A Daughter's Trust

“You were just acquaintances, then,” Jenny said.

“More than that. He was in the group with Shelly and Brian and the rest.”

“He was the one!” Jenny sounded as though a great mystery had been solved.

Carrie stirred, but didn’t wake up. Her chubby cheeks with their bright pink spots scrunched and relaxed.

“What one?” Sue asked.

“The boy you didn’t want us to know about.”

Shaking her head, having a hard time believing this bizarre conversation, she asked, “How’d you find out there was a boy?”

“A mom knows these things,” Jenny said.

And Luke added, “The way you went off into your own thoughts and

then grinned was a pretty good giveaway, too.”

“I can’t believe this!”

“So why didn’t you tell us about him, Sue?” Jenny’s question held no bitterness.

Because he never wanted to come to the house. Sue was tempted to offer the easy answer. But not the truthful one.

Just like Grandma.

“Joe was my attempt to be my own person,” she finally said softly, praying they’d understand. That what she said didn’t hurt them more than lying to them would have. “I was young and…”

“And you had to have your own life,” Luke said. “You were going to leave our nest soon and you had to find out if you could make it without us.”

Sue sank back into the pillows. “I can’t believe you guessed I liked someone, and didn’t ask about him.”

“You were making a bid for independence. We had to respect that.”

Were these her parents? In her life? Because this wasn’t how she’d seen it at all. Wow.

“I don’t have any idea what to say.”

“Just tell us that you and Joe…you didn’t—” Jenny broke off, and for once Luke didn’t jump in.

“No!” Sue said quickly. And then, glancing at the babies asleep beside her, lowered her voice. “No. We held hands. That’s all.”

“So you and Adam’s son were close friends,” Jenny mused. “I’m glad that you at least grew up knowing one of your relatives.”

Unlike Jenny. Who hadn’t known Joe, or Adam or her own mother.

“Yeah,” Sue said. “Me, too.”

“And he’s a good guy?”

“The best, though he’s a lot more reserved now then he was in school.”

“Do you think he’d help us get his dad into the family? Adam’s answered a couple of my calls, but always has to go right away. He’s my full brother,” Jenny said. “I really really want to get to know him.”

Full brother. The facts hit Sue again. And still seemed so foreign. So impossible. As though she were living someone else’s life.

And then something else occurred to her. If her mother developed a relationship with Adam, then maybe she wouldn’t need Uncle Sam’s acceptance so badly. Maybe she’d find that inner peace that had been missing most of her life.