Chapter 7

“Jenna, come in here for a minute will you dear.”

Stacey Carter was pacing the floor nervously while she waited on her thirteen year-old daughter to join her in the den. The TV was on, but nobody was watching it. She grabbed the clicker and turned it off.

“Jenna, what’s taking you so long,” called her mother.

“I’m here mom, I’m here,” said a slightly miffed Jenna, coming into the room.

“Okay, well, have a seat, dear, over there on the love seat.” Jenna tendered her mother a questioning look.

“Mom?” said Jenna, taking the seat indicated.

“Jenna, you and I have something to discuss and it’s going to take a bit of time to cover it all. But, that’s just the way it has to be,” said Stacey.

“Huh?” said Jenna.

“Jenna, there are things that you are not aware of, but after we’re done here you will be, important things,” said Stacey.

“Okay,” said Jenna, her tone laced with concern.

“Oh my, this is going to be hard. Jenna, the things I’m about to tell you may shock you, even scare or worry you some. But, that said, never doubt that momma loves you and your welfare is my number one priority. Understand?”

“I guess, sure,” said Jenna. “Mom?”

“Jenna, your dad...” started Stacey.

“Daddy? He’s okay, right?” said Jenna. Her mother grimaced.

“Jenna, your daddy, well, he’s not your daddy,” said Stacey. She waited, watched nervously for her daughter’s reaction.

“Huh? What? Huh!” said Jenna.

“Jenna, years ago, more than 15 years ago, before you were born, well, I met a man. That man is David Carter. He was a good guy, and well, we were young the both of us. He asked me to marry him. I was ready to be married, and I said yes. But, some time afterwards, his brother, who some time before had been married to a woman named Madeleine and was divorced, came into the picture. That, of course, is the man you know as your Uncle Ron.

“At the time, Ronald Carter was still hurting bad because of his divorce even though it had occurred a couple of years earlier. I guess he’d really loved the woman.

“I could tell that he wanted me, and I have to say it; I discovered that I had feelings for him too. Well, and somehow we ended up in bed together. Jenna he had me, and well, then I had you. Your Uncle Ronald, the man you’ve known as your Uncle Ron, is your dad, your real dad, not his brother David Carter. The man you’ve called daddy for your whole life up to this point is really your uncle,” said Stacey. “David Carter is really your uncle not your father.”

“Momma no!” howled Jenna. The older woman waited for her daughter to calm down.

“Momma...”

“Jenna, in the best of all possible worlds this, news, will only have a minimal impact on you or any of us. But, there’s more,” said Stacey. “And, I need you to be calm and strong, so I can get this all out there for you to understand. Okay?” The young girl nodded, but very slowly.

“The fact is, the man you’ve been calling daddy, David Carter, does not know he is not your daddy, your real daddy,” said Stacey. “I tell you this, because I am going to tell him everything soon, and I need you to not say anything until I have had a chance to talk to him. Can you understand that?” Jenna nodded slowly once again.

“Momma, Daddy is going to be very mad; even as young as I am I know that much,” said Jenna.

“That’s a very real possibility,” said Stacey. “I’m going to do my best not to hurt him, but I guess when all is said and done; he’ll be the one to understand or not. And, Jenna, one more thing.”

“What, momma?” said a now tearful Jenna.

“Jenna, I will be asking your daddy, I mean your Uncle David, for a divorce,” said Stacey.

“Momma, but I don’t want you to divorce Daddy,” said Jenna.

“Jenna, I’ve thought long and hard about this, and what we, I’m, about to do will be best for all of us in the long run. I’ve gone fourteen years keeping these secrets, Jen. Up till now I’ve been able to, keep the secrets that is. But, you’re growing very fast.

“Jenna I’m five-eight. My, our David, is only five-six. You’re still growing and you’re already as tall as me. Your real father is David’s half-brother, and he’s six-two. David, your daddy, the man you’ve thought of as your daddy, is going to notice. I’m surprised he hasn’t already. And there are other markers too, physical markers: eyes, ears, but anyway...

“When he does, the cat will be out of the bag, and me hiding all of this, all of this time, will anger him even more than how it’s going to when I tell him. I think you can see that.”

“Mom! This is so bad. I don’t want a new daddy!” said Jenna.

“Jenna, David Carter will not be out of your life, our lives. I am going to be trying my best to get him to a place where we can still be a family, all of us. It will be a challenge; I won’t kid you, but I will be making the effort.

“The reason I’m telling you all of this now is to prepare you for the changes that are coming. And, also, to get you to a place where you can help me, really help your Uncle David, to understand and continue as a well-loved member of this family. You know, without a lot of anger and bitterness and all of it. Jenna, I guess I have to ask, can I count on you to help our David through all of this; and, help ourselves get through it all as well?” said Stacey.

Jenna jumped up, screamed, and ran from the room. Her mother flopped down on the love seat her daughter had so recently occupied.

“You say she ran out on you?” said Ronald.

“Yes, sort of,” said Stacey. “It was too much for her; she ran up to her room to cry.”

“Do you think she’ll go to him, tell him,” said Ronald.

“No, I don’t think she’ll do that. And, it may not make any difference in any event: I will be telling him myself in the next day or two, the weekend latest. Today’s Thursday, but starting tonight, Jenna’s going to be staying at one of her friend’s house for a few days. Actually, she asked me if she could.

“Anyway, telling David all of this, well, it won’t be pretty, but getting it over and done is the best of all of the bad choices, of that I’m certain,” said Stacey. He nodded.

“I guess. I’m just, I don’t know, kind of overwhelmed by the thought of all that’s coming. It’s going to be a hard nut for us as well as for him. I feel so bad for the man. He’s my brother; we’ve been close forever. But, after this, I just don’t know.

“I was nine when mom married David’s daddy and the family Carter was born. David came along almost immediately and I suddenly had a half-brother. And, like I say, we’ve been close all of this time, but now...” said Ronald.

“Yes, and you’ve been real close to his wife for a long time too,” said Stacey, smiling.