Chapter 5: The Man From The Past
Nobody wanted to answer the phone.
That was the truth.
For ten seconds, nobody moved.
The screen kept lighting up.
The same name.
The same person who had somehow walked back into our lives without ever entering the room.
Derrick.
My father stared at the phone.
My mother stared at the phone.
Ava stared at my mother.
And I stared at all of them.
Finally, Marcus reached over.
Vanessa grabbed his arm.
“Please.””
He looked at her.
“You’re asking me to trust you?””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I’m asking you to listen before you destroy everything.””
He pulled his arm away.
“You think I’m the one destroying things?””
The phone stopped ringing.
The room went quiet.
Then Marcus said something I had never heard from him before.
“Jordan, Ava, go downstairs.””
I looked at him.
“What?””
“Now.””
I didn’t move.
“I’m not a kid.””
“No.””
His voice softened.
“You’re my son.””
The words hurt.
Because he said them like he was trying to convince himself.
Ava looked at me.
I could see the fear in her eyes.
I put a hand on her shoulder.
“We’re staying.””
Marcus looked at Vanessa.
She looked exhausted.
Like she had been carrying a weight for years and finally couldn’t hold it anymore.
“Tell them,” Marcus said.
My mother looked up.
“Marcus.””
“Tell them everything.””
She closed her eyes.
For a moment, I thought she would refuse.
Then she nodded.
“I met Derrick before I met you.””
My father said nothing.
“We were young.””
“Don’t.””
My mother stopped.
Marcus shook his head.
“Don’t make this sound like some old love story.””
Her face fell.
“It wasn’t.””
The room stayed silent.
“He was angry all the time,” she continued.
“He wanted control over everything.””
My hands tightened.
“Then why were you with him?””
Vanessa looked at me.
“Because I thought I could fix him.””
She looked away.
“I was wrong.””
Marcus crossed his arms.
“When did you leave?””
“Before Jordan was born.””
My father looked at me.
“And when did you find out?””
Vanessa swallowed.
“After.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
“After what?””
She looked at me.
“After you were born.””
I felt like the room tilted.
“What?””
She started crying.
“The hospital made a mistake. There were records that didn’t match.””
Marcus stared at her.
“You knew.””
“Yes.””
“And you never told me.””
“No.””
The honesty hurt more than a lie.
My father turned away.
“Why?””
Vanessa didn’t answer immediately.
Then she said:
“Because you were the first person who ever loved Jordan like he was yours.””
I looked at my father.
His face changed.
Just for a second.
Pain replaced anger.
But then the anger returned.
“You should have given me the choice.””
“I was afraid.””
“Of what?””
She looked toward the window.
“Of losing my family.””
My father laughed bitterly.
“And now?””
She had no answer.
Ava spoke quietly.
“So Derrick is Jordan’s real father?””
Nobody corrected her.
That was the answer.
I felt something break inside me.
Not because Marcus wasn’t my biological father.
Because suddenly everyone had been living around a secret I never had the chance to understand.
My father walked toward the door.
“Where is he?””
Vanessa stood quickly.
“Marcus.””
“Where is Derrick?””
“You don’t understand.””
“No.””
He turned around.
“I understand perfectly.””
His voice dropped.
“You spent years protecting us from him. Then today you tried to send my children away with fifteen thousand dollars.””
His eyes moved to me.
“You were going to leave without telling me.””
Vanessa cried.
“I was trying to save them.””
Marcus stared.
“From what?””
My mother went silent.
Again.
And this time, I noticed something.
She wasn’t afraid of Derrick.
She was afraid of what Derrick would reveal.
My father noticed too.
“What are you not telling us?””
Vanessa’s face went pale.
“Jordan…”
I looked at her.
“What?””
She hesitated.
Then she whispered:
“Derrick wasn’t the only secret.””
The room froze.
My father stepped forward.
“What does that mean?””
Before she could answer, a loud knock came from downstairs.
Everyone stopped.
Another knock.
Slower.
Heavier.
Ava grabbed my arm.
My father looked toward the hallway.
Vanessa covered her mouth.
Because she knew.
She knew exactly who was standing outside.
Then a man’s voice came from the front door.
“Vanessa.””
My mother closed her eyes.
May you like
The voice continued.
“I know you’re home.””
