17. Lola

When I get home my head is spinning. Too many thoughts are running through my mind. Was I too hard on Kyle? Or was it okay for me too act the way I did? What was Matt talking about school about dad? I walk downstairs as I hear the front door open. Dad is home. I know Matt is downstairs, and I walk to the fridge as if I'm getting some OJ. But all really want is to hear Matt and dad's conversation. I grab the juice and find a glass. I don't hear any voices and I look in to the living room. Matt isn't there anymore and neither is dad. Then suddenly I hear them both walk to the kitchen.

"How was your day to day sweetheart?" Dad asks and I know he's referring to me. He would never refer to Matt as sweetheart. I place the juice back in the fridge and take a sip.

"It was good." I say. I feel some tension between them.

"That's good." he sits down at one of the barstools by the counter.

"Dad!" Matt says.

"Matt!" He replies. What's going on between them?

"Why were you at our school today?"

"Wait you were at school today?" I ask confused, and Matt gives me a shut up look.

Dad doesn't answer and both Matt and I are confused.

"What were you doing there dad?" Matt asks him.

"It's nothing really. You don't have to worry about it." He gets on his feet and is on his way upstairs.

"I saw you handing another person money. One of the teachers, Mr. Donovan."

Dad frowns and turns around he walks back to both of us. "That is right Matt. I did that."

"Why?" It storms out of me.

"It's nothing.." He pauses and I can see he's thinking on his next words. "I borrowed some money from his dad and.."

"Why would you borrow money from anyone?" I ask. I know he's lying. Since our parents are nowhere near being in lack of money. I see him considering his words again.

"Dad?" I ask.

"Okay I think you should sit down!" He tells us and Matt gives me a confused look and I shrug.

"Why?" I ask.

"Because I need to tell you something really important." He says and we both sit down.

"A while back.." He starts. "Well actually before neither of you were born, I met this woman. Her name is Elizabeth Donovan."

I frown- I think I already know where this is going. "Your mother was gone a lot and I felt alone."

"So this was after you got married!" I almost scream.

He nods. "But hun please let me explain. I met Elizabeth through work and we began to see each other a lot. But just as friends. Then one night we got too far…" He sighs.

"You screwed her!" Matt says and dad nods I can see he is ashamed.

"Well she turned out to be pregnant and she wanted to keep the child."

"So that child is Mr. Donovan!" I say, "We have a brother!"

He nods and continues. "She moved away and I thought if I just staid out of this child's life it would be for the best. I didn't want your mother to find out and after all it was a mistake. But as the years went by I told your mother and she thought I should find him!"

"MOM KNOW'S!" Matt almost screams. "THAT YOU CHEATED ON HER!"

"OMG!" I say and I feel tears forming in my eyes. I'm mad and sad at the same time.

"Well I did find him! But I didn't want you to know you weren't that old and I knew you wouldn't understand. And so we decided it was the best if you didn't know at all."

"We who are we?" I ask.

"Your mother and I!"

I shake my head I can't believe this. "So you decided that it was a good idea to hide our brother from us? Why dad, because you were afraid how we would react? Afraid we would judge you? Like this is a better way to find out!" I scream and I feel tears forming in my eyes.

"Then what about the money?" Matt asks.

"Well Elizabeth said that if I wanted to see our son. I would have to pay her or she would make sure that the two of you knew."

"OMG! How can you be so damn stupid!" Matt says.

At this moment everything with Kyle seems like nothing compared to this. My dad cheated on my mom, she's okay with it. He has a son. We have another brother. He's a teacher at our school. Mom and dad didn't want us to know and so they paid Elizabeth to keep quiet. It was a lot to sink in. I feel tears falling down my cheeks. "Dad you know what, I'm sad and mad that you felt like you needed to hide this from us. You didn't think we were old enough to understand. Well you're right because I don't understand. How could you do this?" I cry.

"Sweetie.." He says and looks in to my eyes with a depressed look.

"Don't sweetie me! What you did isn't okay, none of it! Why did you feel like you needed to hide this from us!"

"I was afraid that you would think that I didn't love your mother, and that you would think differently about the two of you, that you would be afraid that maybe I didn't want you either, which I do. I love both of you. And I've never wanted to leave your mom. As I said I felt alone and it should never have happened and the only thing I regret is not telling the two of you. But our family would have been different and I liked it just the way it was."

Our mom walks in. "Anybody home?" She asks and gets no response so she walks to the kitchen and looks confused at us all.

More tears fall from my eyes. "How could you stay with him after what he did!" I almost scream in to my mothers face and I know she knows what I'm talking about.

She wraps her arms around me and pulls me close to her. "I know you're mad baby and we're both sorry for not telling you. But I still love your dad and it doesn't mean I love you less."

I look her in the eyes. "That doesn't mean it hurts any less." I tell her and run to my room. I hear footsteps following me and I know it's Matt.