“No Mum, it’s not, but for some strange reason, his father thought it was right to be straight with his son and tell him everything.”
“People do strange things, Calla.”
My blood is boiling through my veins. I huff loudly, making sure she can hear it. “I was being sarcastic.”
“Then it doesn’t suit you.”
I nearly explode with anger at this point. She’s avoiding the issue. “Did you or did you not have an affair with Jerry Knox?”
“We… had a fling, yes.”
“A fling, great. And were you both married to someone else?”
“It was just a fling. Nothing more.”
“Oh, well, that’s alright then. No harm done.”
“Listen, young lady?—”
“Why should I? For fuck’s sake, Mum, be straight with me.”
“There’s no need to swear.”
“I think there’s every need. Now, tell me, did you get pregnant after the so-calledfling?”
I hear her rapid breathing down the line. “Yes, I did… but it doesn’t mean that man was your father.”
“So, you’re saying Scott is lying.”
“Who’s Scott,”
“Jerry’s son. My half-brother. Are you saying he’s lying to me and his dad is not my dad?”
There’s silence. So much so I have to check she’s still there. “Mum?”
“I’m thinking,” she shrieks.
“About what?” I shriek back.
“About…. about the fact, I don’t really know, Calla. I can’t confirm or deny because I was sleeping with Jerry and Greg at the same time.”
I stumble back against the wall while bile rises in my throat. “You don’t know?”
“No. Is that so terrible?”
I rub my fingers against my forehead, taking a seat on the bottom stair. I question how one person can be soutterly selfish and stupid all at the same time. “Yes, it matters. You’re not the only person this affects. What about Scott? He knows his father had an affair, and I’m the result, at least he thinks I am. It’s also what his mother thought. Did you know, you and Jerry broke her heart with this sordid mess? Actually, you probably broke Jerry’s too in the end.”
“I don’t think so. We had regular contact right until he died.”
“You still saw each other?”
“Oh no, nothing like that, but he paid me child allowance until you turned eighteen.”
This whole situation goes from bad to worse. “Hold on a minute, you’re telling me you have no idea if this man is my father and you think Scott is making this whole thing up. Yet, you accepted child allowance payments until just a few years ago. Are you joking?”
“Someone had to pay for you, and Greg buggered off, so he wasn’t going to see me right.”
“Jesus, you have some cheek.”
