"Secrets always find a way out..." By N. J
"Are you sure he isn't the one? They look exactly the same."
"Mom, for the last time, he isn't the guy you saw on Forbes Magazine. Though that would be great, he hasn't reached there yet." I rolled my eyes and buckled my seatbelt.
Since, Ethan and I arrived at the airport, we had been on the receiving end of my mom's questions.
After the last time my dad left and told her I had a boyfriend, she had called and demanded to speak to him.
They had spoken over the phone several times, now was the first time she got to see him in person and she was convinced he was some guy on Forbes list.
I had been wondering why I never got both of them to FaceTime before?? Stupid!
I agree. Could have saved all our eardrums.
"Sweetheart, you know your mom by now. Give her a break." My dad laughed.
"I know, remember that one time she swore I was a twin whose sister had been stolen at birth, when she saw that girl at the supermarket?"
We all laughed except for Ethan. He was gripping the steering wheel so hard and he seemed to have his mind somewhere else.
"Make fun of me now, but I'm very sure this time." She huffed and adjusted her glasses.
"Sure mom, just like you were every other time." I laughed again, but quickly became worried for Ethan.
"Hey kid, I know you're carrying old folks, but even I drive faster than that. You're going at thirty on a forty road." Dad chuckled while lightly patting Ethan's shoulder from the back.
"Sorry Eric, you can never be too careful..."
Yeah, he had been on first name basis with my dad since mom's second call.
He convinced them he wasn't distracted, but he didn't have me fooled.
Both parents were involved in a conversation in the backseat and I took that as an opportunity to wrap my hand around his unoccupied one.
He glanced at me and gave me a tiny fraction of a smile.
I had no idea what was going on in his mind, he was fine before mom started blowing off her questions and I was a hundred percent sure he wasn't intimidated by my parents although he'd been made aware of my dad's gun.
"Are you okay?" I whispered.
"Yeah, just a work thing." He told me.
I tried, I really tried to understand but I felt like he was lying.
Lies.
It felt like a thousand ants were slowly moving up my body until they gradually suffocated me.
No! He's not lying. Ethan wouldn't lie to me. I tried to convince myself.
Yeah, he would never lie to me.
I took in a deep breath and focused my attention on the trees and nature.
"So, uhm, home or hospital first?" I asked to break the newly found silence.
"Hospital. I wanna see my baby." Mom clapped her hands causing dad and I to erupt in laughter fits.
"Okay then. But, promise to take it easy on her, you can't surprise her so much that she goes into a cardiac arrest." I twisted my body in my seat so I could have a good look at her.
"Promise."
"Good."
***
Ethan managed to park in the furthest spot away from the hospital since he was needed at the office urgently.
Mom and dad appreciated him and went ahead to find Kenna who would lead them to Emily.
Currently it was just Ethan and I in his car seated in a deafening silence.
"I'm sorry, I guess I'm just stressed out about Emily's transplant..." he trailed off.
"You're lying." I stated.
"A relationship should be based on honesty Ethan, if you can't tell me what's on your mind and choose to rather lie about it, then fine. But I won't sit and act like it doesn't hurt me."
I opened the door, collected my purse and slammed it close before making my way to the hospital.
***
"For Christ's sake Kendra, it's been four days already," she rounded the kitchen island and raised four fingers in front of my face. "Four! Give the man a break. You don't expect him to tell you every single thing running through his mind. Your father never did tell me everything, yet we survived, didn't we?"
I was wise enough to know that question didn't require an answer.
"I may not understand the situation entirely, but I know you shouldn't keep doing what you're doing to both him and yourself. That man," she pointed in the direction of the front door before continuing, "standing on that front porch, he's a good man. He's been doing the same thing for the past four days and managed to juggle in his job at the same time spending time with Emily."
She's right. You better listen! My subconscious said.
"You're my daughter, I can see he makes you happy and I see you're very much in love with him. Don't let something as tiny as this destroy what you have. Now, I am going to open that door and let that young man in so you both can talk while I go see my granddaughter. Am I understood?" She raised a brow.
I simply nodded and finished up my tea while she kept her word.
"Thank you Emilia." I heard his tired voice whisper.
You might have figured by now that, Belinda had gotten Emily's name from my mom's.
I again heard the front door close which meant we were the only people at home now.
I got down from my stool and straightened the huge tshirt I had on.
It was Ethan's shirt. One of the clothes he left here since he begun sleeping over.
It wasn't indecent, it reached past mid thigh and was very comfortable to be in. Plus, it smelled like him.
After several minutes of mentally preparing myself to speak to him, I turned and began walking towards the living room, but not before running into a brick wall A.K.A Ethan.
Since, I took so long to come to him, he came to me.
He looked impeccable though tired and he was still taller than me.
His touch felt so wonderful after missing him so much for the past four days.
"I'm sorry." He simply said.
Me being me, I started crying, but not the full on sobbing type of cries, just tears.
"I didn't mean to make you cry, neither did I want to be away from you or hurt you. These past four days have only been bearable because I got to at least see Emily every day." He used his thumb to wipe away a tear.
"I'm sorry, I overreacted..." I said amidst my tears. "You don't have to tell me everything, just please don't lie. I can't handle it." I used the back of my hands to wipe my tears and blew my nose into a nearby napkin I took from the island.
Before I could properly process my thoughts I was engulfed into a very tight hug.
"I love you so much, God knows I do." He whispered.
"I love you..." I broke off the hug to kiss him.
God! I'd missed his lips so very much. He had both hands on my waist while I stood on my tippy toes.
"I have to tell you something," I told him, he nodded and led us to the sitting room.
We both sat on the couch and I tucked my legs beneath me.
"I haven't been entirely honest with you, and I want to start again but with no secrets this time. I want everything out in the open. Nothing to hide." I begun.
He gestured for me to go ahead with a nod.
I cleared my throat.
"Emily isn't my biological daughter. She's Belinda's..." I then went ahead to explain everything, from how Belinda entered my life till when she left Emily for me.
Throughout, he listened very attentively and encouraged me to go on when I felt like crying sometimes.
"I'm glad Emily is with us now, we will love her just the way Belinda would have wanted."He coerced.
I prepared myself for the greater truth I had to reveal.
"Ethan..." I whispered.
"Love, you can tell me anything. I promise, nothing, absolutely nothing, can make me love you less."
I smiled, tears long gone now.
"I was adopted." I rushed out and he laughed.
"Love, I may not be the brightest, but I think even I couldn't see the exact semblance. Your parents are both blonde you know..." he chuckled.
I joined him too. I felt light. I wasn't hiding anything and hopefully he wasn't either.
"So, do you have anything to get off your chest?" I asked while resting my head on his chest.
He stilled for some time before eventually answering my question.
"No, work has just been stressful. I am an open book, for you only."
"No secrets ok?" I insisted.
"Hmhm.."
"I love you."
"I love you. I really do..." he whispered and if I wasn't already half asleep, I could swear he was crying and apologising at the same time.
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And for those of you looking for a good read, you should read 'best of both worlds' by Zeemzie. It's truly a beautiful book. Let's support her.
Love Joy.