Cancelled (21 page)

“Did you know?”

“Did I–know?” He took his time, trying to spin his mind into action. Then it hit him. The police probably arrested Nancy tonight. But why didn't Jenn call him earlier? Surely the cops didn't barge in at one in the morning.

“Yeah, I knew. I'm sorry I didn't give you a heads up. But I was the one who made the call.”

“What do you mean you made the call? Anna didn't say anything about you telling her to tell me.”

Johnathan scratched his head, and yawned. This was confusing. He needed coffee. Grabbing his robe from the back of the bathroom door, he ambled down to the kitchen and popped a pod into the coffee maker. He couldn't wait for the wedding and bought the coffee maker off the registry last week.

“Wait, how did Anna get into this? I didn't tell her I was going through with the charges.” Jenn was silent. “Hello?” he asked the dead air on the phone.

“I don't care about the charges. Did you know about Dad?” Jenn asked.

“Whose dad?”

“Our dad.”

His mouth gulped a mouthful of the freshly-brewed coffee. Coffee sloshed out of the mug after he hastily slammed it to the counter. “Shit!”

“I'm sorry, I thought you knew. I didn't think–I mean, you're angry with me?”

Johnathan cupped cold water from the running tap and tried in vain to cool his scalded mouth. He forced the faucet handle down, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“No, Jenn. I forgot to read the warning label on my cup of coffee.” He didn't get a laugh out of her. “What do you mean, our dad? Are you saying you and I aren't half-brother and sister?” All sleepiness was gone from his voice.

“Anna told me. She told me everything.” Jenn's voice quivered.

Leaning against his counter, Johnathan's shoulders slumped. He wished he knew everything Jenn did so he didn't say the wrong thing.

“Damn. So all those years, you and I were....you should have come...why in the hell was this kept a secret?”

“You really can't guess?”

“No, I'm baffled. If Dad was your biological father, too, why weren't you included in my visits? Why did he leave you...” Johnathan stopped. He knew exactly why Daniel Michaels didn't acknowledge a daughter born in 1992. He was married, and not to Nancy.

More dead air increased the discomfort of the situation. Recent events were teaching Johnathan the truth was a mighty beast. Even when he thought he had it tamed, it reared it's ugly head ready to devour more of his life. Unsure of what to say, he hoped Jenn would start talking. When she didn't, he offered the canned question of “Are you okay?”

The dam broke, and nothing but a fast-talking, high pitched voice came through the phone. He held it slightly away from his ear as soon as she started to rant.

“Hell no! That was my life! My life she took away. She tried to explain, said she didn't know for sure until the will. Bullshit. Momma always hated her. And for good reason! What kind of conniving bitch tells a father he can't see his own daughter!” Jenn's sobs made understanding her rant difficult, but Johnathan got the gist.

“Shhh, shhh, it's going to be okay. We don't know anything about who knew what. Before you jump at blaming Anna, why didn't Nancy ever say something? If anyone knew for sure who your father was, it was her.” Johnathan's logic was the last thing his little sister needed.

“I can't believe you. Defending her. She convinced Dad to buy Mom off, to pay her more child support in hush money every month. You know Mom couldn't turn down more money, she never really had enough. Want to know how much my misery was worth to her? A thousand bucks. And she kept her delusion of a perfect little family. You, her, and Dad.”

Returning to his kitchen table, Johnathan fell into the chair. He had to think. Alex was sleeping upstairs, and it wouldn't be good for him to start yelling and wake her up. It didn't sound like Jenn was even rational at the moment. He resorted to Plan B and decided to change the subject.

“Was Nancy arrested today? Is that what caused all of this?” He wasn't sure how, but it was the only catalyst he could think of to start a chain of events where Jenn talked to Anna. Johnathan heard the familiar click of a cigarette lighter on the other end.

“The police showed up and flashed a warrant. Mom started yelling that she paid back all she could and for me to not listen to anything Anna said about who my father was.” Jenn paused and sucked in, a sound Johnathan recognized as taking a drag. “Of course I called her, wanting to know what in the hell Mom was talking about. She started apologizing right away, saying she tried to keep this from happening and how she was the one who paid back the money to my college fund you made for me.”

“I recognized the last four digits on the account that made the transfer on the statement. That's what made me call the police. I was tired of Nancy always screwing over Anna.” He almost wished he could smoke a cigarette right now. He imagined Jenn sitting on the back porch steps, under the natural planetarium of open land behind the trailer. In a past life, he spent many nights out there shooing her back to bed as he tried to make sense of his crap filled life.

“That's ass backwards. Mom screwing over Anna. It was the other way around for the last two decades.” Jenn wanted to get into it. She wasn't forgiving anyone tonight, including the brother that got everything while she was left behind.

“You're not being fair. Shit gets complicated in divorces and remarriages and kids. All of that stuff.” He thought about his own messed up situation, but pushed Alex, Kellie, and the baby out of his mind. Jenn didn't need more to deal with.

“You wanna know what it's like to grow up without a father? Shitty. I always wondered what I did that kept my dad from acknowledging I even existed. I didn't get any birthday cards, or summer vacations. Mom's the only one who was there for me. At least she showed up.”

Jenn's words cut Johnathan's heart, leaving two bleeding halves. The irony wasn't lost on him that his baby sister–the one he taught to ride a bicycle, to fight as tough as any boy at school, to look at him as more of a father figure than a brother–was potentially giving him a glimpse at his daughter's own future. The future that had him choose Alex over her. Without knowing any of the real facts concerning his Dad's choice eighteen years ago, he at least felt how difficult it might have been.

“You're right Jenn, it's fucked up. But before you jump on Anna's case, you might want to learn a little more about Nancy Jean the Mom before Dad remarried. The mom who locked her five-year-old son out all night because she passed out drunk with her boyfriend.” Johnathan's anger was all-encompassing. It wasn't over his childhood, but the realization that no matter what he did, history was doomed to repeat itself. “We all have our shitty crosses to bear.

“That's a lie. That woman probably put that memory in you long after the fact. I've heard about remembering abuse that never actually happened. Didn't you see a therapist or something? They can confuse you, too, you know.”

The poison spouting from her mouth completely shocked him. What kind of campaign had Nancy waged against him with his own siblings? “I saw a guidance counselor. The one I showed the belt marks from Hal thinking I was too lazy. Christ, I was reading a book!”

His voice choked with emotion. He had gotten out, he wasn't a victim. He had stood up for himself, he had to remember that. The last time he talked about any of this was the day he arrived in Virginia to live with them. Dad and Anna. Anna was the one who understood and pulled it out of him. He cried and yelled, and a mother's love embraced him for the first time. She had said he could become stronger in spite of it, or let those people keep him down.

Johnathan took a deep breath and tried again. “Jenn, I'm sorry. This isn't about me. My demons are my own. But you've got two choices, you can stay bitter about the life you were robbed of having, or decide to be strong in spite of it.” He waited for her to come around.

“It's getting late, I need to sleep.” She blew him off. “I'm taking care of the kids now that Mom's in jail.”

Johnathan cringed, knowing it was his actions that were hurting the people he loved the most. “Tell me what the bond is and I'll send you the money. I'll get the charges dropped.”

Jennifer laughed at her big brother. “No. I'll pay the bond. Turns out, I've got quite a bit of money to my name now that I'm an adult. Good old Dad left me a quarter mil.” She kept laughing maniacally, which worked for Johnathan. He wondered what the full will of his father actually said, and planned to demand that Anna show him. “I'm hiring Mom the best attorney to fight these charges. After all, now I know Mom was just trying to get money for me out of my father's estate because she thought I wasn't getting anything. I'm sure a judge will understand, especially after I say it was my idea.”

Johnathan felt stupid to think his little sister would just fall apart when the world handed her a shit storm. No, she was strong and bitter, a combination that never occurred to him. His heart was broken; she had drawn a line in the sand. He doubted he would see her or anyone else in Texas ever again. No question his faith and loyalty lied with Anna, no matter what she had done. Too much of the success he was today was because of her and Dad.

“I'm sorry you feel that way. I'll call my lawyer in the morning and speak to Anna.” Johnathan wasn't sure if he should bring his wedding up, since he didn't know if he could take her response. Still, he had to try and hold on to the family he had left. “I hope I'll see you in the spring for my wedding?”

Jenn didn't take even a second to think about her response. “I doubt it. Not if she will be there.”

After he hung up, Johnathan stared at his phone on the kitchen table. His father had an affair on his stepmother with his mother, and abandoned his sister afterwards. He wanted to know why. He needed to know why. His thoughts were churning up such a violent storm, he didn't see Alex standing in the kitchen doorway.

“Babe? What happened? What's wrong?” Alex asked in a soothing voice.

Blank eyes greeted her inquiry. Johnathan didn't even know where to start. He stood up and coaxed Alex back to bed.

“That was Jenn. They arrested Mom.”

Alex yawned and took him at his word. The two of them returned to bed, but only one managed to go back to sleep.

14

J
ohnathan beat Alex down to the kitchen as usual. Staring at his cup of coffee, he continued processing last night. He still couldn't see how anyone but Nancy Jean was the most at fault for the years of neglect for Jennifer by their father. A mother should know who the father is, she should have spoken up years ago. Instead, she had taken the money.

Sipping the now lukewarm liquid, he struggled to force it down. He was about to disappoint Alexis but he didn't see another way to resolve the issues he had with Anna, the backlog of work, and figure out how he felt about the prenuptial agreement Alex drafted.

The familiar clacking of Alex's heels started down the stairs. Johnathan quickly pressed the brew button on the one-cup coffee maker, ensuring his love a fresh cup, extra hot.

Alex greeted Johnathan with a smile and finished closing her right earring.

“You aren't packed?” The plan was to pack and pop into the office for only an hour or two before heading off to New Jersey for the holiday weekend.

“I wanted to talk to you about that.” Johnathan leaned against the counter, extending his long arm to place his cold coffee in the sink.

Giving a puzzled look, Alexis gingerly sipped her steaming coffee. “Is this about last night?”

“Jenn is my sister.”

Rolling her eyes, Alexis continued to sip. “I understand she was upset. Can't be easy to see your Mom arrested for a felony.”

“No, my
real
sister.” Johnathan waited. Alex's eyebrows closed in as she processed his words, then rose in perfectly tweezed arches.

“No!”

“Yeah.” Shrugging, Johnathan wiped the beads of sweat forming over his top lip.

“Are you flying out to Texas?”

“I hadn't thought about that.” Johnathan continued to rub his jaw, contemplating the benefits of rushing to the rural area he grew up outside of Dallas. “I don't think it would help. She blames Anna.”

“So we're good to go home, then?” Alexis placed her now empty coffee cup in the sink and opened the refrigerator to pull out a bottle of water.

Taking one step, Johnathan pulled his fiancée into a kiss. He pressed his forehead to hers, keeping their connection close. “Anna wanted to talk to me about this mess and explain my Dad's will and I blew her off yesterday. And we're so behind with Hedis, especially now with a new project from Neimer.”

“Wait. Just wait. You mean you're canceling on me and my parents?”

“I'll see them in a few weeks for the engagement dinner.”

“I didn't think that was firm.”

“Anna put down a deposit. We're having dinner all to ourselves otherwise at the wine bistro on August 22nd.”

Alex spun out of Johnathan's arms. She faced the dining room for a moment before stomping her foot and wheeling around. “You can't be serious. My parents are expecting you.”

He released a large sigh, his hands finding his pockets.

“You could stay home, too. I could get caught up on work and we could use the extra time to just cut off the rest of the world?”

Alex scoffed his idea with fake laughter. “Don't try to make this about spending time with me. You wouldn't be behind if you didn't miss so much work to run off to doctor's appointments.” She raised a pointed finger at Johnathan and firmly jabbed him near his right shoulder.

Johnathan pulled his hands out of his pockets and stood up fully, away from the support of the counter. Rising to his full height made Alex naturally step back.

“That is officially the last time you use my daughter against me.” His eyes narrowed to pop her over-puffed pride. It didn't work. She glared right back.

“Oh, officially?”

“Yes.”

“Forget it, I don't want you to come anyway. You know my mother thinks I'm stupid for staying?” Alex snapped her right hand to her hip.