Family Secrets
The Meeting
Stephanie walked downstairs and heard two strange voices in the living room. She saw Matt waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs and let him hug her. She knew he was worried they would lose contact once she went to spend time with her real family but she wasn’t going to let that happen. He had been the big brother she had always wanted Brian to be. “Are they here?” She asked him quietly.
"They’re in the living room talking with Papa and Suzy." Matt told her quietly.
“So it’s too late to change my mind. What if they don’t like me? Maybe this was a bad idea. You won’t leave my side right?” She begged him.
"I won't leave your side for nothing." Matt promised. "Little too late to change your mind." He smiled at her. "It's going to be ok, I promise."
Stephanie nodded her head and let Matt walk her into the living room. She was quiet and observed the couple sitting there. She could see some of herself in both of them but it was still shocking to see what her dad looked like. She held onto Matt’s arm tightly and waited for them to notice them.
Matt kept his arm around her, and close to her side protectively.
Beth looked up from her cup of coffee and saw the girl standing there. Feeling her eyes get watery, she sniffed a little. Wiping them she gave a smile towards her.
Suzy noticed Stephanie and Matt and gave them a weak smile. "Steph, honey. This is Beth and Rip. Your biological parents." Suzy told her softly.
“I don’t even know what to say.” Stephanie admitted staying close to Matt. “I mean I wanted this but now I’m not sure. It seemed like the right thing but I feel like it might be too much right now.” She admitted her voice shaking.
"It's ok." Matt whispered rubbing her back.
"I am so sorry if this is too much. We can leave and give you time." Beth offered a little hurt but understanding.
“No just give me a minute.” She told them wondering why Rip was being so quiet. “I’m sure it was too much for you two as well. You were living your lives and then here I am showing up and wanting to meet you. I’m sure you two are happy with your lives and probably have other kids as well.”
"Actually, we don't." Rip spoke up.
Beth nodded her head, "We might have been living our lives. But I have wanted this day to come for so long." Beth admitted.
“I just found out.” She admitted seeing Brian come into the room with a glare on his face. “It was an accident when the truth came out. It’s nice to meet you both.” She knew that the woman was doing most of the talking but she felt more of a pull towards the man who was her dad.
"It's nice to meet you as well sweetie." Beth smiled at her.
Rip nodded his head, "Yes it's very nice to meet you."
Stephanie walked over and sat down between Suzy and Papa smiling when Papa put his arm around her and Matt stood behind the couch with his hand on her shoulder. “The protective guy behind me is my best friend Matt. He is like a big brother to me. You already met my mom and daddy. They will both tell you I’m a huge daddy’s girl.”
Rip felt a ping in his heart and frowned a little. That should be him holding his daughter, and her saying that about him. But instead. Beth had lied to him, like much of many of the times throughout their relationship. "Excuse me." Rip spoke before getting up and walking out to get some air.
Beth gave her a light smile, "I can tell that. It's nice to meet you Matt." Beth told them.
Matt nodded his head, "You as well." Matt replied standing there listening to the small chatter.
Stephanie sat for a few seconds before getting up and following Rip outside. “I’m sorry if you didn’t want to meet me. I see where I get my quiet side from. I like to watch people and observe things before deciding about anything.”
Rip turned around looking at her, "I am the same way." Rip told her. "Trust me, I wanted to meet you." Rip assured her.
“I’m not sure where I get my temper from though.” She smiled a little.
Rip chuckled softly dipping his head low before looking up at his daughter, "That sweetheart, you'd get from your mother. That woman has a temper in half." Rip smiled at her.
“My temper is what helped me find out the truth about being adopted. Papa and Suzy’s son doesn’t like me and just blurted it out when we were arguing. It was a shock and I demanded to meet you both.” Stephanie smiled sitting down beside him. “The last day of school is in a few weeks and if I’m feeling comfortable and you both want me to I’m going to come spend the summer at the ranch you live on.”
Rip took and sat down beside of her nodding his head. "We all would like that a lot." Rip smiled at her.
Stephanie smiled and sat talking to him until the others joined them. She nodded gently at Matt before slowly relaxing more and becoming more like herself.
"They’re in the living room talking with Papa and Suzy." Matt told her quietly.
“So it’s too late to change my mind. What if they don’t like me? Maybe this was a bad idea. You won’t leave my side right?” She begged him.
"I won't leave your side for nothing." Matt promised. "Little too late to change your mind." He smiled at her. "It's going to be ok, I promise."
Stephanie nodded her head and let Matt walk her into the living room. She was quiet and observed the couple sitting there. She could see some of herself in both of them but it was still shocking to see what her dad looked like. She held onto Matt’s arm tightly and waited for them to notice them.
Matt kept his arm around her, and close to her side protectively.
Beth looked up from her cup of coffee and saw the girl standing there. Feeling her eyes get watery, she sniffed a little. Wiping them she gave a smile towards her.
Suzy noticed Stephanie and Matt and gave them a weak smile. "Steph, honey. This is Beth and Rip. Your biological parents." Suzy told her softly.
“I don’t even know what to say.” Stephanie admitted staying close to Matt. “I mean I wanted this but now I’m not sure. It seemed like the right thing but I feel like it might be too much right now.” She admitted her voice shaking.
"It's ok." Matt whispered rubbing her back.
"I am so sorry if this is too much. We can leave and give you time." Beth offered a little hurt but understanding.
“No just give me a minute.” She told them wondering why Rip was being so quiet. “I’m sure it was too much for you two as well. You were living your lives and then here I am showing up and wanting to meet you. I’m sure you two are happy with your lives and probably have other kids as well.”
"Actually, we don't." Rip spoke up.
Beth nodded her head, "We might have been living our lives. But I have wanted this day to come for so long." Beth admitted.
“I just found out.” She admitted seeing Brian come into the room with a glare on his face. “It was an accident when the truth came out. It’s nice to meet you both.” She knew that the woman was doing most of the talking but she felt more of a pull towards the man who was her dad.
"It's nice to meet you as well sweetie." Beth smiled at her.
Rip nodded his head, "Yes it's very nice to meet you."
Stephanie walked over and sat down between Suzy and Papa smiling when Papa put his arm around her and Matt stood behind the couch with his hand on her shoulder. “The protective guy behind me is my best friend Matt. He is like a big brother to me. You already met my mom and daddy. They will both tell you I’m a huge daddy’s girl.”
Rip felt a ping in his heart and frowned a little. That should be him holding his daughter, and her saying that about him. But instead. Beth had lied to him, like much of many of the times throughout their relationship. "Excuse me." Rip spoke before getting up and walking out to get some air.
Beth gave her a light smile, "I can tell that. It's nice to meet you Matt." Beth told them.
Matt nodded his head, "You as well." Matt replied standing there listening to the small chatter.
Stephanie sat for a few seconds before getting up and following Rip outside. “I’m sorry if you didn’t want to meet me. I see where I get my quiet side from. I like to watch people and observe things before deciding about anything.”
Rip turned around looking at her, "I am the same way." Rip told her. "Trust me, I wanted to meet you." Rip assured her.
“I’m not sure where I get my temper from though.” She smiled a little.
Rip chuckled softly dipping his head low before looking up at his daughter, "That sweetheart, you'd get from your mother. That woman has a temper in half." Rip smiled at her.
“My temper is what helped me find out the truth about being adopted. Papa and Suzy’s son doesn’t like me and just blurted it out when we were arguing. It was a shock and I demanded to meet you both.” Stephanie smiled sitting down beside him. “The last day of school is in a few weeks and if I’m feeling comfortable and you both want me to I’m going to come spend the summer at the ranch you live on.”
Rip took and sat down beside of her nodding his head. "We all would like that a lot." Rip smiled at her.
Stephanie smiled and sat talking to him until the others joined them. She nodded gently at Matt before slowly relaxing more and becoming more like herself.