Sixty Seconds [Conor Sheary]

2

⠀⠀⠀"Nineteen years ago your father and I got married, we tried for a baby but we didn't have any luck. So we searched for other options and then we found you." Jennifer's cheeks were tainted red and covered with tears, the pain for her was unbearable and she could only imagine how her daughter was feeling. "Christine, your biological mother, she wasn't capable of raising another child. Which was why she gave you to us under one circumstance: she'd be able to meet you when you turn eighteen."

Audrey's head began spinning and everything around her began to blur. "H–how, w–what, y–you guys aren't my r–real p–parents?" She managed to choke out in between sobs. She still hadn't fully processed what her mother— or, she didn't even know what to call her now— had told her.

"Audrey—"

"I–I need fresh air."

She quickly walked outside the door and over to the hammock that hung between the two weeping willow trees. She had been living a lie her whole life.

A wetness began to make its way down her face as heavy footsteps were heard coming across the gravel pathway leading to where she was sat. A tap on the shoulder snapped her out of the day dream.

"May I sit?" Kristopher asked quietly pointing to the space beside her.

Audrey didn't say anything, just nodding her head she stared forward towards the high fence, incasing their backyard.

"I know this is a shock to you and it's not going to be easy, but does it really matter who parents you? Even though they raised you, and your biological parents didn't, does it really matter?
You're only going to move away once your eighteen." He rubbed Audrey on the back and kept moving closer to her every time she shuffled away.

"That's easy for you to say." She managed to choke out. "You were raised knowing who you were, no one lied to you about your identity or the fact that you were adopted. You knew who your parents were."

Kris shook his head. "Not really. My–our dad left us before you were born. Packed his bags and took off without a word."

"See, that's not my problem. My dad has been here for me my entire life."

"That's the problem, Audrey. Adam isn't your real father—"

"Adam is my father. Maybe not by blood but I will always consider him as my one and only dad, ever." Audrey stood up no longer able to handle the situation. "I don't think you understand, my parents have been there my entire life. They've supported me through everything. They mean everything to me. I might not be related to them by blood, but they will always be my only family."

"Don't say things you'll regret later on, Audrey." Kris warned her.

Audrey ran up the stairs to her bedroom ignoring the calls from Jennifer. Right now all she needed was time to clear her mind. Being told you were adopted on your eighteenth birthday wasn't exactly the surprise of a lifetime Audrey Collett was expecting.

Kris sat outside trying to find a way to explain why Audrey was adopted. He knew it hurt her enough finding out on her birthday, where it was supposed to be happy and filled with gifts and cake.

Audrey was upstairs in her bedroom looking outside at her brother. Could I even call him that? She though hard about it. Finally sighing she started to talk the slow walk down to talk to Kris again.

"I'm sorry. I was just upset about being lied to. It was a big shock seeing you sat there." She admitted quietly as she sat down beside him again.

He looked at her sincerely, wrapped his arms around her and spoke, "I know it's a lot to take in. Especially growing up as an only child, then in under an hour finding out your adopted and going to live with your older brother, sister in law, and nephew that you never knew existed."

"I'm an aunt?" Whatever Kris just said the only thing she wanted to know was about her nephew. She loved kids and was upset that nobody in her family had any young children of their own.

"Yeah. His name in Alex. He's three. You know he kind of looks like you. The same brown hair colour and bright blue eyes." Kris rambled about his son while Audrey listened closely.

Kris pulled up a picture of the toddler to show his younger sister who seemed so interested. Audrey was in awe as she saw the tiny look alike. Alex wasn't at all what she imagined him to be. He was quite adorable actually. He looked a lot like Kris and she wondered how much he looked like his mother.

"Can I see your Wife?" She asked after admiring the three year old boy.

Kris smiled and looked for the family picture they took on the day of their wedding. Audrey waited quietly to see what her sister in law would look like so she could recognize her if she were to see her around somewhere.

"Here. This was our wedding day last July. Her name is Catherine but everybody calls her Cath. She was so excited when I told her I was coming to see you today. She is really excited to meet you believe it or not. Alex kept blabbering on and on about having an aunt that looks like him. It was very amusing." Kris said to Audrey with a smirk on his face.

"She's beautiful Kris. How did she end up with you?" Audrey joked.

Kris laughed along with her. They looked at each other for awhile until Audrey broke the silence.

"Am I going to go live with you?" She asked him quietly still looking a his face.

"Only if you want to. I'm not going to force you to. Even as much as I'd like you to." He told her honestly.

"When can I move in?" She questioned him. She really wanted to live with him.

She's missed so much already. She could tell Kris wanted her to move in with them. This is a chance to start new and forget about the lies she has been told. It was almost like an escape.

"You really want to live with me?" Kris was shocked. He didn't expect her to move in with him anytime soon.

"Kris, moving in with you will be a new start for me. I'll get to experience things I never got to before, meet new people, and most importantly spend time with my family." Audrey admitted sincerely.

Kris was shocked but he wasn't going to question her. He's been wanting his younger sister to be with him since he found out about her six months ago when he went home for Christmas. His mother was sat at the kitchen table with tears escaping her blue eyes that now looked dull and broken. He still remembers the exact words she said to him before she burst into another set of tears.

"You have a younger sister."

Kris was obviously speechless, and without saying anything he walked upstairs and cried. He genuinely cried. He cried for his mother, his sister that he knew nothing about, and he cried for himself. He had a sister.

He's always wanted a sister. After all the years trying to convince his mother to adopt a baby girl so he would have someone to be protective over he finally had a sister. He didn't know her, never met her, and never seen what she looks like but he still had a sister.

Audrey sat next to Kris and listened to him tell her that. She wasn't ready to go back inside yet so she carried on conversation.

"Will I get to meet the team?" She asked him. Audrey wasn't a fan of hockey but whenever she watched it she would only watch the Penguins and the Senators. That's it. She never knew why she just gravitated towards those teams.

Kris chuckled. "Of course. But rule number one—God, I've always wanted to say this— no dating my teammates."

Audrey laughed and nodded slowly forgetting about the fact that she had just found out about her biological family, that she had a brother. "Deal."