Sitting beside my father on the couch was my aunt Marianne, my mother’s younger sister.
She looked uncomfortable, her hands folded tightly in her lap and her knees pressed together. Her eyes were red, though not freshly so. She avoided looking directly at either of us.
I remember thinking, Why is she here?
“I want to be honest with you,” my father finally said. “I don’t want secrets between us.”
That should have been my first warning.
Marianne reached for his hand. He didn’t pull away.
“I’ve found someone,” he continued. “I wasn’t looking for this. It just happened.”
Benjamin frowned. “What are you talking about?”
My father swallowed. “Marianne and I are together.”
Continue reading…
