Manicures and Blue Jeans

Chapter 11

KYLE ROSE

"Oh, uh, umm, hello?" My dad stuttered, struggling. Ms. Krithner sat in shock with her mouth open.
"Shut your mouth, Mom, you'll catch flies!" Alyssa said angrily. "How could you do this to me? To us!" She yelled.
"Let's go inside." Dad suggested. I nodded my head as Ms. Krithner and Alyssa followed us. Once we were settled in the living room, my dad said, "Girls. Heather and I... No," he grimaced and turned to to Ms. Krithner. "Heather, when Kyle and I moved here, I thought you would be gone. And I certainly didn't think that they would be in the same school, much less same classes! But they are, so I think it's time to come clean."
Ms. Krithner heaved a sigh and said, "Fine! Have it your way, yet again!" She exclaimed, irritated. I was confused. 'Yet again?' What had happened before Alyssa and I were little? So many questions were racing through my head, I couldn't make sense of it! Suddenly, Alyssa's voice jolted me out of my tangled thoughts.
"How could you keep this from me, Mother!" She asked angrily.
I looked at my dad. "Daddy?" I whispered like a little girl, asking if it was true.
"Oh Ky!" He cried. He squeezed my hand. "Heather, I would like Alyssa and Kyle to both hear this."
"Fine" Ms. Krithner huffed.
"Girls, Heather and I divorced 13 years ago. You were both 1 then and we figured that you wouldn't remember the time when we were married, so we each decided to raise you separately. It wasn't the best choice, but I can't think of a solution that would have worked better at the time." At this Ms. Krithner, snorted and looked disapproving, but my dad continued.
"Anyways, when we divorced, Heather and Alyssa moved here, to Raleigh, and you and I," Dad said grimly, looking to me, "stayed in Durham. Then, the summer that you would be going into middle school, my job was relocated and we had to move here. I figured that Alyssa and Heather had moved--" "But we hadn't!" Ms. Krithner butted in, angrily.
My dad continued as if he hadn't heard her. "And if they hadn't, you girls would have a 1 in a million chance of meeting. But, you defied the odds, and here we are." He summed up.
I sat in shock. "Oh." I said finally got out softly. Alyssa stood up. We all turned to her. Her face was pinched and pink.
"Kyle," She said. "Could we talk?"
"Sure." I responded and followed her out of the room.

. . .

ALYSSA KRITHNER

Mr. Rose spoke first. "Oh, uhh, umm, hello." He choked out. My mom's mouth hung open.
"Shut your mouth Mom, you'll catch flies!" I yelled. "How could you do this to me? To us!" I let my words punch the air and hang there. I stood with my hands on my hips, my shoulders squared and back rigid.
Mr. Rose suggested quietly, "Let's go inside." He led the way to the living room and once we were all settled, he looked to Kyle and I, and started to say something, then stopped. He turned to my mom. "Heather, when Kyle and I moved here, I thought you would be gone. And I certainly didn't think that they would be in the same school, much less same classes! But they are, so I think it's time to come clean."
"Fine! Have it your way, yet again!" Mother replied, not making eye contact.
"How could you keep this from me, Mother!" I repeated. I know she heard me but she didn't respond.
"Heather, I would like Alyssa and Kyle to both hear this." Mr. Rose said firmly.
"Fine"
"Girls," he started. "Heather and I divorced 13 years ago. You were both 1 then and we figured that you wouldn't remember the time when we were married, so we each decided to raise you separately. It wasn't the best choice, but I can't think of a solution that would have worked better at the time." At this Mother huffed and glared across the room but didn't say anything.
"Anyways, when we divorced, Heather and Alyssa moved here, to Raleigh, and you and I," Mr. Rose said regretfully to Kyle, "stayed in Durham. Then, the summer that you would be going into middle school, my job was relocated and we had to move here. I figured that Alyssa and Heather had moved--"
"But we hadn't!" Mother butted in, furious. Her hands were quavering but Mr. Rose continued as if he hadn't heard her.
"And if they hadn't, you girls would have a 1 in a million chance of meeting. But, you defied the odds, and here we are." He summed up.
"Oh" I heard Kyle say. I stood up. Kyle and I had some discussing to do.