Veiled Secrets

Chad squeezed her tight and then together they headed out of the cabin and toward the back where Philip sat waiting for the axe to fall on his happiness. He'd been sitting for over an hour and when he turned to see who was approaching he felt a sense of nausea rise up in him. "This isn't good, is it?" he asked.

Philip accepted the offered bottle of beer and took Tiara's hand. "Everything okay?" he asked.

She smiled and shrugged. "I think it will be. Please listen and know I love you very much." She kissed his lips and then pulled him back to the picnic table.

He gazed at both the woman he loved and his father. "I love you too, so I guess you both just need to spill the beans and tell me what this is all about."

Tiara held his hand while Chad explained how Delilah had voiced wanting another child. He shared with Philip that they knew she couldn't have any, because of a surgery she had years before Philip was born. Philip's jaw grew tight and his hand, held by Tiara shook with rage. She held it and asked him to listen.

"We got the call that a four-year-old was available to be adopted. There were concerns surrounding his upbringing, but if we were willing to overlook a few facts or lack of them, we could bring you home. Your Mom jumped at the chance. Once I saw you, there was no turning back. We loved you Philip, still do. Your Mom's staring down at us and I know she's hurting, but we don't regret ever keeping you."

Philip sat there stunned. His whole life had been built on a series of events that some woman without thought to anyone but herself had instigated. He then turned to his father. He shook his head and cursed him. "When were you going to tell me?" The answer was in his father's eyes. "Jesus, Pop, never? You weren't ever going to tell me the truth were you?"

He left the picnic table and when Tiara moved over to him, he waved her away. She stopped and looked back at Chad. He seemed to have aged twenty years in the last few minutes. "Chad, let's get you inside. You need to rest."

Chad growled and walked over to his son. "Philip, you're my son. Just because you don't have my DNA, doesn't mean you aren't mine and your Mother's. I did what I thought was best for my family. I'm still doing it."

Philip didn't want to argue. He looked at the man he'd been calling Father and saw what Tiara saw. "You need to rest Pop. We'll talk more later. Do you know anything about the woman that gave me up, besides she didn't think she could do a good job?"

"Chad, I'll tell him. You go inside, please," Tiara said, her fingers touching Chad's arm. He agreed and gave his son a long, hard stare.

"You're still my son."

"I know Dad, just give me some time."

Chad agreed and headed back to the house. His thoughts ran through years of laughter and tears that he'd shared with his children and his wife, who he missed desperately. When he reached the porch he drew in a tiring breath and sighed. He closed his eyes and leaned against the door frame. "Dee, this is harder than I ever thought it would be." Chad made his way into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee.

Tiara watched him leave and then turned back to Philip. Her hand cupped his cheek and she whispered how sorry she was that all of this was happening. He said nothing. His hand lifted and he took hers. "Let's walk."

She moved with him, taking a trail that she'd been on several times over the past few weeks as she and Philip learned more about each other. "What was it like for you?" he asked.

"It was different, than this Philip," she answered, "I learned from a video. There was no one for me to yell at or accuse or curse. I did get angry though. I was so mad at my parents and then I was mad at Ruby Ann, my birth mother. But Philip, you have a family. Your Dad is still here and your brother, sister, nieces and nephews. I don't have any of that."

"What kind of woman leaves her son?"

"Philip there is more to the story. You asked about your mom and if Chad knew anything more about her."

They stopped at a clearing and sat down on a bench that Chad had long ago placed there for his wife. "I assume that Carolyn knew something about you, but she knew about me too?"

Tiara took a deep breath. "Carolyn was a friend of my mother, Ruby Ann, my biological mom."

"Wow."

"Yeah. I guess she knew her when she was married to a guy named John. He's not my dad. I still don't know him, and neither does Carol."

Philip pulled her closer to him. "I'm sorry, Hon. I know that is important to you. Did she have any information about your brother?"

"I don't have a brother. It seems Carolyn had a baby and left him with my mom. When the state came to take us away, Ruby Ann told them we were both hers. She helped Carolyn deliver a baby boy, then she raised him until her depression and dependency became too much. Carolyn came back, but it was much later and by then both of us had been adopted out."

Tiara turned into him and stared deeply into his eyes. "Philip, Carolyn named the baby Ethan and he was adopted by a couple who had two kids of their own. They changed his name. He grew up to be a player, until his mom passed away and he had to take on some responsibility."

"Tiara, don't."

She rubbed his cheek with the back of her hand. "They changed your name from Ethan to Philip. Carolyn came back and she found out we were both adopted. She decided we'd be better off not knowing the truth. She didn't look for you or me. She assumed we had good lives, and we did, didn't we?"

Philip's mind was reeling as he absorbed more information. He stood up and walked several feet before turning back and speaking. "So my mother, the woman who gave birth to me, left me with a drunk and a drug addict is in my bedroom, engaged to my brother, who isn't my brother."

Tiara chewed on her lower lip. "Carolyn is your mom."

"No, Delilah Traverse was my mom."

"I know," Tiara answered. "But what you said is true. Carolyn is engaged to Matt and he loves her. He loves you too. She's still here, Philip. She's not going to force herself into your life. She had no clue who I was until we met and then when she was telling the story, Matt filled in the blanks concerning who you were."

"How did he know?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I guess he's been wanting to tell you for several years now, but was honoring your parents' wishes."

"I need some time, Tiara. Can you tell them that?"

"Yes."

He pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips to her. His tongue traveled deep into her mouth, tasting her and wanting to lock her flavor into his mind. Philip's hands moved down her back and then up her spine. "Tiara. I'm not the man I was when I came here, but this is still a lot for me to absorb."

"I know." She kissed him back. "I'll be here when you're ready. . .we all will be here for you."

Philip pressed his lips to her forehead and breathed in the scent of her. "I know." He kissed her again and headed back up the trail.

When Tiara returned to the cabin, she could tell that Carolyn hadn't seen her son. She walked over and pulled her into her arms. "He'll be back."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Two weeks went by before Philip returned to the cabin. In that time he had thought long and hard about his life. He recalled memories of his youth as well as his time as a young adult. In the end he came to several conclusions, but all boiled down to two things. His life would have not been as pleasant as it had been if Ruby Ann Kingston had raised him, and from what he had learned from Matt, it would not have been easy if Carolyn had found him. He also wouldn't have the family he has now.

He stared at the cabin. He had called both his sister and his brother, letting them know he was doing okay. Matt had told him that Carolyn had stayed with Tiara, both of them carrying for Chad, while Philip took some time. He stepped onto the porch and could hear the two women laughing. His heart skipped at the sound of his lover, the woman he had come to love more than any other. Then his ears picked out the sound of the new woman in his life.

When he stepped into the house, the two women stopped what they had been doing and stared at him. Tiara was the first to react. She rushed over and swung her arms around his neck. "God, I've missed you."

Their lips met and Philip held her tight against him. "I've missed you, too." He pulled back from her and ran his fingers over her lips. "You're beautiful. I've wanted to hold you and whisper naughty things in your ear and then act them out." He kissed her hard and then heard a loud cough.

He chuckled against her lips and separated from him. "Pop," he nodded his head and then pulled him into his arms, offering him a hug too. "I'm home."

Chad held his son tight and when he released him it was with a gruff and a nod toward the stove. "It's a good thing, because these women can't cook."

A soft chuckle filled the room and Philip moved over to Carolyn. "Got a minute?" he asked.

She nodded her head and with tears in her eyes she followed him outside. They sat together on the swing. Carolyn's hands pulled on the skirt she was wearing; Philip took her hand and pulled it onto his lap.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

Philip squeezed her fingers and ran circles over her skin. "I'll probably never call you mom, but I understand why you did what you did. You were young and saw no way out."

"I thought about you, though, all the time, on your birthday and holidays. I never stopped thinking about you."

"Is my birthday right?" he asked.

"Yes, it is."

"Good, though being younger wouldn't have been a bad thing."

Carolyn turned toward him. "Tiara is a wonderful person. She's missed you. So has your father. I'm glad you came back."

"I'm glad you were here. I guess you don't know how to find my father?"

Her face grew crimson. "No. I'm sorry. You probably think I'm a slut."

Philip pulled her into a hug. "No, Carolyn, I don't. I have no right to judge you. Lord knows I haven't been pure and holy. I've had my share of flings and there were times I was irresponsible. Carolyn, I just want to be happy. I want Tiara happy, Matt, Janie, Pop and even you."

He kissed the top of her head and stood up. "I need to hunt down that woman of mine. I have a question to ask her." He winked and headed back into the cabin. He paused at the door. "Matt's on his way down to pick you up, seems he's growing anxious and wants you home." He watched her blush and then left her as he went in search of Tiara.

Philip found her in his bedroom. "Hey beautiful," he said, closing the door behind him. Tiara turned and smiled.

He closed the distance and dragged her against him. Her hands moved over his chest and then up to his neck. Her fingers slipped into his hair and she toyed with the locks. Their tongues slid back and forth, each one stroking and tasting as they danced together. She tilted her head and pressed herself tighter against him. "Philip," she whispered.

His mouth skated down her neck and then over to her ear. Her teeth moved to nibble as best she could on his skin. Their hands moved simultaneously, each one working buttons or ties, wanting nothing between them. Her shirt was pulled free of her slacks and tossed over his shoulder. His buttons flew left and right when they became more of an annoyance then her slim fingers wanted to deal with.

Philip chuckled as he watched her wretch her bra off, letting her breasts bounce free and sway gently. "God, baby," he groaned. He watched her drop to her knees and quickly free him of his shoes, socks and slacks. His sex ached and throbbed, his boxers showing off his need for her.

Tiara moaned and kissed the fabric, yanked it down with one hard pull and then captured his bouncing member with her mouth. Philip groaned and buried his fingers in her hair. He wasn't expecting this, hadn't come home to have her take him in her mouth. He'd wanted to make love to her, slow, torturous and tormenting. He wanted to feel her sex surround him, whisper his desire for her and then tell her how badly he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Now as he gazed down he was enthralled by her beauty. Philip growled and wrapped his hands around her arms and lifted her from his cock.

"Tiara," he moaned. "Wait, baby."

She smirked and winked. "I've waited two weeks, Philip."

"Then two minutes won't kill you."

She laughed and slid her fingers around his shaft. She stroked him, urging him to continue talking while she tried to distract him.

Philip hissed. "Tiara, I love you." His hand grabbed hers and he forced her to leave his member alone. He bent down and lifted stepped out of his pants and boxers. Philip lifted his jeans up and dipped his fingers into the pocket. He pulled out the ring he'd purchased a few weeks before he'd found out about his life. He dropped to one knee and looked up at her.

Tiara swallowed and felt her skin grow hot as his words of confession filled her soul. There was only one word she had to whisper. The simple "yes" fell from her lips and he pulled her against him. He kissed her stomach and licked a path back up to her breasts, before covering her lips with his. He slipped the ring on her finger and clenched her hand in his. They made love, slow and tedious, each one renewing the scents and tastes of the other.

When they left the room, it was to find Carolyn gone, her love had picked her up and Chad had fallen asleep holding a portrait of his wife, and three kids.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Chad didn't wake up from his rest that day and later his family said their goodbyes. Several months after that, Philip married Tiara, his brother Matt, stood as his best man; Matt's wife Carolyn, stood as Maid of Honor. Janie accepted both women into her brother's life, though at times she still worried, neither was good enough for him.