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Family Secrets

truth and love SFS8

By Rebecca HackneyPublished 3 years ago 10 min read
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Maddie stood and stared blankly at the man. She was overwhelmed with too many emotions to speak. Shock, confusion, and anger were a few of those emotions.

“I can’t deal with this now. It’s just too much.” She said pacing.

“I know what you mean.” Mike replied.

“I need to think, to process, figure things out,” Maddie said looking at him, “are you sure? Never mind don’t answer that. Could you just leave? I need… please just leave.”

“I’ll give you some time, but we have to talk about this.” He stood up and left. Maddie fell to the floor. She sat there and wrapped her arms around herself and cried. She didn’t hear Chase pull up or his footsteps as he walked in the barn. She did however feel his warm embrace as he pulled her into his arms and held her while she sobbed.

Chase held Maddie wondering what made her so upset. He passed that Mike guy when he walked into the barn. Did Mike say or do something? Chase wanted to know but he knew Maddie would talk when she was ready. Maddie sat up a few minutes later and wiped her eyes then looked at Chase.

“I’m okay but don’t want to talk about it yet. Can we just get this placed cleaned so we can go home?” She asked.

“We can go home now if you want the cleaning can wait.” He replied his arm still around her.

“No. I want to get this done tonight.” She said standing up and grabbing the broom.

Once the barn was cleaned and everything put back in its place Chase and Maddie headed home. Waiting for them on their porch was Maddie’s sister and niece.

“Did you call Nikki?” Chase asked parking the truck.

“No, I didn’t,” Maddie replied as her niece ran into her arms. “Hey Rosie posie, what’s going on?”

“Mommy said I’m staying with you and Uncle Chase tonight!” Rosie said squealing.

“She did? Why don’t you and Uncle Chase go get some ice cream while I talk to your mom.” Maddie said handing her to Chase. Once they went inside Nikki and Maddie sat down in the rocking chairs on the porch.

“Did you forget you agreed to take Rosie?”

“What? No… Okay yes but it has been a very long day.”

“Are you okay? What happened? I know you went to the hospital with Emily, is she okay? Is the baby? We haven’t heard anything.” Nikki said in a rush.

“Whoa, calm down. Emily is fine, the baby is fine. Her name is Cassie and she is beautiful. What’s wrong is that guy Mike came back to the barn tonight and told me something and I don’t really know how to handle it.” Maddie shrugged.

“Do you need to talk about? Cuz you know I’m here and so is Chase.”

“Well it kinda sorta involves you too.” Maddie said then told her what Mike said about possibly being Maddie’s father.

“What? Do you think it’s true?”

“I don’t know. I made him leave. It was a lot to handle.”

“I’ll go get Rosie, you need time to process and to talk to Chase.”

After a twenty minute protest from Rosie about wanting to stay Maddie promised her next weekend would be a whole weekend of fun. Nikki and Rosie left and Chase stood there waiting for Maddie to talk.

“Let’s go inside,” he said grabbing Maddie’s hand and leading her into the house.

“Mike came into the barn while you were out. He told me he is my Father. I don’t know if it’s true and the only people I could ask are gone. After everything that happened today for him to drop that on me, I just felt overwhelmed. I’m okay though.” Maddie grinned.

“When I walked in and saw you on the floor like that, I… I didn’t know what to think or what he did…” He said hugging her.

“He wants to talk about it but I want to find out more about him about the situation.”

“You know I’m here for you.” He said kissing her forehead.

The next day Maddie went to the bakery like normal. She didn’t have any cakes to bake but she did need to make the stuff for the diner. Usually baking brought her peace and helped clear her mind, but today it didn’t. Nikki would be by shortly to pick up the pies and cookies for the diner then Maddie might just close for the day. She needed to do research and ask around. She had a lot on her mind and didn’t hear the bell ding.

“Hey sis,” Nikki said making Maddie jump.

“Geez Nikki, you scared me!”

“Sorry but you did know I was coming.” She smiled which melted Maddie’s tension away and they laughed. They gathered up the diner treats and were walking to the front when the door dinged again. This time though it was someone Maddie didn’t want to see.

“Hey. I know I said I would give you time but we need to talk.” Mike said. Nikki and Maddie sat the pies and cookies down on the counter and just stared at him.

“Can we talk? Please.” He asked again.

“Fine but my sister is staying. This concerns her too.” Maddie said crossing her arms. Mike looked from Maddie to Nikki and nodded his head.

“So who wants to start?” Nikki asked after a few minutes of silence.

“What makes you sure you are our father?” Maddie asked.

“Our? What do you mean?”

“Our mom didn’t tell us much about our father but she did say we had the same one. That he left came back after a year and left again. Does that sound like you?”

“Me and your mom were very close. I loved her but my dad didn’t approve of our relationship. He made me leave. Yes I came back a year later and me and Abbie reconnected but I didn’t see a child. I wouldn’t think she would keep my own child from me.” Mike said sitting down at one of the tables.

“This talk might take some time. Go ahead and take the diner their desserts.” Maddie told Nikki who nodded and left. Mike sat there quietly so Maddie went to the back and started peeling and cutting pears for a new pie recipe. Mike got tired of waiting and got up to see where Maddie went. He stood in the doorway and watched her for a while, she looked liked Abbie but so did Nikki.

“What are you making?” He asked.

“A cinnamon pear pie, something new I’m trying. Got them fresh from Mr. Ken’s pear tree.”

“Oh, so who got you into baking? I know Abbie loved it and she was always here helping.” Mike asked just as Nikki walked back inside.

“We basically grew up here in the bakery and occasionally the diner when mom didn’t have a sitter. Grandma didn’t mind us in the bakery and when we got old enough we started helping her. Grandma took us in and raised us when mama, well you know.” Nikki said grabbing a pear and peeling it.

“And to answer your question from earlier, no mom didn’t keep me from you. What Grandma told me was that when you came back a year later and “reconnected” with mom she was going to tell you but then you up and left again. Thought better not to, figured you wouldn’t want us anyway.” Maddie said.

“But she could of called or wrote me.” Mike said gruffly.

“She did write you a letter.” Nikki said quietly. “I found it looking through her old photo albums last night. I didn’t read it, but it says Mikey on it.” She handed it to him. Mike looked at the letter then walked back out to the table and read it.

It explained everything. Abbie tried to tell him but his father put a stop to it. She was going to tell him when he came back but left before she got the courage too. She said she wrote him and called him but didn’t get an answer back so she stopped trying. Abbie confirmed what the girls told him, they were both his.

Mike took the letter and went back to the kitchen. The girls were laughing while they continued to cut up pears and make pie dough. They didn’t notice him so he slipped out the front, he needed to think.

Chase arrived at the bakery at lunch time bringing Maddie and Nikki food along with Rosie out of preschool. Maddie was looking at a photo album and Nikki was wiping down the counter.

“Brought lunch and an adorable little girl,” Chase said and Rosie ran to her mom.

“Thanks,” Maddie said still looking at the pictures, “Ha! I knew it. See Nikki here.” Nikki and Chase went to look at what Maddie was pointing at. It was a picture of Mike at the diner with their mom with a baby Maddie sitting in a highchair.

“What am I looking at here?” Chase asked. Maddie and Nikki filled him in on the conversation with Mike.

“But see this photo proves he was lying.”

“Not really. We don’t know the story behind it. It’s not like he is holding you or your mom.”

“I’ll ask him next time I see him. If he comes back.” With that they ate lunch and Chase was about to leave when Mike walked back in. Deciding Maddie needed him Chase stayed.

“I want to be a part of your lives. I want to get to know you. I know we have stuff to figure out but I’m willing to try if y’all are.” Mike said then noticed the little girl, “Who is this?” he asked pointing to Rosie.

“My daughter, Rosie.” Nikki replied.

“Oh.” Mike said quietly. Then stood there silent looking around. He noticed the photo album and went to it. He saw the picture Maddie was looking at earlier.

“I was going to ask you about that. You said you didn’t know mom had a kid, but that’s me.” Maddie pointed.

“She didn’t say who you were and that was the only time I saw you. I left again after that.”

“Why did you leave?”

“My father made me.”

“You were an adult. How could he make you do anything?” Nikki chimed in.

“He was going to cut me off, not give me my inheritance if I stayed.”

“So what! You said you loved mom. If you truly did then money wouldn’t of mattered!” Maddie shouted.

“It wasn’t money. It was my mother’s ranch house.” He replied.

“Why not take her with you then? Why not come back sooner?”

“She didn’t want to go with me at the time. Yes I should have come back sooner but I got busy and when I didn’t hear from Abbie I figured she didn’t want anything to do with me. I’m sorry, really I am. I do want to get to know y’all and my granddaughter.”

Nikki and Maddie looked at each other and nodded yes.

“Ok. We still got a lot of questions but are willing to try too.” Nikki said.

Nikki’s husband Ron walked in a few minutes later to get Rosie and gave Nikki a look.

“I’ll fill you in later. Ready to go Maddie?” Nikki said.

“Yes.” Maddie replied.

“Where are y’all going?” Mike asked.

“We both have a doctors appointment.” Nikki replied.

“Are you okay?” Chase and Ron asked their wives in unison.

“Might as well tell them,” Nikki said to Maddie who smiled.

“Chase, I’m pregnant. Due around Christmas.” Maddie grinned as Chase hugged her and smiled big.

“We are too.” Nikki smiled at Ron, who laughed and kissed his wife.

“Great! Two more grandkids!” Mike smiled.

“Three actually… We are having two turtledoves” Maddie laughed.

“And a partridge in a pear tree” Nikki laughed with her sister.

fact or fiction
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About the Creator

Rebecca Hackney

Love writing and taking readers on a journey.

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