Love Thy Brother

Facing The Truth

Tamryn woke the next morning thinking what happened the previous
night was just a dream. She sat up in her bed. The headache she had
this morning was a clear indication of all her crying she did last night. So
no, it was not a dream! It really happened and she had to make peace
with it: Liam is now with Stephanie. She will just have to accept it.
Crying, no matter how much, will not bring him back to her.
She went through most of the day like a ghost. Not saying much. Not
doing much. She was feeling very tired the whole day. She looked at
her family. They won’t miss her! She is going to take some pain
medication and fall on her bed for a long nap. As she stood up, she saw
Allan was drinking again. By the looks of it, it was certainly not his first
drink as well. She just did not have the energy for all this anymore.
Ryan must tell them what they came here for and get it over with. She
wanted to go back home. She never wanted to see this place again!
As soon as she went inside, she bumped into Stephanie who came out
of her and Liam’s house! She stopped in her tracks and drew a sharp
breath.
“Oh, hi Tamryn! Good to see you!” she said and walked past Tamryn
before she could say anything back. She looked so happy and cheerful!
What was she doing in their house? She turned around to go back in,
just to stop in her tracks again! In the middle of the living room Liam
was standing. Large as life. Handsome as ever. She shook her head.
Don’t let it distract you, Tamryn, she thought to herself. He has some
explaining to do! And a lot of it! How dare he come here? How dare
they arrive here together as if nothing is wrong with that? And how dare he stand there and look at her as if he hadn’t been gone for a whole
year? As if nothing changed between them!
She got her voice back: “What the hell are you doing here?” Her voice
was so full of anger and resentment that it scared her.
“Hi, Tammy” he just said, his eyes not leaving hers. As if nothing was
wrong! Just a straight face. No remorse. No regret. Just a normal “hi,
Tammy”. As if he had already seen her this week in the grocery store or
wherever!
Allan was going to kill him if he saw him! Especially if he knew that he
came here with Stephanie.
“What the hell are you doing here, Liam!” she repeated more slowly with
even more anger if it was possible.
“What do you mean? This is my house too!” he just said quietly and
frowned. He looked at her for a few more seconds, then his attention
shifted to someone standing behind her.
Much to her surprise, Ryan walked over to Liam and gave him a
brotherly hug: “I just heard the good news! I can’t tell you how happy it
makes me feel!” Ryan sounded so emotional and relieved to see Liam.
What the hell was going on? Did Ryan know about Liam and
Stephanie? Is that why he was congratulating Liam? Just a year ago,
he was just as happy for her and Liam. What was wrong with Ryan?
Did he not realise the heartbreak these two were causing? Or did he
just not care? Tamryn was so shocked. She couldn’t get a word out.
Ryan’s voice brought her back out of her thoughts. As if in a daze she
watched him say: “Let’s go outside so we can start. Everybody is here
now. We were waiting just for you.” And with that Ryan turned around
and walked out the door.
If this is what he wanted to talk about, Allan and she were going to be so
humiliated! How could they do that to them? She gave Liam one last
look, turned, and followed Ryan outside.
When everybody was seated, Ryan cleared his throat and looked at
Lydia as if he was asking her permission to continue. Lydia just nodded.

“Okay, everybody…., I, …… we” he began to stutter. Tamryn saw for
the very first time how tired Ryan looked. “Ummm, Lydia and I,” he
started over and gestured for Lydia to come and stand by his side: “have
something to tell you. This may come as a great shock to all of you.”
Tamryn look over at Allan, still drinking his sorrows away as if nothing
could stop him. Is Ryan going to tell all of them about Liam and
Stephanie’s plans to move in together? And that Louise is Liam’s child?
Her eyes moved to Liam. He was sitting opposite her just staring in front
of him. He knew what was coming. Tamryn could see it on his face and
she knew him well enough to see that he was very nervous.
“More than three years ago, Lydia started to see Liam. I was not aware
of that at first” Ryan’s voice cut through the silence.
Tamryn’s head exploded! Was Liam involved with Lydia too? Does he
just have a thing for family members or what is it with him? Her eyes
flew to Liam’s face. He did not look at her. He was still staring ahead of
him, his face now very pale. First Lydia, then her and now Stephanie?
And why on earth is Ryan so calm about all of this? Why did Ryan, just
a few moments ago, hugged Liam as if he loved him? Was her brother
so forgiving? There must be more to this!
Ryan saw the confused look on everyone’s faces and started to explain:
“Guys, Lydia was diagnosed with cancer.” They were all shocked! Their
eyes went from Liam to Lydia and back to Liam again as if to ask if all
this was true.
“Liam was treating her this whole time. At first I didn’t know about this,
but Liam convinced my wife to tell us. I am forever grateful to you for
this, brother!” Ryan had tears in his eyes. He swallowed and continued:
“Lydia has ovarian cancer. The doctors could not do anything for her
anymore. But Liam would not give up on her! He started to do some
research. This is where he has been this whole year! He succeeded to
find a program for Lydia and he got her in! She is starting with treatment
on Monday, and we have high hopes. At first, he sent her treatments
that she regularly had to use in the meantime to shrink the tumour. This
had to happen before she would be considered to enter the program. I
am happy to say: it worked! She just came with Liam and Stephanie
from their practices. They did a scan this morning, confirming the tumour has shrunk. We just got the news that she was accepted into the
program!” Ryan looked so relieved when he gave his wife a hug and
held her close to him.
Everybody was quiet and shocked. This was the last thing they
suspected. The information had to sink in first. Lydia had cancer. Liam
was treating her this whole time? And he went away to get her
treatment? And it worked. Her brain felt heavy with all the information
she had to process.
So, this is why he and Stephanie arrived here together! This is why she
was so happy and cheerful when she greeted Tamryn. And this is the
good news Ryan was talking about! She almost started to get some
hope but then she remembered all the other problems she still needed
answers for.
She looked over at Liam and saw he had his head in his hands. He had
to keep this secret for so long. He could not tell anyone. She
remembered their conversation that night in the car on their way to the
charity ball. He was so stressed and absent minded the whole
weekend. This had to eat him up inside! He wasn’t lying about it at all!
She almost felt sorry for him. But then she thought of all the other things
she still had to figure out.
The next moment Allan stood up and started to clap his hands slowly,
walking over to Liam: “Well, well, well!” he said sarcastically “Isn’t he the
hero!” the disgust was dripping from his lips. “You are just one hell of a
secret keeper, aren’t you?”
Liam looked up at Allan and frowned annoyed: “Sit down, Allan. You
are drunk!” he spit out.
“Allan, stop it!” Ryan also said and looked at him with disappointment all
over his face. “Don’t you see this is not the time for you two to be at
each other’s throats?” He was getting angry but still held on to Lydia.
“Oh no! I’m not going to be silent any longer!” Allan kept on going. “You
see, this brother of ours has been wrecking all our lives and now you
want to make him out as a hero?” he asked Ryan, slurring his voice and
dangerously tangling his half full glass in his unstable hands.

Liam let out a sigh and sat back in his chair. He just looked at Allan.
There was no emotion whatsoever on his face.
“Tell them, brother!” Allan said to Liam and let out an evil laugh. “Tell
our big brother what you have been up to!”
“Allan, enough!” This time it was Stephanie who got her voice back.
“Oh, are you defending him now?” Allan swung around and continued: “I
think you must keep your mouth shut!” There was pure hate in his voice
now.
At this stage Ryan decided he had enough of all this: “Allan, what are
you talking about?”
Turning back to where Liam was sitting, Allan asked: “Are you going to
tell them or should I?” He had a wicked sneer over his face. He couldn’t
wait to let everyone know what this brother of theirs is up to.
Liam stayed back in his chair, not showing any emotion or concern. He
just gestured to Allan that he had the floor.
“Oh well, okay then” Allan started: “ This hero of a brother of ours did not
only keep Lydia’s illness from all of us, or his so-called love for Tamryn”
he pointed at Tamryn but did not see the hurt he caused in her eyes.
Liam gave her a quick look and clenched his fists but said nothing.
“Noooo! Our brother also has a love child that he kept secret from all of
us!” Allan continued, oblivious to all the hurt he is causing.
Ryan frowned and looked lost. “What is he talking about, Liam?” he
asked irritated. Liam just shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest.
He didn’t say a word. He didn’t even defend himself. He just sat there
and stared at Allan. Tamryn looked a him to see if there was any
emotion from him, but nothing. She looked over at Stephanie. She was
clearly upset but also said nothing. She just looked over at Liam and
apologised with her eyes.
“You see,” Allan continued, running a one-man circus now. Everyone
was just looking at him at this point: “Louise is not my child. She is
Liam’s! And if that is not the worst of it, they now decided to move in ogether so that he can raise his own child. Seeing as he lost the one he
had with our sister!”
Tamryn was at this point letting out a gasp and tears rolled down her
cheeks. Allan was getting way out of hand, but everyone was too
shocked by all of this to react. He didn’t stop there. He just continued:
“Well, you do get around with the ladies, don’t you brother? Making
children as far as you go and turning the ladies into whores!” he laughed
in disgust.
Liam had enough. He jumped up and slapped Allan hard before he
could utter another word. He was so angry now, the veins in his neck
were pumping. He turned to a visibly upset Stephanie and said: “You
better have a chat with your husband.” His hands shook and he
clenched his fists.
Allan put his glass against the cheek that Liam just slapped and started
laughing again. Everybody just watched. There was too much
happening all at once. Allan turned to Ryan. The slap Liam gave him
did not stop him. If anything, it made him more courageous to continue:
“Are you really going to make him out as a hero and forget the fact that
he killed our parents?” Everyone drew another sharp breath. They
couldn’t believe what was happening!
Finally, Ryan stepped away from Lydia. His voice was an angry whisper
when he said to Allan: “You have no idea what you have just done! You
are drunk! But that is no excuse to behave like this.” It looked as if
Ryan also wanted to slap him now.
Liam watched Allan and Ryan for a second, then he turned to Tamryn
and said: “Sorry you had to hear all of this.” With one last look at his
family, he turned and left. After a few minute they all heard his car sped
off. Tamryn just sat there. Oh, how she hoped it wouldn’t be true. But
she had to face it now. Her life was forever shattered!
She stood slowly and went inside. She took a long shower, just letting
the water run over her shivering body. She wept until her body had no
more tears to give. Then she went to bed. Tomorrow, she would leave
early and never return to this place again!

Ryan looked at Allan and Stephanie with anger in his eyes: “Do you
really think I can deal with this now?”
They didn’t answer. They knew all of this went to far and to talk back to
Ryan would not be the wisest thing to do now.
“Lydia and I are going up to the main house. I want to see both of you
there tomorrow as soon as you wake up. Is that understood?”
They just nodded. They wouldn’t dare to cross him now. Ryan turned
and took Lydia home.