“What did you have to go and do?” she asked. It made my heart soar that she finally asked me a personal question. I never shared much with her about my life because she didn’t ask. I’d always thought she was a little self-absorbed as everything was about something going on in her life. It was nice to know she cared.
“I had to go and help my brother,” I told her. I wasn’t sure if I should tell her everything yet.
“You have a brother?” Marilyn asked.
“Yes, I told you about him. You met him already, silly,” I said. Why did she seem like she couldn’t remember meeting him?
She shook her head. “No, I didn’t know you had a brother, and I’ve never met him before.”
“Marilyn. He was at your house helping when you were off. We’re twins, although I’m definitely the more handsome one. He wears his hair slicked back, and I tried to tell him it looks ridiculous, but his ex loved it that way, so he thinks it looks good. I’ve tried to convince him to see another hairdresser, hoping they would tell him to change his hairdo, but he doesn’t like change,” I explained.
“Twins?” Marilyn said, then she broke out into laughter. I failed to see what was so funny.
“What’s gotten into you?” I asked, more confused now than ever.
“What’s your brother’s name?” she asked.
“Keith Miller,” I answered.
She laughed some more before saying, “I have never met your twin brother, Keith. I thought it was you slicking your hair back sometimes, and yes, it looked ridiculous, but I didn’t have the nerve to tell you. That’s funny.”
I laughed. “You thought he was me the whole time we were at your house helping? I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize you’d never met him, or I would have introduced you. You actually thought I would do my hair like that? What do you take me for? Maybe you could tell him. If it came from a woman, he might be more apt to listen.”
“Sure, I’ll tell him,” she said.
“You like insulting people, don’t you?”
She grinned. “Sometimes, if they deserve it.”
“So, now that we’re talking again, would you mind telling me what happened right after we were together? One minute we were making love, and the very next day, it was like you hated me,” I asked. I deserved an explanation.
She paused and closed her eyes.
Please don’t close down on me. Tell me what happened.
“When I learned you had a child and didn’t tell me, it really hurt, Chris. I know I didn’t handle it well, but I was shocked and angry,” Marilyn said slowly.
“I have a child?” I asked incredulously.
Marilyn narrowed her eyes. “Please, don’t do this to me again. Don’t lie and tell me you have no children. I saw her with my very own eyes, and she called you “Daddy.”
Faith. She thinks Faith is my daughter. Probably from the times she has visited, and Marilyn saw her from her place.
“Marilyn, that little girl is Faith. My brother’s daughter. You probably saw her with Keith, and not knowing I had a twin brother, you likely thought it was me. It all makes sense now. I’m so sorry about all of that. If I hadn’t forgotten that I hadn’t introduced you, none of this would have happened. I’m an idiot. Can you forgive me?” I asked.Crap!
The look on Marilyn’s face was classic. Her jaw dropped, and her eyes grew to twice their size. “Faith is your brother’s daughter, which makes her your niece, not your daughter. Oh, boy. Do I ever feel like a moron. I’m so sorry I treated you that way. I honestly thought you had a daughter you were hiding, and then you got that call and took it outside. I thought it was your daughter’s mother, your wife, or a girlfriend, or, I don’t know. I suck.”
“You didn’t know. I’m so glad we’ve worked that all out. I feel so much better now. I promise I will introduce you to Keith and Faith properly the very next time I see them. That’s why I was away. Faith’s mother, Layla, is a druggie and alcoholic, and she kidnapped Faith from daycare today. She’s not supposed to see her unless she is supervised by another adult. Keith was out of his mind, so I went to be with him,” I explained.
“Wow. Now, I feel really bad. There’s something I need to tell you. I didn’t tell you this before because I didn’t know if I could trust you, and I was hurt thinking you were keeping things from me and lying,” Marilyn started.
“What is it? Is everything okay?” I asked.What else does she have up her sleeve?
“I’m pregnant with your baby,” she said.
The words hung in between us like a dense fog. We stared at each other for a few minutes while I digested what she just said.
“The baby’s mine?” I asked.