her father was buried. She was too young to remember Patrick. Lance was the only man who lived in the house, the only man she’d ever seen with her mom.He took her to school occasionally. They sometimes ate dinner as a family.
After the funeral, Trudy hid all photos and other evidence of her life with Patrick. Ashley Nicole had never heard his name mentioned.
But after three days of reporters camping on their street, the child naturally was asking questions. Her mother was acting strange. There was so much tension around the house that even a six-year-old could feel it. Trudy waited until Lance left for a visit with the lawyer, then she sat her daughter on her bed for a little chat.
She began by admitting that she had been married before. Actually, she had been married twice before, but she figured Ashley Nicole wouldn’t need to know about the first husband until she was much older. The second husband was the issue for the moment.
“Patrick and I were married for four years, and then he did a very bad thing.”
“What?” Ashley Nicole asked, wide-eyed and absorbing more than Trudy wanted.
“He killed a man, and he made it look like, well, there was a big car wreck, you see, a big fire, and it was Patrick’s car, and the police found a body inside the car, once the fire was out, and the police figured it was Patrick. Everybody did. Patrick was gone, burned up in his car, and I was very sad. He was my husband. I loved him dearly, and he was suddenly gone. We buried him in the cemetery. Now, four years later, they found Patrick off hiding on the other side of the world. He ran away and hid.”
“Why?”
“Because he stole a bunch of money from hisfriends, and since he’s a very bad man he wanted to keep all of this money for himself.”
“He killed a man and he stole money.”
“That’s right, honey. Patrick is not a nice person.”
“I’m sorry you were married to him, Mommy.”
“Yes. But look, honey, there’s something you need to understand. You were born when Patrick and I were married.” She let the words drift through the air, and watched the little eyes to see if she caught the message. Evidently not. She squeezed Ashley Nicole’s hand and said “Patrick is your father.”
She looked blankly at her mother, the wheels turning rapidly in her head. “But I don’t want him to be—”
“I’m sorry, honey. I was gonna tell you when you were much older, but Patrick is about to come back now, and it’s important for you to know.”
“What about Lance? Isn’t he my father?”
“No. Lance and I are just together, that’s all.” Trudy had never allowed her to refer to Lance as her father. And Lance, for his part, had never shown the slightest interest in approaching the arena of fatherhood. Trudy was a single mom. Ashley Nicole had no father. This was perfectly common and acceptable.
“Lance and I have been friends for a long time,” Trudy said, keeping the initiative and trying to prevent a thousand questions. “Very close friends. He loves you very much, but he is not your father. Not your real father anyway. Patrick, I’m afraid, is your real father, but I don’t want you to worry about him.”
“Does he want to see me?”
“I don’t know, but I’ll fight forever to keep him away from you. He is a very bad person, honey. Heleft you when you were two years old. He left me. He stole a bunch of money and disappeared. He didn’t care about us then, and he doesn’t care about us now. He wouldn’t be coming back if they hadn’t caught him. We would never have seen him again. So don’t worry about Patrick and what he might do.”
Ashley Nicole crawled across the end of the bed and cuddled in her mother’s lap. Trudy squeezed and patted her. “It’s going to be all right, honey. I promise. I hated to tell you this, but with all those reporters out there and all the stuff on television, well, I just thought it best.”
“Why are those people out there?” she asked,
After the funeral, Trudy hid all photos and other evidence of her life with Patrick. Ashley Nicole had never heard his name mentioned.
But after three days of reporters camping on their street, the child naturally was asking questions. Her mother was acting strange. There was so much tension around the house that even a six-year-old could feel it. Trudy waited until Lance left for a visit with the lawyer, then she sat her daughter on her bed for a little chat.
She began by admitting that she had been married before. Actually, she had been married twice before, but she figured Ashley Nicole wouldn’t need to know about the first husband until she was much older. The second husband was the issue for the moment.
“Patrick and I were married for four years, and then he did a very bad thing.”
“What?” Ashley Nicole asked, wide-eyed and absorbing more than Trudy wanted.
“He killed a man, and he made it look like, well, there was a big car wreck, you see, a big fire, and it was Patrick’s car, and the police found a body inside the car, once the fire was out, and the police figured it was Patrick. Everybody did. Patrick was gone, burned up in his car, and I was very sad. He was my husband. I loved him dearly, and he was suddenly gone. We buried him in the cemetery. Now, four years later, they found Patrick off hiding on the other side of the world. He ran away and hid.”
“Why?”
“Because he stole a bunch of money from hisfriends, and since he’s a very bad man he wanted to keep all of this money for himself.”
“He killed a man and he stole money.”
“That’s right, honey. Patrick is not a nice person.”
“I’m sorry you were married to him, Mommy.”
“Yes. But look, honey, there’s something you need to understand. You were born when Patrick and I were married.” She let the words drift through the air, and watched the little eyes to see if she caught the message. Evidently not. She squeezed Ashley Nicole’s hand and said “Patrick is your father.”
She looked blankly at her mother, the wheels turning rapidly in her head. “But I don’t want him to be—”
“I’m sorry, honey. I was gonna tell you when you were much older, but Patrick is about to come back now, and it’s important for you to know.”
“What about Lance? Isn’t he my father?”
“No. Lance and I are just together, that’s all.” Trudy had never allowed her to refer to Lance as her father. And Lance, for his part, had never shown the slightest interest in approaching the arena of fatherhood. Trudy was a single mom. Ashley Nicole had no father. This was perfectly common and acceptable.
“Lance and I have been friends for a long time,” Trudy said, keeping the initiative and trying to prevent a thousand questions. “Very close friends. He loves you very much, but he is not your father. Not your real father anyway. Patrick, I’m afraid, is your real father, but I don’t want you to worry about him.”
“Does he want to see me?”
“I don’t know, but I’ll fight forever to keep him away from you. He is a very bad person, honey. Heleft you when you were two years old. He left me. He stole a bunch of money and disappeared. He didn’t care about us then, and he doesn’t care about us now. He wouldn’t be coming back if they hadn’t caught him. We would never have seen him again. So don’t worry about Patrick and what he might do.”
Ashley Nicole crawled across the end of the bed and cuddled in her mother’s lap. Trudy squeezed and patted her. “It’s going to be all right, honey. I promise. I hated to tell you this, but with all those reporters out there and all the stuff on television, well, I just thought it best.”
“Why are those people out there?” she asked,
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