Arianna's Daughter

Chapter 3

The sound of the phone ringing broke Arianna out of her thoughts, ending her bitter-sweet trip down memory lane, bringing her back to the present. She was still in the bathroom, no longer leaning on the counter, but sitting on the floor crying tears she didn't know she had shed.

Brianna came in the bathroom with the phone.

"Mama why are you sitting on the bathroom floor? Are you crying? Are you upset because I told you I wanted to meet my daddy for my birthday present this year?" Brianna asked with a sad questioning look in her eyes. The same look Jase had that night she told him to go away.

"No kiddo. I was just thinking how so much time has passed and you really aren't my little baby anymore but a young lady that's all. Who's on the phone?"

"Grandma. She said she wants to talk about my party."

Arianna got up off the floor and reached for the phone.

"Hey Ma. What's up?" Arianna asked.

"Hey baby. Is everything ok? Did I hear Brie asking you if you were crying?" Katie asked.

"Everything is fine Ma. She told me what she wanted for her birthday. She wants to meet her father. Can you believe that?"

Katie Jones was quite for a long moment. When she spoke she asked her youngest child,

"Well Arianna what did you expect? Did you think the child would never want to know where she came from?" she asked. Katie knew there was more to the story than what Arianna had told them all, but she never questioned or pressed Arianna for the truth. "Baby, listen. I'm not trying to preach to you or judge you on the decision you made about Jason being part of Brianna's life. But to be honest with you, I never really believed that story you told us about him walking out on you when you told him you were pregnant. I never said anything before because I just figured you would tell me the truth when you were ready. I guess you were never ready or you just didn't trust me enough to tell me," her mother finished quietly.

Her mother's revelation hurt her deeply. She never thought about the damage she was doing to her daughter. Or the fact that her mother knew her much too well. The only thing Arianna thought about was the vow she made to protect Jason and the promise she made with his father.

"I'm sorry Mama. But I just couldn't tell you the truth. I don't even know what that is anymore. I've told that lie so often that I think I started believing it myself somewhere along the way. The day I found out I was pregnant with Brianna, Jason's father was waiting for me at my apartment when I got back from your house. He had pictures of me and Jase together and some of me leaving the clinic just after I'd found out." Arianna's eyes were blurred by unshed tears. The old anger and bitterness that she felt towards Jason and his heartless father gripped her heart as she said, "He was a rich and powerful man and he told me in no uncertain terms that Jason could never know about the baby. Apparently he had Jason's life all mapped out and it didn't include a bi-racial, illegitimate child. He said that he'd set up a trust fund for the baby and it would pay out when he or she turned sixteen as long as Jason never found out he was the father. He made me feel so guilty about ruining Jason's future that I broke it off with him that night. And I lied, to you, to daddy, Brianna and Jason. I have not seen or talked to him since that night."

Unchecked tears slid down Arianna's face. She never wanted to end it with Jason. She loved him then and if she was honest with herself, she never really stopped loving him. Try though she might, she had never been able to love anyone else.

"I figured it must have been something like that. I always knew nothing would ever make you walk away from that boy on your own. I tried so hard to build in you the feeling that you were worth more than you believed you were. I guess I failed you somewhere along the way," said Katie.