Chapter 2

Lindsey tried not to be "too" obvious as she looked at her eighteen year old son out of the corner of her eye. She knew that the boy would soon be nineteen later this year and she had nothing but pride for him.

He never really gave her any trouble beyond what most kids would do when they were little. Her son had a temper, but it was slow to ignite. Even when it flashed he would seek ways to fix whatever problems it caused. Over time he learned that keeping it under control was far easier than fixing whatever letting it lose broke.

But mostly she was proud of his academic and physical prowess.

She managed to convince and impress on all the children to wait for the right person before they had sex. It was close a few times, and she and her husband had a few sleepless nights worrying, but all of the children made them proud.

They had moved back to Indiana as a family after their last child was born because most of the investments left to them by Dusty were with a brokerage firm there. They didn't have to, but when Stephen found out that Lindsey wanted DJ to go to IU like his father, he said that it made sense to move closer to the school.

Also since no one had to work any longer if they didn't want to, they could pursue other goals now. It would make it easier to keep an eye on him if they were close by since he was so young.

Lindsey never would have thought he would do that for her, as he really loved his job in Marketing, but she was grateful all the same and she continued to realize how special he was. Every time he did things like this it only reinforced her determination to be the best wife she could be to him.

But looking over at DJ again it wasn't hard to see that with his looks and their family's wealth there were constantly quite a few young women around him. And once he got on campus there would be those who wanted to get an "in" into his life as early as possible once they found out how well off he was. Well to be honest it was the same with all their children.

DJ's resisting those influences wasn't the only thing that made her proud.

She saw early on that Dusty Jr. was smarter than he looked and she felt he was being held back after he started middle school. So with their money and influence she pulled him from public school and had him privately tutored.

She was amazed at what at the rate he learned. He had mastered most of high school at 10 and used Indiana University's online program during this time to get his diploma at thirteen. Again using their money she managed to get him into some of IU's online classes and had him re-tested. He managed to test out so well that he was accepted at fourteen on campus.

Over the last four years though he started to fill quite muscularly and it was something to see. It was almost as if the foundation was laid early on and now he was beginning to grown into what he needed to be.

Knowing how physically developed his father was Lindsey started him in gymnastics at the young age of four. He quickly accepted the work required for this, and before long became quite good. While still having him train three times a week as he got older she moved on and let him pick a martial arts style of his choosing at seven.

DJ picked Muay Thai out of all those shown to him, and the early choice of gymnastics only made him better at it as Lindsey hoped. He was currently ranked first nationally in the teen's black belt division.

For some reason Lindsey felt if Dusty ever saw his son she wanted him to be both impressed and just as proud of him as she was. She wanted Dusty to see how well DJ prospered in her care. No matter what else he did in his life he never missed a martial arts practice for any reason.

Lindsey also noted that he had a photographic memory, actually all her kids did, and she often wondered if that was a side effect of Dusty using magic to heal her. In DJ's case it, combined with his high IQ, made all of his book learning easier. While the other children excelled in everything they did as well, none quite excelled like he did.

At fourteen, while on campus, he easily passed for seventeen or eighteen with his height and at the time slight muscular build. The coaches wanted him to try out for everything from wrestling to football, but Lindsey would only let him do wrestling to keep him from over committing himself.

He had a lot on his plate as it stood and keeping busy like this left him really no time to get into trouble like some rich kids often did.

It was hard at times because some of the co-ed on campus were determined to be his 'first' in everything once they found out not only how young he was, even though he was taller than most of them at his age, but he was still a virgin.

Some of the more attractive ones were more than determined to make that happen at all cost. Lindsey had a firm on retainer to watch him on campus, and at times curtail the interest the more mercenary girls had later before it got out of hand. The others she let DJ deal with.

As he excelled in sports with his above average strength and flexibility, he was easily the top wrestler in his weight class. In time other competitors often looked at his growing and slightly larger than average muscles and though he couldn't possibly have any flexibility, but they soon learned different.

DJ was pushing 450 lbs. on the bench easy with a 700 lbs. squat his sophomore year, since then the pounds had only gone up.

With abilities like this it was no wonder he led his wrestling team to state twice.

He had graduated a few months back at eighteen with a double B.A., one in structural and civil engineering, though he did also explore the fields of electronics, mechanical, and electrical engineering because he had a curiosity in them.

DJ also had a degree in Chemical engineering. He also found time to build up several credit hours in microcomputers as well as programming and marketing like Lindsey wanted. She said she wanted him to be well rounded.

Lindsey and his stepfather Stephen were shocked at what he was able to assimilate. Although it really wasn't anything that was also unexpected given what he had demonstrated as a child.

After getting out of school Dusty Jr. was trying to decide if he wanted to go back for his PhD or go on to MIT in Boston for even more rounding in engineering, maybe flesh out computers or programming, since he was still young enough that he had time before he stepped out into the real world.

But right now he was riding in a car with his mother to go check out his grandmother's house. After she had passed away a few years back they hadn't spent much time with it, but it was time to get everything in order to sell. There was no reason to let a perfectly good house sit when someone else might be able to use it.

As Lindsey's mind wandered all over the place during the drive she noticed that DJ had been quiet most of the long ride once they got off the interstate and turned into the rougher areas of Downtown Indianapolis. While she didn't expect him to jabber and hold her a conversation, she would have liked to have talked with him more. He was very respectful to her, but he seemed to get quieter as he got older.

Taking the iPhone buds out of his ears he looked over at her in question almost as if he sensed her wanting to talk with him. That both set her at ease and at the same time unnerved her.

It was little things like this that most made him seem like his father. His father was always so attentive to her needs and whenever she needed something he seemed to be tuned into her like this. Well, before she screwed up her chances to be with him.

"I know you thought we were headed to your Gram's old house to look at it before I sold it, but I thought I'd take you to where I always told you I last saw your Dad before you were born. I know you sometimes asked me growing up where I went when I left you for a few hours with your Gram before she passed on, I thought today I'd show you," said Lindsey with a smile without really looking over at her son.

They rode in silence as the neighborhood looked rougher and rougher. Thankfully it was still early in the morning and very few people were out. DJ wasn't sure he wanted to be around this area when it started to get dark.

As they traveled Lindsey started talking again.

"DJ I'm curious. Have you ever wondered why I pushed you so hard? I mean I knew early on that if you gave me your word on something you held yourself to it. Didn't you ever wonder why one of the things I really insisted on was that you promise to not have sex with anyone in any form? That I even went as far as to list out each and every act that I got you to agree to?" asked Lindsey.

Squirming DJ was a little uncomfortable. He didn't really want to have this conversation with his Mom. No young male ever did.

"Moooommmmmm..." groaned out DJ as he tried to let her know he was uncomfortable.

Chuckling Lindsey persisted.

"No this is important, sweetie. I have a reason for doing this," said Lindsey smiling.

DJ thought about putting his ear buds back in, but didn't want to be disrespectful so he just crossed his arms and waited as he looked out the car window. He wanted to be off doing something else somewhere else, but his mother only asked him to help her and so he was stuck here talking about sex with his mother.

"You are exactly like your father you know. Anyone who knew him could tell immediately that you were his son as soon as they saw you. You look just like him although a little beefier and a little more of a hunk," said Lindsey with a warm smile.

DJ just sat and stared straight ahead.

Having your mother tell you, you were a hunk was at the top of his list of things "not" to hear. He put it right up there with hearing "Congratulations! You now have a STD!"

"But it wasn't for you that I made you promise that, it was for me. It wasn't like I couldn't see all those young girls, some several years older than you, who were always dropping by unexpected and wanted you to go off places with them.

"Not to mention that I know keeping your word to me wasn't easy every time I saw how they were dressed or they looked at you. I could see it in your eyes when I realized that all your friends were sleeping around and yet you were staying by your word to me.

"You did everything I asked and more though. You were an honors student and were valedictorian of your graduating class. You took additional summer and college prep courses during the year and had enough dual credits that you graduated with two degrees and various minors.

"Since you started early as a child you were out of college at eighteen when most are just starting to go. You even took all the engineering courses like I asked, even though I think you would have taken it anyway," said Lindsey with a smile.

DJ tried to keep looking irritated, but his Mom had a way of making him feel he was the most special person when she really wanted too. For some reason today she really wanted too.

Most of his irritation left him at being drug down to this rough looking area.

"But still, I did it selfishly for me. Your father was a good man. He loved me completely to distraction. Stephen your stepfather is also a good man who tried just as hard to please me. I won't let go of that for anyone ever again, after the way I lost your father. But the reason I asked you to come with me is because it's really time that you knew the whole truth.

"I've always told you stories about how I met your father, his family, and where he went to school. I told you all the adventures I had with him the last time I saw him. I even got your word you wouldn't ever tell anyone what I told you.

"The rest of the family knows your father is still alive, but that is a closely guarded family secret. But I didn't tell any of you was why we didn't stay together or why I let people believe he died. It was because I wasn't the kind of person I should have been.

"To be honest I must have had a period where I developed some form of mental problems after I met him. Because of that mental deficiency I was really a slut during the time when I was with your father. It was solely because of my own actions that it didn't work out between us and he left me," said Lindsey sadly.

She could feel DJ almost lightly jump and look at her and she steeled herself for anything he might say or do. She wasn't sure she could handle his revulsion of her, but she had long since had this conversation with her current husband Stephen about DJ's birth father, well before they married. Stephen still married her anyway.

But DJ didn't react the way she thought he might.

"Mom, that has nothing to do with me. I love you for you. You've taken care of me and the family, and you asked for nothing as you looked after all of us. You never gave Dad any cause to not trust you. You know, it's hard to think of you that way because you are the most honest person I know," said DJ as he put his hand on her shoulder.

Taking one hand off the car's steering wheel Lindsey put it over his hand on her shoulder.

"Thanks sweetie but, unfortunately there's far more to my story than just that. The reason I say that is because I cheated not just once, but a lot on your father, and that's the reason why he left me. I was cheating on him for almost an entire year before he caught me. And to be honest I didn't really have much remorse about what I was doing to him at the time, before he caught me that is," said Lindsey softly.

She felt DJ stiffen for a moment before he softly squeezed her shoulder again.

Lindsey didn't know how he would react, but at least that encouraged her. He didn't pull away or accuse her of anything so far. So it was going far better than she pictured this day going.

They traveled on in silence for a few moments.

Lindsey was waiting to see if DJ had any questions and DJ waiting to see if she was done. He was really hoping she was because he still didn't want to have this conversation with her.

After a few minutes Lindsey began once again.

"Though I have to say it was all my fault. I was the first person your father was ever with because he thought I was special enough to wait for. I wasn't raised that way by your Gram, so I thought I would just have fun with anyone who caught my eye until the special person I really wanted came along and then commit to him. But I got scared when it finally happened, and when I realized that it would be your father and me forever I didn't know how to handle it.

"So while I was with your father I started having sex with my college ex-boyfriend once he located me again. I had the thought that I would just get it all out of my system before we got married. I thought I could concentrate on your father once I was done being wild.

"Problem was your father caught me and actually saw me in the middle of what I was doing with him, if you know what I mean. I was so caught up in what I was doing at the time that I never really made any plans on when I needed to stop. I just did want I wanted without any real plans for the future.

"And if that wasn't bad enough your father also found that he had caught an STD from what I was doing because that bastard who was my ex-boyfriend gave it to me, and I then in turn passed it to your father. That guy was also sleeping with many of my so called friends at the same time that I didn't know about, and so we were all infected.

"They knew what I was doing and they were also doing the same thing to their husbands with him as well," said Lindsey softly but just over the sounds of the car.

She felt DJ squeeze her shoulder once again, but then she felt him pull away.

Lindsey knew this would be hard, but it all needed to be said. She realized that she could now feel the disappointment radiating from him, even though he didn't say anything to her.

All the years when he was a small child he always asked why his "real" father wasn't there once he knew that he was still alive, but she always said because he couldn't come. But today would be the day she admitted the whole truth to him about why he couldn't come and she would handle the fallout.

Feeling the tears swimming in her eyes she continued.

"But even though we were through he still wanted to protect me. Once my ex-boyfriend and I were busted for what we were doing, your father of course broke it off with me. I was heartbroken and decided to get your father to feel sorry for me and take me back.

"So let my ex-boyfriend move in with me in the apartment that I once shared with your father. I was thinking that your father would come and fight for me, and of course fight him to take me back. But that was really a bad idea on my part. Once that bastard moved in he took to raping me every night for several months before he was stopped," said Lindsey quietly.

She felt DJ jerk and turn in his seat and stare at her hard. He couldn't believe what his mother was now saying. Lindsey knew she couldn't meet his eyes so she stared straight ahead as she continued speaking.

"Yes that's what I said, that I was raped for a several months by the very man I was having sex with behind your fathers back, talk about what goes around comes around. I didn't expect anyone to believe me if I told them what was happening to me. The very man who I took up with, who helped me destroyed my relationship with your father, was the very man I moved into my apartment shortly afterwards our breakup.

"So one night in desperation to make it stop I called your father and just begged him to help me. Your father, being the strong man of character he was, gave no thought to what he needed to do and raced over to my place. Your father was just half dressed mind you, and he kicked Chad's ass all over the apartment for raping me and helped send him to prison for it," said Lindsey with triumph.

DJ could see his Mom now smiling as she told him this with what he could see were tears in her eyes at what he was sure was a rough period in her life. He could hear her voice trying to break before, but now during the last little bit her voice seemed strengthened.

He could tell even now that his mother still loved his father.