My . . . WHAT!

 by Abigail H. 

Fresno California,

April 21, 1882

“Justin Thomas Carter!” Fourteen-year-old Andrea Carter stormed into her brother’s law office, screaming his name with all of her might.

Seated in the seat across the desk from Andi’s tall older brother sat Lucinda Hawkins. A beautiful woman with soft brown eyes and delightful light brown hair. She’d been Justin’s girl ever since he had gotten enough courage to ask Lucy to court him with the intent of marriage a few short months ago.

The sweet woman turned, “Good morning, Andi!” She smiled. “It looks like you have a bee under your bonnet that needs to be freed, so I will leave you alone and let Justin take care of it.”

“Lucy, you don’t need to go,” Justin turned a frustrated gaze at Andi, and gave her the look. “You are nearly family. Whatever Andi is going to say, I’m sure it is fine.”

Andi stood, shifting her weight from one foot to the other in clear impatience. In all the things she was good at, patience never even made it to the top a hundred. Can’t they stop chatting and let me talk! Andi thought.

“If you are sure, Justin,” Lucy started. “I don’t want to intrude.”

“You aren’t intruding, I-”

“Justin, who in Heaven’s name is Michal Thomas?” Andi could not take their politeness any longer. She needed to know.

Justin looked stunned. He blinked his vivid blue eyes in pure shock. A tear welled up in his eye and slid down his tanned cheek, he brushed it away. Justin looked at Lucy. The secret he had not talked about for ten years was about to come out.

“He’s my son.” Justin’s voice was thick with pent up emotions. “Your nephew.”

This was a punch to Andi’s gut. She tried to breathe. First a sister she had no idea existed popped up over two years ago, now another family secret?

“My…. what!”

********

Earlier

“Justin, why are you so gloomy?” Andi asked at the breakfast table. “I’ve never known you to be gloomy just because there are rain clouds in the sky.”

All the people around the table froze. Melinda choked on her pancake, and quickly grabbed her glass of milk. Mother cleared her throat, but said nothing.

Justin put on a fake smile, which was enough for Andi, who smiled back. Though Andi was old enough to figure out that there was something wrong, she was too focused on her day’s agenda, to pay any mind to the tension. Or her brother’s fake smile.

********

Justin pulled his rig out of the yard on his way to his law office. Today was Saturday, so Andi didn’t go with him to school. Andi just stood waving at him as he rode down the lane.

A glance at the darkened sky told her that a ride on Taffy would be out of the question. Maybe she could play with Shasta and Sunny. They always brightened her day.

“Andi, I want you to go look for another quilt in the attic.” Mother’s voice called from the kitchen. “I think the blue log-cabin quilt is in the large trunk with the brass handles.”

Well, that idea was blown away. A morning in the attic wouldn’t be that bad. There were always new things to explore, and new, old forgotten things too.

Andi trudged up the two flights of stairs to the large spacious attic. It took her a few minutes to find the trunk in the mass of things. When she found it, she quickly grabbed the quilt and went to turn back to head downstairs when a small, painted cradle tucked beside the trunk caught her eye.

She thought for a second- just a second- and decided that Mother could wait an extra few moments for the blanket, so she kneeled down and pulled the cradle out. She was curious to find out whose cradle it was.

She looked at the cradle and admired the handpainted blue swirls and flowers, then her eyes stopped on a name written on the headboard. A name that she had never heard before. Michal Thomas Carter.

Quilt forgotten she raced out of the attic and downstairs. She flew out of the house and out to the barn for a horse. Justin would know who that boy is. Justin would help her.

In record time, Andi saddled Taffy and mounted. Dirt trailing in the air behind them, she raced toward town. On J Street, she pulled the Palomino to a halt. Breathing hard she ran into Justin’s law office.

********

Present.

“You better sit down, Andi.” Justin said, able to keep his tears at bay. “Lucy, I want you to hear this as well.”

Andi and Lucy, both flustered and thinking all sorts of horrible things, sat. And waited.

“This story starts when I went to college at Harvard twelve years ago. I met a wonderful woman there named Jane.” Justin looked at Lucy. She sat stiff, a look of horror on her face.

“Long story short, we fell in love and got married eight months later on her birthday, April 21. Eleven years ago today.”

“That’s why you were so sad today at breakfast.” Andi breathed.

“Yes, some years it is harder than others to cope on that day. When Jane came into the family way, I was thrilled. Yes, I still had almost two years left of college, but I was happy. To save you the details, Jane died giving birth to Michal. And Michal died three short weeks later.”

Justin looked devastated. “I finished my degree, and then came home, hoping to push past everything and move on.” He looked with anguish at Lucy. “I am so sorry for not telling you earlier.”

“You have nothing to apologize for.” She stood up and grasped his hand. “I will love you no matter what history you spring on me. Although I hope there is no more!”

They all laughed, and to Andi, the world was right side up