Mary was almost speechess, "How dare you come in here and ask me a thing like that."
"Mary, I'm pretty good at math. I thought about it and if Michael is five years old and we were last together almost six years ago. Well, it doesn't take a genius." Matt explained
"Get out! Just go. Michael is not your son." Mary didn't want to lie but she didn't know what else to do."
Matt knew this was probably a mistake, coming here to talk to her, "I'll leave but we have to talk sometime." He exited Lou's office
Mary sat down in Lou's chair and put her head in her hands. Murray knocked on the door and poked his head in, "Are you alright?"
She looked up "You know who that was don't you?"
"I sure do. What is he doing here?" Murray asked, "I mean if you want to tell me."
Mary smiled slightly, "Why not? You were here when the whole thing happened anyway."
Murray sat down in the chair opposite her, "Does he know?"
"Well he thinks he does. I saw him at the game Saturday, in line at the concession stand. I even introduced him to John and Michael. It was like I was in the twilight zone."
"What did John do?" Murray hated seeing Mary so upset
"Nothing, he didn't know it was him." Mary explained, "They shook hands and that was about it."
"Mary, I'm sorry, of all the rotten things to happen. What did you say to him just now?" Murray asked
"I lied, Murray, I flat out lied. He knows. Michael told him how hold he is and Matt's no dummy. He could do the math."
"So what are you gonna do, Mare?" Murray asked sympathetically
"I don't know, Murray, I just don't know." She said
Later that night after Mary put Michael to bed she was alone with some time to think. John was working late. He had left WJM a few years prior to take a job as communications director for the Mayor and there was an evening press conference. She watched as her husband made statements and answered questions but was barely paying attention. She knew the one person she could talk to and picked up the phone and dialed the familiar long distance number and waited for an answer.
"Hello?"
"New York? This is Minneapolis and boy are we in trouble." Mary said
"Mary? What's wrong?" Rhoda asked alarmed by the sound of her friend's voice, "Is it the baby?"
"Oh no, the baby's fine, we couldn't be happier." Mary assured her, "I ran into someone over the weekend I haven't seen in oh, say six years."
"Six years?" Rhoda thought for a moment then it hit her, "No, he's in Minneapolis?"
"Oh yeah, he was at the Vikings game and I saw him in the concession line beside me. I couldn't believe it." Mary explained
"What did you say to him?" Rhoda asked
"Small talk, until Michael and John came up and I had to introduce them. It was the strangest experience I think I have ever had and that's not all."
"What else?"
"He asked Michael how old he was and, of course, he told him. Then Matt showed up at the station today asking if he was Michael's father."
"Oh no, oh Mary, what did you say?" Rhoda felt so bad for her friend
"I lost my temper, I lied and he left but he knows. He did the math." Mary explained
"Did John know who he was?" Rhonda wondered
"No, I don't think he even remembered it had been so long. He never said anything and I didn't either. I just don't know what to do."
"Listen, you want me to come out for a few days. You can just tell John I wanted to come for a visit." Rhoda offered.
"Oh, Rhoda, no, that's okay. I'll be okay. I feel better just talking to you." Mary assured her
"Well, if you change your mind just call me, okay Kid?" Rhoda told her
"I will, thanks Rhoda."
Mary fell asleep stretched out on the couch with a book in her lap. John came in and noticed his sleeping wife. He smiled as he gently picked up the book and sat it on the coffee table. He sat down on the coffee table as she stirred awake.
"Hi," she said sitting up, "What time is it?"
"It's about ten," he said sitting next to her and putting his arm around her, "I didn't mean to wake you."
She looked at him and smiled, "I'm glad you did."
He kissed the top of her head, "How's Michael?"
"Oh, he's fine. I had to read him a story twice before he would go to sleep." She said
"He knows you're a pushover," John quipped, "Are you feeling alright?"
"Yeah, just tired but that's to be expected," she decided to get up the courage to tell him about Matt, "John, do you remember the guy I was talking to at the game, when I was in line at the concession stand?
"Um, yeah, Matt right?" he recalled vaguely
"You don't remember who he is do you?" She asked
"He said he was a friend of yours." John remembered
"John, Matt is …is Michael's biological father." She managed
"He's what? You mean that's the guy that left you?" His anger began to rise
"Yes, apparently he's living here again now." She said, "And he knows."
John stood up and looked down at her, "Knows what?"
"He knows Michael is his son." Mary admitted