A Story To Tell | Book 2

.9.

:::TERENY:::

"You can't keep hiding over here, Tereny. You're married."

    Antoinette said to me as she was standing at the kitchen table folding clothes. CJ was sitting in my lap as he pretended to be a big baby when it was well past his bedtime. I peeped into the front room where Britney was sleeping on the sofa and then checked my watch. It was 8PM and I knew that I should be getting home, but I really didn't want to see Bruce. I was still kind of hurt by what I'd just learned a couple of days ago.

    Ever since Bruce told me what he told me, I tried my hardest not to show up at the house when he was most likely up. I knew it was kind of disrespectful to be coming into the house, dragging a sleeping Britney into the house at late hours of the night, but I just couldn't get over the fact that Bruce was a biological father of someone else's child. I wish it was so easy.

    "You hear me?" Antoinette asked me as she touched my shoulder. I looked up at her with pleading eyes. She gave me a little smile and put her attention on CJ. "CJ, go lay down." She demanded.

    "No entiendo." CJ spoke back to his mother in Spanish, pretending not to understand her. She dropped the shirt that she was folding and gave him a look, putting her hands on her hips.

    "You understand me. Now go!" She demanded, pointing out of the kitchen.

    He gave her the sad face and slid from my lap and walked out of the kitchen and bent the corner into the hallway to go to his bedroom. I couldn't help but laugh at how cute my nephew was. Antoinette shook her head, smiling.

    I was really proud of her and my brother. They were actually getting themselves together.

    They finally moved into their own house and were doing better than ever. Despite the fact that Antoinette found out about Chavez having an affair and all, she looked past it and they'd been doing good ever since. I was super proud of them and was more than happy. But, what can you do when your own relationship isn't better than the next person's?

    "I swear your nephew kills me with that Spanish talk. No one did that but Ms. Ana." Antoinette laughed, referring to my mother. "I don't know why she feels Spanish should be his first language. No one really talks Spanish around here."

    "She did us all the same way, growing up. She even had my dad talking Spanish and he's nowhere near Mexican." I explained. Antoinette shook her head, continuing to fold her laundry.

    "Let's not get off track, Tereny." Antoinette spoke. "Like I'm saying...you can't stay here forever, Tereny. You really do have to face your husband sooner or later." She continued. I rolled my eyes. "Seriously. You two have Britney to think about. And I know Britney's tired of crashing on the sofa in there. Poor thing." Antoinette glanced into the front room at her and shook her head.

    "I know, but I just can't face him, Ant." I admit.

    "He didn't up and stop showing his face the day he found out that you were pregnant with another man's baby, honestly. I think you're just being dramatic for no reason." I looked at her as if she'd insulted me. She was looking at me with a serious face, assuring me that those were her words and she was sticking to them rather I liked them or not.

    "I'm sure Bruce knew that there was a possibility that he had a baby out there somewhere and he just refused to tell me. I just can't escape that thought that he probably knew this whole time that he had a baby and was just keeping it from me." I say, folding my arms, feeling hurt all over again and wanting to cry.

    "You were keeping secrets from him, too, Tereny."

    "Well, damn, Ant, who's side are you on?" I argue.