28 A Family Affair

...Summer POV...

With the kiss between Austin and me still very much alive in my thoughts, I climb the wall to get into my window, but I stop halfway as the thought of his lips on mine captivated me completely for a moment, and I experience it all over again. I get back through my window and who do I find waiting for me in my room. My mother.

"Hello, mother."

"Hello, mother? Is that all you can say? I have been waiting for you for over an hour, and then I had to make some lousy excuse as to why you did not come back from freshening up?"

"I told you that I do not like Raymond and that he is only after your money."

"And I have told you that you are wrong about him. I have seen what kind of a person he is, and he will be a good husband for you like your father is to me."

Well, that is an understatement of the year. As I recall throughout my childhood that my dad did a little more than just talk to my mother, and she was more than once away on "holiday" so that the community did have to see her shiner that our loving dad gave her. So please, I do not want a husband like hers.

"Mother, it does not amaze me anymore that you take dad's side after everything he has done to you."

"What do you mean? Your father is a good man and a strong pillar in the community."

"Yes, mother, just as you say" I lift my one eyebrow in disbelief.

"Now, we have wasted enough time talking about nonsense. Please get cleaned up and come to dinner."

She turns around and walks out, slamming the door to make sure I know that she is not happy. I really do not want to go to dinner. Cause it is only going to be a load of bragging. But I better just get it over with so that the night can come and go, and I get to see Austin at the party tomorrow night.

I am busy taking a shower, and then I remember his lips against mine. I can not get enough of him. He seems to have crawled into my heart, and I do not think he is going to leave my heart anytime soon. Then there is a knock on my door.

"Yes?"

"Senorita? Madam wants you to come to dinner right away."

"Urgh! Tell her I'll be right there!"

I hate it when she uses Catalina like that. My mother knows very well that she can not climb the stairs so well anymore, but she keeps on sending her upstairs just to spite her. She never really liked Catalina, but my dad, for some reason, always defended her.

I go downstairs against my will, and as I get closer to the dining room, I hear my brother's voice. I really do not want to speak to him right now. He was still laughing at me the last time I saw him, but he forgets that I know about his underground party and if mom and dad know about that party, he will surely pay for it. On the other hand, maybe they will just let me pay for his sins and say it is my fault somehow. I roll my eyes and walk into the room.

My sister jumps up, takes me by the hand, and leads me to sit next to her.

"Glad you could make dinner."

My brother always likes to mock me where ever he can. I just give him a wicked smile, and then his wife also likes to add something to the conversation.

"We almost thought you forgot where the dining room is."

Everything inside me screams out, and there is no way that I am going to stay silent as I also know what her secret is.

"Aaahhh, I see that the circus let you out for the night?"

"Summer, darling, I do not think it is nice to talk to our guests that way."

"Of course it is not, mother."

My dad gives me the evil eye, and I quickly refrain from battering her any further, but this does not stop me from giving her a great big smile. She hates that I know about her and the ex, and she knows if she would have said something back to me that I would have told my parents. Though, now that I think about it. They probably will not believe me anyway, but she does not need to know that.

Dinner is exactly as I thought it would be. Tina went on and on about all her achievements, and Tyler just sits there and judges everything she says while my mom defends my sister, and my dad defends my brother. The great thing about not being involved in the conversations is that I can just observe everything. That is when I saw something that I never thought would happen.

I watch as Catalina comes in to serve the food, and my dad's eyes can not seem to leave her. But that is not the strange thing. The strangest thing is that my mom watched my dad looking at Catalina. Why have I not seen this before? Does my dad and Catalina have something going on, and does my mother know about it?

I am determined to find out what is going on. Maybe if I find this out, I have something to hang over my dad's head; he will not ever lay a hand on me again. We finish dinner, and I make my way to the kitchen, where Catalina is cleaning up.

"Hello, Catalina?"

"Aaahhh, Senorita?"

"So, how long have you been sleeping with my dad?"

She drops the plate that is still in her hands, and it shatters into pieces.

"Senorita?!"

She covers her mouth with her hand in shock. I bend down and help her pick up the pieces of the plate. I hold her hand that is still picking up some of the plate pieces. I look into her eyes.

"It is okay, Catalina. I do not mind. I just need the truth."

She stands up and takes my hand while she leads me outside.

"Senorita, your father and I, we, we had an affair a few years ago. I made a big mistake, and even though your father is still very much in love with me, I can not be with a man like your father. I am sorry that I did this to your mother, and I would always try to make it up to her"

"I understand completely; I would not either want to be with a man like my father. But then why did you keep on working for them after all that has happened?"

"Like I said….I am making it up to your mother, and the money is good…yeah, that is it"

"I think you are lying to me, Catalina?"

"Catalina!! Catalina!!"

Your mother's shrill voice echos through the windows right into your ears.

"I have to go senorita, please do not speak a word of this, please?"

"I will not tell a soul. You have my word."

She kisses me on the forehead and quickly makes her way to my mother. I stand in the icy weather just thinking of what I just found out. I listen as my mother shouting at Catalina for breaking the plate, and it makes me wonder, could the money be so good that she feels that she needs to stay? Or is it that she still loves my dad? I wonder what keeps her in this horrible household?