Every December [Soon to be Self Published]

Chapter 22

Lydia

I wait in the car while A.J. gets the envelope. He's worried about the media, as my life is suddenly thrust into public view. Texts come through at an alarming rate from people in my life, my mother, McKenna, Ashley, coworkers, everyone except Garrett. But it's Ashley's text I'm staring at.

Your mother's dating Hartley Rice's father. Does Austin know?

Me: No, he doesn't.

Ashley: I wasn't certain the other night, but Nick confirmed the Austin-Hartley connection.

Me: I haven't told him because Hartley means nothing to me. I barely just met him.

Even still, I need to say something to him. The potential consequences are building, getting the best of me. What if we fight? What if he throws me out? What if this ruins Christmas? He's come so far from someone who couldn't stand the idea of Christmas weeks ago.

Is throwing this weird coincidence in our lives worth it when I can easily explain later?

Now that everyone knows I'm here though...my blood pressure rises, echoing in my ears. Tell him. Tell him now.  A double take at A.J. exiting the facility. The envelope in his hand. Instead of walking over, he goes to the side of the entrance, and takes out what looks like a letter in the envelope.

His eyes get big and then small. At the way his mouth parts with disbelief. He looks up. He looks directly at the SUV and marches over to me.

A.J. gets in and thrusts the paper at me.

"What it is?"

His jaw is strained. "Just read it."

Silently, I do, my eyes widening and thinning at the handwritten note.

Dear Austin,

Writing this letter is difficult for me. Keeping my identity from you has been torture. I didn't want any attention to come to you or me from this. Please let me tell you a little about myself. For my whole life, Darren was someone special to me. First, I was the girl around the block. Our houses just two streets away. In some ways, we've known each other forever. He was my first kiss.

My name is Coco Whitmore. You know me as Meg. I clean your house. Whitmore is my maiden name, the name your father knew me by. Darren and I fell in love when we were young. We also broke each other's hearts more than once over the years.

He met your mother right after a particularly bad break up, he could be very stubborn, you know. He moved to California before we reconciled to finish college and go back to your mother. That same summer he left, I found out I was pregnant with his child, a daughter.

While we found our way back to one another after both of us divorced and immersed ourselves in raising children, we managed to reconnect. Though his mind is failing him, I showed up to clean your house to keep on the promise I made to him to look out for you. But you are grown now, you have a whole other life, and I thought it was time to tell you. I thought, and hoped, that you could use some extra support with all that he-and you-are going through.

You recently met my daughter, Myla. She is your half-sister. Her daughter, Rosie, is four. I thought you needed to know that you're not always as alone as you think you are. If you want to be, we respect your choice. If you would like to meet, or talk, that door is always open.

Sincerely,

Meg

Tears splatter the document. I quickly fold it back and swing my gaze right to his. "Meg is Coco?"