So, Here I Am

Chapter Fifteen The Truth - The Twins 1

Shit, she had a headache.   She and A.J. walked hand in hand slowly back to her apartment building.   In the lift she felt sick again, everything was swimming.   She held A.J.s hand in a death grip, he looked at her, trying to give her a reassuring smile.   It didn't work.

A.J. "It's gonna be OK, mumma"

"No, it's not"

"Alright, it's not, but I'm here, OK?  I will try to tell them what you can't.  I'm here for you, always. We can do this "   The lift opened directly into the apartment hallway with a ping.  The twins appeared at the end of the hallway, worry and concern on their faces.    All their dinner guests had gone by now, realising something that could only be shared with family was taking place.

Maggie stopped in front of them, and cupped a cheek of each in her hands, and went to the kitchen.   She found a small glass, and a bottle of tequila, and poured herself a healthy shot.   She motioned to A.J., did he want one?  He shook his head, no.  The boys had been playing Fifa, but had turned the T.V. off, and now sat on the sofa.

Larry "What's wrong, you ..."

A.J." Wait, please, let her take her time, Larry"   Larry, mocking now, "Sounds serious ..."

Maggie "It is, you dumb fuck!" He glared at her, wide eyed.  -- Shit, that was harsh -- he thought, pouting now.

Maggie "Sorry, Larry, sorry, I...umm.... just give me a second"

All of them were dumbstruck. This was not the Maggie they were used to, although A.J. had seen similar before, but very rarely.   Maggie necked the tequila, motioning to the Twins, did they want one ?   Or ten ?   Laurent spoke then.

"No, I think we may need our wits about us, don't you?"  -- Yes, you will darling, you most certainly will -- thought Maggie.   She came round the counter with her second drink and necked that one too, leaving the glass on the bar.

All three of them were lined up, A.J. sitting with the Twins, as if showing solidarity with them in case, after Maggie had told them, they saw it as an "us and them" situation.   Bless him, she loved him more in this moment than ever.

She saw him furtively looking over at them now, trying to come to terms with the fact that they were his brothers.   Just trying to organise his thoughts and feelings so he could at least make sense of them.   The Twins kept looking back at him too, and eventually Laurent lost his temper.

"Ok, what the fuck is going on, it obviously involves us, what we do ?"   He was defensive before he even knew what he should be defending.

Maggie" You didn't do anything darling. OK ..... Straight up? Or back story first?"

Larry spoke then "Straight up, Maggie, it's what you're good at"   No way was she going to be good at this.

"OK, shit, where do I begin? Where do I begin A.J. ?" she looked at him pleadingly, to give her a starting point.

"The photo, the rings, no backstory" he said, succinctly, keeping her focused.    Her heart was pounding in her ears, and the tequila made her feel sick again.    Another deep breath, her millionth of the night.

"Before I so rudely and abruptly left, we were looking at photos, yeah?   We looked at one of your mama holding a baby, you said she hadn't told you who it was"

Laurent, calmer now "Oh, she told us who it was, I just can't remember, we were little. I thought it was one of us, but we were always together in photos, never one of us on our own".

Maggie "Do you remember how old you were when this photo was taken?"

Laurent "no, but looking at her dress, her hair, probably about three, four years old ?"

Maggie "Sorry, just a couple more, it will help you, I promise " she said, hoping against hope it would help them realise what was going on.

"Do you remember your mama ever being away from you, maybe going on holiday without you for a long time ?"

Larry spoke now "Yeah, don't you remember, Lau ? We went to stay with our auntie in the country, it was horrible, we cried and cried ! I thought Mama was never coming back !"

Laurent"It was a couple of months, Maggie, what's going on, you're scaring me"    She crouched down in front of them, one hand on one of each of their knees.   Tears were silently sliding down her cheeks as she asked Laurent and Larry to please humour her, and find the picture of their mama and the baby, and put their phones on the table in front of them, just as A.J. did the same. There were three identical photos on the three phones.

Confusion covered the Twins faces, and Lau was bordering on anger, and he was losing patience. He didn't like A.J. anyway, and now he thought he was just being shitty.

Laurent "How the fuck do you have the same photo ?!"

"I gave it to him" said Maggie

"Why do you have it ?!"

"Please, in a second, Laurent" she said quietly and slowly, to try to slow the anxiety and tension that was palpable now.

"OK, last thing. Please take off your rings, the one's your mama gave you on your eighteenth birthday,   Please, guys, please".   She was begging them now, trying to prolong their last moments before this excrutiating pain would become evident in their lives.

They took off their rings, and A.J took off his. He knew what she was trying to do.  She was trying to make it as obvious as she could what conclusion they should reach.

"Can you please read the inscription in yours A.J.?"   He hesitated, choking on the words as he formed them, knowing that this was the moment things would change forever, for all of them.

"To my darling son, a king among men.  I will love you always, mama"

There was silence.

The twins looked at the photo of their mama with the baby, a third ring like theirs, with their inscription in it from their mama ..... They looked in shock, but still no realisation?   Or was it just denial ?

Maggie couldn't deal with this anymore, her heart was being ripped out of her chest, and it all came pouring out.

"This is your mother, ALL yours mother !!   I was the one who took this photo !!   She gave him this ring, same as yours !! "  Then she found the photo of herself and A.J.

"She took this photo !! This baby, your mama's son !! I adopted him !!"

Then, as calmly and as softly as she could, she said into their stricken faces

"This photo is of A.J. guys"   She was whispering now, choking back sobs

"A.J. is you brother".