It's Better This Way(38)

“It wasn’t a secret, was it?”

“No, not at all.” The pub crawl had been the turning point in their relationship. That was the night Heath had first kissed her. The night she felt the thick wall around her heart crack open with the possibility of falling in love again. Love had deeply wounded her before, and she’d been afraid until Heath had kissed her. That first kiss had changed everything.

“It is Heath,” she agreed. “We’ve been spending a lot of time together, and it’s been wonderful. Neither of us set out to care for each other the way we do. It simply happened. We share a lot in common. Until Heath, I didn’t believe I would ever find someone again. It’s like my whole world has opened up since we’ve been together.”

“That’s great. When do we get to meet him?”

“Anytime you want…only…” She couldn’t make herself do it.

    “Only what?” Marie asked, as her face sobered.

“Does he have a criminal record? Is he dying? Is he married?” Hillary injected.

Julia shook her head. “Heath is a good person. He’s healthy. And he was married, but is now divorced.”

“So what is it you’re afraid to tell us?”

“It’s about his ex-wife,” she said, carefully easing into the subject.

Both girls leaned back in their seats. “Is she making your relationship impossible?” Carrie asked, concerned.

“Is she a witch the way Laura was?” Hillary added another question.

Julia held their gazes for several seconds, before she lowered her eyes and whispered, “She is Laura.”

The admission was met with complete silence, while the three made the connection.

“Heath was married to Laura…the same Laura who is now married to our father?” Hillary asked, speaking first.

Julia nodded. “We only discovered this recently, and it was as much of a shock to us as it is to you. When Heath spoke of his ex, he called her Lee, and when I mentioned Eddie, he had no clue Eddie was the Edward who had married his ex.”

“When did you make the connection?”

“Heath’s son Michael recognized me.”

On hearing Michael’s name, both her daughters instantly stiffened. “I bet that didn’t go well,” Hillary muttered, her jaw tightening with distaste.

“I can only imagine what he said.” Marie shook her head as if she’d bit into something sour and repugnant. “You might be fond of Heath, but you need to know his sons are a piece of work.”

    “You do realize that it’s because of Michael and Adam that Marie and I will never have a relationship with our dad again.”

“Oh Hillary, don’t say that.”

“It’s true, Mom.”

“What did his sons say when they learned Heath was involved with you?” Carrie asked.

“Yes, Mom, what did they say?” Both Hillary and Marie crossed their arms defensively.

Carrie asked the one question Julia had hoped to avoid. “They weren’t happy about it, although Heath assured me our relationship isn’t going to change anything between him and his boys.”

“They don’t want anything to do with you, though, right?”

Slowly, reluctantly, Julia nodded.

Hillary and Marie’s faces tightened until they each wore pinched looks.

“Like you ever did anything to hurt them,” Marie huffed.

“Mom, are you sure you’re in love with Heath…I mean, there are plenty of other eligible men. Why does it have to be him?”

“You want me to break up with Heath?” she asked. This was her biggest fear. She’d prayed her girls wouldn’t react the same way Heath’s sons had.

The three shared an unreadable look.

“Aunt Julia, we want you to be happy.”

“I am happy…or I was until this information came to light. It’s a complication Heath and I never anticipated. You need to know this has shaken us both. After talking to his sons, Heath needed a few days to mull it over. In the end he decided he wasn’t going to let what happened between Laura and Eddie stand between us.”

    “And I suppose he naturally assumed you would do the same?” Hillary repeated, raising her voice. “Does he have any idea of the awkward position that puts you, and Marie, and me in?”

Julia had to agree it was awkward. “I believe he does.”

“I doubt it.”

Julia didn’t know what to expect when she shared this news with her family. Like her, they were stunned. It would take time to fully absorb all the implications. “The thing you need to understand,” she said, hoping to add clarity, “is that this doesn’t change the way Heath and I feel about each other.”

All three girls were quiet. Finally, it was Marie who spoke. “Maybe it should, though.”

For one wild moment, Julia felt certain her heart had stopped. “What do you mean?” she asked, once she found her voice.

“Laura is poison. Why Dad would choose to leave you for that witch says everything I need to know about the kind of man my father is,” Hillary said.

“And it isn’t only Dad Laura has poisoned,” Marie added. “She’s infected the entire family. Her sons hate us, and because they are loyal to their mother, it sounds like they won’t even give you a chance.”