Revelations

Chapter 10

The group met in one of the hotel's conference rooms where there was coffee and assorted pastries on the table.

As they all sat down Bridget began with, "To start, Jen and I apologize for all the mystery surrounding why we asked you to come. But it wasn't the kind of subject to bring up on the phone."

Looking at her parents she commented slowly, "Mom, Dad...Shortly after Aunt Millie died, her nephew Bernard called me up and asked to meet with me about something. He came to New York bringing with him a letter from Aunt Millie for me. It wasn't in the lawyer's office because Aunt Millie wrote it and instructed Bernard to give it to me personally. I had no clue what was in it, but I put off reading it until later that night."

Swallowing she rose from her seat and began walking slowly around the room remarking, "What I read blew my mind! I mean the three most honest people I thought I knew had been lying to me all these years-"

Laura tried to speak, but Remington having a horrible feeling come over him then stilled her replying quietly, "It's all right, Love. Let her go on..."

Laura nodded as Bridget continued stating, "I-I thought to myself, This has to be a joke of some kind! Why would Aunt Millie tell me this fairy tale and then to top it off, tell me that she knew but was asked not to say anything?!"

Taking the letter out of her jeans pocket and handing it to Laura commented quietly, "After I read it, I checked my phone messages. One from you, one from Dad, and one from my boss Stu who wanted to know if I wanted to do a piece for the NY Times in Detroit. All about the up and coming singles bars. So, to get my mind off this I called him and told him yes and flew out here..."

Gulping she answered bitterly, "When you both read it, then you'll understand why I feel as if my life has been blown apart!"

Jennifer went to grab her hand but Bridget shook her head sadly and putting up her hand remarked softly, "It's okay. I'm-I'm going back to the room...It's your turn to tell your tale of woe."

She left the room as her parents sat in shock!

Lee and Amanda looked at Remington and Laura and then each other wondering what their own daughter was going to say.

Jennifer cleared her throat and stated, "Mom, Dad...You remember the journal that Grandma Dotty left to me after she died?"

When they both nodded Jennifer sighed and replied, "Well, I got a letter also. But it wasn't for me, Mom. It was for you. I guess she thought you'd find it instead of me. There was a pocket of some sort in the back of the journal and it fell out..."

She handed her letter to Amanda responding, "I guess Grandma was hoping you two would tell me what was going on like you told her and Phillip and Jamie. And if you're going to read it and say we were going to when you got older...I'm sorry. But I've been "older" for some time now. I think you blew it."

Getting up from her seat she sighed and looking at the two couples answered, "Look... You may have had your reasons for keeping your secrets. But the point here is that you didn't trust us enough with the truth and as adults, I think it was up to us to decide whether or not we could handle it so that maybe, I don't know. We could try to help you in some way?"

Going toward the door to leave she looked back at them and commented, "We...We still love you. But we're understandably hurt by this. I'm going back to the room also. Call us or come up when you're ready, okay?"

She left as Amanda shrugged at Lee and looking at Remington and Laura answered, "At least they still care about us anyway, huh?"

Lee replied swallowing, "Yeah. But they have a funny way of showing it."

He glanced at Laura who was visibly shaken by the contents of what she read and gestured to Amanda stating, "Go ahead, Honey. Read your mom's letter."

By the time both women had read each letter they were stunned!

Laura shook her head as Remington tried to soothe her and queried gently, "Darling, what did it say?"

Laura swallowed hard and commented to Remington, "We asked Mildred not to tell her because we were going to tell her ourselves when she got older. What happened to that idea?"

Remington shrugged stating, "I-I don't know what you mean, Dear. Tell her what exactly?"

Laura sighed getting up and remarked hotly, "About you! About why you don't really have an identity! And why I helped you all these years! What an awful thing to do to our child! How could we have done that?"

Remington closed his eyes and uttered shaking his head, " Aw, damn... Well, what can we do now?"

Laura responded with a shrug handing him the letter, "I don't know at this point. Except I'm going to try to talk to her. You read this and then you'll understand."

Remington still felt confused and Laura shook her head putting a hand on his shoulder answering, "Sweetie. The bottom line is this. She now feels as if she has no identity because she's found out that her own father has none to speak of. No matter how we explain this, it's going to be hard. But we just have to be there for her the best we can, all right? It's a lot for her to deal with. She'll need time..."

Looking at Amanda and Lee she asked, "Will you be all right?"

Lee nodded squeezing Amanda's hand in comfort and answered softly, "Y-Yeah. Thanks. Guess it's my turn to read her letter now."

As Laura went to the door Lee asked her, "Would you do us a favor?"

Laura nodded stating, "Of course. What is it?"

Lee swallowed hard and commented, "Please give her a hug from us and tell her that we aren't perfect. That we did what we thought was right at the time not because we didn't trust her with the truth. But because we were trying to protect her the only way we knew how."

Remington sighed and nodded replying, "It's the same for us, Love. Include Lee's speech for Bridget as well, eh?"

With that Laura came over and hugging Remington answered gently, "We'll get her back. I promise, hmm?"

As she turned to head back to the door Amanda got up remarking, "W-Wait. I'll go with you. These guys need to regroup and get their thoughts together..."

Looking back at both men she answered, "I think you should remember something. You were not alone in this. We were right there beside you as decisions were made on what to tell and what to keep quiet. We're just as much to blame here as you are..."

Getting to the door as Laura walked out Amanda responded, "Come up when you're ready, all right?"

As she headed out after Laura, Lee looked at Remington and queried, "What was the hardest thing you ever had to go through in your life?"

Remington sighed and replied evenly, "Finding out that the man you thought you knew and spent countless years admiring was actually your father, but he dies before you can truly get to know him in a real sense... You?"

Lee swallowed hard commenting thickly, "Watching as your wife gets shot on your honeymoon and although praying with everything you have, not knowing if she'll really come back..."

Remington winced and shaking his head answered, "I'm truly sorry. Thank God she did."

Lee nodded and then shrugging as they got up from the table commented derisively, "So considering all that this next part should be a cakewalk for us then, huh?"

Remington clapped Lee on the shoulder as they headed out responding, "No doubt..."

TBC