Bobby Munson is happy for his brothers that are finding love but he doesn't look for that to happen for himself. He's been there after all, and after his last divorce, he's good with being single. That is, until a fiery physical therapist catches hi...
The next morning, Ali opened her front door to find her parents standing there looking upset. She frowned as she held the door open for them to come in.
"I wasn't expecting to see you two until the weekend."
Her dad nodded as he sat down on her couch beside her mother. "I know, but I'm afraid something's come up and we needed to see you today. We thought it best to do this when the kids weren't around."
Ali sat in the armchair across from the couch as her frown deepened. "What's wrong? You two are acting very strange. Are you sick or... "
Her mother gave her a small smile as she fidgeted with the collar or the sweater she was wearing. "No, honey, we're both fine. We just... " She paused and looked at her husband, who nodded for her to go on. She sighed and nodded before turning back to Ali. "Sweetheart, I want you to know just how much your father and I love you, and how proud of you we are. You've done such a wonderful job with the kids, and you handled John's death like a trooper. I... "
Alie reached across the coffee table and grasped her mom's hand, giving it a squeeze before letting go. "Just say whatever you need to, mom. You're scaring me a little here."
Carlie sighed and shook her head. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm not trying to scare you. I just... I just don't know how to begin I suppose."
Ali turned to her dad. "Then why don't you tell me."
Josh started to speak but Carlie cut him off, shaking her head. "No! This was my doing, and I'll tell her. I owe her that much." She took another deep breath and nodded to herself. "Before you... came to us, I wanted a baby so badly, but I couldn't have one. We tried everything that was available back then, but... it just wasn't meant to be."
Ali shook her head. "Mom, you're not making any sense. You obviously could have children. I'm here after all."
Carlie shook her head, her voice when she spoke wavering slightly. "That's what I'm trying to tell you, Ali. I didn't give birth to you."
Ali stared at her parents for a moment before shaking her head. "Wait... so I'm adopted?"
Her father shook his head. "Not exactly... "
Her mother broke in. "At that time, I was working part-time at Mercy Hospital as a custodian. Your father was a detective."
Ali nodded. "I know all of that mom. Right after I was born, dad was shot in the line of duty and had to retire. That's how he ended up as a bank manager."
Carlie shook her head. "No, that's just what we told you." She took another deep breath before continuing. "As I was saying, I was working at the hospital. That night... it was just a regular night. Until I was sent to clean the nursery. That's when I saw you." She turned and smiled at her husband. "She was so beautiful in her pink gown."
Josh nodded as Ali began to get a sick feeling in her stomach. "Oh, mom... "
Carlie leaned forward, looking earnestly at her daughter. "You have to believe me, sweetheart. It was like something in my mind flipped, like a switch. When I saw two perfect babies, I thought, why can't I have one for my own?" She wrapped her arms around herself and rocked slowly. "I wanted a child so badly and I just couldn't... your father was working a case so I knew that he wouldn't be home until late the next day, and by then it would be too late to send you back."
Ali shook her head, a sense of dread making her clutch her stomach. She felt like she could become sick at any moment as her mother described to her what she did. "Please tell me that this is some kind of sick joke. You didn't... " She stood up and started pacing the floor. "Oh my god!"
Carlie clutched Josh's hand as her other lifted toward Ali. "Oh baby, please understand."
Ali scoffed. "What I'm understanding is that you aren't my fucking parents and that you created a... Jesus, mom!"
Josh stood up, stepping in Ali's path to take her by the arm. "Sweetheart, you need to understand. Your mom was... well, she was ill, but I couldn't let her go to jail."
Ali laughed bitterly as she wrenched herself from her father's hands. "So what? You just went along with your crazy wife? Who fucking does that? You took a baby from the hospital! How the hell did you get away with it?"
Her mother looked at her with tears in her eyes. "It was easy, really. There were no cameras, no guards like nowadays. I just walked out with you during a shift change when everyone was busy."
Her father shrugged as he sat down wearily next to his wife. "When I found out, I talked a friend on the force into burying the police report on the condition that I would pack you and your mother up and leave town. So that's what I did, and we never looked back."
Ali shook her head. "I don't know... my whole fucking life has been a lie."
Carlie shook her head. "No! We've loved you and raised you as our own child. You are our child."
Alie laughed and shook her head. "No! I'm not! You kidnapped me when I was a fucking infant!" She ran a hand through her hair, ignoring the tears coursing down her cheeks. "I don't even know who I fucking am!" She sucked in a breath and pointed at the door. "Please leave. Just... leave."
Carlie gasped on a sob as her husband gently pulled her to her feet. He looked at Ali and she tried to ignore the devastated look on his face. "Hopefully, when you've had time to process all of this, we can sit down and talk it out."
Ali laughed bitterly as her father helped her mother to the door. "Yeah, sure. Maybe you should just feel lucky that I'm not turning you in and cut your losses."
Once the door shut behind her parents, she fell into the chair and put her head in her hands, sobbing. After several minutes, she got up and walked into the kitchen, taking the whiskey from the top shelf of the cabinet. As she poured herself a shot with a shaky hand, she promised herself a few hours to wallow in the shocking news she had received, then she would put it away and get on with her life. She had two children to raise.
