calm before the storm | the outsiders

•17•

December 14, 1985 

Rayne 

It was a chilly morning, I wore my fuzzy pajama pants, a hoodie, a hat, and some boots to get the mail just because it was that cold outside. I rushed to the mailbox and back, sorting through the papers. Most of it was for Sodapop and Holly, bills and junk mail. Then there was a letter that caught my attention, it had my name on it. I looked at the sender's address and my heart sped up. Tulsa DNA Clinic.

Holly took Aaron and Sadie Christmas shopping, it was only me and Sodapop home. As I was staring at the paper in shock Soda entered the room, "Something come in the mail?" he asked since he took notice of my expression.

I set the rest of the mail down and walked up to Soda, showing him what I was too nervous to say out loud. He quickly read it, he too putting on an expression similar to mine. "It's the results." I nearly whispered

We gazed at the letter in silence, "Are you ready...?" Sodapop asked

"Honestly no...but will I ever be?" I replied

We looked at each other and knew what I had to do, what needed to be done. I sat on the couch, Sodapop sat next to me. I took a deep breath and looked at the letter one last time before I ripped it open. This was it, the question everyone has been asking before I was even born. I wish I could have my mother here with me, but if she were still alive I probably wouldn't be here at this moment.

"Here we go..." I sighed

Sodapop took hold of my hand and looked me in my eyes as a way to help calm both of our nerves. This is probably going to be an even bigger revelation to him, no matter how the tests come back. We were in the same position. I looked back at the paper and started to open it. There were two papers, both of which had twi names on the top. Both said Rayne Caroline Storm but one had Dallas Tucker Winston and the other Sodapop Patrick Curtis. I looked at each of them, scanning through the tests to see the full results

They were written in bold at the bottom of the paper, I looked at each of them and read:

Dallas Tucker Winston Probability Of Paternity: 0.0001%

Sodapop Patrick Curtis Probability Of Paternity: 99.9998%

My breathing nearly stopped and I could hear my heartbeat in my head, "Sodapop..."

"Yeah?" he anxiously replied as he shifted in his seat, I couldn't help but notice his foot was also tapping wildly as I took my time looking at the results

I handed him the paper and tried to calm myself, wraping my head around the thought. My mom was right, she was telling the truth. I never believed her...no one did. Not even herself.

I looked over at Soda to see that his eyes were glassy. He squeezed my hand really tight, trying to fight off tears. "I should've believed her...if I just would've believed her I'd still have you in my life and none of this would have happened."

My heart sank when I saw the tears escape his eyes, "No Soda, it wasn't your fault." 

Soda's voice cracked and he couldn't be strong anymore, "I'm so sorry Rayne...I'm so sorry..."

I embraced him in a hug and he held my tiny frame tightly, clenching onto the DNA paper and crying onto my shoulder. I closed my eyes to avoid tears from falling, but I knew I' break at some point. Sodapop continued, "I should have just believed her, Rayne. I should have believed her because she told me that you were mine but I didn't believe her and its all my fault you grew up without a dad..."

"It isn't your fault Sodapop, don't say that. My mom was the one who left...you had a good reason to not believe her. I didn't either...no one did. You aren't alone. Do not blame yourself for this." I tried to say without my voice cracking

"But she left because of me. If it wasn't for me she wouldn't have left, you wouldn't have been alone." Sodapop cried

"It was my mom's choice to leave...you did nothing. You even knew I might not have been yours but you were still there to raise me. It was my mom, not you. You did all you could." I reassured

He let go of me and tried to stop the tears from falling but they just kept coming, "I could have came and found you...I could have paid for the DNA test myself a long time ago but I never did. I could have done so much."

"Look at me." I ordered. Soda looked at me with his swollen red eyes and just seeing him like that made hot tears roll down my own face, but I let them shed silently. "You did everything you could, Soda. You're a great father and you know it. You have 2 beautiful children you got to raise yourself and you did everything you could to reach out to me. I found you because I found letters you sent to my mother back in the 70s. I read them, Soda. I know you meant well. If my mom wouldn't have left you wouldn't have met Holly or had Sadie or Aaron, everything happens for a reason. My mom leaving gave you a beautiful family, and I even came around at some point too. And I know if those results came back negative then you would have had welcoming arms for me no matter what. That's a truly good father. Even if I wasn't yours you have always been there for me, and I love you for that. I love you, Dad."

Sodapop stopped crying but instead smiled at my words, my own tears made me look like a trainwreck by that time. "I love you with all my heart, Rayne. You were always my daughter."

"And you were always my dad." I smiled back

We hugged for a second time, crying on each other's shoulders. Not tears of guilt, but tears of joy. We needed each other, and in a way the world brought us back together. The way I had the same exact eyes and hair color as Sodapop and his kids, I knew from the start. That must have been my mother's motive too. I wonder how she's looking at us from above.

The front door opened and in entered Holly, Aaron, and Sadie. "We got presents!" Holly announced

Me and Sodapop turned to look at them and they all stared in confusion from our expressions, "Everything alright?" Holly asked

"The results came back." Soda answered

I smiled at Holly, "I'm officially your stepdaughter."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1152 words

Who guessed right??! Anyone shook lmao? Don't stop reading the story ain't over yet, we've still got some ground to cover.
- Jules

8/12/18