“He came outside while I was practicing my skateboarding last week, and he said I was going to have a little brother or sister.
He showed me the ultrasound and gave me a copy.”
“He told me not to tell you yet… That it should come from him and not me. But that he didn’t know how to tell you.
I didn’t want to lie, Mom. I swear, I didn’t. I just…
I didn’t want to mess things up. Or make Dad mad.”
Ben’s voice broke at the end, and I watched my son’s eyes fill. My boy, awkward and sweet and still just a child, was standing in front of me carrying a secret that never should have been his to hold.
“Ben, listen to me, baby,” I said, stepping forward and gently cupping his cheek.
He looked up, blinking rapidly.
“You didn’t do anything wrong.
Not a thing! This isn’t your fault, honey. And I need you to shake it off.
And just like that, he collapsed against me, burying his face in my shoulder. His whole body shook as he cried, and I wrapped my arms around him, holding him close.
I rubbed his back in slow, steady circles, even as my own heart began to crack under the weight of what I now understood.
“You know what? I’m going to call in sick,” I said.
“And you’re going to skip school today. Let’s just have a personal day. We can get some ice cream and go to the skatepark.
Dad will never have to know a thing.”
My son sighed deeply, and after a moment, he nodded against my chest.
That night, when my husband, Mark, finally came home — later than usual, his steps heavier, and the faint scent of cologne trailing behind him — I was already at the kitchen table.
Mark paused when he saw it. His eyes flicked to mine.
“Mark,” I said, keeping my voice even. “When were you planning to tell me that you’re having another child?”
“I didn’t know how, Jess,” he said, sitting down.
“I wanted to tell you for weeks… but I just didn’t know how.”
“You should have just said it anyway. You’ve been cheating for a long time, haven’t you?”
“I didn’t want to hurt you, Jess,” he said, his hands on his head.
“I really didn’t.”Continue reading…
