Who Wants To Live Forever...

It's An Illusion - Part 2

27th March 1983

Surrey

Roger's POV

It was moments like these when I wondered if having Jimi was such a great idea.  I love him as much as Tiger Lily but the way we brought him into our lives has created a mess.  We had hoped that Jimi asking about his mother would come at an older age.  One where he could better understand the whole story and be able to grasp why part of his family dynamic had to remain a secret.  But there is nothing to do but deal with the situation at hand.

Brian and Clare and I looked at each other and I finally made the first move.

"Have a seat and we can talk about your Mum...alright?"  I told him.  He climbed into a chair and kept his eyes on us as we all got seated.  "We are going to be honest with you and try to answer your questions..."  I advised and gave a look to Brian and Clare that indicated this was the best policy.  

"Who is she?"  he asked again.  "Where is she?"

"I'm right here Jimi...I'm your mother..."  Clare blurted out.  Jimi's eyes went straight to her and his mouth hung open a little.

"You are?"  he asked her with disbelief.  She smiled and got up from her chair and went and knelt down in front of him.   She placed her hands on top of his knees.  

"I am Jimi..."  she confirmed.  I could see a million questions forming in his eyes as Jimi stared at her.

"If you're my Mum, why do I call you Aunt Clare?"  he asked first.  Clare looked up at Brian for a moment and then me and then turned back to Jimi.  I trusted her to say the right thing.  I knew Brian did as well.

"Jimi...I am your Mum but I am a different kind of Mum..."  she told him.  "I know you have some friends at school who live with their Mum or both their Mum and Dad and they raise them...but I am the kind of Mum that had you so your Daddy and your Papa could have a baby of their own.."  she said in the simplest term.  "So I carried you in my tummy and kept you safe while you grew big enough to come into the world...and then when you did come into the world, I gave you to your Papa and to Daddy to love and call their own..."  she said to him in a tender and caring way.   We all sat silent and waited for him to process what she said.  You could see the wheels turning in his head and I felt bad that it was so much information to take in.

"You can't be my Mummy if you're my Aunt..."  Jimi questioned.

"I am your Mummy because I carried you and gave birth to you...but I am your Aunt because your Papa is my brother..."  she tried to explain to him.

"How did I get in your tummy?"  he asked her.  I knew this part was going to be tricky and I decided to intervene at this point.

"You are too young to understand it all...but you are made up of part of her and part of Daddy and that is what makes you...you..."  I explained.  "Those parts came together and you grew from that inside of her until you got big enough to be able to be born..."  Jimi was listening intently and I tried to choose my words carefully.  I felt Brian place his arm around my shoulders and found comfort in it.

Jimi reached out and touched Clare's face and then looked down at her stomach.  I knew in his little May brain he was already trying to deduce it all despite his young age.  Brian patted my shoulder and I turned to see him get up and walk over to one of his bookshelves.

"Hang on..."  Brian said and we all watched him pull out a photo album.  "This might help..."  he announced as he walked over to Jimi and sat down next to him and showed him the album.  "Here are some pictures from when Clare had you in her tummy..."  Brian told him and opened the album as Jimi leaned over to look.  I had forgot about all the pictures he took when she was carrying him and was suddenly grateful for them.