Part 37 (2/2)
Danny took a step closer to Katherine. ”Watch out. It's my wife you're calling names.”
Sean intervened. ”Katherine, you and I weren't even dating when Meg and I had our affair.”
Katherine's eyes blazed. ”Tell me, Sean, what was I, then? Second choice?”
”You're reading things into it you shouldn't,” Sean said.
”I always thought it was Diana Towle. Was it Meg all along you were pining for?” Katherine clenched her fists.
Meg broke away from Danny and approached Katherine. ”Stop Katherine. Why make matters worse? I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you.”
Katherine whirled around. ”Shut up, Meg!” She snapped.
Meg held out her hand. ”What's done is done. It's all in the past. We can't change that, much as we may want to. None of us are saints.”
”No, we're not saints.” Katherine curled her lip. ”But not all of us are content living a lie for decades.”
”I thought I was doing the right thing,” Meg ran her left hand up and down her right arm.
”The right thing? You don't know what the right thing is. You've ruined my life.”
”Mom,” Steve broke in. ”Aunt Meg is right. What's done is done. We can't change the past. All we can do make the best of it.”
Meg shot her nephew a grateful look.
”The whole thing is disgusting. What will people think?” Patrick said.
”Oh, shut up Patrick.” Steve turned on his brother. ”Who cares what people think?”
”Obviously not you,” Patrick crossed his legs.
”You care enough for both of us,” Steve shot back.
Patrick glared at his brother. ”Somebody in this family has to. You don't seem to care about the family.”
Steve stepped forward, but Susan held him back. ”There's the pot calling the kettle black.”
”This is no time to argue,” Sean held up his hands.
”This whole affair is embarra.s.sing,” Patrick continued. His wife took his hand, but he brushed her away.
Steve's face hardened. ”You could have saved us all a lot of trouble by getting tested.”
”Why should I? The girl means nothing to me. I'm not inconveniencing myself for a stranger.” Patrick replied. ”And I'm not convinced she really is a relative.”
”She's your niece.” Sean kept his eyes on Patrick. ”Even if she weren't, it's a child's life we're talking about.”
Patrick ignored him. Sheryl sighed and said, ”I don't know what I'm going to tell our friends. Poor Mom,” Her eyes drifted to Katherine and she tilted her head. ”What a cross for her to bear.”
”No wonder the two of you are married. You're two peas in a pod,” Steve said just as the doorbell rang.
”Now who can that be?” Katherine asked.
”Jackie and Gerry,” Sean said. ”I asked them to come last. I wanted to spare them what I knew would be a scene.”
”Well you asked everyone else to the scene.” Katherine folded her arms. ”Why spare her?”
”Because in case you forgot, she's my daughter. I care about her feelings.”
”I'll let them in,” Susan said as she went to the door.
The family sat in stony silence waiting for Jackie and Gerry to enter.
When Jackie entered the room she scanned the sea of faces. ”What's the matter?”
”It seems you have another sister,” Patrick said, his mouth turned downward.
Jackie turned to Sean. ”What's he talking about?”
”Jackie.” Sean took her hand in his. ”It seems I have another daughter.”
Jackie stared.
Meg stepped over to her. ”Jackie, I had a daughter by Sean many years ago. A daughter I gave up for adoption.”
Jackie turned to stare at Meg. ”You and my father?”
Meg nodded. ”I found her through private investigators. She's flying down to be tested tomorrow.”
”Tomorrow?” Katherine protested. ”You haven't given us much time to adjust to this.”
Jackie turned on Katherine before anyone else could answer. ”My daughter doesn't have much time.” She began to cry.
As Gerry moved closer to his wife, Sean waved him away. He took his daughter in his arms. ”It'll be all right, you'll see.”
Jackie clung to him. The walls had finally come down.
Jackie could see Meg was nervous waiting for Christina Jensen to deplane. She wondered if they would recognize her. Then a tall, athletic blonde strode into the waiting area.
The resemblance to Meg was startling.
Christina walked over to Meg without hesitation and hugged her. ”h.e.l.lo, Mother.”
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