed a harsh finger in your direction, "No, you don't get to guilt trip me about this! You shouldn't have lied to either one of us! What you did was wrong and you know it!"

"Was I really so wrong, Daniel? Wrong for wanting peace between my family and my friends? Robby needed help, and you saw how much I was willing to sacrifice to get him that help! Unlike you, I don't have kids. Not anymore! Because my baby is off somewhere in the world with a different family at the sake of my poor decisions. So excuse me for trying to mend my broken family, because it's the only family I have!"

The thick silence that blanketed over the dojo had indicated you had said to much. Your face dropped the moment you realized what you had said.

You had just told Daniel about the child you had given up for adoption.