A Crossed Reality. Gerald Pruett

for a cab…”

      “I’ll come and get you two, so what is the address to the closest house to you?”

      “Mom, we could be arrested for stalking if we wait here for you,” Alex said while looking at Doug. “So why don’t Doug and I wait for you at a restaurant?”

      “What restaurant?!” Once Alex told Beverly the name of the closest fast food restaurant Beverly replied, “Okay, you two wait there and I’ll be there as soon as I can. Bye.”

      “Bye,” Alex said before cringing.

      As Alex went to put her phone away, Doug said, “From what I heard from your side of the conversation that went better than I thought it would.”

      “I think she’s saving it for when she sees us in person.” Alex then gestured in the direction of the restaurant. “Well, we better get there before mom does.”

      While walking to the restaurant, Doug asked, “So how do we find Randy if he is in Mexico?”

      “I think we’ll have to go there,” Alex answered.

      “I was scared that you were going to suggest that.”

      “Well, we have to find Randy, and the possibility of him being in Mexico City is the only lead we have.”

      “Well, before we do something drastic, like going to Mexico, I want to discuss it with Kenny, Brandy, Cindy and Ben first.”

      “Doug, this is not our reality and we need to do what is necessary to find Randy.”

      “We don’t know for certain that Randy is even in Mexico City, and that is why I want to discuss it with the others.”

      “Fine, we can discuss it with the others and after we discuss it, I’m going to Mexico with or without you.”

      Doug sighed before asking, “And how are you going to get to Mexico? You certainly don’t have the gas money to drive there.”

      “I’ll figure something out,” Alex assured him. Doug just shook his head in disbelief.

      After getting to the restaurant, Alex and Doug each bought a soda. They sat at a table for fifteen minutes before Beverly walked in. Alex’s back was to the entrance and when Doug saw Beverly, he gestured and said, “Mom’s here.”

      When Alex and Doug walked up to Beverly, Beverly told them in an unhappy tone, “Let’s go.”

      Before taking a step, Doug said, “Mom, I can…”

      “Save it until we get home,” Beverly sternly told him.

      “Yes, Ma’am,” Doug said before he, Alex and Beverly walked towards the exit.

      No one talked during the ride home and they continued to remain quiet as everyone entered a two-story house. Alex walked in first followed by Doug and then Beverly. As they walked into the living room Alex and Doug saw Avery and Michelle watching TV. Michelle was Alex and Doug’s sixteen-year-old sister and when they saw Michelle, they gazed at her as if they were seeing her for the first time.

      Avery turned off the TV and as he was standing up, he said, “Michelle, your mom and I need to talk to Alex and Doug alone, so I need you to go to your room and do your homework.”

      “My homework’s done.”

      “Then listen to your music CD’s,” Avery quickly told her.

      Michelle said while standing, “Fine.” As Michelle was walking towards the door, she looked at Alex and Doug. “I’m not sure if I want to hear this anyway.”

      After Michelle left the room, Avery gestured towards the couch while saying, “Sit down you two.” Alex and Doug sat down. Alex placed her purse on the coffee table. “You two are going to blow any chances of graduating Harvard by skipping classes and taking plane trips to St. Louis.”

       “Whose idea was it for Doug and I to go to Harvard?” Alex asked.

      “I suggested it, and you and Doug jumped on the suggestion,” Avery shot back. “Any more smart remarks from either of you?”

      Alex timidly said, “That wasn’t meant to be a smart remark.”

      “Alex, you want to go to medical school like your mother and I did, but you’ll blow that by skipping classes,” Avery said. “So why are you here?”

      “Didn’t you get the message that I left with Tiffany?” Alex nervously asked.

      “Your mother and I both got the same message, but your Aunt Melissa had a hunch and ran a check on who paid for the tickets, so we all know that the message you left was bogus. Oh and speaking of a message, why were you asking about a man name Nicholas Christopher O’Brien?”

      When Doug saw Alex searching her thoughts for an excuse, he blurted out, “Alex and I have our reasons to believe that Nicholas Christopher O’Brien is our real dad.”

      “Who told you that?” Beverly demanded to know.

      “Does it matter how we found out?” Doug questioned. “The fact is you two have been lying to us about who our father is.”

      Avery proclaimed loud enough for Michelle to hear, “Hey! I’m your father! I was in the hospital delivery room the day you and Alex were born! I contributed greatly for your education and your care providing! And I…”

      Alex quickly stood up and interrupted with, “Dad, I don’t think Doug meant for that to sound the way it did. We know you’re our dad, but if Nicholas O’Brien is our biological dad then we have the right to know that. That’s the reason why we’re in St. Louis. We came back to find the truth about Nicholas O’Brien and we didn’t ask either one of you because we didn’t think you would tell us.”

      “Well, you two can stop looking for Nicholas O’Brien because you two will never find him,” Beverly told Alex and Doug.

      “Why won’t we?” Alex quickly asked.

      Beverly took a breath before saying, “Alex; Doug, Nicholas was your biological dad; however, a month before I found out that I was pregnant with you two, he died.”

      “How did he die?” Doug asked.

      “He was injured on the job and was taken to the hospital,” Beverly began. “Within minutes after getting to the hospital he was given an injection that he was severely allergic to. Complications set in and he died from his allergies. To my surprise he had taken out a will and a life insurance policy on himself two months before and named me the sole beneficiary. The money I received was enough to help me stay in medical school. I met Avery two days before I found out I was pregnant with you two.” Beverly looked at Avery with a heartfelt gaze. “Avery found out that I was pregnant at the same time when the doctor gave me the news, and he stuck by me without hesitation. Avery may not have been the one who got me pregnant with you two, but he is your dad.”

      “Doug and I have the right to know this,” Alex said. “So why was this kept from us?”

      Doug gave Alex a curious look as Beverly gestured towards Avery while saying, “This man is your dad. When you and Doug were born he and I agreed on that us being your parents was the only thing that mattered.”

      “No offense, Mom, but that wasn’t your right or dad’s right to decide that,” Alex said.

      “Alex, you know the truth now,” Avery said. “So tell me, does knowing the truth change anything? Does it change who you are? Does it change the way you feel about me?”

      “It doesn’t change the way I feel about you, but it does change who I am. I mean, I have a heritage that I didn’t know about, and you and mom tried to keep it from Doug and me. That alone is wrong. A person needs to know where his or her ancestors came from.”

      “Alex, perhaps what your mom and I did wasn’t the right thing to do,” Avery began. “Up until now I thought it was the right thing, but