Chapter 29

The seven O’clock entertainment news was on the TV in the Kent family’s household. Clarissa, Jacob, Dylan, and Alyssa stood in the living room with their eyes glued to it. The other two children were upstairs in their rooms.

Jacob wanted his two older children to see and know exactly what was going on because their lives were affected. They were used to having the media talk about their parents and were so good that they didn’t even mention it, but it was known that they knew. Seeing images of what seemed like their father royally disrespecting their mother repeatedly most definitely hurt. Alyssa became distant, she took up extracurricular activities and Dylan, in worry, checked on his mother all throughout the day without her noticing “Listen,” He tells his family as he sees the fake pictures appear on the screen. The host begins to tell the tale of the betrayal between the brothers and the scheme to sabotage Jacob.

When the story got its two minutes of airtime and the host changed the subject to a singer who revealed a pregnancy Alyssa, turns in her stance and hugs her dad. She squeezes him tightly and bursts into tears. “I knew it… I knew you would never do something like that.” He smiles and his shoulders drop in relief as he hugs his daughter back. “Never…” He confirms.

Tears well up in Clair’s eyes. It was a beautiful sight. Then suddenly Dylan clamps his arms around her. “Don’t cry, mom.”

“These are happy tears, sweetie, don’t worry.”

Jacob reaches out and pulls everyone into a hug. “From now on, we are going to be a happy family.”

“Does that mean, you and mom are getting back together?” Dylan asked as he detached from the group hug and looked up hopefully.

Jacob caresses the boy's head in a playful manner. “Your mom and I will always be life partners son ...but we will be partners in raising you all to be the best you can be.”

Alyssa wipes her wet eyes and sniffles. “So that’s a no…”

Clarissa turned her children to focus on her. “Your dad and I may not be husband and wife anymore but that's because we’re better as friends, and that doesn’t make us any less of a family. Okay?” She inspects their green eyes for understanding. What she was a bit of understanding but mostly acceptance.

They nodded at their mother obediently and left to their rooms.

Jacob's phone rings. He pulled it out of his pocket and looked down to see who it was. Sara, it said.
Sara was his eldest sister. Most likely she saw the news. He clears his throat. “Excuse me.” He decided to answer. He goes into the kitchen and stands near the island. “Hello…”

“You answered…” she responds surprisingly.

“What is it?”

“Oh don’t let it be like this. I miss you tons, little brother.”

He lets out a breath and rolls his eyes. “Look, I’m busy with my family I…”

She cuts him off. “We’re happy your name has been cleared.”

“Yeah…” He shifts his weight.

“Look…” she clears her throat. “ I know you don’t wanna hear me but I have to try, you're my only brother… we would really like for you, Clarissa, and the kids, to come over this Sunday… please.”

“You know…”

She cuts him off again. “You have nieces and nephews that wanna know you, and I wanna know your kids too. Jacob, they have a whole family that wants to know and love them.”

“Look, Sara, I’m in the middle of something. He hangs up, turns around, and spots Clarissa behind him.

“Sara? What did she want?”

He shakes his head while putting his phone away... “It’s not important.”

“So then what was it about?” She approached them as a way to block and stop him from avoiding the topic.

He folds his arms.“ She just wants us to come over this weekend.”

“And you said no?”

“Of course, I said no.”

“Why?” She imitates his body language and crosses her arms. “It’s been twelve years. The kids don’t even know them.”

He tightens his jaw. “They don’t deserve to know my kids.”

Her brows connect. There was so much emphasis in his words and she couldn’t understand why. Something happened and he refused to tell her what. He just wanted her to never speak to any of his sisters ever again. “Why?” She implored. “Why can’t your kids know their own aunts? I mean I think it’s time for me to know what could have been so horrible.”

“Let’s go back.” He tries to usher her into the living room.

She turned around and was about to comply when she abruptly changed her mind and swivelled back around. The two collided. He grabs her around her back and pulls her close to keep her safe from falling. “You alright?”

She laughs and rubs her forehead which had bumped into his chin. “I think I’ll live.”

He chuckles and begins rubbing her forehead too.

Butterflies suddenly flooded her stomach and it wasn’t a handful, or hundreds, or even thousands, it was millions. That little action some home melted her and to add more heat to the fire, he smiled warm and genuine. It was a sight she rarely saw. He looked so young like when they first met. Quickly, she blinked away knowing that she was gawking and curling hair behind her ear.

“What's wrong?” His concerned eyes scan her.

She clears her throat and takes a needed step back for space. “Answer the question.”

He releases a breath and shakes his head. “It doesn’t matter…”

“Well then, why don’t you want to go this weekend? I mean twelve years is a long time.

“Fine…” He agrees unexpectedly.

“Really? She reacts surprisingly. “Are you serious, or are you trying to get me to shut up?”

He smirks slightly as he responds.“Both I guess…”He enters his hands into his pockets.” If that’s what you want, then okay… we can go.

“The kids are going to be so excited to meet their cousins.” She slaps her hands together in joy. “Don't worry I will have them ready for you first thing Sunday morning, you won’t have to worry about a thing.”She makes a rash move past him in a rush to let their children know where they are going this weekend when instantly his hand comes out of his pocket like a viper lashing at prey and compressing her arms with its great force, stopping her in her tracks. “What do you mean to have them ready? If you’re not going, no one is.”

She curved her hair behind her ear and glanced at the ground. “I don’t know. I think that might be weird. We’re not even together anymore and with what they’ve probably seen about me in the tabloids… I just think the kids should…”

“Honestly…” he rubs the back of his neck and inserts his hand back in its safe place. “I may have mentioned to my mother that we’re working things out.”

She furrowed her brows. “Why would you do that?”

He shakes his head. “Because it’s no one's business what kind of relationship we have, and it’s easier than explaining the truth. If you ever decide you want to be with someone else, I will let them know.”

“I just want to focus on my kids.” She declares. “They are what is important. I don’t want or need to have responsibilities towards anyone else.”

He nods. In his head, she would always be his responsibility. That was just love he guessed. When you love someone, there are no conditions, you just love them no matter if they want you or not. He cares about her above anything else and if that is what it took to finally make her happy, then that is what he wanted too. “Well, the only way anyone Is going, is if you’re coming with.”

She bites her lips in contemplation and glances at the ground unsurely.

“It’s not mandatory Clair, we don’t have to go.”

“For the kids.” She spontaneously agrees.

~~~~

That Sunday they pulled up in front of a house that looked like it came from the modern sixties. It was painted navy green and had an oversized triangle top, the windows in the front were as large as doors, and there were pretty flowers planted all around.
Jacob’s mother Pam, opened the door and exploded into tears. “My son.” She wraps her arms around him. He hugs her tightly and once they release from each other’s hold he stretches his arms back to call his children closer to see their grandmother. She was thrilled. She pulled inside and fawned over them, offering snacks and giving gifts.
She baked cookies, cakes, and pies and had it all laid out.
Clarissa wanted to cry seeing the happiness in her eyes. She talked repeatedly about her only son finally coming home to visit.
His sisters were all smiles but were standoffish with their brother and he didn’t even glance their way. It was evident that he didn't come there to make up with them.

The get-together proceeded to the backyard where there were a huge rectangle underground swimming pool and barbecue going. Emmie, Matthew, Dylan, and Alyssa were hesitant at first but eventually warmed up and joined their cousins in the water.

Clarissa sat in a lawn chair and watched the fun and Jacob came right beside her with a beer in his hand. “You alright?” He asks.

“Yeah.” She smiles brightly. “Look at our children.”

He rubbed her back in a comforting friendly gesture but it felt so nice, that she nearly leaned into him.
“You want something to eat?”

“No.” She shakes her head.

“Jacob!” His brother-in-law calls from across the pool. He and other men were sitting around a patio table playing cards. “Come play a hand.”

“In a while.” He yells back.

“Why don’t you go?” She encouraged.

“I don’t want to leave you here alone.” He states.

“I’m fine, trust me…”

He lets out a breath of defeat before nodding and walking off.

A few minutes later, one of Jacob’s sisters Sara, comes and sits beside her with a filled glass. “Hello…” She says.

“Hi.” Clarissa smiles sweetly.

“Thank you so much for coming…”

“Oh, you don’t have to thank me.” She turns to look at her four kids having a blast.

“No, I should…” Sara takes a sip of her pink drink… “And I should say I’m sorry. We are all sorry, “Gabby, Trina and I… You didn’t really come around and so we didn’t know you, that's why we said all those things. I look at Alyssa today and there is no way that she isn’t my brother's child. We were just looking out for him. I had no idea he was listening to our conversation that day, otherwise, I wouldn’t have said those things.”

Clarissa’s eyes revert back to Sara. She had no idea what this woman was talking about but it was gradually making sense. All this time Jacob stopped talking to his family because of this reason. He denied himself a family because of her. He never once mentioned that they were questioning Alyssa. She could have easily got a DNA test and then all the doubts would have been put to rest. Instead, it was years of not speaking.
She didn’t have the best relationship with his sisters but it wasn’t the worst either. They were civil, and she thought they were getting closer until Jacob cut them off, and now she knew why, they doubted Alyssa to be his all this time. When he found out about it he cut ties.” The puzzle pieces fit perfectly.

“I just wish I could go back in time and change the way I reacted. I was just shocked, you know. First, he was skipping Sundays with his family and then we couldn’t reach him on the phone, and I found out he was going to be a father.” Sara regretfully shifts her eye contact to her brother. “I just wish he would understand where we were coming from.”

“Yeah…” She too shifts her gaze to Jacob. He was sitting at the table smiling slightly as if his three-card hand might have been dangerous to the other players. The cold ice over Clair’s heart was starting to thaw. She didn’t know how to feel though, sad, angry, happy, or maybe even loved. She knew one thing for sure, Jacob was something special.

Before she had time to analyze more, a blond with a hot pink bikini suddenly nears him and stands over his shoulder. Normal right? But she seemed to be invading his space a little unnecessarily. “Who is that?” She asks.

“Oh, that’s Beth, our neighbour.”

“You mean Beth, his old school girlfriend?”

“That would be the one,” Sara confirms.

Jealousy sprang within her and shockingly, it was a new feeling. All this time she has thought Jacob was with another woman, she felt hurt and pain, but the feeling she got now was possessiveness. There was a sense of him being her’s, and she could claw Beth's eyes out. She didn’t have the fighting spirit, never did, but she felt her rational slip away. She didn’t register Sara asking her a question when she stood up and approached Jacob. She stands in front of him and makes no effort to hide her demanding glare staring at Beth's fingers as they grasp the back of his chair. They lingered too close.

He glances up and immediately a line forms between his brows. “What’s wrong?” He inquires.

She didn’t respond, and he realized quickly as he glanced over his shoulder to see what her eyes were shooting laser beams at, that she was annoyed with Beth’s presence. In sudden awareness, he becomes paralyzed. Never had he seen that look. It severely puzzled him, but then it occurred, Could she be jealous? He was finally beginning to accept that they were never going to be together, and the fierce glow in her eyes was giving him hope again, hope he couldn’t let grow.

To be continued...


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