Chapter 4: The Secret My Father Buried
I read the words on the back of the photograph three times.
*Ask your father why he chose Tasha.*
My father.
The man who had attended my wedding. The man who had held Imani when she was born. The man who had spent the previous evening watching his granddaughter blow out ten candles.
I turned toward Tasha.
"What does this mean?""
She stood beside the bedroom door, twisting her wedding ring.
"I don't know.""
"Don't lie to me.""
"I'm not lying.""
"Then why is my father in a photograph with you and Danielle at the hospital?""
Tasha looked at the picture.
"Because he visited us.""
"Us?""
She swallowed.
"Danielle and me.""
I stared at her.
"Why would my father visit you?""
"Marcus, you need to ask him.""
"That's exactly what I'm asking you.""
She shook her head.
"I promised Danielle I wouldn't tell you.""
I laughed bitterly.
"You've been keeping secrets about my dead wife, my daughter, and now my father. Do you hear yourself?""
"Please don't make this worse.""
"Worse than what? My daughter hiding crackers because she's afraid you'll take her dinner?""
Tasha flinched.
I picked up the photograph and walked downstairs.
My father was sitting at the kitchen table, reading the newspaper. My mother was preparing coffee.
"Good morning, son," he said.
I placed the photograph in front of him.
"Explain this.""
His eyes dropped to the picture.
The newspaper slipped from his hands.
For several seconds, he didn't move.
Then he removed his glasses.
"Where did you get that?""
"Inside Danielle's box.""
He looked toward my mother.
She put down the coffee pot.
"What is it, Robert?""
My father didn't answer.
I pulled out the chair opposite him.
"Why were you with Tasha at the hospital when Imani was born?""
My father's face tightened.
"Marcus, this isn't something we should discuss in front of everyone.""
"Then maybe you should have thought about that before keeping secrets for ten years.""
My mother sat down.
"Robert?""
He rubbed his forehead.
"Your father made a promise," he finally said.
I looked at him.
"To whom?""
"Danielle.""
"What promise?""
He stared at the photograph.
"That I would protect her children if anything happened to her.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
"Why would she ask you to do that?""
"Because she was worried.""
"About what?""
My father glanced toward the staircase.
"About Tasha.""
I leaned forward.
"Why?""
He took a long breath.
"Because Tasha had been asking questions about you long before you met her.""
The room became silent.
"What kind of questions?""
"Where you worked. Whether you were still married. Whether you were happy with Danielle.""
I stared at him.
"Why would she care?""
My father looked down.
"Because she had feelings for you.""
I felt as if someone had struck me.
"What?""
"Before Danielle met you, Tasha had seen you at a family gathering. She knew who you were. She told Danielle she thought you were handsome.""
I shook my head.
"That's ridiculous.""
"Your aunt had invited several people. You were there with Danielle. Tasha was there too.""
I remembered that gathering.
It had been years earlier.
I'd barely spoken to anyone outside my immediate family.
"You're telling me Tasha knew me before Danielle introduced us?""
My father nodded.
"Yes.""
"Did Danielle know?""
"Eventually.""
I pushed my chair back.
"Then why did Danielle never tell me?""
"Because she didn't want to create problems between the sisters.""
My mother stared at my father.
"Robert, what exactly happened?""
He closed his eyes.
"Tasha approached Danielle shortly after she discovered she was pregnant. She told her she wanted to be part of the baby's life.""
"That's not unusual," I said.
"She also told her that she thought you should have married her instead.""
My jaw tightened.
"What?""
My father continued.
"Danielle refused. They argued. Tasha accused her of taking everything from her.""
I remembered Tasha's explanation from the previous morning.
She'd said she was jealous.
But I'd assumed that jealousy had started after losing her baby.
Apparently, it went back much further.
My father reached for the photograph.
"Danielle asked me to intervene because she was frightened that Tasha would do something foolish.""
"Did she threaten her?""
He hesitated.
"She said something terrible during an argument.""
"What?""
My father looked directly at me.
"She told Danielle that if she couldn't have a family of her own, she would make sure Danielle never had the family she wanted either.""
My mother covered her mouth.
I stared at him.
"And you kept this from me?""
"Danielle begged me not to tell you. She was afraid you would confront Tasha, and things would become worse.""
"So you let me marry her?""
My father lowered his head.
"I thought she'd changed.""
I stood.
"You thought?""
"Marcus—"
"You watched me bring that woman into my home. You watched her become part of my children's lives. And you knew what she had said?""
"I thought she was trying to make peace with her sister.""
I laughed without humor.
"She was trying to marry me.""
My father didn't respond.
I looked at the photograph again.
"Why was she wearing a hospital band?""
My father took a breath.
"She had been admitted to the hospital that day.""
"For what?""
"She fainted.""
"Why?""
"She hadn't been eating properly. She was going through a difficult time.""
I stared at him.
"Was she pregnant?""
My father's eyes dropped.
And that was when I understood.
"Was she?""
He nodded slowly.
My mother stood.
"Robert, what are you saying?""
My father looked at me.
"Tasha was pregnant the same year Danielle gave birth.""
I couldn't speak.
The woman who had made my daughter feel guilty for wanting another piece of cake had once been pregnant herself.
But that wasn't what frightened me.
It was the possibility that her obsession with my family had begun before I ever knew she existed.
"Where is the baby?"" I asked.
My father shook his head.
"She lost the pregnancy.""
"Why didn't anyone tell me?""
"Because it wasn't your child, Marcus.""
I stared at him.
"Whose was it?""
He hesitated.
Then he said a name.
"Daniel.""
My mother's face changed.
I knew Daniel.
My father's younger brother.
My uncle.
The same uncle who had died in a car accident years earlier.
I sat down slowly.
"You're telling me Tasha was pregnant with Uncle Daniel's child?""
My father nodded.
"Danielle discovered the truth. That's when everything fell apart between them.""
I looked toward the stairs.
Tasha had been my uncle's partner.
Not just Danielle's sister.
And somehow, years later, she'd married me.
Before I could ask another question, my phone vibrated.
A message from Vanessa appeared.
*Marcus, I found something in Danielle's old documents. You need to see it before you confront Tasha again.*
A photograph followed.
It showed a document from a hospital.
At the bottom was a signature.
Tasha Reed.
But the date was three months before Danielle died.
And beside the signature was a sentence that made my blood run cold:
*Patient refuses to release the child to the designated guardian.*
I stared at the screen.
Then I looked at my father.
"Who was the designated guardian?""
He went pale.
"Marcus, don't jump to conclusions.""
"Who?""
He looked toward the staircase.
May you like
And whispered:
"Me.""
