"I have a what?"

When we pulled into Jimmy’s driveway, I heard Mel’s band playing in the garage. Val and I walked into the house.

“Jimmy we’re here!” I yelled.

“Living room!” Jimmy yelled back.

When I walked in, I saw Andrea sitting on the couch next to Michelle and Lacey laughing and talking.

“What is she doing here?” I asked Jimmy.

“Leana and the girls invited her,” Jimmy smiled, “They wanted us to catch up.”

I looked over at Val who was just glaring over at Andrea. I took a deep breath and walked over to Val and pulled her on my lap.

“What is she doing here?” she hissed in my ear.

“I don’t know,” I replied back, “She moved back here apparently, for what reason I don’t know.”

“Well I don’t want you to hang out with her,” she hissed back and then kissed my cheek because Andrea was watching us.

“Don’t worry I won’t,” I lied rolling my eyes.

After a couple of hours listening to Melanie’s band, I noticed someone was singing.

“Who’s singing in the garage?” I asked and everyone stopped talking and listened.

“I think they got Tegan to sing,” Andrea smiled.

We walked out of the house and into the front of and stood in the garage. When I heard the girl sing, I quickly rushed to the garage to see Tegan singing. She was amazing. She knew how to hold her diaphragm and when to get close to the mic and when not to. Then I really heard the song. Listening the song I looked over at Andrea because that’s where Tegan was looking. I knew she was singing that song about her mother and basically telling me that the woman I loved isn’t the same woman she was when she was fifteen. When the song was over I was looking Andrea with guilt in the pit of my stomach.

“Okay one more song!” Drew exclaimed, “Kyle and I wanna sing!”

“Well I can keep keyboarding,” Kyle said, “but who’s going to drum?”

“Mel don’t you know how to play the drums?” Tegan asked.

“No,” she grinned.

“Your uncle is fucking Jimmy Sullivan the best drummer alive and you don’t know how to play the drums,” Tegan shook her head.

“That’s what we all said!” Stella exclaimed.

“Guess I play them,” Tegan said standing up.

“Wait you know how to play?” Drew asked.

“Started playing them when I was four,” she said grinning.

“Can you please be my niece!?” Jimmy exclaimed rushing to the garage.

“Uncle Jimmy!” Mel groaned “Let us play one more song!”

“Fine,” Jimmy sighed and let them play one more song.

“What song are we playing Drew?” Tegan asked.

“‘Don’t You Wish Were Us’,” Drew said and Tegan started drumming.

Drew and Kyle were singing but I was watching Tegan. She was amazing at the drums and singing but I shouldn’t be too surprised since Andrea was amazing at singing and playing a shit ton of instruments.

“You are amazing!” Jimmy exclaimed running over to hug my daughter.

“Should I be scared?” Tegan asked as we all chuckled.

“Nah he’s just always that way,” I said and everyone turned to look at me.

Tegan looked over at me and I knew she was guarded. I smiled at her and then continued to speak.

“I know you’re my daughter,” I said in front of everyone, “I know you, Tegan Sanders, is my daughter.”

“She’s your what!?” Val exclaimed.

“She’s my daughter Val,” I said looking at her, “I slept with Andrea who was my girlfriend at the time during Thanksgiving break and she must have gotten pregnant.”

Tegan’s eyes widened and so did Andrea’s.

“So you know. . .” Andrea started.

“Matthew Charles Sanders can I speak to you for a minute?” Val gritted her teeth.

“Sure,” I said coolly and followed Val into the house.

I shut the door and Val ripped into me.

“You have a child!” she exclaimed, “A sixteen year old daughter!!”

“I didn’t know about her Val!” I exclaimed, “I didn’t know I had a daughter until today!”

“Well it’s either me or your daughter!” Val exclaimed.

“What!?” I asked shocked, “You want me to pick?”

“Yes,” Val said, “If she would have just stayed back in Pittsburgh like I told her then I would have you.”

“Wait, hold on a second,” I said getting angry, “What do you mean you told her to stay in Pittsburgh.”

“I told Andrea to run away fifteen years ago so I could have you to myself,” Val said like it was nothing.

“You told my girlfriend that I wouldn’t want the child so she would run away so I would date you,” I said shocked.

“Yes,” she said.

“Go,” I said trying to keep my anger hidden, “Go home get your shit and leave my house. I don’t want to see you anymore. Go to the guy you’ve been cheating on me with and live with him because I’m done with your shit.”

Val was talking to herself but she stopped as she heard the “I’m done.”

“What?” she asked like I slapped her in the face and I would’ve but I swore I wouldn’t hit woman when Andrea left.

“I said go back to my house get your shit and get out before I get back home tonight,” I said and she stormed out.

I walked back to the front door to see everyone staring at me.

“Finally,” I sighed, “She’s finally gone.”