Chapter 11 #2
“I wanted to tell Jason so badly after Jim passed, but I didn’t know how, and I had made that promise.
Besides, what was I supposed to say—oh by the way, Jason, the man who raised you wasn’t your real father?
Your biological father didn’t want anything to do with you, just thought you should know?
No, there was no way I could have hurt him like that.
Better he thought his father died loving him, than to know he didn’t have any interest in him at all. ”
“To be fair, Maggie, did Nick ever learn you had his child?” Sean asked, trying to get the timeline straight in his head.
Maggie got up and began to pace, twisting her napkin fretfully.
“No, not until recently,” she replied sniffling.
“And what happened when he found out?” Sean continued, grilling her gently.
“He was angry, of course, very angry. He wanted his rights and was prepared to go to court to get them. I tried to get him to see reason and not upset Jason. Truthfully, he has been patient about—”
“Patient,” Sean growled, jumping up from his chair and slamming his hand down on the table.
“The man’s got the patience of a saint as far as I’m concerned.
Margaret, how could you do such a thing?
Keepin’ a man from his only son for fifteen years?
The very least you could have done was tell him the truth long ago and let him decide if he wanted to be in Jason’s life, but to be denied even the opportunity?
Why if anyone had tried to keep me from a child of mine, I would have killed them with my bare hands.
You should consider yourself very lucky, my girl, that Nicholas Kord is the kind of man he is. ”
Sean sighed deeply and sat back down shaking his head.
“I realize you were very young when you married Jim and had Jason. I must admit, I had my misgivin’s even then, especially as you seemed so in love with Nick yet were determined to rush into marriage with another.
You were headstrong then, and you’re headstrong now.
And fifteen years of marriage to a man who gave you your own way entirely too much hasn’t been to your benefit.
Now you’ve got a hell of a mess on your hands. ”
Maeve came and stood behind Sean with her hand on his shoulder. Her eyes were sad, but Maggie could tell from her tightly compressed lips that she was having a hard time not speaking her piece too.
“You could have come to us, child,” Maeve told her softly. “Your Da would have made Nick listen. Instead you kept a secret that hurts everyone, including yourself.”
“Oh Da, Ma, I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you the truth in the beginning,” she cried. “Please forgive me.” Maggie raised her pleading eyes to her parents. She trembled as tears streamed down her cheeks.
Finally Sean rose and came around the table, gently enfolding her in his arms.
“Of course we forgive you, Maggie, but this is your mess, and ’tis yours to clean up,” he scolded, patting her back.
“I’ll talk to Jason if he’ll hear me, but as far as Nick is concerned, you’re on your own.
I don’t imagine he’s too pleased with you right now as this whole thing could have been avoided with a little honesty.
“Ah, here’s Molly. You take yourself on home now. Molly will drive you. Pull yourself together. The children will be fine here, at least overnight, and we’ll see what tomorrow brings. Maggie, is there anything else we should know, anything you’ve been deliberately keepin’ from us?”
Maggie danced from one foot to the other, wringing her napkin and fighting an inner battle with her conscience. Her amber eyes avoided her Da’s as she struggled to do the right thing. Finally she caved.
“Aw hell, Da,” she groaned. “Just ask Rory. Tell him I release him from his promise and to tell you everything.”
“I’ll do that, darlin’, and I hope for your sake this is the last of the secrets.”
“I hope so too, Da, I really do. Ma, give the kids a kiss for me and tell them I’ll see them soon. I don’t want them to see me like this. It will only worry them.”
“I will, darlin’. You go on home and get some rest. I imagine Nicky will be over sometime soon and for goodness sake, fix yourself up a little,” she whispered as she hugged her goodbye.
“Sometimes a little dab of perfume goes a long way to soothin’ a man’s temper.
And I’ll send him with some shortcake—that always puts your Da in a better mood. ”
Maggie rolled her eyes and hugged her mother.
“I think it’s going to take a little more than shortcake and perfume to get myself out of this one, Ma,” she whispered back. “Everything coming out like this, and hurting Jason isn’t going to sit well with him.”
Molly was waiting for her in the foyer and handed her the cool washcloth. Maggie pressed it to her eyes for a moment, and then ran it around the back of her neck.
“Thanks,” she sighed in relief.
“No problem. Let’s go,” Molly answered heading out the door and pulling Maggie along to her car.
Molly drove an ice blue Fiat convertible with a white interior, and although they all referred to it as the “toy car”, Molly loved it.
“I can’t believe you’re still driving this roller skate,” Maggie teased as she folded herself into the passenger seat.
“Are you kidding? This is the perfect car,” Molly replied pulling away from the curb.
“It handles like a dream. It’s fast and fun, and the best part is your brother can’t fit into it.
In another couple of years the boys won’t be able to either,” she laughed.
“Sometimes a woman needs her space, and this is mine. Plus, when the time comes for the boys to start driving, I won’t have to loan it out,” she finished, obviously proud of her forward thinking.
“Geesh,” Maggie replied. “You were really thinking ahead when you bought this. Wish I had that talent, especially lately.”
“To be fair, dear heart,” Molly replied reaching over and patting Maggie’s hand. “I have a little help with that,” she continued tapping a finger to her temple.
“Right,” Maggie sighed. “I could use some help about now.”
“Be careful what you wish for,” Molly warned.
“It’s not always a pleasant gift, but I will tell you this.
Sometimes fighting against the fates is just a waste of time and energy.
As the old saying goes, ‘what will be, will be’.
Maybe you should relax a little more and trust that everything that’s happening is exactly how it’s supposed to be.
Like it or not, you’re just along for the ride.
Like now,” Molly laughed as she rounded the corner and hit the gas hard.
The little car took off like a shot, and Maggie squealed in delight.
Their hair was flying, and the speed as they raced down the road was exhilarating.
Molly is right, Maggie thought as she laughed. This is a great little car.
Colleen and Bridget were just locking up the house when Molly dropped Maggie off at the end of her driveway.
“I know it’s not the time,” Colleen told her as she loaded the kids’ clothes in her car, “but I expect the full story sometime in the near future. It boggles my mind that you could even keep a secret this long. I swear you were the biggest tattletale I ever saw when we were growing up. If you weren’t running to Ma and Da, you were running to Rory,” she continued as she climbed into her vehicle.
“And how Ma didn’t sniff it out—she’s like a bloodhound on a scent when it comes to things we don’t want her to find out—”
“Oh, Colleen, give it a rest will you,” Bridget told her rolling her eyes as she pulled Maggie into a big hug. “Don’t mind her, Maggie. We all know she’s got middle child syndrome.”
“Yeah, and you’ve got spoiled brat syndrome. Now come on, we’ve got to get back,” Colleen retorted starting the car and digging a cigarette out of her purse.
Maggie and Bridget looked at her like she’d lost her mind as she lit it and inhaled deeply with a sigh.
“I thought you quit smoking, Colleen? Noah’s going to flip if he catches you,” Maggie told her as Bridget slid into the passenger seat.
“He’s not going to find out, as long as you two keep your mouths shut,” she informed them as she turned to back out of the driveway. “Call me tomorrow, Maggie,” she yelled out the window.
“God, what wouldn’t I give to be a fly on the wall here tonight,” Colleen sighed as they drove away.
“You and me both,” Bridget agreed.