Double or Nothing Pt. 03

She looked at me with a bewildered look, softer than a moment ago. "Because of mum's what Terry? Despite everything, you might think, I do care!" She tried to say.

"When all evidence has shown me the exact opposite?" I shot her a questioning look. I shrugged my shoulders, "Nah, it doesn't matter anymore, Carol, you made your bed and now you and your daughter need to lie in it.

"But I do warn you, today your husband crossed a line. You not only said nothing when those other two sprayed derogatory comments and threatened me, but you even joined in when your precious money was involved. Remember when I said if you push me too far, you won't like what you find?"

Carol nodded. I could see her eyes go a little wide, recalling the last conversation that we had.

"You pushed."

Carol blushed, and without another word or parting gesture, I turned and walked over to my truck to get out a towel I kept in the back to wipe things if I was on site. As I opened the truck door, Dr Dickhead called, well, more like bellowed for Carol to join him, and Carol almost ran back to him. By the time I had finished wiping myself down, they were gone.

The Maitland Central café was very apologetic when I went back in. They replaced the coffee free of charge even when I insisted I pay for the replacements. They told me the Morrison's had been visiting the café for a few months, and while initially friendly, they had gotten snider and snider and browbeat several customers. I thanked them for the complimentary coffees and their compassion, then headed back to mum and dads, taking me another forty-five minutes to get the second set of coffee's and get home.

When I got back, mum was up. Also, Kim and Paul had arrived. Kim was now starting to show her pregnancy, a tiny baby bump, but pregnancy had not subdued my sister's passions.

"What the fuck happened to you, Terry?" Kim asked, seeing my clothes and me covered in coffee.

"I unexpectedly met the unholy trio, Carol, Mackenzie and dickhead," I replied, using my pet name for all to hear.

"Oh, they did this to you?" Mum asked, also appraising me and the coffee mess all over me.

"Yeah, well dickhead did, however Mackenzie, in particular, didn't hold back from having a go at me. She is not the little girl I remember at all." I frowned. I thought I had shed my tears for them, but I had fresh ones on my face now as I thought of the sneer and disrespect she had shown, but my heart ached to see her, to hold her and go back to what we once were, even though I knew it would never happen.

Mum came over and gave me a big hug, then one of those tissues that all mums appeared to have at the ready was suddenly in her hands. I took a moment and thanked her. Then I handed mum her half-strength latte, dad his long black and a lukewarm brekkie wrap each. I took a sip of my replacement coffee and sat down on one of the kitchen chairs, careful not to mess up the kitchen with my ruined clothes.

"It's okay, son. One day soon, Mackenzie will wake up and come to realize what she has thrown away." my dad tried to soothe me.

"Will she dad?" I said, "The contempt and language she used on me today makes me think otherwise."

"She will, son, she will," he replied, nodding his head.

Just then, my phone rang; it was still covered in coffee, so I responded with speaker.

"Hey there, our manly stud, your girls are missing you. We need your body back here to keep us warm at night. But enough about our needs of your hard body and long amazing cock. How's your morning going? You didn't call us back." Harmony blurted out. I blushed; everyone around the tabled looked at me and a moment later started laughing.

"Hey girls, it's Kim here, your manly stud muffin is turning bright red right now, but it's good to know my little brother can still take care of business." This time everyone, including me, laughed.

I found my voice. "Sorry, my loves, a bit of a long story and not a nice one, but can I call you back in five? I need to clean my phone as it's covered in coffee from a spill."

"Sure, lover," Melody chirped, laughing at my obvious discomfort on the other side of the call. "Call us back soon!" and they hung up.

Everyone looked at me.

"So..." Paul said, looking at me, "Melody, Harmony, and you, that's not just our imagination?"

"Nope, I'm dating both of them." I grinned at my brother-in-law.

Kim snorted. "And sleeping with both of them at last, am I right, Terry?"

I flashed a smile at Paul and Kim. Then a more edgy look at mum and dad, who were looking at me, with not quite judgement in their eyes. Of course, they had been there when the girls had ended up in my room, but to move from sleeping in the same bed to having sex with two women, let alone twins, I was expecting some judgment.

We were all a little surprised when mum cleared her throat and spoke up for me. "Kim, let up on him a little; I do not doubt what we saw. If he is in a sexual relationship with those two wonderful girls," she emphasised the word 'wonderful'. "My son would be very respectful towards them."

"I love them, guys," I told them, shrugging my shoulders. "There is something with both of them that I never had with Carol, and it defies what I can explain; it just is. It's been there since that first night I saved them. Firstly, it was buried under gratitude, but it's developed, and now I can think of nothing else besides spending time with them. In a few years, who knows? I hope it continues to grow!"

"So...?" Paul repeated a grin on his face.

"Oh, for fucks sake, Paul, he's sleeping with both of them, aren't you, little brother."

"Yes, with both of them." I replied.

"And...?" He asked, giving me that grin that all guys give when they want to know the erotic details from a friend.

I laughed. "Yes, the sex with two incredibly gorgeous, redheaded identical twins that love me as much as I love them is fucking incredible!" He laughed at my crude admission.

Kim slapped Paul on the back of the head hard, and I excused myself to clean my phone and call the girls. When I stood up, though, Paul put his arm out for a fist bump. I pounded it, grinning. "My man!" he said as I pulled my arm back and grabbed a dishcloth for cleaning my phone.

The call with the girls went well. I sat out on my parent's back deck for the next half hour, sipping my coffee and telling them everything that happened. They gave a lot of 'He said, and she said, what!' questions when I told them about my conflict earlier this morning with my trio of haters. They could hardly believe that people could be so rude and insensitive, let alone a child that I had raised.

"You know Terry, if our kids ever talk to someone like that, I'll go old school and wash their mouth out with soap," Melody said as I finished my tale.

Harmony and I laughed; I could hear the girls moving around in the bathroom; Harmony was on shift this afternoon, so she would be getting ready.

"Hang on, our kids?" I asked. Everything went quiet.

Then I heard them both giggled, "Yep, baby, at some point in the future, you're going to give both of us babies. We're going to be your baby mummas. You will never have to worry about another Mackenzie ruining your life; we won't allow it!"

I was stuck on the fact they wanted kids with me. "You both want to have kids with me?" something must have registered with them as they dropped the giggles, and Harmony jumped in.

"Of course, our love," she said, using the twin's combined term of endearment for me. "You're our man, and we want to give you children to love." She paused. "But not right now, and only when all three of us agree." There was a slight note of concern in her voice. "Terry, are you okay? You're not against having kids with us, are you?"

I thought for a moment, "No, girls, I'm not. I'm sorry if my reaction scared you. But honestly, I don't know where I am on kids right now, I'm thirty-four, and after seeing my fifteen-year-old daughter treat me like shit today, I guess I'm not quite there."

"It's okay, baby," Melody soothed, "We understand. We shouldn't have started this conversation on the back of a negative confrontation with Mackenzie. I wish I could have been there to see it. I would have jumped on them and gouged their eyes out."

I laughed, a picture of Melody going ninja on my former family in my mind. "Thanks, baby; well, I do have a video of most of it." A lightbulb went on. "Hang on. I've got a video of it!" I said excitedly.

"What do you mean, Terry? Harmony asked.

"Dr Dickhead, he threatened me, but I thought there could be trouble when I first saw them, so I put my phone on record in my pocket to capture any confrontation. I'm not sure that it could be used in court, but..."

"Go talk to Kim and let us know Terry!" Melody said.

"And call us back; I need to leave for work in about an hour!" Harmony finished.

'Okay, my loves, I will. I love you both!"

"Love you too!" they both said in unison, and we hung up.

I walked back inside excited.

"I have it on tape!" I announced.

"Eww, I don't want to see you getting it on with your girlfriends," Kim said in mock humour. Then without a pause. "And Paul, if you ever want to be able to have a second child with me, don't open your mouth and say what you were about to say!"

Both Paul and I looked at each other and grinned. Then, I looked back at Kim.

"No, not that, well not this time," I winked at Paul. He laughed. "No, I have a recording of my meeting with Dr Dickhead earlier!"

'What, how?" Kim asked. Mum, dad and Paul also looked at me with questions in their eyes.

"When I knew there was going to be trouble, I hit video record and put my phone in my pocket; it's possible that I caught the entire conflict on tape, including the honourable Dr Morrison threatening me."

With that, we sat down and crowded around my phone screen to watch what transpired, the video was jumping most of the time, but you could tell who the players in the show were. The audio was a little scratchy at a few points as the mic on my phone rubbed up against my pocket; however, you could pick up most of the conversation clearly, except for the last part with Carol when I put my phone in my shorts pocket, but even that could be heard if you listened.

"Wow!" Kim said as we finished watching, "Fucking wow!" she sat back pondering.

"Is Carol's new husband in as much trouble as I think he is?" my dad asked.

Kim replied, a big smile growing over her face. "Oh yes, he's in a lot of trouble! And being that it was a public place, there is no law against filming him."

She thought for another moment. "There could be some issue with consent, especially as there is a minor in the form of Mackenzie involved; however, I'll make some calls and see."

She continued a gleam in her eye. "The threat he made to you about visiting the hospital alone could have his medical license revoked if it came out. But to openly say to you that he would make sure you would never leave the hospital, he could be looking at jail time."

"What about Mackenzie," I asked, a note of concern in my voice. Of course, I might want her out of my life for what she had done. But that didn't mean that I didn't love her in some way or wanted to see her in legal trouble.

"I don't know Terry. Mackenzie could be in a world of trouble over this. She might be a minor. However, her words of turning a threat into a promise are pretty damming."

I nodded, "I need to think. I know now that it's likely scorched earth policy with this incident, but she was once my daughter, and she was also once your niece."

"I know, bro, but she made her bed as you said to Carol!" Kim replied.

We talked about what occurred for a few more minutes before I excused myself to call my girlfriends again before Harmony went to work. I filled them in and told them that I would send the video tomorrow morning when they could both watch it together with me on the phone.

For the rest of the day, we put the majority of our attention on mum. She was recovering from her first cancer treatment, chemo, and was feeling quite tired. Paul and I went around the house, cleaning the yard and doing a few chores that dad didn't have time to do while looking after mum and working during the week. In the afternoon, we reminisced again on the old times from when Kim and I were kids. Mum laughed at telling the same old stories we did at the Delotiz a few months ago, but she didn't mind; we were family.

When I went to bed, I called Melody as Harmony was working, and we spoke for about an hour about nothing in particular.

Tomorrow being Sunday, I planned to go to church with mum and dad. Afterwards, we would do the family fish and chip lunch and hang out a little more. Then I would drive home early Monday morning, ready to be back at work on Tuesday.

Sunday church was good. I caught up with a few people I hadn't seen in a while. I got a few commiserations on what happened with Carol and Mackenzie. And felt perhaps that I would be burnt to a crisp sitting inside a church for sleeping with identical twins who I was madly in love with.

Nothing happened, though, and I escaped the church with no fire and brimstone. However, I determined that I would talk to someone religious about what God might genuinely think about me with Melody and Harmony at the same time.

At lunchtime, I was reminded how good the local fish and chip shop was as I sat and ate lunch with mum, dad, Paul and Kim. I loved the calamari. It was handmade and just melted in your mouth. So, I was happy to finish the last one from the plate when a knock came at the front door. Of course, we weren't expecting anyone, and I admit my heart dropped when I saw who it was.

Standing outside waiting for us to open that door was my former family. Carol stood there with Mackenzie. Carol looked upset, perhaps a little worried, and Mackenzie, well, she just looked pissed off. I was happy that there was no sign of Dr Dickhead. Finally, after all of us looking at each other, my dad answered the door.

Opening the door, dad launched straight into them. "What do you want, Carol? I was sure after the way your treated Terry yesterday, this would be the last place you should want to visit?" Dads tone with firm but polite.

"I know John," Carol began while wringing her hands together. "But Terry said something yesterday, and I saw something in his eyes. I don't want you all to think I don't care, but..."

Dad interrupted.

"Carol, forgive me, but I honestly don't think you do care. The way both of your treated Terry yesterday was disgusting. I have never seen such disrespect towards someone you once professed to care about!"

"I never said..." Carol started, but again dad interpreted her.

"You didn't need to say anything, Carol. Terry has the whole thing on video. We saw what you, Mackenzie and your new husband did. Frankly, I am ashamed that we ever called either of you family."

"But John, Terry said something, something is wrong, and he wouldn't tell me what. So, we thought we would come to bury the hatchet and see if we can help." Carol was trying to appear sincere, but dad wasn't buying it.

"A little too little too late to try and show any compassion, don't you think?" Dad shook his head. "No, Carol, there is nothing you can do to help, and quite frankly, we're not going to tell you what is happening. You have not been family for some time, and while that does sadden me, this is a family matter, and it's not for outsiders. You need to understand that is what you and your daughter are now, outsiders.

"Both of you have shamed yourselves and hurt this family in ways I don't think you comprehend." He looked down his nose at them. "And let's not even talk about the patrons in the café leaving in disgust with your foul language and disrespect yesterday towards my son."

I watched from my seat on the couch during the entire exchange. I looked at Mackenzie; she wouldn't meet my eyes for more than a second but kept looking back at me repeatedly as dad and Carol spoke. I kept my face neutral even though I had both anger and sorrow ranging in my heart in almost equal measures.

The conversation between my ex-wife and my father was almost over.

"And Carol."

"Yes, John?" she said, her voice a little nervous.

"Terry was right about one thing. Neither of you appears to understand that everything you're doing and how your actions are perceived will not end well. For example, as far as this family goes, you've burnt your bridge with us, you walk alone, without us, and now Mackenzie's issues are entirely your problem."

What do you mean?" She asked, shocked. I don't think until that moment she realized that getting rid of me would also mean they got rid of my family.

"Your daughter," Mackenzie looked sharply at the man she used to call 'Pa.' "Mackenzie is not on a good path. If you don't help her shed this selfishness and disrespect for people that your husband is encouraging, she's going to be very lonely as she grows up!"

Mackenzie bristled, "That's not fair, Pa!"

"It IS fair, Mackenzie; I SAW the video. I saw how you treated the man who raised you. I watched how you treated him. I am disgusted with you." He spat. "All my son ever did was love you, both of you! Those fancy clothes and shiny things you wear now will eat you up a piece at a time. You're exchanging your soul for shiny things that will not bring you happiness, young lady."

Carol looked down, shame in her eyes again. Mackenzie looked past her grandfather to me and opened her mouth again. She was trying to look important to me.

"Yes, but these," she gestured to her clothes, some of the arrogance from yesterday morning back. "Are things that no plumber can ever provide." She began to puff up with false pride, staring at me. "My new father takes me to places, gives me presents and doesn't need to dig in the dirt or clean people's toilets to make a living." That horrible sneer I saw yesterday again appeared on her face.

Dad just about lost it, "Mackenzie, let me remind you what I do for a living, I dig in the dirt and clean people's toilets too, so does that mean that I am as disgusting to you? Am I as bad as the man you're now sneering at, whose only crime was to love you?"

She stopped; her face dropped suddenly as what she said hit home. "Of course not, Pa, you're a good plumber." She was trying to recover. She had not anticipated that her grandfather's profession would cause conflict.

"So, tell me, Mackenzie, if I am a good plumber and my son, who you used to love and call dad, is a bad plumber, what is the difference between us?" my father asked. His neck was getting a little flushed, and I could tell there was anger within him that he was trying to keep from bursting out.

Mackenzie looked lost, and Carol stepped in, constantly misreading the conversation and deflecting the blame.

"That's enough, John! Don't torment the girl. We all know this is Terry's fault. He just ran away when he should have made amends with us. He could have been part of our lives."

Dad shook his head, "This is NOT my son's fault, and I am tired of hearing that from you. Grow the fuck up, Carol." Everyone gasped. "You think that Terry should have stayed and been reminded every day of how both of you betrayed him. To have you rub it in his face that both of you so callously tossed him aside so that he could be told off every time you saw him." He leaned in just a little, "Or how you tried to extort money from him, money he had put aside, money you demanded, even after both of you threw the fact of adoption in his face. Give the man a little dignity. He worked himself to the bone every day to provide for you."

Mackenzie stepped back in, and her words cut me to the bone. "But he could have seen me! I wanted him to see me. It doesn't matter to me that Stephen is just a better father and a better man! I would not have cut dad out of my life forever. Mum told me it was just until I was adopted. Then, dad could have seen me again!" Mackenzie almost pleaded; to me, it sounded coached. But there was a crack in her armour, and it showed for the first time since the incident at the coffee house. It was also the first time that I heard her call me dad. I just about broke and ran to her, but my pain held me back. I had told them I would mourn them, and I still did.