Lost Bella

"Mom? You were pregnant after Jay?" I look at the photo Jay found.

"No! What are you talking about?" Mom wavered. She took the picture and frowned. "I thought I got rid of it all?" She sat down.

"Mom! You were supposed to... What's going on?" Nikki, my twin, came in.

"Girls sit. Where's Jay?" She asked in a serious tone.

"Here mom!" Jay came in and sat between us.

"Right after your father left us I found out I was pregnant again." Mom starts. "It was hard enough to be a widow with three children. I couldn't handle another. I had to do what I did. I regret it so much everyday." She cries.

"Mom," I reach forward to grab her hand. Nikki does the same.

"You guys have a sister."

"What?!? How could you keep this from us?" Jay stands up.

"I had to make it easier for you guys! It was hard enough to give her away! It killed me inside!" Mom cried harder.

"Do you know where she is?" Jay huffed. "Can we get her back?"

"I kept in touch with the woman who raised her up until..."

"Until what?" Jay pounded his fist on the table.

"Jay!" I warn. "Calm down!"

"The last thing I knew was that Dani is living in London."

"Dani? Her name is Dani?" Nikki asks.

"Danielle Marie," mom wipes her tears.

"It's a beautiful name," I smile at my mother.

"How long was this?" Jay sighs.

"Five years ago," mom confesses.

"Great mom! Just great!" Jay stormed out.

"Jay!" I call out. "I'll go talk to him," I sigh after the front door was slammed.

"Go away Brie!" My little brother pouted.

"Jay, why are you overreacting? She lied to all of us!" I blurt.

"Why aren't you both overreacting?" He turned. I could see he was crying. Nikki went to hug him crying with him. I sighed and joined them. "She didn't want her. What makes you think she wanted us?"

"I wanted Dani. It just wasn't possible at the time," mom told us. She was standing on the porch watching her grown children work through this.

"You could have made it possible!" Nikki shouted at her.

"Nicole stop! People are beginning to stare!" Mom warned.

"No! The whole world needs to know how horrible of a mother you are! You sold your kid!" Nikki continued.

"Nikki stop!" I hold my sister back. My two siblings get in my car. "I want to meet Dani. Do what you can to make it happen before my wedding. I love you mom." I was stone faced but she got my message. I hoped in the drivers seat and drove off.