Cheyenne: The Art of Love and Jealousy

Chapter Eleven: Secrets

William and his father replaced all the porch beams the day after Christmas, with the payment of Cheyenne and Sarah's cooking. After trying some of Sarah's fried chicken, William asked if there was anything else they needed him to fix. Cheyenne had just chuckled and poked his forehead. Over the day, Cheyenne helped out and became friends with William's father, Eddie.

Cheyenne was rummaging through the hall closet two days before New Year's Eve, looking for a box of craft supplies for a science project when she spotted an old, dusty, battered-looking box she'd never seen before tucked away in the very back corner. She carefully pulled it out and opened it. Inside were old photos of her mother from high school. Cheyenne smiled and sat down cross-legged on the floor to look at the photos. They were all pictures of her mom when she was younger. Cheyenne wondered why her mom never showed her this box before. She looked so happy standing with her friends.

There was one of her at the beach, and a photo of her at her prom with her dad, a few of her and a few friends at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, a couple of her playing tennis. Then one photo caught Cheyenne's attention. Her mother was standing arm in arm with another man who wasn't her father, although something about his eyes looked familiar. Sarah told her that her father was her first and only boyfriend, but this photo... Something didn't add up to Cheyenne. She took a closer look at the man in the photo. He had blue-gray eyes, freckles on his nose and cheeks, and a slightly crooked smile...

Cheyenne dropped the photo in shock. The man in the photo looked just like her. From the eyes to the crooked smile, Cheyenne knew that face well, because she looked at it every morning in the mirror. She looked in the box for more pictures of the mystery man, but there were none. Instead, at the bottom of the box was an old handwritten letter. With trembling hands, Cheyenne opened the yellowish colored letter and read the words her mother had written sixteen years ago.

Dear Charlie,

I thought you should know that I'm pregnant. I found out last night and I have given this a great deal of thought. I'm not keeping the baby. I don't want it and I will never want it. Our one week was a lot of fun and you were a fantastic listener, but I'm going back to Johnathan.

Goodbye,

Sarah.

Cheyenne couldn't believe what she just read. Her mother had an affair with her biological father, abandoned him, and told him she was terminating the baby. Her mother didn't want her. She said she would never want her. Cheyenne burst into tears. She grabbed the box and went to her room. She sat on her bed, sobbing and screaming into her knees until no more tears came out. She needed someone. Anyone. She called the one person who she knew would stand by her through anything.

"William," Cheyenne sobbed into the phone, "I - I need - you. It's an e-e-emergency. Please -"

"On my way," was his reply. 

Cheyenne knew he wouldn't hesitate. He would stop whatever he was doing, even if he was at work. He would jump in his car and drive over as fast as the law would allow, and stay beside her as long as she needed him. Right now, he was the only person she could rely on.

Suddenly she felt ill. She grabbed her trash can beside her bed and vomited into it. It burned her throat, but she couldn't stop. After a couple of minutes, she had begun throwing up stomach acid. At last, she had emptied the full contents of her stomach but she still felt sick. She kept the can between her knees in case she needed to vomit again, and she was suddenly grateful that her hair was pulled back.

Twenty minutes she called him, there was a soft knock on her bedroom door and William slowly poked his head in. Cheyenne was sitting on her bed, holding the photo and the letter. Her eyes were red and puffy, her trembling body was pale and her cheeks were heavily tear-stained.