paperwork.
“I’m his daughter.”
I go to sit behind the one side of the glass, waiting. The room is white and cold. It holds no warmth for anyone in it. When Jack sees my face behind glass he lights up, but I do not smile. I carry no warmth for him, either.
They uncuff him and he sits down on the other side, picking up the phone. “Rosemary! I’m so glad to see you, I knew you’d-”
“Be quiet,” I tell him. Even though there’s guards all around and the glass is inches thick, I’m still shaking. But I have to be strong. I take a deep breath and ask, “I need to know what happened to you and Mom. The truth.”
His smile falls. “Rosemary, I don’t think you’re ready.”
“If I’m not ready now I never will be. You only have so much time,” I say.
He clears his throat, then says, “Well. Here’s what it is. When we were very young your mother and I became pregnant.”
“Yes, I know that.”
“You don’t know the whole story. When your mother got pregnant, she panicked. She didn’t want you.”
“That’s a lie,” I snarl. “Mom told me I was planned.”
“She didn’t want to hurt you when you asked. I promise, I’m not lying to you. I talked her into carrying you but once you were born she didn’t want anything to do with you. I found out she was cheating on me with Peter while she was pregnant. When the hospital told her she could go she ran off with him and left me with you.”
“It’s not true,” I whisper, tears in my eyes.
“I took care of you for three years until she came back and said she wanted to make it all work. But it didn’t last. She married Peter, for good this time, and when I got in trouble with the law she had to take you in. She didn’t have a choice.”
“My mother loves me!” I scream into the phone. “She wouldn’t do that to me!”
“She didn’t always, Rose, don’t you see? I was always the one who loved you first, right from the start. I know I haven’t been the best father, but I swear to you I’ve always loved you. You’re the light of my life. That’s why I tried to save you from your mother. Because I love you.” There’s tears in his eyes.
My hand shakes as I hold the phone. “I’m sorry Jack. I can’t believe you. I need more proof.” I hang up the phone and stand, turning to leave.
“Rosemary!” he cries, and he starts pounding on the glass. The guards jump to restrain him and the pounding stops as I walk out the door and to my car.
My head spins as I sit inside the vehicle. Then my hand flies to my cell phone and I dial the number quickly, waiting.
She picks up without hesitation. “What do you need dear?” Mom asks, waiting.
“I need to ask you something and you need to be honest. Did you leave me with Jack for three years while you ran around with Peter, until my father got in trouble and you had to take me?” I’m breathless, tottering on the edge of a cliff.
There’s a silence that lasts an age. “Rosemary...”
“Answer me!”
“...Yes.”
I’m plummeting off the cliff, because my mother has let me fall. There’s a rustle at the end of the line and she says, “Rosemary, that doesn’t mean a thing now. I love you and-”
“Goodbye Mother.” I hang up the phone and throw it down, putting my head on the steering wheel and sobbing. My whole life had been one big lie. Everything I have ever believed about my family wasn’t true. The worst part was that I had allowed that lie to push away the one true thing that I had ever known.
I wipe my face. Is it too late? I have to try. Starting up the car, I turn it in the other direction and drive like hell.
Chapter Seven
I know the sound of that motor a mile away. I put down the wrench and step away from the front of my dad’s car in my garage, ignoring the belt I was supposed to be fixing. Why was she here, to give me back my things? To point out all I had done wrong, to cause me more pain? She was my ex now, nothing more...I wince at the
“I’m his daughter.”
I go to sit behind the one side of the glass, waiting. The room is white and cold. It holds no warmth for anyone in it. When Jack sees my face behind glass he lights up, but I do not smile. I carry no warmth for him, either.
They uncuff him and he sits down on the other side, picking up the phone. “Rosemary! I’m so glad to see you, I knew you’d-”
“Be quiet,” I tell him. Even though there’s guards all around and the glass is inches thick, I’m still shaking. But I have to be strong. I take a deep breath and ask, “I need to know what happened to you and Mom. The truth.”
His smile falls. “Rosemary, I don’t think you’re ready.”
“If I’m not ready now I never will be. You only have so much time,” I say.
He clears his throat, then says, “Well. Here’s what it is. When we were very young your mother and I became pregnant.”
“Yes, I know that.”
“You don’t know the whole story. When your mother got pregnant, she panicked. She didn’t want you.”
“That’s a lie,” I snarl. “Mom told me I was planned.”
“She didn’t want to hurt you when you asked. I promise, I’m not lying to you. I talked her into carrying you but once you were born she didn’t want anything to do with you. I found out she was cheating on me with Peter while she was pregnant. When the hospital told her she could go she ran off with him and left me with you.”
“It’s not true,” I whisper, tears in my eyes.
“I took care of you for three years until she came back and said she wanted to make it all work. But it didn’t last. She married Peter, for good this time, and when I got in trouble with the law she had to take you in. She didn’t have a choice.”
“My mother loves me!” I scream into the phone. “She wouldn’t do that to me!”
“She didn’t always, Rose, don’t you see? I was always the one who loved you first, right from the start. I know I haven’t been the best father, but I swear to you I’ve always loved you. You’re the light of my life. That’s why I tried to save you from your mother. Because I love you.” There’s tears in his eyes.
My hand shakes as I hold the phone. “I’m sorry Jack. I can’t believe you. I need more proof.” I hang up the phone and stand, turning to leave.
“Rosemary!” he cries, and he starts pounding on the glass. The guards jump to restrain him and the pounding stops as I walk out the door and to my car.
My head spins as I sit inside the vehicle. Then my hand flies to my cell phone and I dial the number quickly, waiting.
She picks up without hesitation. “What do you need dear?” Mom asks, waiting.
“I need to ask you something and you need to be honest. Did you leave me with Jack for three years while you ran around with Peter, until my father got in trouble and you had to take me?” I’m breathless, tottering on the edge of a cliff.
There’s a silence that lasts an age. “Rosemary...”
“Answer me!”
“...Yes.”
I’m plummeting off the cliff, because my mother has let me fall. There’s a rustle at the end of the line and she says, “Rosemary, that doesn’t mean a thing now. I love you and-”
“Goodbye Mother.” I hang up the phone and throw it down, putting my head on the steering wheel and sobbing. My whole life had been one big lie. Everything I have ever believed about my family wasn’t true. The worst part was that I had allowed that lie to push away the one true thing that I had ever known.
I wipe my face. Is it too late? I have to try. Starting up the car, I turn it in the other direction and drive like hell.
Chapter Seven
I know the sound of that motor a mile away. I put down the wrench and step away from the front of my dad’s car in my garage, ignoring the belt I was supposed to be fixing. Why was she here, to give me back my things? To point out all I had done wrong, to cause me more pain? She was my ex now, nothing more...I wince at the
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