The rays of the autumn Texas sun beat down as relentless as ever as the Calaway sisters made their way to the student parking lot. It was four-thirty in the afternoon and the cars sat sparsely on the blacktop. School had let out over an hour ago. Those who remained where teachers, students involved in extracurricular activities and some other faculty members.
Heather had just been released from choir practice. There was a big concert coming up in a few weeks after homecoming.
"You really need to learn to drive," Reves chided. "I'm tired of picking you up."
"But they last time I attempted, I almost crashed into the garage and I know Daddy will be furious with me if I incurred any more damage to the house," Heather pleaded
"Whatever." Reves rolled her eyes. How was choir? Did you get the solo?" The forlorn expression on her sister's face told Reves all she needed to know. "You can't just stand there with your eyes squeezed she the entire time," Reves scolded the younger girl. "That's why Mrs. Kaminski chooses Samantha for the solo, even though it really should be you. That bitch sounds like a cat that's being drowned."
"She should have selected you at one point. You are much more suited to the role than me," Heather disagreed humbly.
"I do have excellent technique, but she would have never chosen me. She didn't like how bluesy and powerful my voice is. It's really shitty, but it's all based on her preference really."
"That seems quite unfair."
"Yeah, well-"
"My, my, my. Well, aren't you just a sight for sore eyes?" They heard a voice say.
The sisters looked in the direction of the voice and saw a handsome woman leaning against a rusty, old Camaro, smoking a cigarette. She was wearing sunglasses over her eyes. After one last drag, she threw the butt on the asphalt and stomped it out with foot as she moved closer to the teenagers with an arrogant strut. "Just look at my beautiful Reves Ann. You are so grown up."
The sisters stared at each other then looked upon the stranger, puzzled. They had never laid eyes on this woman until this moment. How did she know Reves's name?
"And just who the hell are you?" Reves demanded, unabashed.
"Rev! That's not how you should address an elder," Heather chided her gently.
"Elder?" the woman shrieked incredulously. "I see mark never taught any of you any manners or respect." Her expression shifted from a smug grin to a full-on sneer.
"Mark?" Reves asked bewildered.
"Yes, Mark. Your piece of shit father," the woman growled. Somehow the girls had a strange inkling as to where she was going. Still, their ears were not prepared for what she had uttered following that: "The scumbag who left me for that slut, Sara!"
Heather released a gasp, floored that this woman whom they didn't even know would make such a gross accusation about their mother.
Reves's eyes were fixed upon the stranger in a glare. "What does that have to do with me and how the hell do you know who I am?" Reves questioned as her stomach was coiling into a tight knot.
The woman grinned wickedly. "Hmmph. He never told you, I reckon. Well, it figures," she said as she casually removed her sunglasses.
Reve's breath caught in her lungs as her own piercing, icy blues were staring back at her. She was rarely ever at a loss for word, but at this moment, she stood dumbfounded.
"You didn't think that twit, Sara come up with an original name like Reves, do you?" The woman asked, smugly.
Heather reached for Rev's hand, whispering in her sister's ear, "Rev, what is she talking about?"
Reves glared at her, yanking her hand away. She still hadn't fitted the all pieces of the puzzle together.
Heather's mouth hung open in shock and hurt as her eyes welled with tears. What was it she had done?
The woman continued, "She even gave her own daughter the name of a trailer trash, stripper," she jeered in Heather's direction.
Heather was trembling. Who was this woman? Why was she harassing them like this?
Reves's stomach was clenched into a ball. She was fighting the truth that was rising up in her, just like the lump in her throat. It made her nauseous as she tried to swallow it down.
Then the women uttered the words she was battling to deny. "That's right, Reves. I'm your real mother. Not that thieving whore, Sara!"
A small cry rang out of Heather's throat as her hand came over her mouth, expelling a fresh wave of tears.
Reves stood, both hands clenched into fists as she glared at the woman. Her entire body trembled, lips quivering, eyes brimming. Yet she refused to shed a single tear in front of this stranger.
Looking past the girls, the woman could see two tall figures with ginger hair making their way across the blacktop. Bitterness stirred in her as she turned back to Reves.
"Lady, you're bat shit crazy," Reves finally uttered, though she knew for a fact the woman wasn't, at least not when it came to this.
"Really?" the woman's arms were folded over her chest. "Just think about it a little. Your brothers," she spat the word as if it left a horrid taste in her mouth, "were born practically nine months to the day you were. Isn't that right?" she questioned haughtily.
Reves went to speak, but the revelation dawned on her. She had never put much thought into it, but it was true. She felt as she had the wind knocked from her lungs as her "mother" spoke next.
"So, while I was in the hospital, giving birth to you, where was Mark? Where was your so-called father?" Her voice was ringing higher and higher. "That piece of shit was in bed, fucking that little homewrecker and knocking her up, too! Then she gave birth to those two red-headed demon spawn."
With eyes stinging and vision blurred, Heather grabbed her sister's arm. "She's lying! Rev, that's not true. It can't be!" she cried out, desperately.
Ignoring Heather, the women continued to speak. "And as if she didn't have her claws sunk into him far enough, she spat out this little bitch for good measure," she growled as she pointed in Heather's direction.
During the course of the conversation, Marcus and Steven had approached from across the parking lot. "Who the fuck is this?" Marcus asked as he and Steven took the woman in.
For once, Heather was relieved to see her brothers. She was certain they could assist in straightening all of this out. They could help her convince Reves that this odd woman was clearly delusional and everything was the same as it always was.
Reves, however, was currently repulsed by their sight and the sound of their voices enraged her. She shoved Steven hard in the shoulder and without another glance at any one of them, she sprinted off towards her car.
"Rev! Wait, please!", Heather called through her tears, as she gave chase after her sister. Her sister. She didn't care what delusions of grandeur that lady possessed.
Reves was already in the vehicle. Her hands gripped the steering wheels and she willed herself to wait for Heather, though she has absolutely no desire to do so.
No sooner than Heather shut the door, Reves switched the car into gear and sped off. Heather had yet to even buckle her seat belt. Reves was flying like a bat out of Hell.
After a few minutes, Heather attempted to speak, "Rev-"
"Don't even. Shut up. Just shut up, please!" Reves snapped at her.
Heather lowered her head. A tear slid down her cheek. This was devastating news. She wished she could console her sister, but Rev was too infuriated to let her speak. What if she hated her now? Maybe, she should…
Minutes later, Reves turned off the main road onto the dirt road that headed home. The car blazed up the trail, a dusty cloud left in its wake. Skidding to a halt, Reves switched off the ignition and stormed up the front porch, bursting through the front door.
Stomping inside, she found her parents in the living room. "Somehow, I always knew my life was a lie!" she divulged. "So, you were just going to sweep it all under the rug and never tell me, huh?"
"What are you on about now, girl?" Mark asked, leaning forward on the couch. He and Sara exchanged apprehensive glances.
Reves was pacing back and forth like a caged animal. "I'm talking about that bitch who showed up in the parking lot of the school, claiming to be my mother!" She was glowering at both of them.
"Jodi? Fuck!" Mark muttered incredulously, raking a hand through his auburn hair. He and Sara sat there dumbfounded for a few moments, not uttering a word.
During this course, Heather made her way into the house and was hanging back in the doorway, watching sister and her parents. She looked like a frightened rabbit. Sara glanced at her and she jolted to the side, trying to conceal herself.
Mark's eyes followed Sara's and he addressed his youngest child, "Heather, go on up to your room now. We have something to talk to your sister about." Mark spoke in a calm and collected manner, though there was something of a look of dread in his eyes, coupled with regret etched across his face.
Scurrying out of sight, Heather felt her mouth go dry. She could hear the blood rushing through her veins as she ascended the stairs. She pondered what their conversation would entail. Surely, that demented woman's claim could not be true? She attempted to will the thought away, but felt the hot tears of dismay sliding down her face, despite her effort.
"Oh, so now we should talk, should we?" Reves baarked with her hands on her hips. Her glare was still piercing through both of them like daggers.
Sara wore the same somber expression as Mark. She shifted a little to the right, creating a space between her and Mark. "Come, sit," she said patting the spot on the couch.
Reves wanted to do nothing of the sort. In fact, that was the last thing she wanted to do at that moment, to take a seat between these two people. The ones who were supposed to love and protect her, but had evidently lied to her, her entire life. Her very being was engulfed in flames of hatred and anger towards them.
Despite all of that, she felt her heavy booted feet dragging across the expensive wood floor and plopped down between them. She wouldn't look at either of them and when Sara tried to take her hands, she tore them away as if she had been signed by a flame.
The rejection was evident and cut Sara like a knife. She had helped Mark raise her since she was an infant. She knew Reves had every right to hate her at the moment, but that didn't lessen the sting.
Mark stared at Sara over the top of Reves's bent head. He saw her reaction. She was distraught. He, himself had no idea how the respond. He had tried to keep this from his daughter. Was it to protect her, or was it for his own selfish ends?
No one spoke for several minutes. Mark and Sara continued to stare at each other in a silent conversation about how they had been wrong. Reves stared at her worn, black boots as every bone in her body seethed.
Finally, Mark spoke. It was a curious phenomenon to hear his voice to tranquil. "Reves," he paused, not sure how to approach this. "I'm sure you've probably figured this out by now. That woman you met back there; her name is Jodi. She is an ex-girlfriend of mine." Mark paused again. He had almost convinced himself he would never have to utter these words. "And she's your real mother," he said with a sigh.
Something of a cry tore through Reves as he voiced those words. She knew in her gut they were coming, but nothing could have prepared her for when the affirmation came from his mouth. She raked her fingers through her blonde hair. "How the hell could you keep this from me?" she commanded as she sprang from the sofa. She spun around to look at them, though the very sight of them disgusted her at that moment. "You left my mother for Sara? Why?" Reves cast a loathing glance towards Sara.
The expression crushed Sara, even though she knew deep down that this was quite a normal reaction.
"You are both liars and cheaters!" Reves willed her tears not to come, but the emotions were overtaking her body. "She told me you two were busy fucking while I was being born!"
Both parents looked up at her in shock. Under normal circumstances, they would have reprimanded her for using such vulgarity, but this was an earth-shattering revelation and emotions were running way too high.
"You have to understand-" Mark started, calm, and even.
"Understand what? That-"
"Jodi is a psycho," Mark said over her. "She was then and obviously, still is now."
"So, you thought you'd just throw me away like a piece of garbage and start a new family with Sara, is that it?" Reves spat. The venom dripped from her voice.
"No. It's not like that. It's true, our relationship did start as an affair in the beginning," Mark looked at Sara as he spoke. Both of them mortified and ashamed. "Right when I was going to break it off with Jodi, she told me she was pregnant. And don't think she was so faithful and innocent, either. Still, I knew there was a large possibility that you were mine. I told Jodi I would be there to support and help take care of you, but I wanted to be with Sara."
Reves was listening intently, though nothing was quelling her fury.
"Even though I had moved on, she insisted we were still a couple and once the baby came, we'd be a happy family. But she never even told me when she went into labor." Mark stopped. He was not an overly emotional man, but he could feel the lump threatening to rise up in his throat. "When she gave birth to you, they found drugs in her system. Yours too. The state took you into custody while you were in the NICU and it was days before I even knew Jodi had given birth. I ordered a paternity test. After weeks, when the results came back that you were in fact mine, we took you once you were well enough to leave the hospital and Sara and I raised you as a family."
Sara was in tears by this time. "I'm so sorry you had to find out like this. We never intended to hurt you or lie. We just wanted to protect you. And you have to believe me when I say, I never saw you as different. I love you with every fiber of my being, just like your brothers and your sister," Sara told her.
Reves felt faint. This whole conversation was completely surreal. Her stomach tightened again and she could hear her heartbeat in her ears. Sara could tell her until she was blue in the face, that she loved Reves the same. It was true, she was fair amongst all the children and she never treated Reves cruel. Yet somehow, Reves had always known she was not like her siblings. Reves was very intuitive and she could see that the thread that connected Sara and her other three children didn't exist for her.
Not knowing how to react, Reves blurted the first words that came to her mind. "You're sorry you can't go on living your lie. Well, I'm sorry I ruined your perfect little family!" She cried before turning on her heels and sprinting from the room. Upstairs, she threw herself on her bed and cried until she was wholly spent and finally fell asleep.
Reves stared up at the ceiling in the dark. Her chest raised and fell with some degree of difficulty due to Scott's heavy arm draped across her as he slept. She didn't know why that memory came to mind, but it played clearly in her mind's eye like a movie. She hadn't seen or heard from Jodi since that day and Mark no longer had any information on how to contact her.
Reves gripped Scott's muscular forearm as she heaved it from across her chest. His arm dropped heavily onto the mattress, causing him to stir a little in his sleep.
Getting up from the bed, Reves crept over to the wide window. Pulling the blinds open, she stared down at the streets below. Lamp lights lined the sidewalks. Neon lights were affixed to various buildings. A few cars could still be seen traveling the roadways despite the late hour. She wasn't sure what that hour was, exactly. Standing there, a shiver ran over her and she hugged her bare body, watching vehicles pass to an unknown destination.
"You're crying," the husky voice spoke to her through the dark.
She hadn't noticed it until she felt the tears streaking down her porcelain face. Nor had she realized he had awoken until his words came to her. She focused on her blurred reflection in the glass. Scott's face came into view within it and she turned towards him.
She loathed crying. She didn't want to be seen as weak and blubbery. All the same, she stood in front of him, tears flowing not saying a word.
Scott had no idea why the girl was crying. He had never seen her in such a vulnerable state. He could very well have asked her what was the matter, but he knew he would only be met with some deflective, snarky remark. Therefore, remaining silent himself, he stepped towards her, pulling her against him. She still didn't speak. Instead, her lips came crashing against his in desperation.