How far would she go? How much would she write?

Silence was motioning for the smelling salts to stave off the swoon from the approaching panic attack.

The Sad Girl called her Favorite Sister. “Would you take a DNA test with me?”

And because her Favorite Sister loved her, she agreed. “If it will put your mind at ease, I will. I know we are full sisters but I don’t want you to have this question hanging over your head.”

That’s what Love does- it looks to comfort.

The Favorite Sister hadn’t told the Sad Girl yet of the questions that were hanging over her own head.

When the results came in they confirmed what the Sad Girl had already understood- they were half-sisters.

It put her Favorite Sister into shock.

Finally, the Secret that destroyed generations of a family had come out of the darkness and into the light.

And with the results, predictably, came the Greek Chorus-

“You should find another hobby other than family history… If you continue asking about your parentage, I will take it as a personal insult and a slur against Mommy’s good name.”

“DNA isn’t real. It’s bullshit science. I don’t care what a geneticist says or how many doctors you have talked to. It was a Mickey Mouse test and it’s not true.”

“Go ahead…call Daddy and ask him.”

In one breath, “I swear I know nothing.” In another breath, “ask me when Dad’s been dead for a year. Then I’ll talk about it.”

Clearly the Sad Girl hit a nerve. The Woman with a Rock in her Shoe must have had an interesting deathbed confession. The Sad Girl wouldn’t know- she wasn’t allowed to say good bye to the Woman with the Rock in her Shoe.

But what they didn’t know, couldn’t know, because the Sad Girl didn’t tell them, was that she was happy. She always knew she was different and now she had the reason- she only shared half their blood.

Silence is going to need a heavy sedative. Or another pack of cigarettes.

“Tell me what kind of man you are,” the Woman with a Rock in Her Shoe asked the Sad Boy.

Using the Italian-English translation dictionary, she launched into an inquisition that no other prospective in-law had had to face asking questions that a father should have asked.

Rapidly she fired off her queries while the Sad Boy looked her in the eye and answered truthfully.

He told her about the women, the abortions, the drug use, the temper, the brushes with death, the contemplation of murder…

On and on he went in full disclosure to the Woman with the Rock in her Shoe.

The Sad Girl had squeezed his hand and left him to the interrogation. The Sad Boy had it well in hand and she didn’t care to hear anymore.

The Sad Boy ended the conversation on two notes- he was happy to tell the Woman with the Rock in her Shoe because he didn’t want her to hear it from anyone else, and, most importantly, that he was remorseful for his youthful indiscretions.

The Woman with the Rock in her Shoe hugged him and said that God loves a repentant sinner best.

Then she instructed the Sad Girl to take the Sad Boy to confession for God’s official forgiveness and blessing.

 

 

 

 

 

Goldilocks