Two Of A Kind

15. Cats out the bag pt.2

Aidens POV~

      We pulled up to our house just in time. The awkward silence pierced through the air like a bad odor. The quicker I could breathe fresh air, the better.
    The whole ride, my dad bragged about how well I did on the court, my mom agreeing with him after every sentence.

      Now I knew for a fact she was trying to get in my good graces. Unfortunately for her, my mind was already set. I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing I kept a secret that could crush my dad's heart. It would make me just as much of a liar as she was.
    
      I thought about this decision for weeks before coming to this point. I reflected on the conversation Rider and I had about how people change their minds. How they deserve to do what makes them happy, even if it may hurt the people they hold dearest to them. Shit, I even considered my morals. Dissecting everything I ever thought was right, questioning every belief my parents taught me. About loyalty and honesty. Now that the woman who taught me about those things was going against them, did the consequences still apply to her?

           As soon as we made it to the front door, I headed right towards the stairs. I didn't make it far before my mother called.
"I told you and your father that I was whipping up something extra special, don't be long." I didn't respond, just nodded my head and continued on my way. When I got to my room, I picked up my cell and phoned the only person who could help me in this situation. The only one who would understand. She answered.

       "Hello?"
"Rider?"
   "Aid, is everything ok?" She sounded worried all of a sudden.
"No, not really. I think I'm going to do it. But I don't want to regret it when I do." She heard my question without me having to say it. 'Am I making the right decision?'
  "I think," she paused, choosing her next words carefully.
"Being indecisive is normal. If you don't know what to do, act as if you've chosen an option. Analyze every future possibility of what would happen after choosing that option and how it will affect you and the people you love. Now ask yourself, are you happy with what you've chosen?

       I didn't answer immediately, taking the time to process and put into play what Rider told me. Let's say I did decide to out my mother. There was the possibility that I'd hurt her and my father, but a huge weight would be lifted off my shoulders, and it would allow me to have the girl of my dreams. On the flip side, keeping my mouth shut would hurt my dad more if he found out later down the line, and knowing that I was a part of it wouldn't help. Not to mention, it would give my mother a slim to none chance at redemption.

     "I think I know what I have to do," I replied after a while, my voice laced with gratitude.
"I'm glad I could be of service; you know I'm only one call away. Don't ever forget." I smiled.
"Rider?"
"Yes?"
"I love you." And I hung up the phone before she could say it back.
******************
    

        "...And this new woman in my yoga class is more advanced than the rest of us. She's teaching me this new pose and a few breathing techniques..." I tuned her out. My mother hasn't stopped talking since we sat at the table. She never talked this much. Her usual calm and intimidating dameanor shifted into a nervous talkative wreck. I already knew it was to keep me from opening my mouth. She was afraid of what I might say. Scratch that, she was afraid of what I was going to say. I had made up my mind already. Her time was up.

          "Excuse me, I'd like to share something," I stated firmly, after clearing my throat and wiping my mouth with a napkin.
   "Dad, Mom has-" I started but was quickly put on mute by a loud ringing that resounded throughout the dining room.
"Ah hold that thought, son, it's work." He replied sympathetically as he got up from the table.

           Seriously?! Out of all the times you could take a work call, it just had to be when I finally built up the courage to tell you what you so badly needed to hear. I watched him step into the living room, leaving me and my mother to think about how my potential words were, once again, left to the imagination.

      "Aiden, you don't have to," My mother's voice pulled me from my thoughts. Her voice sounded tired. Defeated.

     "I'll tell him the truth." I watched her for a moment. "And how am I supposed to believe that when you've been lying to him for this long."  I quiered. She released a deep breath. "Because I'm tired. I just want our family to go back to what it was. I see the way you look at me, and I hate it."

      "And how am I supposed to look at you when you've been sleeping around with some other guy?" I asked a little harsher than intended. 

      "WHAT?!" My dad's voice rang out, filling the emtpy space between the walkway and the dining room. Both my mother and I froze in our spots, afraid to say anything else.                                                 

   "What did you just say?" His tone was a lot less taken aback. Now hurt and shaky. Because of that, and the way my dad was staring in my mother's direction, I decided to speak first.

   "Mom's been-"

    "I've been having an affair, Eli." She stated shamefully, cutting me off. I commended her for finally owning up to the truth. Seeing the tears in her eyes told me this was hard for her to do.         

"I wanted to tell you, but I didn't know how."                                                                                                             

   "Don't just...don't, " He cut her off blunlty, tears now starting to cloud his vision. There was another long pause. "How could you?" He questioned. Clearly trying to pull himself together, but failing miserably.

"Elijah, I'm sorry! I never meant to hurt you." I watched frantically as the scene unfolded before me. Initally, this was what I thought I wanted. Seeing the look on his face, however, made me wonder if keeping her secret a little longer would've been best.

   "With who?" He spoke a second time with evident authority. Mom took a deep breath.                     "Earnest..." It was barely above a whisper, but we all heard her.                                                                              "Damnit Angela!" He roared, slamming the side of his fist on the wall that was used to stop him from crumbling moments earlier.

"How long?" The questions came one after the other, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't anticipating the answers. Even to the ones I already knew.                                                                                                           
"Since the convention. About two years ago." My jaw almost hit the floor. Rider was right. She never went to those conventions because she wanted to. Well, she wanted to, but definently not to support my dad.

      "Angela.." Shock. Confusion. Anger. Pure hurt. My father was crushed.

     "I thought we were happy, weren't we?" The question seemed more rhetorical than not, but she answered anyway.                                                                                                         "I am happy! Eli, it was a mistake, you have to believe me." She pleaded.                                                     

  "Was the baby a mistake too?" The words escaped my mouth before I could stop them. I knew it was her secret to reveal, but I couldn't help but feel like she wasn't going to tell him. Especially if he didn't ask.

   " Dad I-" 

"It's fine, son." He raised his hand to silence me. "I think I need some time alone, I'll...I'll be at a hotel."  He turned, wounded and drowning in sorrow, and slowly escorted himself from our presence.

"Elijah, wait! Please dont leave!" She cried.

"Mom, I'm sorry, i didn't mean to-"

"No! you've said enough. I can't believe you, Aiden." And with that, she turned to run after my dad. Leaving me alone to think about if the decision I made would do more harm than good.