Confession Time (Fiction Friday)

Last year I attempted to do 'Fiction Friday', writing a fiction story every Friday.  When I became busy with moving and caring for my health issues, Fiction Friday died.  Now that I am settled in one house and feeling better, I'm going to try to revive it.  Here is Chapter 1 of Confession Time.  Come back next week for Chapter 2.  There is a question at the end of the chapter.  I will mail an autographed copy of your choice of books to the first person to answer it correctly.  If no one answers correctly this week, we will repeat the question next week.  I hope you enjoy this.

Confession Time

Chapter I

Rebecca hung up the phone after speaking—rather listening to her son’s ranting.  She had held the secret in her heart and hoped this day would never come.  Now that it was here, there was nothing to do but face the music.  The discovery of the truth would change her life.  It would change the way she was viewed by her parents, friends and certainly her son.  

This was the first time in his thirty-two years that Wayne had spoken to his mother like that.  His mother had lied to him his entire life and now he knew the truth—part of it anyway.  His anger knew no bounds at this moment.  The words he used were disrespectful and spoken in a volume which told her he felt each and every one from his heart.  That conversation threatened to tear their fragile relationship apart completely.  Was it the conversation or the discovery of the truth that would severe the tie that should have been an unbreakable bond between a mother and her son?

*****

Seventeen year old Becky sat at the table wondering how to begin the conversation with her parents.  Although not super religious, they had raised her with a moral compass and now she must reveal that they had failed.  She knew in her heart of hearts that she was the one who had failed, but at the moment it felt good to blame them.  

“Alright Becky, we’re here.  What do you want to talk about?”  John asked.

Becky dreaded telling him most of all.  They had always been close.  She was definitely a daddy’s girl and this conversation would break his heart.  To further complicate the situation, the refinery where he worked had been on strike for two months already and no sign of reconciliation between company and union was in sight.  He had obtained a temporary position at a machine shop, but the pay was less than half what the family was accustomed.    

Becky opened her mouth, but the tears started flowing down her cheeks before any words came out of her mouth.   She grabbed the dish towel from the counter top and wiped away the tears.  Surprisingly her mother did not reprimand her for using the dish towel.  Somewhere in Joan’s heart she knew her child was in torment. 

Joan reached over and placed her hand on Becky’s.  “Tell us what’s wrong.  We can handle it together.”

Becky summoned her courage to talk, but not enough to look at her parents while she told them.  “Mom, Dad, I’m pregnant.”

“You’re what?”  Her parents said in unison.

“I’m pregnant.  I’m sorry.  It just happened one time.”

“Who is the father?”

“His name is Byron and he is so cool.  He is fabulous.  You will love him.”

“Does he know about the baby?”

“Yes, I told him the last time I saw him.”

“When was that?”

“Three weeks ago.”

“What did he say?”

“He works off-shore and he had to go to work the next morning.  He said when he came back we would get married.”

“When is he coming back?”

“He got back two weeks ago.”

“Two weeks ago?  And you haven’t heard from him?”

There was no way for Becky to stop the tears.  She had trusted Byron with all her heart.  She couldn’t believe he lied to her.  There had to be a way for him to realize how much she loved him.  Then he would come back to her and they could raise the baby together.

“Well first of all, young lady, you are a minor.  You can’t get married without our permission.  Secondly how old is Byron?”  Her father used a tone she seldom heard. 

“He’s twenty-six.”

“What?  That is statutory rape.  I could file charges on him.”

“Please don’t, Daddy.  I love him.  I don’t know why he hasn’t called, but he will.  He is a good man and he will do the right thing.”

“I’ll think about it, but I can’t promise you I won’t seek legal action.”

***

Now Rebecca stood watching the scene in her mind as clearly as if it were happening right now.  Things hadn’t been pleasant in their home for several weeks.  Every day her dad asked, “Did Byron call?”  She had dreaded each time.  In her young mind, she and Byron were deeply in love and destined to be together.  She had given herself to him and he had turned his back on her.  It was years before she was able to accept the truth.

***

Tired of waiting for him to call and ‘man-up’, Joan called Byron’s mother.  He still lived at home on the weeks his work schedule didn’t call him out of town.  Joan introduced herself and explained that her daughter was pregnant with Byron’s child.  She told Byron’s mother that her husband’s current job wasn’t enough to handle the medical expenses.  Then she asked if there was any way Byron or his parent’s could help.

“I’ll have to talk to Byron about this.  He hasn’t told me anything about it and I can’t make a commitment until I talk to him.  I’ll call you back if we can help you.”  Byron’s mother had told Joan.  

The call had never came.  Somehow Joan and John had managed to pay the medical expenses.  Becky didn’t return for her senior year at high school, electing to stay at home and cared for
Wayne instead.  

What is the secret that Rebecca has kept from her family for 32 years?