Crazy Beginnings and Happy Endings
forty-seven
A few hours later, Kris came home and told us that he took my parents to a hotel, so Max and I drove over so that I could talk to them.
We made our way to their room and I knocked on the door. A few seconds later the door opened. "Brylyn," my mom gasped. Tears filled her eyes and she pulled me into her.
"I'm sorry about earlier," I said once she let go of me. "I was just shocked."
"It's ok," my mom smiled.
"Can we come in?" I asked.
My mom noticed Max behind me and nodded. "Who is this?"
"Mom, this is Max," I said.
"Your boyfriend?" my dad said, coming into the room.
"Yes," I nodded.
"Good to meet you," Max smiled and extended a hand.
"And you," my dad said, shaking Max's hand.
"He knows," I said, referring to being adopted.
"I see," my mom nodded.
"Can we talk?" I asked.
"Of course," my mom said. "Anything you want to know, we will tell you."
"Why did you wait until I was twenty-one to tell me?" I asked, getting right to the point.
"How do you tell your sixteen year old daughter that she isn't actually yours?" my dad said.
I knew he had a point. "Still, why did you wait, I would have understood and you know it," I argued. "Sure I may have been mad at first, but you two gave me a home when I wasn't wanted, I would have gotten over it."
"I know, honey," my mom said. "And we are sorry, we just didn't know how to tell you."
"Why did you adopt me?" I asked.
"Your real mother, she passed away when you were born." my mom explained. "She didn't have a husband or boyfriend to take care of you, so we adopted you. We couldn't have kids of our own, so we decided to adopt."
"Did you ever meet my birth mom?" I asked.
"She, she was m-my sister," my mom choked out the words.
I looked at her, shocked. "I'm so sorry." I got up and sat beside my mom, rubbing her back.
"It's fine, honey," she smiled at me. "I'm just glad we finally told you. You had a right to know earlier."
"I understand," I said. "Can I ask you something else?"
"Anything," my mom answered, looking at me.
"Why didn't we celebrate anything?" I asked.
"It reminded me of my sister," my mom said. "I know it's selfish, but whenever we had family things and birthdays, it made me think about how she should be here celebrating with us."
"Oh," I whispered, looking down into my lap.
"We are really sorry, Brylyn, we never meant to cause you so much pain," my dad said.
I shook my head. "I understand, now. I guess if I had known earlier, I wouldn't have pushed things, but now that I know, I understand. Thank-you."
"For what?" my mom gave me a funny look.
"For telling me," I replied. "Thank-you for telling me everything."
"You're welcome," both parents said.
We made our way to their room and I knocked on the door. A few seconds later the door opened. "Brylyn," my mom gasped. Tears filled her eyes and she pulled me into her.
"I'm sorry about earlier," I said once she let go of me. "I was just shocked."
"It's ok," my mom smiled.
"Can we come in?" I asked.
My mom noticed Max behind me and nodded. "Who is this?"
"Mom, this is Max," I said.
"Your boyfriend?" my dad said, coming into the room.
"Yes," I nodded.
"Good to meet you," Max smiled and extended a hand.
"And you," my dad said, shaking Max's hand.
"He knows," I said, referring to being adopted.
"I see," my mom nodded.
"Can we talk?" I asked.
"Of course," my mom said. "Anything you want to know, we will tell you."
"Why did you wait until I was twenty-one to tell me?" I asked, getting right to the point.
"How do you tell your sixteen year old daughter that she isn't actually yours?" my dad said.
I knew he had a point. "Still, why did you wait, I would have understood and you know it," I argued. "Sure I may have been mad at first, but you two gave me a home when I wasn't wanted, I would have gotten over it."
"I know, honey," my mom said. "And we are sorry, we just didn't know how to tell you."
"Why did you adopt me?" I asked.
"Your real mother, she passed away when you were born." my mom explained. "She didn't have a husband or boyfriend to take care of you, so we adopted you. We couldn't have kids of our own, so we decided to adopt."
"Did you ever meet my birth mom?" I asked.
"She, she was m-my sister," my mom choked out the words.
I looked at her, shocked. "I'm so sorry." I got up and sat beside my mom, rubbing her back.
"It's fine, honey," she smiled at me. "I'm just glad we finally told you. You had a right to know earlier."
"I understand," I said. "Can I ask you something else?"
"Anything," my mom answered, looking at me.
"Why didn't we celebrate anything?" I asked.
"It reminded me of my sister," my mom said. "I know it's selfish, but whenever we had family things and birthdays, it made me think about how she should be here celebrating with us."
"Oh," I whispered, looking down into my lap.
"We are really sorry, Brylyn, we never meant to cause you so much pain," my dad said.
I shook my head. "I understand, now. I guess if I had known earlier, I wouldn't have pushed things, but now that I know, I understand. Thank-you."
"For what?" my mom gave me a funny look.
"For telling me," I replied. "Thank-you for telling me everything."
"You're welcome," both parents said.