At last ‘A life’
By Julie D Cole
Chapter 52 Mums story.

Julie was her vibrant self as she waltzed into the room handing over the pizza boxes to me whilst she kissed mum and Gran and then she took off her jacket. She’d opted for a white low cut top that exposed her cleavage with a long skirt and boots. I envied her bosom and she took after mum in that department.

I’d not seen Gran acting as friendly as to either of us before and I think that it surprised Julie that Gran didn’t back away. Instead she met her with open arms. Julie would usually ignore any coldness anyway but this time she clearly noticed a change in Gran looking at the facial expression.

She mouthed a message of ‘wow’ to me as she turned away.

We went through to the kitchen to cut the pizzas properly and warm some plates and Julie asked what had happened and if she was dreaming. I told her that Gran had been in a good mood and that she was completely accepting me as Chrissy, as if I was her grand-daughter and not her grandson.

It was also my opportunity to tell Julie about my meeting with dad and how he’d accepted me and that I’d promised I’d try to persuade mum to meet up together. She shook her head and said ‘More, please go on’.

Then I told her my impression after meeting Darren Harper and how nice he was and that I’d told mum that I didn’t believe he was my father. Her head went to one side and her eyes opened more widely. She removed the chewing gum from her mouth that was her bad habit since she stopped smoking. ‘Go on so what did mum say?’

‘Julie mum didn’t say anything because I was telling her what I’d found out and how I knew that Judith had split from Darren and had a relationship with someone else who might be my real father.’

‘No surely not. How have you worked that out? Isn’t he a nice rich man who Judith loved and was in a relationship. Is this because of Kates influence do you think? Are you sure/’
‘Let me finish please. Judith had met someone else whilst in her relationship with Darren and when he didn’t have the courage to leave his wife she had some form of new relationship that ended up in her becoming pregnant. It’s a bit complicated and so I tried to ask mum and I couldn’t.’

‘Why is it complicated? Wouldn’t mum have just told you unless it was someone she didn’t like or who jilted Judith.’

‘No, it was neither of those reasons, she seems to have found out that Judith had been having an affair with dad but that’s as much as I’ve confirmed so far.’

‘What? Dad was having a relationship with mums sister?’

‘Yes, I’m sure and after I looked at dad today and reflected on everything on the way back to work I realized that there must be some close held secret that might have caused upset in the family and dad to leave us. Why were we rejected by Gran and wht was dad registered as my birth father?’

‘Chrissy what are you saying? Surely if dad had an affair with mums sister they’d have fallen out. She’d never have stayed with dad.’

‘But Julie she might not have known. That’s as much as I know and I felt I needed you to be here before we discussed it again since if dad is my dad as well we are sisters. Well I’m sorry we are brother and sister or halves at least.’

‘Chrissy are you sure about all of this because it seems awfully complicated and it’s not easy to say this to mum and Gran.’

‘Julie, I wanted to ask mum directly but she didn’t seem to want to do it in front of Gran.’

‘I’m not surprised so maybe you need to wait until we get home.’

‘I can’t wait any longer Julie, I just need to know what’s happened in the past and to confirm once and for all. I need to come to terms with my new lifestyle and face up to some decisions. I’ve had a meeting with Kate and she offered me a promotion, but as Chrissy and not as Chris. What do I do? I need to know who I am.’

Julie put her arms around me and tears welled in my eyes. My knees went like jelly and my stomach was churning.

‘Come on let’s do it. I’ll help you. I think it’s fantastic news. Goodness knows you certainly pack a lot into a day since you took on this new life. I can’t keep up with you and so far in my opinion everything is up.’ ‘Come on look on the bright side and I’ll tell you something to really cheer you up.’

‘What?’

‘If we confirm that dad is your dad then I will pay for the pizzas.’

‘Oh my God the Pizzas. I love you sis, I could never have done any of this without you.’
‘No, maybe now I understand what was calling me home. And there was I thinking it was to settle down and marry Gary.’

‘What, you are going to marry Gary?’

‘No but a girl can dream can’t she. Are we eating or not?’

We took the plates and the pizzas through to the lounge where mum greeted us with a smile.
‘Are you too OK or did you have to go back to the pizza shop? We thought we’d lost you.’
‘Chrissy couldn’t switch on the microwave, you know how useless she is with technical things. In the end I took over’

‘HaHa, very funny. Who can’t operate the TV remote control.’

‘Girls come on let’s have supper or we’ll be taking the pizzas home for breakfast.’
Gran declined to eat since she’d had her tea and she decided she’d make a fresh pot of ‘Yorkshire tea’ not weak like mum makes it.

It was nice to sit together eating pizzas that was always one of my favorite snacks as I grew up and one of mums special treats if there was a good weepy film scheduled on TV.

As I picked up my second slice mum looked at me and said I should be more ladylike.
I said ‘OK but I want to let you know that I’ve been telling Julie about our discussions earlier and about dad.’

‘Yes, I expected that was the delay and not the microwave problem.’

‘Mum it’s true that dad is my real dad isn’t it?’

‘Yes Chris it is and I’m relieved that you found out since it was never intended to be withheld from you but life has been complicated and we all kept avoiding the issue.’

‘Mum when did you find out? Was it after you and dad were married. Is this why you used to argue?’

‘No in truth Chris I knew on the night that Judith died and first of all it was because she held my hand and whispered to me to forgive her as she was taken through to the operating theatre.’

‘I’d looked at your dad and said I didn’t know what she meant. He didn’t say anything but then I never expected him to answer anyway.’

‘He just said that she’d wanted to tell me something but he didn’t tell me that she’d already told him. Then about one hour later we were all given the news that they couldn’t save Judith as her injuries were complicated but they could try to save the baby. Gran was in no state to make that decision so I had to do it. I gave my permission to save you.’

After that we were all in tears, including your dad and the policemen were hanging around to take statements about the accident and dad managed to handle that. Judith died about 1am. They’d managed to save you and put you in a special care unit.

‘Dad managed to hang on to me but Gran was screaming and then Grandad arrived and took her home. Dad and I stayed all night until I’d no tears left to cry.’

‘As daylight came your dad then told me what Judith had said and that was that he was the father of her child and not Darren Harper. I was at rock bottom with no where further to fall. My sister was pregnant by my fiancé and had had an affair behind my back. I just pushed your father away and told him to leave me alone.’

‘Then the surgeon who’d tried to save Judith came to see us and took us into a room.‘ We were allowed to look at you and then they said it was hard to determine if you were a boy or a girl but they eventually confirmed you as a boy. So as it was Judiths wish you were named Chris there and then.’

‘But mum how come you and dad stayed together and what changed your mind?’

'It was something that the doctor said.'

To be continued……….