What a strange night. I mean it was great, don’t get me wrong. Everyone was incredibly fun and nice as usual. Ava and Kennedy spent the whole time talking about babies of course. Though I have a slight twinge of envy, I am really excited for them and gladly listened to their banter all night. Kennedy’s Gpa is very interesting. He spent the whole night in conversation with me asking where I grew up, how was my childhood, my parents, etc. I have to say it felt weird, especially since he doesn’t know me, but I figured because I was the only unknown in the room, he was trying to amuse himself. He is just a harmless, funny old man.
The not so pleasant part of the night, came when Max started talking to Penny causing all hell to break loose. During a tense moment, I was told something about Max I didn’t want to know. He had slept with his brother’s girl. According to Ava, she whispered in my ear, it is not how it sounds. But, how could it be any different? Either he did or he didn’t. I do know, it did not leave him in a good light and made my vow to stay away from him, more solid.
Here I am this morning drinking coffee, as I run everything through my head, when there is a knock on my apartment door. I am not expecting anyone this early and seeing as how it is the weekend, I know it cannot be work related. When I look into the peephole, I am a little surprised to see Kennedy on the other side of the door.
“Hey lady fancy seeing you here. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“My gpa asked me over for breakfast this morning after you left last night, and he asked if I would bring you along.” She says.
I don’t know what to say other than, “Ok. But can I ask why?”
“To be honest Rosie, I have no idea. But he likes to meet new people and sort of adopts them into the fold. He’s harmless. So, what do you say?”
I was not doing anything for breakfast and I don’t want to offend anyone, so I guess I’m going. “Sure. Sounds fun. And after last night, I could use some fun and normal.”
“Oh, Yeah last night was intense but it is not what you think.” I will take her word for it. Because I had a shower last night, all I have to do is throw on clothes for the day, grab my purse, keys, and lock the door.
Once we are the car, I notice she isn’t starting it yet. I look over at her and see she is staring at me. It is kind of creeping me out, but before I can say anything, she opens up like a freaking faucet.
“Rosalind, I know it is not any of my business, but I feel like I need to defend Max.” Seriously!
“No Kennedy. It is not nece… ”
“I know Rosa, but I see how he looks at you. And believe it or not, I see how you look at him when you think no one’s looking. But I can see that last night, might have spoiled him in your eyes and I think it needs a bit of clarification. The boys’ father used to send them to a yearlong apprenticeship workshop when they were growing up. He would send them always, one at a time. When Ham was away on his turn, for a year Max began a relationship with Elizabeth, or what he thought was a relationship. What Max didn’t know was that her and Ham had a thing. Surprisingly enough, no one in this town told him either, so he had no idea he was doing anything wrong. Ham came home early and found out and the brothers had a falling out and didn’t speak for four years, until Avalynn came along and made them reconcile. Rumor has it, Max really thought she cared for him and it broke his heart. So you see, Jace was being an ass last night and it is not the way it sounded.”
Well crap. She could have really kept that to herself because now, the ice I was using as a shield against him has begun to thaw. His heart was broken. Some puta actually broke his heart. A man like Max with a broken heart actually makes for an asshole. So now I get it.
“Thank you for telling me Kennedy. At least I know he is not a complete douche. But it doesn’t change anything for us. And if it is all the same to you, I would rather not talk about it right now.”
“Im sorry. I didn’t mean to overstep. I just thought you should know.”
With that said, she starts the car and pulls off and I feel bad for snapping at her, but I just cannot, right now. Less than 10 minutes later we are at her gpas house and I paste a smile on my face as I walk up to the door. The minute the door opens, her grandfather gasps. The next words out of his mouth literally send my mind reeling in ways I didn’t expect.
“My God. It’s like looking back 22 years. You look just like Yesenia did that summer.”
Gasp.
“You knew my mother. But how?”
“My son, Kennedy’s father, use to come here in the summer to visit my parents. The summer of his senior year he came and while he was here he fell in love with a beautiful Hispanic girl named Yesenia. He wrote home to me about her and when I came down for a visit, he brought her to meet me. I knew that summer he was going to marry her. However, your mother’s father didn’t like my son. He felt like he was an over privileged white boy, which couldn’t have been further from the truth. He forbid them from seeing each other again and moved your mom away. My son was never happy after that. Not like I had seen him that summer, until graduation when he found out Kennedy’s mom was pregnant. He came to life then and the rest they say is history. We often wondered what happened to Yesenia but no matter how we looked, we never found her. When you came to the party last night I knew when I looked at your eyes, but I didn’t want to say anything in front of everyone else.”
I am having a hard time processing anything right now. Is he saying that his son was my dad? That he is my grandfather? I mean….holy shit….that means-
“You are my sister?”
Kennedy beat me to it, but yes, that is the very conclusion I was drawing. Looking at her now, I can totally see it in the eyes. She is tearing up now and though I am sure it is the hormones from the pregnancy. I am no less emotional and to be honest, I don’t want to be here right now. Dale just told me that my whole life has been a lie and the story my grandparents told me, how my dad didn’t want me and my mom was a total lie. They created the lie to make me not look for him and ask questions, which she allowed them to do me.
“I’m sorry, but I have to go. I can’t… I… I need some time. I am sorry. I know it isn’t any of your faults, but I need to process this information. I promise I will come back, Ok? Please give me some time.” With that, I turn around and walk out the door as fast as I can, before taking off in a half sprint with tears running rivers down my face and I bump into a hard wall of muscle. I smell him before he says a word and before I can stop myself; I curl into a ball into his chest and cry like I have never cried before.