They all looked at Chad.

The room was silent and Simone spoke up.

” What the hell is going on? Did BOTH of you start smoking CRACK?”

” Simone.”, Whitney pleaded.

” No, Whitney. First, we’re supposed to believe that Daddy, the best man we’ve ever known, is a cheat, who fathered you out of wedlock, and now, Mom got knocked up as a teen and had CHAD? Come on!!”

” Simone, it’s true. Chad is my son.”

” No, Mom! You can’t be Chad’s mother. Chad’s mother abandoned him and didn’t even look back. Are..are you trying to tell me that you threw away Chad?”

“ NO, Simone.No. I didn’t abandon Chad. I was told that he died.”

” Died? Why would anyone tell someone that their baby died? Come on Mom. What do you think this is? A soap opera?”

” No. This isn’t a soap. This is our lives, Simone. And, Chad is my son. I was told he was dead, and I believed it, until the results came in on Chad’s DNA test. “

Simone looked from her mother to her father, then to Chad. “ You believe her? You believe that she didn’t throw you away and not look back?”

” I believe her, Simone. We’ve talked about it. I…I know that the Doc didn’t abandon me.”

Simone turned to her father. “ And, you’re OK with this?”

” Simone, I just found out last night. But, I guess I have to be OK with it. Chad is your mother’s son. A part of our family.”

Whitney turned to Chad. “ That’s why you broke it off with me.”

” Yeah. I’m sorry about this. The Doc wanted to tell you immediately, but I told her not to. I didn’t know her. We didn’t have a relationship, and I couldn’t see her risking her family over me. Plus, I…”

” Wanted to be part of a family.”, Simone replied. “ Chad, I get you. And your response. What I don’t get is – THEM!”, Simone pointed her finger towards her parents. “ Do you know that you’ve brought outsiders into this family. Yesterday, it was just us. Now, Chad’s a brother, Whitney has a whole other family, and I guess Chad does too. What are we supposed to do?”

“ Work on it, like a family would.”, TC replied.

” Is that possible, Daddy? Simone’s right – I don’t think I know either one of you. I have my own questions, though. You said that ‘that woman’ is going to tell her family about me so that I can get the possible donors. Does that mean she’s nearby? “

” Yes, Whitney, she lives in Harmony.”

Whitney shook her head. “ Oh my God. I don’t believe this. Who…who is she?”

” Princess.”

” Daddy! Don’t ‘ Princess’ me! I deserve to know. Don’t I have that right?”

” Yes, you do. Your biological mother is Rebecca Hotchkiss.”

The room was silent once again.

” EXCUSE ME?”, Whitney said.

” It’s Rebecca Hotchkiss.”, TC repeated.

Whitney threw her hands up in the air with disgust. “ You have GOT to be kidding me. I mean, you have to be kidding me. That woman? That awful, mean BITCH gave birth to me? What kind of cruel joke is this? What kind of self-respecting Black man would sleep with the likes of REBECCA HOTCHKISS?”

” Whitney!”, Eve admonished.

” No, Mom! NO. No. This has to be said. It’s too surreal. That woman is so vile. So mean. So snobby. So Country Club. So, what did she consider you ‘slumming’ Daddy?”

” Whitney, don’t talk to your father that way.”

” What way should I talk to him as he tells me this horribly racist woman is my ….I can’t even say the word. How could you do this to me, Daddy? How could you bring that horrible woman into my life?”, Whitney cried. Simone held her sister in her arms.

” I think you all should leave.” TC, Eve and Chad began to walk out of the room.

” Chad, you should stay.”, Simone called to him. Chad nodded and went back to his sisters.

Once out in the hallway, Eve shook her head. “ Well, that went as well as could be expected. “

” How could it have gotten worse?”

” True. I think they need their space, TC. I have to call Julian and tell him about what’s happened. I think you should call Rebecca and see if she’s gotten her children tested yet.”

Eve didn’t even wait for TC’s response, and she walked away.

Inside of Whitney’s room, Simone passed her the tissues. They both blew their noses.

” Well, isn’t this a bitch?”, Simone asked.

” Simone..”

” Chad, please. This is about the worst day in the history of this family.”

” Well, thanks.”

Simone looked at him. “ Chad, you aren’t a bad thing. It’s weird and will take getting used to, but I’m not mad that you turned out to be our brother.”

Chad looked at Whitney. “ I’m not sorry either, Chad. That is the good news from today.” Whitney looked at Chad. “ You really believe her? That she didn’t abandon you?”

Chad nodded. “ Yeah, I do, Whitney. She explained the situation, and I believe her. “

” Do you know who your father is?”, Simone asked. Whitney looked at her, and Simone shrugged. “ We’re family. We’ll know soon enough. That’s the thing about family – we’re always be in each other’s business.”

Chad laughed. “ That’s ok, Simone. I don’t know. Doc told me that she’d tell me when the time was right. That was good enough for me. I was so happy..”

” Just to find a mother. You’re lucky. You found your mother, and it turned out to be Mom. Me? I’ve got Rebecca.”, Whitney cried.

Chad took Whitney’s hand. “ I know this has been tough for you, but I want you to try and cut them some slack.”

” Why? They’re nothing but liars.”

“ Whitney, they’re human. They made mistakes, and have been trying to correct them. Look at it from Doc’s point of view. When her baby died, it wasn’t the first child, it was the SECOND one. When she told me about me ‘dying’, the sadness in her voice, her eyes- broke my heart. I can’t imagine doubling that. And, then, Coach comes in, with this baby, who deserves all the love in the world, and Doc was thrilled. As far as Coach is concerned, he made a mistake, but he’s spent twenty years loving Doc, and worshipping both of you. He took care of his responsibilities as a man should, but in the real world, many men DON’T. Cut them some slack. “

Whitney and Simone, arms folded looked at Chad, with the Russell stubborn face.

“ What are you going to do, Whitney?”, Simone asked.

” I don’t know. Do I have to talk to Rebecca? Have a RELATIONSHIP with her?”

” No. I do know this. You don’t owe THAT woman, one damn thing.”, Simone replied.

Chad shook his head. “ That is one mean bitch, and Whitney, you’re better off if you NEVER speak to her. Don’t get sucked in. She doesn’t deserve to know you. And, I can name ten thousand people who would be better to know than her. We’ve got your back, Whitney. Don’t doubt that.”

Whitney blew her nose. “ I always wanted a big brother. Simone and I both did. “

Simone smiled. “ It’s true. “ Simone tore at her tissue. “ Do you think Mom and Daddy are getting a divorce?”

Whitney shrugged her shoulders, and Chad shook his head. “ I doubt it.”

” Why not?”, Simone asked.

” If they were splitting up, they would have come in here separately. Your father would have kicked my ass when he saw me this morning. No. I’m not saying that things are going to be easy. It’s gonna be tough, for all of us. But, they want to make it. And, we should do what we have to in order to help them. “

Simone and Whitney nodded. Chad and Simone got into Whitney’s bed with her, turned on the Cartoon Channel, and held hands as they watched.