Page 56 of Bone's Destiny

“No. I didn’t cheat on your mother,” Dad said defensively. “I love her and would never betray her.”

“Then how does Bone have a different mother?” Spectre asked. “Are you his dad?”

“Yes. My blood runs through his veins.”

Lady M sat silent, wiping away tears. Thank goodness Nova was upstairs watching a movie. I didn’t want her to hear this.

“Mom, say something,” Piper said, wiping her own tears away.

“I have nothing to say. What Micah said is true. I am not his biological mother, but I have been his only mother, and I have loved him as my own his whole life.”

“I want to know how I came to be and what happened to Eleanor Hebert. Dad said she died, but if you know how, I want to know. I deserve to know.”

Lady M turned away. Stubborn old broad.

“Please tell me. Tell us. I need to know so I can have peace. Don’t you know how much this has eaten at me for over twenty years? I have asked dozens of times, and you’ve blown me off each time.”

“Jesus, tell him already,” Cobra hissed. “Don’t you see how you’re hurting him?”

“Goddammit, Mom! Just tell me the fucking truth!” I yelled, emotion bubbling into my throat. If she refused, I never wanted to see her again.

23

Lady M

“Goddammit, Mom! Just tell me the fucking truth!” The desperation in his voice and watery eyes broke me.

I couldn’t keep putting Micah off. Ben and I had agreed we’d tell him if he pushed hard enough. I guessed the time had arrived. Lord knew I dreaded this day. Prayed it would never come. But how could he put me on the spot in front of my other kids?

Because you’d put him off too long, stupid woman. Now you have to confess in front of all of your children.

“Please,” Micah begged.

“Okay, okay. I can’t keep hurting you.” I wiped the wetness off my cheeks, taking Ben’s hand in mine. He squeezed assuringly to let me know he was there. “This is the condensed version, okay?” I looked each one of my kids in the eyes, including Destiny. She probably already knew part of the story. Well, the little bit Micah knew.

“Yeah. Sure. Just get on with it.” My boy looked a little green and sat beside his lovely girl. I was glad he was sitting for this, or his knees might buckle while hearing the abhorrent event.

“First and foremost, your father would never cheat on me. All those times I said he didn’t, Micah, I wasn’t lying.”

“Never,” my love growled. “I love her deeply.” He kissed the back of my hand.

“Then how am I here? Were you guys separated? Divorced and never told us kids?”

“No, neither.” I inhaled a deep breath and let the words leave my lips, even though telling the story would slay mine and Ben’s hearts and maybe Micah’s. Our son wanted the truth, so here it was… “Before your dad and I got together, there were sweet butts in the club. I’d been living in the Twin Cities, attending high school. Ellie was a sweet butt.”

“Ellie?” Micah said her name as if he recalled it. He should have from the day he’d found the box in the back of my closet. My private box from my childhood.

“Eleanor Hebert,” I said to clarify.

“They’re one and the same? I remember the picture of Ellie and Maggie.” He stared at me like he’d finally connected the dots. “You knew her.” Micah’s gaze flicked from me to Ben.

My other children and Karma, Hope, and Reign, appeared shell-shocked. Not Destiny, though. She seemed to be holding it together for Micah’s sake.

“Yes, she was my older sister. I mean half-sister. We had different fathers.”

Gasps crackled through the air like fireworks. Loud and explosive.

Despite the distraction, I went on. “When our mother died, I went with my dad, and Ellie ventured out on her own. She was eighteen, and well, her father wasn’t around. He never wanted her, and my dad only tolerated her. He didn’t invite her to stay with us.”

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