"Yeah I'll be there in a few minutes. I had to do something before I pick up dinner. No it's not McDonalds. Kentucky Fried Chicken. Megan wants what? Okay. I'll see you soon." I hung up with a smile. I was just talking to my dad on my cellphone. As far as he knows, I'm picking up food for him, Megan and me. It's been a week since Megan saw. Dad and the others have been in Atlanta a day or so and dad said he's already sick of McDonald's.
But in reality I'm picking up mom and Tatem. I had told them I was taking them out to dinner at mom's favorite restaurant. I had used the excuse that I hadn't seen her lately. Well it was true though. I really hoped Jason wasn't home.
I knocked on the door. The door opened and mom was standing there. She gave me a hug before letting me in. Tatem was standing there also. Mom went over to the wall and was hitting numbers.
I looked at my watch. I had told my dad I was going to be there soon. "Mom come on we are going to be late for our reservations." I said as she grabbed her purse. "Just a second Daniel I need to make sure I turn the security on. You wouldn't believe all that's been disappearing from this house. It was Jason's idea that we put this in when we leave."
"What's been disappearing?" I asked. She hadn't told me that things were missing and now I wanted to know what they were. I looked around the house and didn't see anything major missing.
"The box I keep in the attic that has some papers of your father's, a photo album, an old address book, some of the tapes I keep in the attic. Whoever it was didn't take anything but stuff in the attic. And it's all old stuff."
Uncle Eddy should hear about this. Someone was taking dad's stuff and I wondered why. I looked at my watch again. "What's got you in such a hurry?" Tatem asked. Huh? I looked up to see Tatem giving me a funny look.
"You know me. I don't like being late." Luckily, that was true. She seemed to believe that. I looked around. I didn't hear Jason or Trevor anywhere. "Hey where's Jason and Trevor?"
"They went to some father/son baseball game. They invited me but I told them you were taking Tatem and I out. Jason promised to film it. Oh and he said to say hi." She hit one final number. "Let's go before the alarm goes off."
We got into my truck. It was a short drive to Days Inn Downtown. Tatem and mom were talking about the school Misha and Trevor go to. It was the same elementary school Tatem and I had gone to. Poor Trevor has Mr. Weber. I had him in that grade. He was a tough teacher.
As we drove, I pretended to look for something. I thought pretending to forget my wallet was a feasible reason to go back to the hotel. "Darn it! I forgot my wallet at my hotel room."
Mom sighed. "I still don't see why you are staying at a hotel Daniel. You are more then welcome to stay at the house." She had invited me to stay at her house. Tatem had invited me to stay at her house too. But I had wanted to be with dad.
"I know but everyone else is staying there." She already knew Eddy was staying there. We arrived at the hotel and I said "Come on up for a second."
Mom looked at her watch. "So much for being on time huh?" I shrugged. I was later then I had intended to be but she didn't know that.
They followed me up to room 958. I slid the key in the door and opened it. I walked in. Dad and Megan were sitting on one of the beds watching TV. They both looked up when we entered.
"Hey Daniel about time you got..." my dad started to say and froze. He jaw literally dropped.
"Chris?" Tatem and mom said at the same time. They stood there looking absolutely speechless. I almost thought my mother was going to faint but she didn't. My mother really wasn't the fainting type anyway.
Dad looked at me with fire in his eyes. "I told you I didn't want to see them." He growled out.
"They had a right to know!" I shot back. "They would have found out in a couple days at the trial."
"How long have you known Danny?" Tatem asked. I could hear the hurt tone in her voice.
"A couple months." I said quietly.
"You've known a couple months that your dad's been alive and you didn't tell us!" Tatem looked like she was going to lose it. "He may not be my father but I had a right to know!" I remember when Ric had told dad the same thing.
I sat on the bed next to the one Megan was sitting on. I realized that maybe this wasn't such a great idea. Dad was mad at me for bringing them. Tatem was mad at me for not telling her and well I don't know what my mother was thinking since she hadn't said a word since then. I looked over at Megan who was staring at anything but me, dad or Tatem.
Dad walked over to Tatem and gave her a hug. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell any of you guys."
He moved to hug mom but she just stared at him.
"I'm sorry Nancy..." He started to say. She actually slapped him! Dad looked as shocked as I felt. "Mom..." I started to say and backed up when I saw the fire in her eyes. The fire in her eyes almost matched the same one dad had gave me. I knew not to talk to her right now. She turned back to dad.
"Chris why didn't you let us know you were alive? What was going to happen? I was going to find out in the courtroom when they listed your name as a witness? When we saw you at the trial? When Chris? When!"
Dad sat down on the other bed. "I hadn't wanted to tell you Nancy. I know you are married to Jason George and you have a son named Trevor. I didn't want this to hurt that."
"Chris legally I'm not married to him anymore. And yeah Trevor's going to be caught in this the worst but why damn it didn't you tell me you had survived the powerbomb?"
"Because if I did who knows what Vince would have done." He was saved by a knock on the door. But he looked nervous about who it could possible be. Megan and I knew who it would be.
I got up and looked through the peephole. Ric was there. I opened the door. Ric stepped through, and as I was about to close the door someone else followed him in.
It was my brother David. He looked at me and stopped as soon as he saw dad. He was awfully pale.
"Just don't tell me my mother or ex-wife are coming." Dad said into his hands.
"Dad?" David asked confused.
"I don't believe this! Is there anyone in this family who knew besides you two?" Mom asked turning to face Megan and me. I just shook my head. She looked at the ceiling for a second as if gathering her words carefully. "Chris I can never forgive you for this. Never." She ran out of the room.
I went after her leaving the others in the room. I found her standing in front of the elevators. "Mom..."
"Daniel how could you not tell me your father was alive?" She demanded. "You've known a couple of months but never said anything!"
"I wanted to but they wouldn't let me. Mom I'm sorry please come back in..." she looked furious again.
"No. I'll take a cab home. Give Tatem a ride home. I can't go back in there." The elevator arrived. I didn't try to stop her. She needed to be alone I think.
This was a bad idea.
But in reality I'm picking up mom and Tatem. I had told them I was taking them out to dinner at mom's favorite restaurant. I had used the excuse that I hadn't seen her lately. Well it was true though. I really hoped Jason wasn't home.
I knocked on the door. The door opened and mom was standing there. She gave me a hug before letting me in. Tatem was standing there also. Mom went over to the wall and was hitting numbers.
I looked at my watch. I had told my dad I was going to be there soon. "Mom come on we are going to be late for our reservations." I said as she grabbed her purse. "Just a second Daniel I need to make sure I turn the security on. You wouldn't believe all that's been disappearing from this house. It was Jason's idea that we put this in when we leave."
"What's been disappearing?" I asked. She hadn't told me that things were missing and now I wanted to know what they were. I looked around the house and didn't see anything major missing.
"The box I keep in the attic that has some papers of your father's, a photo album, an old address book, some of the tapes I keep in the attic. Whoever it was didn't take anything but stuff in the attic. And it's all old stuff."
Uncle Eddy should hear about this. Someone was taking dad's stuff and I wondered why. I looked at my watch again. "What's got you in such a hurry?" Tatem asked. Huh? I looked up to see Tatem giving me a funny look.
"You know me. I don't like being late." Luckily, that was true. She seemed to believe that. I looked around. I didn't hear Jason or Trevor anywhere. "Hey where's Jason and Trevor?"
"They went to some father/son baseball game. They invited me but I told them you were taking Tatem and I out. Jason promised to film it. Oh and he said to say hi." She hit one final number. "Let's go before the alarm goes off."
We got into my truck. It was a short drive to Days Inn Downtown. Tatem and mom were talking about the school Misha and Trevor go to. It was the same elementary school Tatem and I had gone to. Poor Trevor has Mr. Weber. I had him in that grade. He was a tough teacher.
As we drove, I pretended to look for something. I thought pretending to forget my wallet was a feasible reason to go back to the hotel. "Darn it! I forgot my wallet at my hotel room."
Mom sighed. "I still don't see why you are staying at a hotel Daniel. You are more then welcome to stay at the house." She had invited me to stay at her house. Tatem had invited me to stay at her house too. But I had wanted to be with dad.
"I know but everyone else is staying there." She already knew Eddy was staying there. We arrived at the hotel and I said "Come on up for a second."
Mom looked at her watch. "So much for being on time huh?" I shrugged. I was later then I had intended to be but she didn't know that.
They followed me up to room 958. I slid the key in the door and opened it. I walked in. Dad and Megan were sitting on one of the beds watching TV. They both looked up when we entered.
"Hey Daniel about time you got..." my dad started to say and froze. He jaw literally dropped.
"Chris?" Tatem and mom said at the same time. They stood there looking absolutely speechless. I almost thought my mother was going to faint but she didn't. My mother really wasn't the fainting type anyway.
Dad looked at me with fire in his eyes. "I told you I didn't want to see them." He growled out.
"They had a right to know!" I shot back. "They would have found out in a couple days at the trial."
"How long have you known Danny?" Tatem asked. I could hear the hurt tone in her voice.
"A couple months." I said quietly.
"You've known a couple months that your dad's been alive and you didn't tell us!" Tatem looked like she was going to lose it. "He may not be my father but I had a right to know!" I remember when Ric had told dad the same thing.
I sat on the bed next to the one Megan was sitting on. I realized that maybe this wasn't such a great idea. Dad was mad at me for bringing them. Tatem was mad at me for not telling her and well I don't know what my mother was thinking since she hadn't said a word since then. I looked over at Megan who was staring at anything but me, dad or Tatem.
Dad walked over to Tatem and gave her a hug. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell any of you guys."
He moved to hug mom but she just stared at him.
"I'm sorry Nancy..." He started to say. She actually slapped him! Dad looked as shocked as I felt. "Mom..." I started to say and backed up when I saw the fire in her eyes. The fire in her eyes almost matched the same one dad had gave me. I knew not to talk to her right now. She turned back to dad.
"Chris why didn't you let us know you were alive? What was going to happen? I was going to find out in the courtroom when they listed your name as a witness? When we saw you at the trial? When Chris? When!"
Dad sat down on the other bed. "I hadn't wanted to tell you Nancy. I know you are married to Jason George and you have a son named Trevor. I didn't want this to hurt that."
"Chris legally I'm not married to him anymore. And yeah Trevor's going to be caught in this the worst but why damn it didn't you tell me you had survived the powerbomb?"
"Because if I did who knows what Vince would have done." He was saved by a knock on the door. But he looked nervous about who it could possible be. Megan and I knew who it would be.
I got up and looked through the peephole. Ric was there. I opened the door. Ric stepped through, and as I was about to close the door someone else followed him in.
It was my brother David. He looked at me and stopped as soon as he saw dad. He was awfully pale.
"Just don't tell me my mother or ex-wife are coming." Dad said into his hands.
"Dad?" David asked confused.
"I don't believe this! Is there anyone in this family who knew besides you two?" Mom asked turning to face Megan and me. I just shook my head. She looked at the ceiling for a second as if gathering her words carefully. "Chris I can never forgive you for this. Never." She ran out of the room.
I went after her leaving the others in the room. I found her standing in front of the elevators. "Mom..."
"Daniel how could you not tell me your father was alive?" She demanded. "You've known a couple of months but never said anything!"
"I wanted to but they wouldn't let me. Mom I'm sorry please come back in..." she looked furious again.
"No. I'll take a cab home. Give Tatem a ride home. I can't go back in there." The elevator arrived. I didn't try to stop her. She needed to be alone I think.
This was a bad idea.