Reunited After 25 Years 28: Secret Child

For their honeymoon, Anton and Andrea went on a cruise to Alaska. Andrea found that the shawl Mrs. Kolchina had sent her really came in handy. She wore it almost the entire time, and was surprised to see Anton wearing short sleeved shirts for most of the trip.

"You do not know cold weather," he laughed when she mentioned the fact to him.

Upon her return home she found that married life with Anton was every bit as wonderful as she'd imagined it would be. When she awakened in the morning snuggled deep within the warmth of his embrace, she could scarcely believe that only a year earlier, she'd been all alone with no prospects for love in sight.

She should have known that the euphoria was too good to last.

That particular Saturday in April began pleasantly enough. The weather was finally warm enough that Anton could start building the greenhouse he wanted in the backyard, and he'd gone to buy supplies while Andrea began spring cleaning. She was making a pitcher of lemonade when she heard her doorbell ring and found that her visitor was a young Asian woman of about eighteen.

"Hello," said the young woman. "My name is Phuong Nguyen, and I am looking for my father. His name is Dennis Phillips."

Andrea gasped in shock and began to shake her head slowly. "You must be mistaken. Dennis Phillips was my first husband, and he died in Vietnam nineteen years ago. He didn't have any daughters. We just have a son, Denny."

"Oh, I am so sorry!" Phuong exclaimed. "I did not know that he was married. So you say that he died?"

"Yes. He stepped on a land mine." Andrea's eyes narrowed. "What makes you think he's your father?"

"My mother told me that he was, and she would not lie. She was a waitress in a tavern where American soldiers went when they were off duty. She met my father and he gave her his picture. I have it right here." Phuong took a photograph from her wallet and showed it to Andrea. Andrea's heart nearly stopped. It was Dennis' senior picture from high school. She had one herself just like it.

Looking closely again at Phuong, she realized that the young woman wasn't full-blooded Asian after all, that in fact she saw a subtle but definite resemblance to Dennis in her facial features. To Andrea it felt like a knife through her heart.

"I am very sad that he died. I wanted very much to meet him," Phuong continued. "You say he also have a son?"

"Yes. His name's Denny and he's nineteen. He's in college."

"I would like to meet him if that is all right."

"Well...of course. I suppose so. He lives with his girlfriend. Her name's Darya." Andrea gave Phuong Denny's address and phone number and then went to call Denny herself but got no answer. Shaking all over by now, Andrea sat down on the sofa and tried to collect herself. Her head reeled from the shock of learning that Dennis had fathered a child in Vietnam, that he'd been unfaithful to her.

"How could he?" she asked herself over and over, receiving only silence in return. She was still sitting on the sofa with a look of utter devastation on her face when Anton returned a couple of hours later.

"Andrea, I am back!" he called cheerfully. "Ready to set up the greenhouse now!" He saw her expression and the smile on his face instantly vanished.

"Andrea?" he asked softly, lightly touching her chin. "What happened?"

"I just met Dennis' daughter," she said flatly.

"Dennis has daughter?" He looked baffled.

Andrea nodded miserably. "He fathered a child with a Vietnamese waitress."

"Oh, Andrea!" Anton sat on the sofa beside her and reached for her, and she went into his arms. "I am so sorry!"

Within the comfort of her husband's arms, Andrea was finally able to let the tears flow. Anton held her and rocked her as if she were a small child.

At last she'd cried all the tears she could, and Anton still held her, stroking her hair.

"It's just so s-strange," she stammered. "I feel like I didn't really know him, after all."

"How did she find you?" asked Anton.

"Her m-mother...told her about Dennis and gave her his picture."

"Where is she now?"

"I gave her Denny's address and phone number and she went to find him."

Anton chuckled softly. "So Denny has a half sister he did not even know about. He is in for one big surprise."

"That's for sure." Andrea sighed and looked up at Anton, who looked back at her tenderly, sorrowfully.

"Well, I guess I do not know what to say," he said finally. "Except that I am very sorry this happened and I wish I knew how to make you feel better."

A very uncomfortable thought occurred to Andrea, one which she tried desperately to push from her mind but in the end knew that she simply had to have the answer to.

"Anton, did you ever...I mean...in all the time you were married before..."

"Was I ever unfaithful to Nadya? No, not even once. Not even when she was sick and in the hospital."

"You're such a good man, Anton." Andrea sniffled just a little. If only he could have stayed the first time he came...

"You are a good woman too, Andrea. You do not deserve to have to go through this." He held her and caressed her some more. "If I play balalaika and sing for you, would it make you feel better? I will sing a very pretty song for you. It is called 'Moscow Nights.'"

Andrea nodded. Anton fetched his balalaika and began to play and sing for her.

He was still playing and singing when Denny and Darya entered the house later, reeking of fish and carrying a large cooler.

"We caught enough to share with you guys!" Denny announced.

"Sit down, Denny," said Andrea. "There's something very important that I have to tell you."