Crimson Snow

by Ina Carter

  “So, what? Do you think he faked the report somehow?” Kevin also seemed perplexed by my admission.

  “No, I think the bastard might have sold his own child, thinking I was not his.” I offered my wild guess. I wished I was wrong, that somehow it was true that I was not part of that monster, but what else could explain the tests?

  “You know what, Kev? I think I know someone who might have some answers. It’s a long shot, but I’ll call my grandfather – Dana’s dad.” The plan came to me on the spot, and I grabbed my phone, dialing Grandpa Steve. I loved the old man, and although I hadn’t seen him for years, once a month we spoke on the phone. I didn’t check what the time was in Florida, but I hoped he was not asleep yet. I put him on speaker because I wanted Kevin to hear the whole conversation. We were a team, after all. Grandpa Steve picked up, and just hearing his voice made me smile.

  “Lauren! How is my favorite granddaughter?” the old man greeted me cheerfully.

  “I should tell Bianca you said that, Grandpa,” I joked.

  “Oh, big deal! She wouldn’t care anyway. You are the only one who calls this old man.”

  “That’s because you are my favorite grandfather too,” I said sincerely.

  “I am your only grandparent, sweetheart, so I am without competition.” The old man and I had a similar banter every time I called him, but now that he mentioned it, it made me wonder. Maybe I did have other grandparents?

  “Grandpa, I am sorry to ask you something so strange, but… Is Robert my father?” I blurted the question without too many interludes. I was too impatient to be delicate. There was dead silence on the other end like I shocked the poor man.

  “Did Dana tell you?” He sounded sad, his voice barely a whisper. Shoot! It was true then.

  “No, she didn’t tell me. I just overheard something…It doesn’t make sense because they did a DNA test when I was found in Texas, and it showed…”

  “Andrew was Rob’s brother, Lauren. Those tests can’t distinguish paternity between two identical twins.” Grandpa dropped the bomb. “Your parents… They never wanted me to tell you the truth, Laurie. Rob threatened me, said I would never hear from you if I said a word, and Dana agreed with him... I can’t even recognize who she is anymore…” he sounded sad, but I understood his sentiment for Dana. I wondered if she was any different growing up or if her parents were just blind to her faults. No one wants to see their child as the villain.

  “Can you tell me about my real dad, Grandpa?” I whispered, my heart filling with sadness for the man who I lost before I was even born.

  “I’ll tell you the truth, Lauren. You are old enough to hear it all. I met Andrew at Dana and Rob’s wedding, and I liked the guy. He and my new son-in-law were twins, but they were total opposites. Rob was an ambitious, callous man, but you know all that... Andrew, on the other hand, was charming, easy going, a really nice guy. He was a doctor and doing his residency in Oregon, just a few miles from our ranch. When your grandma Becky was still alive, we would go to see him in Portland when we were sick.

  “Bianca was one year old when your mother and Rob were separated. She caught him cheating with some other woman, so she picked up the kid and came back home. Andrew started visiting us, so he could see his niece, and he fell for your mother’s charm. You know Dana- she played the victim, and it wasn’t hard to make a nice guy like him try to save her from Rob. We were honestly happy because we hoped he would be a good influence on our daughter.

  “When she got pregnant with you, Andrew asked her to file for divorce with Rob because he wanted to marry her. He was so excited to be your dad, Laurie. You should have seen his face when he spoke of you. He picked your name – Lauren, and I am glad Dana gave it to you when you were born. Your mother stalled for months, saying she was afraid Rob was not going to give her a divorce in the middle of his election campaign. She was seven months pregnant when Andrew pressured her that they both needed to come clean. He got her in the car, and they were driving from Portland to L.A. when a semi-truck lost control and crashed into their vehicle… I am sorry, sweetheart, but your daddy died on the same day you were born. Dana was taken to the hospital with broken ribs and head trauma, but you and her survived.”

  I felt such sadness, but also gratitude for the man who gave me life. My real father sounded like a wonderful man.

  “Thank you, Grandpa! You have no idea how much it means to me to know the truth. To know about my dad. It gives me closure, you know. I am turning twenty-one in a month, and this feels like a new beginning somehow. I am becoming my own person, entering adulthood, and won’t be under Rob’s or Dana’s thumb anymore.”

  “I know, sweetheart. And I am proud of you! You remind me so much of Andrew – you have the same big heart, the same gentle spirit, but also his strength. Like you, he overcame a lot – losing his parents at a young age, making his way into the world, and becoming a doctor. He was a brilliant man, served in the Peace Corps… I can tell you so much about him if you promise you’ll come to visit this old man soon.”

  “I will, Grandpa. I can come down to Florida during spring break. Maybe I should bring my boyfriend too and introduce you. You’ll love Kevin – he plays baseball.” I knew my grandpa was a big fan of the game as well, so I was sure they would get along great.

  “Oh, a boy after my own heart. I am happy you have a boyfriend, sweetie. You deserve to be happy! Do you still play that guitar of yours?” he asked. Grandpa Steve was the one person who wanted to listen to my songs over the phone when I first started writing them. He gave me the encouragement to keep going and told me I was good.

  “Yes, I still play and write. I’ll give you a whole concert when I see you.” I promised him. Grandpa was silent, but his voice was shaky when he spoke again.

  “You got your talent from him too, Laurie. Your Dad played guitar and sang to you when you were in your mother’s belly. Maybe you heard him, I don’t know…Anyway, I am getting sentimental, and these guys that came over to play poker are looking at me funny and will start calling me Stevia if they see tears.”

  “Okay, then, I’ll let you go, Stevia! You better take all their money, so they’ll be the ones sobbing.”

  “Bye, sweetheart. I Love you!”

  I hung up the phone and looked at Kevin, who was listening to the whole conversation. “Jesus, babe. So, what? Rob is your uncle?” he gawked.

  “No, babe. As soon as we land in L.A., Rob is going to be my estranged uncle. Same as Dana. I think, as of now, I am done with all of them!”

  It was strange to be back in the house I hated with all my guts and never felt like was home. After that day, I hoped I’d never have to cross that threshold again. After we got to Liam’s house, I didn’t even go inside to change clothes. I just grabbed the keys of the Mercedes I got from Rob and told Kevin to follow me with his car. I had one thing to say to that blasted family and forever close the page on the last twelve years of my life.

  When I parked in front of the house, I looked up and saw the lights were still on in Rob’s office, and I knew where to find my demon.

  Kevin and I walked through the front door of the mansion, not even ringing the bell. Dana came out of the living room when she heard the door and pouted her lips in displeasure.

  “Lauren! What are you doing here, and who is this man?” She looked coldly at Kevin and noticed his arm wrapped around my shoulder.

  “This is my boyfriend, Dana. I am here just for a split second, and I’ll be out of your life. I have just a few things to say to you and your husband, so follow me!” I looked at her coldly and ordered her like she used to do to me for years. I took Kev’s hand and almost dragged him up the stairs, eager to get done with this, not even bothering to look if Dana came after us.

  I opened the door to Rob’s office without knocking and walked in. He was on the phone, but turned around and looked at me, with the usual taciturnity in his icy stare.

  “What do you want, Lauren? I am on the phone with my campaign manager an
d don’t have time for your nonsense today,” he hissed.

  “I’ll wait for you to finish,” I told him coldly and didn’t move or make an attempt to leave his office. Kevin was actually standing like a boulder, filling the doorframe, looking murderous at Rob, like he was my personal bodyguard. He sure looked like one, and had a clear intention to protect me at any cost.

  Rob looked at Kevin, and his words halted, “Martin, I’ll have to call you back.” He hung up the phone and nodded to the door, “Who is this guy, Lauren? Another boyfriend? You seem to be getting around…” he went right into the insults. Kevin literally growled like an injured beast, his fists tightened at his side, and he took a step into the office, ready to grab Rob over his desk and pound him. I grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

  “Don’t Kev, he is not worth it,” I told him. Kevin’s eyes met my calm gaze, and he seemed to relax a bit, the murder written on his face shifting down a notch to bodily harm.

  “You can’t insult me anymore Robert. You can’t hurt me or threaten me either because I won’t let you! You know for the last twelve years I asked myself why would someone hate their own child and use every opportunity to crush their spirit, but I think I finally got my answer. It wasn’t me you wanted to hurt. It was my real father- Andrew. What was it about him, Rob, ha? You hated him because he was better than you? Because people genuinely liked him? Because even my mother fell in love with him while you were just a wallet to her?”

  “You know then!” he hissed. “Raising my brother’s bastard was not something I wanted, but after that media fiasco when they found you in Texas, I had no choice but to take you under my roof, Lauren.” He was finally honest for once.

  I saw Dana standing by the door, the shock on her face made her look like some mannequin – soulless and devoid of life, a shell of a real person.

  “What about you, Dana? What did I ever do to you?” I could never call that woman mother again. She hid the truth from me and never loved me as her own child. She not only bent to Rob’s will and became the good wife. No, she became exactly like him.

  “You reminded me of Andrew every day…I can’t, Lauren… I can’t even look at you…” she turned away and left the room.

  “What do you want?” Rob rumbled like he wanted to scare me, but at that moment, I saw him for exactly what he was. He was not my monster. No, he was a pitiful small man who didn’t deserve another second of my life.

  “I don’t want anything from you. There.” I threw the key of the Mercedes onto his desk. “I am returning the last thing I owed you, and I don’t want to see you ever again.”

  I was about to turn around and leave, but I looked at Kevin, and I felt his pain. He also had scores to settle with this man. I nodded to him and gave him a go. “Kev, feel free to tell him who you are.”

  “Tell me what?” Rob shouted, but when he looked at the murder in Kevin’s eyes, his face paled, and his fist tightened when he pressed his knuckles on his desk.

  “Do you know who I am, Rob? I am that little boy who came searching for your daughter. You paid me $200 bucks and told me that Lauren didn’t want to see me. You took her away from me for twelve years and made her suffer every day we were apart. But if you ever come close to her or try to hurt her in any way, I will make sure I dedicate at least the next twelve years of my life to destroy you!

  “Is this a threat?” Robert tried to sound intimidating, but his cowardliness was showing. He was standing in front of a man way bigger than him, not just in size, but in character, and he knew it.

  “No, Rob. It’s not a threat! It’s a promise!” Kevin said calmly, and I think that was the last hit that killed the monster.

  “Let’s go, Kevin.” I took the hand of my guy and led him out of the office. I couldn’t help but turn around, smile at Rob, and in the most casual tone, tell him. “You won’t see me ever again, but good luck with your campaign.”

  I left him standing alone, staring at the door and at my back. I didn’t even say goodbye to Dana on my way out of their house and their miserable lives.

  Once outside, I jumped into Kevin’s arms, and he was there to catch me. My lips found his, and he murmured between kisses. “Now, you are all mine, babe.”

  “Yes, Kev. Now I am free to love you!”

  Chapter 25

  (Six months later)

  When you have to start all over and you have a clean slate to build your new life, you want to base it on love, not resentment. I learned to be present, and focus on the day ahead of me, leaving the trauma behind. It wasn’t worth my happiness.

  Kevin and I were still crazy for each other, and the six months of dating didn’t make things between us slow down. If anything, I felt our relationship deepen with time. He would always be my friend, but I loved him more and more as my boyfriend. Kev kept his promise to make us experience the fun side of being in love. We went on dates, went to parties with friends, danced, and laughed. Somehow being together lifted all the heaviness and intensity from our relationship and left only the joy. The memories that once were vivid flashbacks of our past became simply shared recollections, that we both felt nostalgic about, but not burdened by the past traumas.

  I was at all of Kevin’s baseball games, and not just to support him, but because I fell in love with the game. His joy when he was on the field was contagious, and he made it interesting to someone like me who was never into sports. He had an amazing season during his last year at USC, winning two of the most prestigious awards in college baseball - The Golden Spikes Award given to the best amateur baseball player in the United States, and The Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award as he was the best hitter in the nation. I couldn’t be prouder of Kevin, because he was rising as one of the top prospects for MLB.

  I was nervous when the draft approached because there was an uncertainty of what team he might be drafted to and where he had to relocate. We didn’t talk about being in a long-distance relationship, and even though I was sure we could do it, I didn’t want to spend time away from him. Twelve years was enough separation for a lifetime. I had a hard time when he had to go to away games since we spent every free minute of our days glued at the hip.

  I was building new memories with all the people I loved. Kevin and I were lucky we were not paying rent still rooming with Liam, but I still wanted to pay for groceries and my expenses.

  I found a job at a small coffee shop in Echo Park as a barista, but they also had a stage with live music in the evenings. It was the best part of my day to play my guitar, sing for the small audience, and share my new songs. They were all about love, not struggles or loss anymore.

  Kevin was still sleeping, cuddled next to me when my phone woke me up, alerting me to a new e-mail. I grabbed it from the nightstand, and when I saw who it was from, my eyes shot open. I read the e-mail twice before I started screaming and shaking my tired boyfriend.

  “What? What?” he looked sleepily at me, but then he was already pulling me to him. “Don’t have to shout for morning sex, babe. That’s my job to make you scream…” he murmured.

  “It’s not morning sex, babe. You got to read this!” I shoved my phone at him. He took it and read the beginning of the e-mail bolting up in bed, just as I did.

  “It’s from that dude from last night?” He gawked at me.

  Yes, last night a man approached me after my set and told me that he was a music producer for a major label, and he’d been tracking me down for months. Someone had posted another video of me with the name of the coffee shop location where I performed, and that’s how he had found me. The producer asked me for my e-mail, and this morning sent this e-mail with an offer from his label to record a single of my original song, “You can’t hurt me if I’m happy.” The music executives from Columbia Records were considering offering me a full record deal if my song was as successful on the charts as it was online.

  “Babe, this is amazing! I am so proud of you!” Kevin seemed so happy, kissing me, like this was the best news ever. My initial excit
ement for the offer was replaced by concern. Today was the MLB draft, and I knew I would follow Kevin to the end of the world if he asked me, which meant it was my turn to make sacrifices to be with him.

  “Kev, I know we haven’t talked about this, but after today, if you get drafted somewhere far away, I would love to come with you. I am also proud of you, and I know how hard you worked to be one of the top baseball prospects in this country. But you could have had this success years ago, and you stayed here for me. Columbia records is here in L.A., and I couldn’t accept this offer if it meant that I have to live apart from you.” I admitted. Kevin looked at me, his eyes filling with moisture.

  “You are going to be a huge star, Laurie. I will be there when you get your Grammy award one day. Please, don’t put me ahead of yourself. We can both make compromises, live apart for a few months if we have to, but I told you - my heart belongs to you, no matter where you are. And I know I have yours with me. You know, we both learned during last season that being away can be fun – your phone sex voice is also a killer.” He joked and made me chuckle.

  “You know what? I better negotiate that record deal and get paid tons of money for that song, so I can fly over and get some naked cuddling with my boyfriend too,” I whispered into his lips.

  He was on top of me in a millisecond, trailing kisses from my lips to my cheeks, and kept going. I guess my guy needed some naked cuddling right away, considering in a few hours we had to find out where life would take him.

  His draft party was at Tanner’s house, and all of our friends and families were there.

  Connie and Larisa were in the kitchen, both in tears, since it was the first time they met in person. Kevin’s adoptive Mom was really gracious, and Connie was happy that Kevin included her on the most important day of his life. Both women seemed proud of him and united in their love for the boy who overcame his struggles to become the man he was on that day. Connie moved to L.A., and Kevin and I were helping her restore Letty’s house, but more than anything, we were slowly making amends and building a new relationship with her. Sadly, Robert never got to face charges for selling me to Connie as a baby because there was a ten years statute of limitation to the crime, but the evidence she provided was used in his trial to speak to his character. The bastard got what was coming to him.