As I walked through the front door of my home, I couldn't shake off the weight of the secrets I was carrying. It felt like I was drowning in a sea of hidden truths, each one threatening to pull me under. I knew about George and Emily's illicit affair, but I was hiding it from Mom, who deserved to know the truth about her husband's infidelity. I knew about Emily's pregnancy, but I was hiding it from Dad, who had a right to know about the impending arrival of his grandchild. And now, if I didn't reveal the truth to Mom, I would lose Dad, the one person I had grown to rely on.
"Mom, we need to talk," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, as I sat down next to her on the couch.
She looked at me, her eyes searching for answers. "What is it, sweetie?" she asked, her voice soft and concerned.
I took another deep breath before revealing the truth. "It's about George and Emily," I said, my voice shaking. "I saw them together, Mom. They're having an affair."
Mom's expression changed from concern to shock, her eyes wide with disbelief. "What?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "That can't be true. George would never do that to me."
I nodded, feeling a wave of guilt wash over me. "I'm sorry, Mom. I should have told you sooner. But I was scared. I didn't want to hurt you."
Mom's face crumpled, and she began to cry, her body shaking with sobs. "How could he do this to me?" she wailed. "I thought we had a good marriage."
I hugged her, trying to comfort her. "I'm so sorry, Mom. I feel like I've betrayed you too, by not telling you sooner."
Mom pulled back, her eyes red and puffy. "No, sweetie, you didn't betray me. You were trying to protect me. But now that I know, we have to do something about it."
I nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. I had finally revealed the truth, and now we could start to heal.
But I knew I still had one more secret to reveal. I had to tell Dad about Emily's pregnancy, and I had to do it soon. I couldn't keep carrying these secrets around, not anymore. It was time to reveal the truth, no matter how hard it was.
"Mom, there's something else," I said, my voice hesitant.
"What is it?" she asked, her eyes still red from crying.
"It's about Emily," I said, taking a deep breath. "Her pregnancy, I've the feeling that my stepdad is responsible, George is probably responsible for that pregnancy."
Mom's eyes widened in shock again. "What? That's not possible. I'm still finding it hard to believe the affair you just spoke about, but George being responsible for the pregnancy, I think you're now going insane David, George is your stepdad for Christ sake, he'll never touch Emily, not the calm innocent George I know."
I nodded. "I know. But it's true. And I think Dad should know about this too, if you won't believe me."
Mom waved her head, her expression looking disgusted and disappointed. "I think you're now going insane David, I know you've been meeting with your Dad again, was it him that asked you to come add salt to my wounds, because I didn't know him with such an act, he seems to have changed so much since we went our different ways."
I walked away from the living room, feeling a deep sense of disappointment and frustration. Mom still didn't believe me about George and Emily's affair, despite my best efforts to convince her. I couldn't understand why she wouldn't listen to me, why she wouldn't trust me. I felt like I had been punched in the gut, like all the air had been sucked out of me.
As I entered my room, I flopped down on my bed, feeling defeated. I pulled out my phone and dialed Dad's number, needing to talk to him about what had just happened. I needed his guidance, his support.
"Hey, kiddo," Dad answered, his voice warm and comforting. "What's going on?"
"Hey, Dad," I replied, feeling a lump form in my throat. "I told Mom about George and Emily's affair."
There was a pause on the other end of the line. "What did she say?" Dad asked, his voice cautious.
I sighed, feeling a wave of frustration wash over me. "She didn't believe me, Dad. She thinks I'm making it up. She thinks I'm just trying to cause trouble."
Dad's voice was laced with disappointment. "I'm not surprised," he said. "Your mom has always had a hard time listening to things she doesn't want to hear. It's one of the reasons things didn't work out between us. She never wanted to hear my side of the story, never wanted to listen to my concerns."
I felt a pang of sadness at his words. I had always known that Mom and Dad's divorce was complicated, but I had never realized that Mom's refusal to listen was a part of it.
"What am I supposed to do, Dad?" I asked, feeling helpless. "I've told her the truth, but she won't believe me. What can I do now?"
Dad's voice was calm and reassuring. "You've done your part, kiddo," he said. "You've told her the truth. Now it's up to her to decide what to do with it. Just be prepared for her to deny it, even if she finds out it's true. She may try to rationalize it, try to justify George's behavior. But you know the truth, and that's what matters."
I nodded, feeling a sense of resignation wash over me. I knew that Dad was right. I had done my part, and now all I could do was wait and see how things played out.
"Thanks, Dad," I said, feeling grateful for his support. "Just talking to you makes me feel better."
"Anytime, kiddo," he replied. "I'm always here for you. Remember that."