"Tell me quickly, what is so urgent, what's wrong?"
"Calm down everyone is fine and healthy, no deaths, no injuries."
"So what is so important Dad, that you need to drag me out of work like this?"
"Son, I think maybe you might need to sit down."
"No Dad, just spit it out will you!!"
"There is a little girl sat on the couch in the living room and she claims that you are her Dad."
"You what?" I hope you told her to get lost!!"
"No I didn't"
"Why not?"
"Well son I did warn you one of these days it would all catch up with you, and I think it just has."
"Its just rubbish."
"I am not so sure, when you see her I think you will know she is your child."
"Don't be silly Dad."
"Go see for yourself, and don't be hard on her its not her fault."
"Dad ....."
"Her name is Bree, by the way."
I took one look at her, I could see what Dad meant, I took a deep breath and sat down beside her.
"So Bree, what is this all about?"
"Your Devon Swan aren't you, I can tell."
"Yes I am."
She just looked at me."So why are you here Bree?"
"Because you are my Dad and I want to know why you never come to see me?"
"Who told you I was your Dad?"
"Not my Mom, thats for sure, she just keeps saying that I am better off not know because you are a waste of space, my cousin Lexy heard my Mom and Aunty Linda talking about you."
"Maybe your cousin got it wrong."
"I don't think so do you?"
"So what is your Mom's name?"
"Tracey"
"Tracey Leal?"
"Yes see you do know her, don't you!!"
"Yes, you stay here and watch tv while I just go and phone your Mom and get this sorted out."
"Tracey?"
"What do you want Devon, I am in a hurry?"
"I have Bree sitting in my livingroom."
"O - M - G!!!!! NO!!!!!!"
"Tracey it is true?"
"Just send her home Devon?"
"Tracey I asked you? IS IT TRUE???"
Silence she said nothing"Tell me damn it, is she mine??"
It took her what seemed like an eternity to say Yes.Now it was my turn to be silent, the shock hit me like a punch in the stomach.
"Devon are you still there?"
"Yes."
"Just send her home Devon, she won't bother you again."
"Like hell will I - if you want your daughter, you come fetch her and while you are round here I think you have some explaining to do - don't you!!!"
"Your Mom is on her way round."
"I guess that's me in trouble then!!"
"No your not, its your mother who is in trouble for not telling me you even existed!!"
"So did she tell you then, are you my Dad?"
"Yes I am your Dad, and Bree I am sorry, but your Mom she never told me about you."
"So if you had known about me, would you have come to see me?"
"Yes of course I would have!!"
"So are you a waste of space, like Mom says you are?"
"Well I hope not, but I can imagine why she might say it!!"
"So will you come and live with us now that you know?"
"No, I am sorry I can't you see I live here with my wife and your two little sisters."
"I have sisters?" that put a smile on her face."Yes two, Maylee and Mallory."
"Where are they at school?"
"No they are in that room there, they are only toddlers."
"So who is the old guy who let me in?"
"That is your Grandad and your Grandmother lives here too but she is at work at the moment."
The doorbell rang.
"It sounds like your Mother is here, I better let her in."
"Why Tracey, why would you even do this?"
"Well, can you blame me?"
"Why didn't you tell me you was pregnant?"
"I actually tried to tell you twice."
"When? You couldn't have tried very hard because I didn't have a clue!!"
"The night I arranged to meet you at Wally's, remember?"
I remembered because it was the night she never turned up and the night I first saw Cathleen."You didn't even show up."
"I was on my way to tell you, but I ended up at the hospital instead, that night Bree was born."
"You said twice?"
"That day in the park, you walked away before you even gave me a chance to say anything."
I remembered that too because I had felt guilty for even agreeing to meet her and she flirted with me and I ran."Rubbish - any minute of any day you could have picked up that phone and told me but I think you chose not to tell me - why?"
"Don't just stand there - tell me - why did you never tell me about the baby?"
"I wanted to tell you, I was scared too and the longer it got the harder it got for me to say anything, I left it so long I just couldn't tell you, besides, I didn't really think you would care about the baby anyway."
"I wouldn't care - are you mad? That's my child sat in there!!!"
"Well now you know maybe we can do something about it."
She moved towards me, a look on her face I knew very well.
"ARE YOU MAD!!??" You are not going to get away with this by flirting with me - its not happening!!"
"Come on Devon, you have never complained before and we could ......"
"We could NOTHING!!!! I am happily married thank you so quit the crap!!"
"You - married - don't make me laugh!!"
"Yes me, I am married."
"I pity her - I bet you give her hell!!"
"And how do you work that out?"
"Well your nothing but a male whore for a start!!"
"Once maybe, but not anymore!!"
"Yeah right!!!!"
"Everything ok son, only I can hear shouting."
"Its ok Dad, I can handle it."
"You do know Cath is upstairs don't you, she had to come home early from work, she isn't feeling very well."
"What's wrong with her?"
"Nothing drastic, but she's trying to sleep."
"GREAT - That's all I need!!"
"I still don't get it - all this time and you did not tell me about Bree?"
"Well, you can't blame me, what sort of Dad would you make honestly!!??"
"A good one actually!!"
"Yeah right, you don't have a clue!!"
"Oh no - well there are two little girls in there that might tell you differently!!"
"You have kids?"
"Two daughters - oh no sorry three daughters - but unfortunately one of them, Bree, thinks I am a waste of space because that is what her mother has been telling her all the time she has been hiding her away from me!!!!"
"OK - OK - I am sorry!!"
"Sorry doesn't quite cover it somehow!!"
"You can leave her here with me till I have worked out what to do about it!!"
"Oh NO, you are NOT taking my daughter away from me!!"
"Oh yes I am - for the time being at least - its up to Bree who she wants to live with, but first I want to get to know her and spend some time with my daughter seeing as I have missed out on so much - you owe me that much at least!!"
"No Devon, you can spend time with her by coming to visit her."
"Don't even try to argue with me, this is not up for debate, I am telling you - you have had her all this time, now its my turn - she is staying with me from now on, until Bree decides which of us she wants to live with."
"Devon what is all the shouting about? Hell, what is she doing here?"
"Cathleen ....."
"Hello Tracey."
"OMG - Cathleen please tell me you are not the fool that married this idiot!!"
"What are you even doing here Tracey?"
"Who is the little girl .... OMG!!!"
"I am sorry love, I didn't want you to find out like this."
"Please tell me she is not ....." She looked from me to Tracey then back to Bree."Her name is Bree, and I only found out TODAY that she is my daughter, Tracey never even bothered to tell me she was pregnant or about the baby."
"Why now?" was all she said"Bree came here looking for me with out her Mother knowing - I am sorry Cathleen."
"Devon can we have a word in private."
"Oh dear, looks like someone is in trouble." Tracey said smuggly"Shut up bitch - you can take Bree into the other room while I have a word with my husband."
"Your are not mad with me are you?"
"I'm shocked."
"You and me both!!"
The silence was killing me, she just stood there looking at me with this wierd look on her face."I swear I knew nothing about Bree......"
"Its fine - I knew Tracey had had a baby I just never would have guessed it was yours!!"
"You knew?"
"I knew she was having a baby, one of the reasons we fell out - she would not tell me who the Dad was and I was supposed to be her best friend, but I hadn't even me you then ...."
"Its ok isn't it if Bree stays here a while, its not going to upset you is it?"
"Its fine - its not the childs fault - but I am going to need time to get my head round this."
"I know - I am sorry - I can not get my own head round it all!!"
"Anyway, that isn't why I need a word - I am going to add to your headache because there is something I need to tell you ironically and it can not wait till later."
"I don't like the sound of that - am I going to like this?"
"Well I should hope so!!"
"Go on then tell me."
"I am pregnant again!!"
"Your joking, that's great!!"
"No your Dad says everything is fine medically, he thought maybe that the twins were a one off."
"That's great!!"
"Its a boy too."
"Really? just one or is there more?"
"No, just one this time!!"
"No Mom, please, I don't want to go home!!"
"Well tough you are coming." Tracey snapped at Bree"Bree is staying here with me remember, Tracey leave her alone!!"
"No, I am her mother and if I say she is coming home with me she is."
"And I say she is staying here, but maybe we should ask Bree where she wants to be."
"Bree, I have told your mother I want you to stay here with for for a while so that we can get to know each other and spend some time together."
"Do you mean like live here with you and not with Mom?"
"Yes for a little while, then maybe you can decide who you want to live with permanently."
"DEVON ...."
"Shut up Tracey."
"Can't we all live together?"
"I am sorry Bree, that just is not possible."
"Will I have my own bed or will I have to share."
"You will have your own bed, you can even have your own room if you want one."
"Will I have to go back to Mom when the new baby comes?"
"No, not unless you want to, so do you want to stay here with me for a while?"
"Yes, I want to stay here."
"OK"
"You heard what she said didn't you Tracey?!"
"Please Devon, don't do this."
"Its done, she has decided she is staying here, and if you don't like it I suggest you get yourself a lawyer!!"
"This really is not fair!!"
"And what you did to me, and Bree by not telling us - that was not very fair was it??!!"
"I said I was sorry!!"
"Like I said, sorry will never be good enough - sorry will never make up for everything I have missed. Now I think its time you left - I will make arrangements for her to visit you regularly while she is here and I will let you know when she has decided where she is going to be living on a permanent basis."
"Devon - Please ......."
"Goodbye Tracey you know where the door is, you can show yourself out!!"
"Dad - don't even start with the I told you so's because I don't want to here it right now!!!!"
"Actually I wasn't going to say I told you so!!"
"You just did!!"
"I was actually going to say, I am quite proud of you, and the way you handled that situation."
"Really??"
"Yes, but Devon - you don't think I have any more grandchildren out there that we don't know about?"
"I hope not!!"
"Who is the funny white man behind you?"
"Thats a ghost Bree, it is my Grandad - your Great Grandad, he died years ago."
"He is dead and you keep him here!!?"
"Don't look so shocked they won't hurt you, I'll show you the gravestones tomorrow"
"So is that white lady talking to Grandma in the babies room a ghost too?"
"Yes we have two ghosts that white lady as you put it is your Great Grandmother."
"But she looks young - he is an old guy."
Me and Dad both started laughing. she was so curious and constantly asking questions and did not seem to miss a trick - looks like I was going to have my hands full with this one!!
"Come on Bree, its bed time I'll read you a story, you can come and help me chose a book"
"Zac you are so crafty!!"
"I know" he went off with Bree laughing knowing he had escaped the twins bedtime.
"I am pregnant you know I really could do without the stress!!"
"Now who is being crafty, trying to get out of it!!"
"I hate to disturb you two but you know what time it is don't you!!!"
"Yes Mom, we were just talking about putting the twins to bed."
"You know Cathleen could really do without this stress being pregnant."
"Oh come on - why do I feel like I am being conned here!!?? You two have had your heads together haven't you!!"
"No - we wouldn't!!" they both looked at each other and laughed"I don't believe you!!"
"Come on, I'll help you."
"Thanks Mom."
"Your going to go straight to sleep for Daddy tonight aren't you Mallory."
"No sleep - no sleep!!""You'll be lucky, she fell asleep on the carpet earlier and I put her to bed, thought we would only have one to contend with tonight until Violets ghost went and woke her up."
"Great - looks like I am in for a long night!!
It did not take long for Mom to get Maylee to sleep.
Me I was up till 4am before Mallory finally went to sleep.
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That was an exciting way to get another kid and there was no doubt with those looks that she was Devon's. Now he has a house of kids to care for.
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