"What happened with my mother!??"
"W-what do you mean dear!??" Rudy said stuttering.
"Why would you ask such a question right now!?? You need rest." Joseph said sympathetically and fear in his eyes. Afraid she might find out.
"Jeanohntae I...."
"No. Please!" Interrupting Christian and almost on the verge of tears.
"I need to know. I saw the letter on the table that uncle Joseph sent a year ago. I came back from work and you weren't home. I found it opened thinking it was another bill. You guys have been talking about my mother and never told me. You made Christian pretend to be her child when you knew I've been asking about my mom." She said staring at her father who had fear and regret in his eyes.
"Honey, Maelene... I mean your mother wasn't doing well. During her pregnancy, she was going crazy. Saying to get the demon out of her. She started punching her stomach with you inside. The doctors had to sedate her and take you out before she could do any more harm. You were born a month earlier than expected. The doctors had to keep and eye on you. They had to take your mother to a mental clinic. She never even saw you." Rudy said with teary eyes.
"Why!??" She started crying.
"Jeanohntae dear, we didn't want to hurt you. We were all just trying to protect you. We didn't want you to be harmed in any way." Joseph was feeling guilty.
"I did it for you. I just wanted to see you happy. I wanted to keep seeing you smile." Christian almost teared up immediately.
Jeanohntae couldn't believe her ears. She tried avoiding Christian when she finally realized who he was because she thought they did something to her mother. Turns out, it was the other way around.
They just wanted to protect her. They just never thought that keeping the truth from her would hurt her so much. They were indeed feeling really guilty.
She never imagined that her mother would do that to her. She always thought her mother moved away to get married to someone else.
Growing up without a mother was hard for Jeanohntae to do. Especially since her father never wanted to remarry again. She has never felt a mother's love.
She was always surrounded by three amazing guys. She then considered herself very lucking because the three of them combined can make up for the loss of a mother's love. She was very grateful.
"Thank you Uncle Joseph and Christian. Without the sacrifice you have done. I would have been in the claws of a horrible person." She finally calmed down. "And thank you dad for your unconditional love and support."
They were shocked to hear her words. "You're not mad!??" Joseph asked.
"I was at first. Now that I know the truth, how could I stay mad at the people who made sure I was safe everyday!??" Jeanohntae was truly happy and relieved.
They all got together to hug each other. All of a sudden, Adrian came bursting in through the doors like he was running for his life. "Oh babes I am so happy you are okay. You scared me half to death."
Forgetting people were in the room, he used his girly feminine voice.
"It's your boyfriend again." Christian glared at Adrian. Until he finally realized, "Wait! What happened to your voice!?? You didn't sound like that at the dinner." Christian looked at him suspiciously.
Jeanohntae and Adrian both looked at each other and started laughing. Adrian couldn't contain his laughter. "Okay. You got us." He said laughing even harder.
"What's so funny!?? I'm being serious." Christian didn't understand.
Joseph and Rudy who were both on the side. Looked at the laughing pair in confusion. They just looked back at each other and shrugged their shoulders not wanting to get involved.
"Babes do you wanna tell him or should I be the one to do it!??" They just couldn't stop laughing.
"He's not my boyfriend. He's my best friend and he's gay. He already has a boyfriend!" Jeanohntae was laughing so hard she was tearing up.
"WHAT!" Christian yelled. "You mean to tell me this was all fake!??"
"What did you expect!?? I really wanted to see your reaction when I brought Adrian. His boyfriend is super friendly and cute too." She said still laughing.
"You..." Christian pinched the bridge on his nose. A few seconds later he started laughing.
Joseph was the one in complete shock when he heard his son laughing. "Son, are you feeling alright!?? You're laughing." He was so surprised.
"Is it a crime to laugh when something is funny!??" Christian managed to speak under his laugh.
"I'm just surprised that you can still laugh. I haven't heard a genuine laugh from you in years. I'm shocked!" Joseph was indeed shocked.
"Of course I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be!?? Jeanohntae is happy so I'm happy. Everyone knows that she is the only person in the world that can get me to laugh no matter what she does." He was telling the truth.
Jeanohntae is the only woman in the world that can make Christian smile and laugh genuinely. She doesn't have to try, as long as she looks at him, he'll smile just for her.
"He is correct you know. Jeanohntae was always able to make him laugh and smile even when he was sad or mad. We've all seen it." Rudy said as he put his hand on Joseph's shoulder smiling.
They all got together for a little group hug. Adrian included. They were all happy that Jeanohntae was doing better.
A few moments later, their moods quickly changed as the person who entered the room next, gave them a shock of a lifetime.
"YOU LYING B*STARDS!"