The Truth About A Lie - Holly Hixson (e book reader txt) 📗

for someone...?” His voice broke off as a flicker of recognition crossed his face. He did know her, after all these years. Selena stepped away from her car and started walking up the driveway.
“My God, Selena, is it you? I can’t believe this, what are you doing here?”
“Jimmie. I guess I’m looking for you. You’re still here? She waved her arms at the house she remembered from her teens.
“Off and on actually. My parents passed away five years ago. I inherited the house, so we moved in. That didn’t go over well with my wife, life in a small town; so she moved on to bigger and better things. Come in. I can’t believe you are here.” Jimmie opened the front door and led her into the foyer.
Selena laughed nervously and replied, “I can’t believe it myself. I’ve been afraid that you would hate me. I need to tell you something and I’m not sure how.”
They moved into the small cozy kitchen. Selena felt like she’d stepped back in time. Everything was the way she remembered it. Jimmie handed her a glass of iced tea and their fingers touched. Selena was startled by the jolt of feeling that surged through her. Jimmie felt it too, a look of wonder on his face.
“Are you and Greg still together?” he asked.
“No, he died in a car accident five years ago. We were getting divorced when it happened. My parents died, too. I live up in the mountains. I write romance novels.” She laughed bitterly at the irony of it. She was a writer of romance who had totally messed up her own life.
Jimmie nodded. “I’ve been married three times, divorced just as many. Seems every time I find someone I have the same problem---they can’t make me forget the one I really love.” His voice faltered as he stared at her.
“Oh, Jimmie, I am so sorry. I did something horrible that summer and I’ve never forgiven myself for it. I thought I was sparing you a lifetime of hurt, giving you a chance to follow your dreams. I destroyed my own happiness too.”
“I thought we loved each other Selena. I’ve never been able to understand what you did.”
“I lied to you that summer. I didn’t want to tie you down, didn’t want to end your dreams. I knew you’d want to marry me.” Selena stopped, looking at him with tearful eyes.
“What are you telling me, that your child was mine?” Jimmie said, startled.
“Yes, that’s what I’m telling you. The truth is the baby I was carrying was yours, and I was afraid you’d end up hating us because of having to give up your dreams.”
“Selena, those dreams included you. I wanted you by my side the whole way. Without you there were no dreams. Wow, I’m a father?”
Selena laughed at the look on his face. “You have a daughter, who looks a lot like you, though I only just realized this two weeks ago. She’s beautiful and talented. She’s majoring in graphic design at the college near us.”
Selena touched the side of his cheek, tears in her eyes. She let her fingers play through his long hair. He reached for her slowly, and then crushed her to him, kissing her deeply. Feelings she’d buried years ago resurfaced, the fever of their long ago passion resurged like a tidal wave over them. He picked her up and carried her to his room, where they brought back from the past their once fiery emotions for each other. Hours later, they lay side by side, Jimmie staring at her in wonder.
“We still feel the same. I’ve never stopped loving you. It’s like I’ve been waiting for you all my life.” He kissed her chin, her eyelids, all tenderly, tears filling his eyes at the wonder of having her back with him.
“It’s been the same for me. All my senses have been on hold, a restlessness filling me waiting for something to happen.” Selena traced her fingertips gently over his body. She felt set free, like a weight had been lifted from her heart.
“I want to meet her. What did you call her?”
“Jamie, after you, but she has always thought Greg was her father. They were very close. I don’t know how to tell her. She’ll hate me for lying to her.”
“We’ll figure out a way. I’m coming home with you. I don’t ever want to lose you again.” He pulled her to him, pressing his lips to hers and they lost themselves in each other’s arms again.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The following day, Selena left for home. They had agreed Jimmie would follow the next day, giving him some time to take to make arrangements to get time off from his job. She felt apprehensive at leaving him, but he reassured her that he’d be there the following afternoon. On the way home Selena tried to think of a way to tell Jamie the truth about a lie she had lived her whole life.
All the next day, Selena worked steadily at her writing, trying to make the hours until Jimmie got here go faster. A little before four the phone rang. Her heart skipped a beat in panic as she reached for the phone and murmured hello.
“Selena Marsh? This is Montgomery Memorial Hospital. I’m afraid we have some bad news. A James Connor was admitted here. He’s been in an accident, a pretty serious one. He’s asked for you. It’s imperative that you get here soon, do you understand Miss March?” The voice on the phone went silent.
“I’ll come,” she whispered softly, tears sliding down her cheek. This couldn’t be happening. The sound of her cabin door opening made her turn, where her daughter stood. Pain and confusion spread across her face. The phone dropped from her fingers.
Grabbing her daughter’s hand she pulled Jamie out to her car. Jamie slid into the front seat acutely aware something really bad was taking place.
“There’s been a bad accident, not much time. We have to go.” Selena gasped spinning the wheels on the gravel driveway. As they rode south in tearful silence, Selena looked over at her daughter, not sure of how to tell her what must finally be told. She had promised Jimmie she would and now it might be too late. She looked at Jamie’s puzzled face, took a deep breath, and began.
“A long time ago, I was very much in love with a boy who was two years younger than me---Jimmie. I became pregnant when I was seeing him. I was afraid he’d hate me and I didn’t want to ruin his dreams, so I told him and everyone else that the father was an older boy I knew, Gregory Stone.”
Jamie stared at her mother, horrified at this news, not knowing what to say or think.
Selena continued. “I don’t remember why I chose Greg, other than he was older and seemed a safer choice. I couldn’t bear to tie Jimmie down and Greg was always getting drunk back then so it wasn’t hard to convince him we had been together. Jimmie was coming up here to meet you, and now he might not get to. Jamie, I’m so sorry.” Hot tears streamed down Selena’s face. She saw the look of horror and confusion alternate on her daughter’s face.
“How could you do this? How could you live a lie all these years? Maybe I could understand while Daddy was alive, but he’s been gone five years! It would have still been a shock, but I would have had time to get to know my real father! Now, I’ve got nothing! How could you do this?” Jamie yelled at her mother, anger rising within her.
“I’m sorry. I was afraid you’d hate me if I told you. You were devastated when Greg died. I didn’t want to take your memories of him away from you.” Selena replied.
Jamie said in disgust, “You have always shoved being honest down my throat, all my life; and look at you, look at what you did.”
They rode the rest of the way in silence. Selena was fearful they wouldn’t get there in time. When they entered his hospital room, he was just waking up. He looked at her, and knew she had told Jamie about him. He lifted his hand from the bed and reached for Jamie’s hand.
“Your mom told me about you. She was right, you are beautiful. I’m sorry I can’t get to know you. I’ve…I’ve always wanted a daughter.” Jimmie spoke low, trying to find the right words while engulfed in pain from his injuries.
“I’m sorry too. I hate her for lying to us. She robbed us of each other.” Jamie looked down at the man before her, tears sliding down her face.
“Don’t hate her. What she did was done out of love for both of us. But, she made it right at the end. Selena,” He let Jamie’s fingers slip from his and reached out to the woman he had loved all his life. “I love you. I have always loved you. Thank you for finding me.”
His voice grew weaker. Selena held his hand to her cheek, weeping silently. It wasn’t fair to lose him so soon after finding him. Pain filled her heart and she wept by his bedside; hot tears spilling not only for her present loss, but for the loss of a lifetime of love and happiness. The lie she had told all those years ago had caused nothing but pain for both of them. She hoped that in time, her daughter would forgive her.
Though she grieved deeply for Jimmie, she was glad she had gone back to find him. In their short time together they had loved a lifetime. Not everyone was so lucky. Seeing him again, she had been given her life back, had been allowed to feel vibrant and alive once more. The truth had finally set her free. She squeezed his hand firmly, leaned over and kissed him one final time. Thank you, she thought, for loving me.

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Text: Holly Hixson
Publication Date: 03-14-2012

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