Part XXV

"Something wrong dad?" Marissa asked giving her father a hand.

Caleb turned pale; his eyes stare worriedly at the blonde just across the room. He wasn't staring at Marissa's soon to be spouse. He was staring at his youngest daughter.

Julie couldn't utter a word. She was too shock to find Kaitlin at Marissa's engagement party.

"Maybe we should go or something…" Beth suggested but only audible enough for Jodie and Summer.

Jodie turned to look at her wife. Summer could only shake her head. If there was trouble brewing, she wouldn't leave Marissa alone. Even if she knew Alex was already there for her best friend.

In response, Jodie just shrugged. Beth just stared at the people across them silently. Not knowing what atomic bomb was about to drop in Alex and Marissa's engagement party.

Caleb finally had the strength to swallow that imaginary lump in his throat just to be able to speak.

"Marissa, can we talk for a second? Just you, me, your mom and Kaitlin." Caleb pulled his daughter's hand and whispered.

"But I never told you Kaitlin's name." Marissa whispered back confused on how her father knew her new friend.

"I'll explain later." Caleb let out a nervous smile and greeted Alex who was a little perplexed with the silence.

The walk to Caleb and Julie's room, which Marissa prepared for that day was utterly deafening for Caleb, Julie and Kaitlin. Although all three persons knew each other's existence, Marissa was still practically clueless. It was supposed to stay that way. Fate can just be cruel sometimes.

Closing the door gently, Marissa breathed out a heavy sigh. She was still surprised with the events. But she was sure there was a logical explanation. Although the logical explanation she was going to get was their family's darkest secret.

----

"Everything alright?" Jodie asked as Alex just watched the guest room door close.

"Yeah, I guess." Alex replied.

She was feeling a little disappointed because she didn't get the chance to tell their parents about their engagement. But Alex was a patient person. She tried to compose herself and took in the situation. They have the whole night today and the whole day tomorrow. No worries.

Sandy and Kirsten felt a little worried for their daughter. They didn't have any clue on what was going on with the Cooper's plus Marissa's new friend. But the look on Caleb's face when he saw the younger blonde was an indication something was about to happen. They were just hoping it was a good thing and not what they fear most.

----

"SHE'S MY WHAT!" Marissa asked at the top of her lungs.

Her eyes were darting towards her father, her heart pounding a thousand miles. She was lucky there was music being played outside the room. She paced around, her breathing becoming more erratic. The other three people in the room were worriedly looking at her.

"She's younger than me…" Marissa closed her eyes, running her hands slowly through her hair.

Kaitlin frowned. This was going to be hard on Marissa.

"SHIT!" Marissa yelled again.

She threw her hands in the air, utterly frustrated.

"You had her when I was already in this world. HOW COULD YOU! HOW COULD YOU SAY YOU LOVE MOM! YOU LIED TO HER! YOU CHEATED ON HER!" Marissa yelled pointing her hand angrily at Caleb.

Caleb saw his daughter in tears. But those were angry tears. He couldn't walk towards Marissa to comfort her. It wasn't only anger that he feels from Marissa's gaze. There was also hate.

"I was at a point in my life that I questioned myself. I love your mother very much. But I was only human. I can't say I regret having Kaitlin... But the means of giving you another sister is nothing to be proud of Marissa." Caleb tried to explain.

In reality the man had no idea how to tell her daughter he was unfaithful. There was no excuse for that. He couldn't consider saying Kaitlin was a mistake either. He was still his daughter. No matter what. It was his mistake not Kaitlin's.

"HUMAN! I'm also human dad. And you know what? THANKS! I think I saved Alex from regretting the rest of her life being tied to a person who has infidelity flowing in her veins!" Marissa yelled again.

She turned around and sobbed uncontrollably.

There was a knock on the door. Making them all turn. Julie gently opened it and found Alex looking rather worriedly.

"What's going on?" The blonde asked walking towards her sobbing fiancé.

Kaitlin excused herself and took a breather in the living room. It left Caleb and Julie the task of telling her true identity to Alex.

"What's going on?" Alex asked again this time a little more force in her voice.

She didn't want to see Marissa crying.

Caleb couldn't answer. Alex was the daughter of his best friend. The truth could be vital to her daughter's relationship with the blonde woman in front of him.

"I said… What's going on? This is our engagement party…" Alex said sternly, pointing at Marissa and herself.

"I demand to know what's going on!" Alex eyebrows were now furrowed.

Caleb knew it was already a demand. Not a request.

"Kaitlin is my daughter. Marissa's youngest sister." Caleb said softly.

With those words, Marissa yelled something incoherent and stood up abruptly. She ran out of the room, pushing Caleb and Alex on the process. She locked herself in her and Alex's bedroom.

Marissa paced around the bedroom. She was utterly confused. How could Kaitlin be a Cooper?

"I was at a point in my life that I questioned myself. I love your mother very much. But I was only human. I can't say I regret having Kaitlin... But the means of giving you another sister is nothing to be proud of Marissa."

Her father's voice kept lingering in her mind but Marissa couldn't accept Caleb's infidelity. She had locked herself in the bedroom since that part of the conversation. She couldn't take hearing more.

On the other side of the bedroom door, Alex stood silently. She knew Marissa was not doing alright. Realizing you have made a new friend who turns out to be your illegitimate sister on your engagement party is rather depressing. Knowing the girl is younger than you doesn't help either.

"Did she come out already?" She heard Caleb ask.

The older man was sad, knowing pretty well he had disappointed his daughter. But it was something he had done a long time ago. Something he and Julie had compromised with since Lindsay and Marissa were kids. It was a well hidden secret. A secret the Cooper family had kept from the next generation of Cooper women. A secret even Julie agreed to keep. But like any other secret, they both knew somehow it would come out. But not in the matter on how Marissa found out.

"No… But I'll try to talk to her. You can just rest in your room." Alex gave Caleb a pat on the back.

She tried to give him reassurance that Marissa would indeed come out of the room. Once the brunette did, it would have meant she was ready to face her father, and her stepsister.

"I didn't mean to hurt her Alex. I was weak back then. But I really loved her mother. I still do. I wouldn't hurt Julie again."

"I could only try to talk to her Mr. Cooper. I can't force her to talk to you about it. But I'm sure she will. In time. She just needs space."

"Am I a stranger to you too now?" Caleb asked with pain in his eyes.

"Mr. Cooper. Out of respect, sir. What you do or what you have done is clearly none of my business. I just want your daughter to be alright. Nothing more." Alex tone was clearly serious.

There wasn't any mockery, any anger. Just plain serious. Although deep inside Alex is screaming. It was supposed to be the day she and Marissa would declare their engagement. A happy day, a very special day for the two of them. Instead, here she faces a locked door with possibly the saddest person in the house right now. Alex could only hope Marissa wasn't doing anything to hurt herself. Alex wanted to complain. Why should it be today? She knew would have yelled at her future father-in-law, but she chose not it. It was something done a long time ago. There is nothing Alex could do to change things for Marissa. All they could do was accept the fact, Caleb's infidelity bore fruit. The fruit being, Marissa's new friend. Kaitlin.

"I'll go check Kaitlin and Julie in the living room. I can't rest till she comes out to talk…" Caleb gave Alex a pat on the back and went towards the living room.

Alex turned around and rested her head on the bedroom door. She couldn't hear a sound. There wasn't a whimper, or sounds of movements. She closed her eyes, hoping her fiancé was alright.

"Alex…"

Alex opened her eyes, hearing Marissa's voice. It was soft, and utterly sad. Alex pressed her palm on the wooden door and breathed out heavily.

"I wouldn't know how you're feeling right now honey. But I'm here for you. You don't have to face this alone…" Alex said softly resting her forehead against the door.

She felt the doorknob turn. Looking down, the door was slowly unlocked from Marissa's end. Stepping back, Alex looked up to see Marissa's tear stained eyes.

"I don't deserve you…" Marissa whispered.

She found herself falling onto Alex's arms. Tears falling once more.

"Don't say that… We've gone through so much being apart…" Alex closed her eyes.

The blonde placed her lips on Marissa's forehead and spoke softly.

"Silly girl… I know I can't survive without you… Don't you ever say you're a mistake in my life… I want to marry Marissa Cooper. Just you…"

Marissa didn't reply. She just snuggled closer in Alex's arms.

Alex gently carried Marissa in her arms. She laid the sobbing woman in bed and sat down beside her. What impact this family secret had on both of them, Alex wasn't sure off. But there was one thing certain, she loved Marissa. She will always do.

----

"I didn't know she was your daughter… If I knew I would have stayed away…" Kaitlin regretfully took a coffee cup and drank it.

Julie could only let out a small smile. She didn't want the girl to feel bad. Knowing her daughter would be angry at her own father didn't help either.

There was a time, Julie Cooper called Kaitlin "the bastard daughter." But that was a long time ago. It was a point in Julie's life that she was angry at the world. After sometime, Julie realized that it wasn't Kaitlin's fault. The mistakes adults make in this world are not the same mistakes children make. Kaitlin didn't chose to be born out of family where the father already had a family. And Julie knew that. Years passed, Julie and Kaitlin's mom never came to terms. But it was different with Kaitlin though. Julie wanted Caleb to support the child. It wasn't Kaitlin's mistake. It was Caleb's.

"She's bound to find out one way or the other… Don't blame yourself over this dear…" Julie said calmly.

"Is Lindsay coming?"

"I'm not sure… I don't think Marissa called her and told her everything that transpired today. Her sister, your other stepsister, is pregnant…"

"And this would probably cause a miscarriage…" Kaitlin bowed her head.

She felt ashamed. It was as if her whole existence was meant to hurt the sisters she barely knew.

"They are understanding… I'm sure they'll accept this in time." Julie took hold of Kaitlin's hand.

Caleb appeared and took a seat on one of the chairs. He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. He felt frustrated, silly, sorry, and sad. But most of all he felt really bad for betraying her daughters. To think his technical middle born was about to be married. Issues of trust that Marissa had tried to get over after losing Alex to a European College might resurface. It was breaking him apart.

"I'm sorry dad…" Kaitlin whispered but Caleb could hear it.

"No sweetie. Don't be sorry… You didn't do anything wrong." Caleb reopened his eyes and looked at his youngest daughter.

He felt worse. He was hurting all of his daughters.

"I should have skipped the engagement party…" Kaitlin let out a sigh.

She took a sip of her coffee. After which, she began to stare at the cup sadly.

"We'll get through this. I promise…" Caleb let out a forced smile.

Deep in his heart he knew it was going to be hard. Even if Marissa and Lindsay accepted Kaitlin. Their family would never be the same again.