"American Family"

Chapter Two

“Jo I don’t see why you don’t just yell and have an argument like a normal couple. If you’re having a problem with how he’s been acting lately tell him.” Lydia said to Jolene. They were at Lydia’s house in the kitchen enjoying some fruit smoothies Lydia made. The kids were at home with Danny and Jolene used the opportunity to girl talk with Lydia.

“I really don’t want it to seem as though I don’t trust him.” Jolene said after a sip of her refreshing smoothie.

“But you don’t….” Lydia told her. Lydia rested a hand on her stomach and sighed. Jolene ignored the odd gesture.

“I do! I trust him Lyd, I just don’t like secrets.” Jolene said modestly.

“But he’s not hiding any secrets. He told you it was an old friend and he also told you how he’s going to have lunch with her tomorrow.” Lydia said to her putting her smoothie down on the counter and pushing it away.

“Lydia… listen to yourself. He’s having lunch with an old friend who is a SHE!” Jolene said. Jolene bit down on her lip and looked at her friend who showed no emotion.

“Ouch…” Came Kiral’s voice from the doorway. Jolene turned to look at him and he shook his head. “I sympathize with you. Doesn’t sound like anything good could come from that.” Kiral whistled and walked to the refrigerator. He pulled out a can of soda and opened it.

“Shut up you, you are making nothing better!” Lydia said throwing her hand his way shushing him away. “Don’t listen to him Jo.” Lydia said to her reaching for hand in a form of comfort.

Kiral moved to stand behind Lydia. He laid a hand on her shoulder and said “Maybe one of you should follow him.” Lydia shook her head and moved her shoulder around urging him to get off it.

“Following him is admitting I don’t trust him and I do!” Jolene said.

“Following him also means you care and you get jealous. Guys like a little jealousy once in a while.” He said with a wink.

“KIRAL WOULD YOU SHUT UP!” Lydia screamed surprising both Jolene and Kiral. Jolene sat there her mouth side open looking at Lydia who seemed beyond angry. For the first time Lydia seemed to be annoyed by her husband. Fury lit her eyes yet Kiral didn’t move.

Kiral shook his head and said in surrender “fine…” He walked out of the kitchen and silence sank in. Lydia sighed and held her face in her hands.

“I’m going to have to apologize to him….” She mumbled her hands still over her face. Jolene nodded and moved closer to Lydia.

“Everything ok Lyd?” Jolene asked her hand on her friends back.

Lydia nodded her head and lifted her face from her hands. She rubbed her hands on her jeans and took a deep breath. “Yeah, I’m ok I guess I’m just low on tolerance today. I think I’m going to go apologize to Kiral and sit with him for a while then maybe take a nap. I think you should go home and talk to Danny Jo. Communication has been you guys strength for so long. Don’t break it.” Lydia said shaking her head.

Jolene nodded and sighed. “You’re right…” she admitted. Jolene hugged Lydia and was out the door quickly. She hoped everything between Kiral and Lydia would smooth out and she hoped everything with Lydia was ok.


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Danny sat on the couch with little Darrien sleeping on his chest. Adyli sat on the carpet floor with the remote flipping through the channels. His daughter was beyond brilliant. She understood how to work a remote and she could read tittles of shows on the TV guide. The phone rang and the same little girl who was once searching through channels was now running for the phone. She quickly found it barely giving Danny time to protest it and answered it.

“ello?” she said into the phone. “Who’s speaking?” Adyli walked to her father and held the phone out. “It’s Brianna daddy.” Hearing the name come out of his daughter’s mouth was hard.

Danny took the phone and held it to his ear. “Hello?” he said licking his lips.

“Danny, I know I said I’d be fine with lunch tomorrow but I need to see you tonight.” She told him her voice sounding desperate.

“I’m watching my children Brianna you can’t just unexpectedly ask me to go somewhere. I have a family.” He said to her.

“Danny, I would never pull you away from your children but this is important.” Her voice was serious and Danny considered his options. He wasn’t sure what to do next.

Danny sighed and said “Fine… where?”

“Same place. I’m here already and I’m not hiding so you’ll spot me. Thank you Danny.” She said. The phone clicked and she was gone. Danny pulled the phone from his ear and went through the digital phone book. He found Zhi’s number and dialed it.

“yeah?” Zhi answered.

“Can you come over and watch the kids?” Danny asked him.

“Right now?” Zhi asked.

“Yeah.”

“Alright… I’ll be there in no time.” Zhi said to him. Danny hung up and tossed the phone t the side. He slide out from under his son and got up. He went to his room and threw on some clothes. Hew shaved and put on some deodorant. His shoes were on in seconds and be the time he was ready to go Zhi was knocking at the door.

Danny opened the door and gave Zhi a hand shake in greeting. “Thanks for this man.” Danny told him.

“No problem. Where are you off to?” Zhi questioned stepping into his home.

“Well, I have to see a friend.” Zhi nodded his head.

Danny picked up his keys from the side table and pocketed them. He was heading out the door when Zhi grabbed his arm and pulled him back. “I won’t regret doing this will I?” Zhi asked Danny.

Danny shook his head and Zhi let him go. Not wanting to talk any further he left his home closing the door behind him. Danny walked to his door and pulled his keys from his pocket. He slid the key into the door and paused. He looked up at the sky and said a quick prayer then opened the door. He got in and turned on the engine. Twenty minutes later Danny found himself in front of Hiltop Diner. Danny sighed and turned his car off. He opened the door and stepped out. His mind wanting him to go back home he took slow steps to get to the diner. Once inside, with out a doubt, as Brianna had said, he found her quickly.

She looked up at him from a menu and Danny saw a woman who had grown up. Her eyes were coated with maturity and skin looked as of that of a tired woman who had lost her glow. Still though, Brianna was beautiful. Her hair was the same hair that Danny one ran his fingers through and her lips were plump just as he had last seen it during their last kiss. The memories sucked him into an alternate world where his past haunted him.

Danny walked to her table and took a seat at the chair that was obviously meant for him. He nodded at her and she smiled. She bit down at her lip and her eyes became watery. “Sorry…” she finally said. “ I told myself I wasn’t going to cry… But I just can’t help it.”

Danny couldn’t understand where the tears came from or what anything was really about. He sat there letting her compose herself hoping soon she would get to the point. Minutes later she inhaled and looked at him. Her make up yet to be messed up by her tears. “I don’t know if I should be polite and ask about your life now or if I should just jump into it.”

“Jump into it…” Danny said. Since he left his home his heart was pounding and all he wanted was to get this over with.

“Danny, you have a daughter. We have a daughter.” Brianna said. “For the time being… we have a daughter.” She whispered. Her eyes soften and some how Danny saw the tears coming.

“Brianna, that’s impossible…. We never….” Danny stopped himself but he knew she understood.

“What?” she said her voice sickened with his response. Tears flowed down her cheeks. “Yes we did! Don’t deny it Danny. You can’t deny it.”

“I’m not denying it… I just don’t recall us ever…” He said to her.

“WELL WE DID.” She said with meaning. “Maybe you drank just a little to much or maybe these years have erased it from your memory but we did and our little girl is now 14.”

Danny shook his head in protest. “That’s impossible. I married my wife a virgin and last time I checked virgins do not have babies.”

“You’re wrong…” she said. She stuffed her hand into her pocket and pulled out a picture. “Look at that little girl. She’s beautiful and she’s yours!” Danny took the photo and looked at it. He admitted the girl and he shared some features but how could he believe this.

Danny shook his head yet again and said “If this is my daughter why are you telling me now? Fourteen years later!”

Brianna let out a sob and said softly “Because she’s dying. I’m loosing my little girl.”



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“I’m so excited!” Jolene said smiling at her sister. After Lydia’s home she took a four hour detour to Chrissy’s house. Zhi wasn’t there and she would have some time with her sister. When Jolene arrived there Chrissy explained to her how she’d chosen a God mother for Jia-li. She told Jolene that she would love to have her as a God parent. She also mentioned that Zhi had chosen his best man and now best friend, Kiral, to be the God father. Jolene bounced Jia-li on her lap and the baby giggled.

“I am too!” Chrissy exclaimed.

The phone rang and Chrissy grabbed it off her kitchen counter. “Hey Lyd!” she said. “ok…” she added.

Chrissy hit the speaker button and waited for Lydia to say something. There was a minute of silence until Lydia finally said “Guys I’m pregnant.” The phone clicked and Lydia was gone.

“OH MY…..” Chrissy said. Jolene looked at Chrissy wide eyed.

“NO she can not just leave us hanging like that! CALL HER BACK!!!” Jolene commanded.

Jolene could not believe that Lydia was pregnant. All that Jolene had known Lydia she had explained how she never wanted children. She told them over and over again that children were just too much and she refused to have any. Of course Lydia said the same thing about marriage so Jolene guessed this was to happen. Jolene squealed in joy and she listened to the phone ringing. Lydia was pregnant!