Heart & Sincerity

46/ Back to Toledo

Charles sat across from his sisters at the table. He had to explain what he was doing in town and how it involved their family.

Betty and Polly stared at him with blank faces.

"Any questions? Now's the time to ask."

"You had mom put herself in the middle of all of that?" Betty had a similar reaction to Jughead's.

"I know. I know. It sounds bad. I already got an earful from Jughead." He put his hands up in defense.

"I'm assuming you're not his social worker then," She remembered him and Jughead talking in the hospital. He shook his head no.

"I guess that would kind of explain why you left the diner with the beanie kid." Polly added.

Charles was having trouble reading the look on Betty's face.

"Why didn't you want me telling my mom? At the hospital, you and Jughead told me not to mention what happened to my mom." Betty asked.

"Because I knew how it would affect her."

"Why would she care?" Betty tilted her head as she wondered. "Not that it wasn't something worth caring about. What happened to Jughead's dad was tragic. I hope he's okay."

"He's fine now. He's got that tough Serpent strength as Jughead would say."

"That's right. He's a Serpent." Betty nodded. "Mom used to be one before you were born." She blurted out. Charles watched as her face lit up to the realization. "Oh my God." She was slowly piecing fragments of information together. "Is there a chance that? No, it can't be..." She trailed off. The theory felt too crazy. "...But it would explain a lot."

"Mom, said you were very clever." Charles knew what she was trying to say. "Yeah, he is."

"What?" Polly felt left out in this topic. "What are you two talking about? Mom was a Serpent?"

"He isn't dad's."

"What do you mean he's not? Are you saying mom had someone else's baby? Is that why dad had mom give him up?"

"Not exactly. I overheard them fighting one morning. Dad claimed to have had a suspicion that he wasn't his, but I don't think he's so sure about that thought."

Betty and Polly took a second to let that sink in. There was so much about their mother they probably didn't know.

"Betty, I'm home." Hal kicked his shoes off at the door. The three siblings looked at each other with uncertainty. He looked around for Betty. He was surprised to see Polly but more surprised to see the young man. "Who's this?"

The girls looked at Charles. They thought it was best he introduce himself. "I'm Charles. I came to talk to my sisters."

Hal didn't know how to respond to that. He never expected to be in this situation.

"You didn't give mom a choice with what to do with him. Maybe I should tell him about how you wanted me to do the same thing with my babies." Polly glared at her father.

"I already know," Charles quietly told her.

"How did you get here?" Hal asked him.

"I found my mother, of course."

"She's not here."

"I know that." Charles stood up. He walked around the table to get to him. "But she'll be back. Just like I am." He stared him in the eye. "Maybe you don't care but I'm here. I'll be clear for you though. You can think whatever you want about me, but as for my mother and my sisters, I'd appreciate if you weren't an asshole."