Love Survives(132)

Apparently my mom was in charge of whatever was happening.

“No, Brooks. You’re going to come sit down next to Katy and listen to what I have to say.”

When I refused to move, she pointed to the couch. “Now.”

I had no idea what my mom was about to say to us, but when Kat took my hand, I realized it had nothing to do with the funeral. Something else was going on, and from the look on my mother’s face I wasn’t going to like it very much.





Chapter 57

My mom had obviously just started a conversation with Kat. From what I could make it out seemed as though she’d had inquired about something. I felt lost at first.

“Katy, I know why your mother went to visit your father that day.”

I felt the need to protect Kat. “Do you honestly think this is going to solve anything that’s going on now? Don’t hurt her more with the past, Mom. Whatever it is, just leave it be.”

Kat squeezed my arm. “No. I wanted to know since it happened. Please. Tell me why she was there.”

My mother broke down right in front of us, hiding her face as she spoke. “I just want you to know that no matter what, I do love you like you’re my daughter. I’ve never done it out of guilt.”

I was at a loss for words, and obviously so was Kat. “What are you talking about?”

“We didn’t know she was there. She told your dad that she had a PTA meeting at the school. We wanted to tell her, in fact that’s why I was there.”

Kat put her hands in the air. “What are you talking about? Where were you? Who were you with? I’m so lost.”

I took her hand, feeling like I knew where this was going, finally, and if it was what I thought, things were about to get really depressing. “I think I know what you’re going to say. Mom, please don’t do this to Katy. Don’t do this to our family.”

“Your father has known since the night before they died. I told him first. We had decided to separate, and I walked next door to tell your father.”

Kat kept looking down and then over at me, but I wasn’t about to share what I’d suspected.

My mom cried harder. “Katy, I loved your father. I wanted to be with him, and I had ended things with Walt thinking that he wanted to be with me too.”

I tightened my grip on Kat’s hand, making sure she knew she wasn’t in this alone. “Please don’t tell me that you were having an affair with my father. He wouldn’t. He loved my mom. I know he did.”

I could tell she was about to go off the deep end. Kat had always pictured her parents as being the perfect people. My mom was now confirming a huge sin her father had committed. This wasn’t going to help Kat understand the past. It was going to haunt her forever.

“I saw you kiss him and you told me that I was mistaken. I believed you. That’s what I saw wasn’t it? You lied right to my face.” I felt it was important to bring it up in case she mentioned it.

“You both need to understand that we’d all been friends for so long. It just happened and we couldn’t stop it. I tried to stop, I swear I did.”

Kat was starting to lose her grip. I felt her body shaking beside me. “So she caught you? Is that what happened?”

“Yes,” my mom sobbed. “We’d been having a heated argument, and I followed your dad into his bedroom. We could hear you three in the tree house and thought we were alone. He rejected me, Katy. You’re father told me he couldn’t do it. He said he wouldn’t ever leave your mother.”

“Then how did she catch you? She caught you talking about it?”

My mom got quiet, like it was too hard to talk about. “Mom, answer us. What did you do?”

She shook her head. “I was so hurt. I’d ended my marriage for him and he wouldn’t leave her. So, out of desperation, I threw myself at him, begging for one last night together.” She was quiet for a second. “And he didn’t resist.”

When Kat got up and ran into the bathroom I knew what was about to happen. I took it upon myself to scold my own mother.

“How could you do something like that? She trusted you. Dad trusted you.” I was heading into the bathroom to check on Kat, who I was worried more about.

“Brooks, don’t walk away. You need to hear everything.”

B came into the bathroom with a doll in her hand. “Mama, boosh hair.”

I watched Kat, with tears streaming down her cheeks, brushing a baby dolls hair. B didn’t like seeing her mom so sad. “No cry.”

I waited for B to run back out before addressing her mother. I leaned against the doorframe and listened as she spoke. “I can’t listen to her.”