Crazy Beginnings and Happy Endings
forty-five
"Letang, car I use your car?" I asked. I had just gotten off the phone with my mother. They had just landed in Pittsburgh.
"Of course," Kris said. He walked into the kitchen and handed me his keys. "Be careful. No fighting with your mom while you drive."
"I promise," I rolled my eyes before leaving the apartment. I wasn't really in a hurry to see my parents, so I took my time getting to the car. I drove to the airport and parked out front, waiting for my parents to come outside.
"Brylyn, honey," my mom said as she got in the car. "This is a lovely car you have."
"It's not mine," I told her.
"What do you mean?" she had a frown on her face.
"I stole it, Mom," I said, rolling my eyes.
She gasped and stared at me with wide eyes.
"I'm joking," I said. "Letang let me borrow his car because mine broke down in July and they weren't able to fix it. I don't have enough money yet to buy a new one."
"Oh," she sighed with relief. "Where are we going?"
"To your hotel?" I suggested.
"We don't have one," my dad said.
"Ok, do you want to find one?" I asked.
"We want to talk to you," my dad replied.
"Well then we are going back to Letang's place," I said.
"Who's Letang?" my mom asked.
"A friend of mine," I said. "We share a place."
"Oh," my mom nodded.
The rest of the drive was silent.
"Who is this?" my mom asked, when we walked through the door. Kris was sitting on the couch watching hockey highlights.
"Mom, Dad, this is Kris Letang," I introduced. "Letang, these are my parents."
"Nice to meet you," Kris said, extending his hand.
"Nice to meet you, too," my dad said, shaking his hand.
"Likewise," my mom said.
"Letang, want to head over to Jord's or Max's for a bit?" I asked. He really didn't have a choice, seeing as I was going to make him leave anyways.
"Sure thing," Kris nodded, taking the keys from my hand. "Call if you need something."
"Thanks," I smiled.
"Honey, why didn't you tell us you were living with your boyfriend?" my mom asked.
I started laughing. "Probably because I'm not."
"He's not you boyfriend?" my mom asked.
"No," I shook my head. "Anyway, what do you want to talk about."
"How are you doing?" my mom asked. I knew she was going to put this off as long as she could.
"I'm fantastic," I said.
"Are you seeing someone?" she asked.
"I am," I nodded.
"Oh, what's his name?" she smiled.
"His name is Max," I replied. "Look Mom, I don't have time for this. I have things I need to get done and things I want to do, so if you could just get to the point that would be great."
"Honey," she started. "You know your father and I love you. We are really sorry for not making your childhood more family-like. We care about you a lot."
"I don't believe you," I said. "You haven't done much of anything to convince me of anything."
"It's been hard on us," my mom said. My dad was standing in the background, taking it all in.
"Hard on you?" I asked. "Bull shit it has. You didn't have to grow up in a family who hardly spent time doing family things. You have no idea how hard it is to wake up and realize that the only people who care are the people you just happen to meet because your ex cheated on you. The only people who ever showed they cared are the four people I know in Raleigh, the two people I know in New York, and the handful of people I know here in Pittsburgh. I have never wanted anything more than a normal family and, you know what, I've finally got that here in the 'Burgh."
"Brylyn, sweet heart," my mom said.
"Stop with the sweet heart shit, Mom, it's not helping," I couldn't help but be angry with her and my dad.
"Brylyn, we really need you to understand something," my dad spoke up.
"And what's that?" I asked.
"We've been meaning to tell you something since your sixteenth birthday," he replied. "We just didn't know how to tell you."
"Ok," I said. "What is it?"
"Please don't be hurt," my mom whispered. She looked down at the floor. "This is a hard thing to tell someone."
"Whatever it is, I can handle it," I told them. "Now, what is it?"
My mom took a deep breath and looked at me. "You're adopted."
"Of course," Kris said. He walked into the kitchen and handed me his keys. "Be careful. No fighting with your mom while you drive."
"I promise," I rolled my eyes before leaving the apartment. I wasn't really in a hurry to see my parents, so I took my time getting to the car. I drove to the airport and parked out front, waiting for my parents to come outside.
"Brylyn, honey," my mom said as she got in the car. "This is a lovely car you have."
"It's not mine," I told her.
"What do you mean?" she had a frown on her face.
"I stole it, Mom," I said, rolling my eyes.
She gasped and stared at me with wide eyes.
"I'm joking," I said. "Letang let me borrow his car because mine broke down in July and they weren't able to fix it. I don't have enough money yet to buy a new one."
"Oh," she sighed with relief. "Where are we going?"
"To your hotel?" I suggested.
"We don't have one," my dad said.
"Ok, do you want to find one?" I asked.
"We want to talk to you," my dad replied.
"Well then we are going back to Letang's place," I said.
"Who's Letang?" my mom asked.
"A friend of mine," I said. "We share a place."
"Oh," my mom nodded.
The rest of the drive was silent.
"Who is this?" my mom asked, when we walked through the door. Kris was sitting on the couch watching hockey highlights.
"Mom, Dad, this is Kris Letang," I introduced. "Letang, these are my parents."
"Nice to meet you," Kris said, extending his hand.
"Nice to meet you, too," my dad said, shaking his hand.
"Likewise," my mom said.
"Letang, want to head over to Jord's or Max's for a bit?" I asked. He really didn't have a choice, seeing as I was going to make him leave anyways.
"Sure thing," Kris nodded, taking the keys from my hand. "Call if you need something."
"Thanks," I smiled.
"Honey, why didn't you tell us you were living with your boyfriend?" my mom asked.
I started laughing. "Probably because I'm not."
"He's not you boyfriend?" my mom asked.
"No," I shook my head. "Anyway, what do you want to talk about."
"How are you doing?" my mom asked. I knew she was going to put this off as long as she could.
"I'm fantastic," I said.
"Are you seeing someone?" she asked.
"I am," I nodded.
"Oh, what's his name?" she smiled.
"His name is Max," I replied. "Look Mom, I don't have time for this. I have things I need to get done and things I want to do, so if you could just get to the point that would be great."
"Honey," she started. "You know your father and I love you. We are really sorry for not making your childhood more family-like. We care about you a lot."
"I don't believe you," I said. "You haven't done much of anything to convince me of anything."
"It's been hard on us," my mom said. My dad was standing in the background, taking it all in.
"Hard on you?" I asked. "Bull shit it has. You didn't have to grow up in a family who hardly spent time doing family things. You have no idea how hard it is to wake up and realize that the only people who care are the people you just happen to meet because your ex cheated on you. The only people who ever showed they cared are the four people I know in Raleigh, the two people I know in New York, and the handful of people I know here in Pittsburgh. I have never wanted anything more than a normal family and, you know what, I've finally got that here in the 'Burgh."
"Brylyn, sweet heart," my mom said.
"Stop with the sweet heart shit, Mom, it's not helping," I couldn't help but be angry with her and my dad.
"Brylyn, we really need you to understand something," my dad spoke up.
"And what's that?" I asked.
"We've been meaning to tell you something since your sixteenth birthday," he replied. "We just didn't know how to tell you."
"Ok," I said. "What is it?"
"Please don't be hurt," my mom whispered. She looked down at the floor. "This is a hard thing to tell someone."
"Whatever it is, I can handle it," I told them. "Now, what is it?"
My mom took a deep breath and looked at me. "You're adopted."