Chapter Eighteen
Jack woke up at the break of dawn and went for his morning jog, he was just coming around the corner when he saw Amanda standing on his porch. He slowed his pace down to a fast walk then once he reached the house he did his stretches without saying a word to Amanda. Finishing his stretches he unlocked and opened the door and walked in the house leaving the door open for Amanda to enter.
When he came out of his bedroom after getting showered and changed he found Amanda sitting on the sofa looking sad and angry and had to wonder if Ruth had told her the truth.
"What can I do for you Amanda" Jack said walking over to the coffee percolator and pouring himself a cup.
"I was talking to mum last night about your letter" Amanda said not giving too much away so he may get the idea that she knows what the secret it.
"And what did she say" Jack said coming to sit down on a chair across from Amanda.
"Other than what was in your letter, not much. I've told her that I don't want to talk to her until I find the truth out about a few things. One is the secret that you talked about in the letter and the other being the name of my father but it may be another 25 years if I'm lucky enough to find that out" Amanda started then continued. "I know you know who my father is and you also know what the secret is so all I'm asking is for you to tell me so I won't have to go ask one of mum's old friends and hear whatever it is from a complete stranger."
"Amanda I can't, I'm sorry that's something you really need to find out from your mother" Jack said clearly seeing the disappointment now showing on her face.
"Please Jack if you won't tell me who my father is just tell me what the secret it" Amanda pleaded with Jack one last time.
"Errr… Amanda I can't answer that as… well you see, it's the same question and you really need to hear this from your mother" Jack said lowering his head in defeat.
"What do you mean it's the same question? Are you telling me that you and mum are arguing about her telling me who my father is? No disrespect meant but what would anything to do with who my father is have to do with you sir," Amanda said puzzled at Jack's answer.
"I can't answer that Amanda" Jack said not moving his eyes from the floor.
"What do you mean you can't answer that… for once I'd just like to get a straight answer out of somebody because all I seem to be getting over the past few days are cryptic answers and refusals to answer my questions" Amanda said raising her voice to an angry shout. She then quickly turned away from Jack when she felt a lone tear start down her cheek.
Jack got up from his seat and walked over to Amanda and turned her and gave her a hug to try and comfort her, what he heard next made his heart break. "All I want to know is the truth, why is that too hard for people to tell me" Amanda whispered in to Jacks chest.
"Amanda please, I would tell you if I thought that it was for the best but I really do think that you need to talk more to your mother" Jack said pulling away from Amanda. Then taking her wrist and pulling her towards the front door then said "Come on I think it's about time you found out something."
It was a quite drive back to Amanda's apartment with Jack driving Amanda's car as she was in no fit state to drive still crying her eyes out. Once they reach her apartment building they walked in silence to her apartment then entered finding Ruth sitting at the breakfast table eating breakfast with her packed suitcases not far from the table.
When she saw them enter Ruth got up from her seat and walked around the table to stand a distance away from them. "You've told haven't you" was all that Ruth could bring herself to say looking between father and daughter.
"No Ruth I haven't told her, I've brought her here for you to tell her as it's about time you stop lying to Amanda and I think it about time she found out the truth. I think it's also about time that we catch up on the time we've all lost out through your lies" Jack said unaware that Amanda was now staring at him, shock on her face.
"I don't think I need to do that anymore Jack" Ruth said looking shocked at Jack as she could tell that he didn't actually realise what he'd just said.
"What do you mean" Jack said looking puzzled at Ruth then turned to look at Amanda and noticed the look on her face then the only word his managed to force out of his mouth was "Amanda."
"Sir, what do you mean WE can catch up on the time that we've lost" Amanda said wanting confirmation, feeling slightly nervous as she knew that she was finally going to get the truth.
"I… Amanda I…" Jack started but was unable to find the words that he wanted to say.
Amanda looked towards her mother then said "Mother I want an answer and I want one now."
"Amanda… What I think Jack is trying to say is that the other day he found something out that I've been hiding from the both of you for a over 25 years. That was the fact that a week after Jack left for the states I found out that I was pregnant with you but I refused to tell him because I thought he'd left me. It wasn't until a few days ago that I found out that the reason he was trying to contact me for a little over three months. He was going to ask me to move to America to be with him so we could be married" Ruth said looking between the two of them who now were unable to take there eyes off one another.
Amanda shocked with the new development dropped to the floor mumbling to herself. She knew now that the one thing that her mother didn't want her to do (join the RAF) had caused her mother to answer the one question she had always wanted to know. Tears streamed down her cheeks and every attempt Jack and Ruth made to snap her out of it failed.
It was about half an hour later that Amanda felt one of Jonas's hands pick up her hand and the other gently brushed up against her cheek. Amanda looked into his eyes and knew that everything was going to be ok. Pulling her up to her feet Jonas led her to the bedroom where they could have a quite conversation without getting disturbed or distracted by Jack or Ruth.
Ruth and Jack watched as Amanda was escorted to the bedroom while they stood there in silence. Once the door closed Jack looked at Ruth and Ruth noticed that he looked paler than usual.
"I'm sorry Ruth but it's better that she found out from us. She was going to go to some of your old friends and I don't think they would have realised what they had done by telling her until it was too late" Jack said sitting down heavily in a chair at the dinner table.
"It's ok Jack she had to find out sooner or later. You're right you know, she's more like you than I'd have actually realised until you pointed it out in your letter" Ruth said joining him at the table.
"What do we do from here?" Jack asked playing with his fingernails.
"I don't know Jack the only thing that I'm worried about at the moment is Amanda hating me for holding out on this for as long as I did" Ruth answered.
Jack woke up at the break of dawn and went for his morning jog, he was just coming around the corner when he saw Amanda standing on his porch. He slowed his pace down to a fast walk then once he reached the house he did his stretches without saying a word to Amanda. Finishing his stretches he unlocked and opened the door and walked in the house leaving the door open for Amanda to enter.
When he came out of his bedroom after getting showered and changed he found Amanda sitting on the sofa looking sad and angry and had to wonder if Ruth had told her the truth.
"What can I do for you Amanda" Jack said walking over to the coffee percolator and pouring himself a cup.
"I was talking to mum last night about your letter" Amanda said not giving too much away so he may get the idea that she knows what the secret it.
"And what did she say" Jack said coming to sit down on a chair across from Amanda.
"Other than what was in your letter, not much. I've told her that I don't want to talk to her until I find the truth out about a few things. One is the secret that you talked about in the letter and the other being the name of my father but it may be another 25 years if I'm lucky enough to find that out" Amanda started then continued. "I know you know who my father is and you also know what the secret is so all I'm asking is for you to tell me so I won't have to go ask one of mum's old friends and hear whatever it is from a complete stranger."
"Amanda I can't, I'm sorry that's something you really need to find out from your mother" Jack said clearly seeing the disappointment now showing on her face.
"Please Jack if you won't tell me who my father is just tell me what the secret it" Amanda pleaded with Jack one last time.
"Errr… Amanda I can't answer that as… well you see, it's the same question and you really need to hear this from your mother" Jack said lowering his head in defeat.
"What do you mean it's the same question? Are you telling me that you and mum are arguing about her telling me who my father is? No disrespect meant but what would anything to do with who my father is have to do with you sir," Amanda said puzzled at Jack's answer.
"I can't answer that Amanda" Jack said not moving his eyes from the floor.
"What do you mean you can't answer that… for once I'd just like to get a straight answer out of somebody because all I seem to be getting over the past few days are cryptic answers and refusals to answer my questions" Amanda said raising her voice to an angry shout. She then quickly turned away from Jack when she felt a lone tear start down her cheek.
Jack got up from his seat and walked over to Amanda and turned her and gave her a hug to try and comfort her, what he heard next made his heart break. "All I want to know is the truth, why is that too hard for people to tell me" Amanda whispered in to Jacks chest.
"Amanda please, I would tell you if I thought that it was for the best but I really do think that you need to talk more to your mother" Jack said pulling away from Amanda. Then taking her wrist and pulling her towards the front door then said "Come on I think it's about time you found out something."
It was a quite drive back to Amanda's apartment with Jack driving Amanda's car as she was in no fit state to drive still crying her eyes out. Once they reach her apartment building they walked in silence to her apartment then entered finding Ruth sitting at the breakfast table eating breakfast with her packed suitcases not far from the table.
When she saw them enter Ruth got up from her seat and walked around the table to stand a distance away from them. "You've told haven't you" was all that Ruth could bring herself to say looking between father and daughter.
"No Ruth I haven't told her, I've brought her here for you to tell her as it's about time you stop lying to Amanda and I think it about time she found out the truth. I think it's also about time that we catch up on the time we've all lost out through your lies" Jack said unaware that Amanda was now staring at him, shock on her face.
"I don't think I need to do that anymore Jack" Ruth said looking shocked at Jack as she could tell that he didn't actually realise what he'd just said.
"What do you mean" Jack said looking puzzled at Ruth then turned to look at Amanda and noticed the look on her face then the only word his managed to force out of his mouth was "Amanda."
"Sir, what do you mean WE can catch up on the time that we've lost" Amanda said wanting confirmation, feeling slightly nervous as she knew that she was finally going to get the truth.
"I… Amanda I…" Jack started but was unable to find the words that he wanted to say.
Amanda looked towards her mother then said "Mother I want an answer and I want one now."
"Amanda… What I think Jack is trying to say is that the other day he found something out that I've been hiding from the both of you for a over 25 years. That was the fact that a week after Jack left for the states I found out that I was pregnant with you but I refused to tell him because I thought he'd left me. It wasn't until a few days ago that I found out that the reason he was trying to contact me for a little over three months. He was going to ask me to move to America to be with him so we could be married" Ruth said looking between the two of them who now were unable to take there eyes off one another.
Amanda shocked with the new development dropped to the floor mumbling to herself. She knew now that the one thing that her mother didn't want her to do (join the RAF) had caused her mother to answer the one question she had always wanted to know. Tears streamed down her cheeks and every attempt Jack and Ruth made to snap her out of it failed.
It was about half an hour later that Amanda felt one of Jonas's hands pick up her hand and the other gently brushed up against her cheek. Amanda looked into his eyes and knew that everything was going to be ok. Pulling her up to her feet Jonas led her to the bedroom where they could have a quite conversation without getting disturbed or distracted by Jack or Ruth.
Ruth and Jack watched as Amanda was escorted to the bedroom while they stood there in silence. Once the door closed Jack looked at Ruth and Ruth noticed that he looked paler than usual.
"I'm sorry Ruth but it's better that she found out from us. She was going to go to some of your old friends and I don't think they would have realised what they had done by telling her until it was too late" Jack said sitting down heavily in a chair at the dinner table.
"It's ok Jack she had to find out sooner or later. You're right you know, she's more like you than I'd have actually realised until you pointed it out in your letter" Ruth said joining him at the table.
"What do we do from here?" Jack asked playing with his fingernails.
"I don't know Jack the only thing that I'm worried about at the moment is Amanda hating me for holding out on this for as long as I did" Ruth answered.