When I was little, I thought we had a pretty ordinary family: me, Dad, and Mom. It didn’t surprise me at all that Dad didn’t live with me and Mom, but lived two floors up, with Aunt Cathy.
My dad and Aunt Cathy and I saw each other very often. They came to visit us, and my mother and I went to see them very often. Daddy gave me toys and often brought me sweets.
I remember how my friends were surprised when I told them about my father and my two mothers.
And then I realized that something strange was going on: everyone’s parents lived together.
One day I asked my mom: Why is our family different from everyone else’s?
«When you grow up, you’ll understand everything!» my mother said.
I was growing. But I got more and more confused. I thought I had two mothers and one father. I thought of Aunt Cathy as my second mother. Aunt Cathy often fed me a delicious dinner and asked me how I was doing in school. She always gave me good presents on all holidays and on my birthday. Aunt Cathy loved me very much.
But more and more I asked myself the question: Why does my dad live with Aunt Cathy and not my mom? After all, other dads live with their children.
And then my classmate Elena didn’t go to school for a week. And when she came, she told me that her parents were getting a divorce. She spoke with great hatred about her father and his lover, to whom her father had gone. I felt sorry for my classmate, and especially when I heard Elena say:
«And when that lover has a baby, my daddy will forget all about me!»
I was very afraid that Dad might leave us, because he also lives with another woman.
I had a serious talk with my mother. And my mother told me again:
«When you grow up, I’ll tell you everything.»
«And I want to know the truth now! I hate Aunt Cathy and Daddy!»
«Don’t say that! Life is very complicated! Someday you’ll realize that Aunt Cathy is actually a very good person!»
«Mom, let’s sell the apartment and go live in another town. I don’t want to see Aunt Cathy or Dad anymore!»
«Natalia, what are you talking about! It’s very bad for a man without his father!»
Of course, after that I started treating Aunt Cathy badly.
» Natalia, did I do something wrong? You haven’t spoken to me properly for a month! What have I done wrong to you?» Aunt Cathy kept asking me.
I kept quiet. Of course, my father didn’t like my behavior very much either. But they explained it all by saying that I was going through puberty.
And then Aunt Cathy ended up in the hospital. She had a complicated surgery.
One day I was cleaning my father and Aunt Cathy’s apartment. I was dusting and found the receipts. I decided to put them with the other documents.
I opened the drawer, and on top of it was my father’s passport. I opened the passport and saw that Dad had married Aunt Cathy back in 1987. I was born in 1993.
So it turns out that Dad was already married to Aunt Cathy, when I was born!
I couldn’t figure out what really happened. In the evening I asked Dad:
«Why did you lie to me all the time?! You lied to me for so many years! Why didn’t you tell me that it was Mother who tried to ruin your family, and not Aunt Cathy who tried to ruin our family at all!»
My father said in surprise:
«Didn’t your mother explain anything to you?»
And my father told me the truth. It turns out that many years ago one day Aunt Cathy went away on a business trip, and Dad cheated on her with my mother. Before that, Mom and Aunt Cathy had been friends and often helped each other. Dad didn’t know how it happened at all.
And then it turned out that Mom just wanted a child very badly and chose her neighbor’s husband as the father for her child.
«I thought your mother wanted to take me out of the family when she told me she was pregnant. And your mom just wanted a baby so badly, and she was always having bad luck with men. That’s what she decided to do. But Cathy forgave me, and we stayed together.»
I went to Aunt Cathy’s house and took her the food that my mother had prepared.
Then we had a serious talk with Aunt Cathy.
«I want to know why you behaved this way? How could you forgive the betrayal of your husband and best friend? And to babysit me, too! You love me so much! If I were you, I would leave at all!» I said.
Aunt Cathy looked at me with sad eyes and said:
«You’re wondering why we didn’t sell the apartment and leave? It’s because of you. It’s just that your father said that he wouldn’t leave you and that he would definitely help you. I thought it over and decided that I wanted your meetings and communication to take place in front of me. I couldn’t deprive you of your father. It’s not your fault! But there’s another reason. The fact is that I can’t have children. So I decided to be your godmother. I love you very much. And we were doing so great until you got away from us.»
Aunt Cathy came up to me, and we hugged each other. I admire this wise and kind woman.
And now we’re doing great. And I’m comfortable with the fact that I have one dad and two moms. I’m not ashamed of that, and I’m very happy that I’m so lucky to have parents.
