“Of course, I realize that,” said Cindy. “But can’t we all meet together?”
“Screw you,” Andrea practically spit in Cindy’s face. “Don’t try to tell my father and me what we should do. I haven’t seen him since I was born.” Then she turned straight to Mattheus and stared at him.
Mattheus stared back at her. There was absolutely no love lost between them.
“My mother said you screwed her and dumped both of us like a piece of dirt,” Andrea continued, “just a night’s fun.”
“That’s not true,” Mattheus’s back arched.
“Well, I’ll believe my mother before I believe you,” Andrea answered. “Give me one reason in the world why I should believe anything you tell me at all?”
There wasn’t one reason Mattheus could come up with.
“We didn’t contact you to upset you,” Cindy interjected.
Andrea put her long, willowy arms on her hips. “So, why did you contact me, then?”
“Mattheus wanted to meet the daughter he never saw,” said Cindy.
“Just like that? Out of the blue? Nah, I don’t buy it. You want something from me or from my mother. Who knows if you even are my father? You probably want to break up my mother’s relationship with Cain.”
“Who’s that?” Mattheus asked, stunned.
“My new dad,” said Andrea. “Somebody we know must have contacted you, heard that you two were private detectives. Everyone wants to break their relationship up, but it isn’t happening! Just because Cain’s been in jail a couple of times doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve a second chance. Besides, he nice to me, very, very nice. I like him.”
Andrea’s strong statement of support for Cain alarmed Mattheus. “An ex con, tell me more,” he said, suddenly paternal.
“I’m not telling you a word,” Andrea tossed her head, “because it’s none of your damn business. Nothing about my life is.”
Mattheus extended a hand to Andrea then. “Andrea, let’s go to the back garden and at least sit down and talk about it. I want to hear about it. I want to know all about your life.”
A look of hope flickered across her face quickly, but then faded away. She thrust Mattheus’s arm away. “Why in hell should I believe you? You wouldn’t even say you were my dad. You’ve got to be some kind of creep.”
“I didn’t say I wasn’t your dad,” said Mattheus sadly. “I said let’s explore our relationship.”
“You know, if I tell Cain that you’re on the scene and want to take me away from him, it ain’t gonna be pretty,” she retorted.
Cindy was horrified. “Mattheus doesn’t want to take you away from anyone,” she said.
“Oh yeah? Well, my mother thinks differently. My mother thinks Mattheus is a major creep who’s out to destroy her life. He didn’t care about her when he first met her, so why should he now?”
“Did you tell your mother you were coming here to meet us?” asked Cindy.
“You better believe I did,” said Andrea. “My mom’s got no one to look after her but me.
And now she has Cain, my new dad. But who knows how that will go?”
“How many dads have you had?” asked Cindy.
“This is my third dad,” said Andrea. “The other two were good in the beginning but ended up beating the hell out of my mom. I helped her get away from them. I’m hoping Cain is better.”
Suddenly, Cindy’s heart broke for Andrea. “I’m so sorry,” Cindy breathed.
Andrea looked at Cindy out of the corner of her eye, frightened. “You’re sorry for who? For me? I’d say you’d be better off being sorry for yourself. If you think this jerk Mattheus is any better than any of the guys my mother had, you’re in for a big surprise.”
“You don’t know me, Andrea,” Mattheus said to her slowly, in sudden pain.
“And who said I want to?” asked Andrea.
“No one,” Mattheus answered.
“And you don’t know me, either,” her voice got softer then and shaky.
“No, I don’t,” said Mattheus.
“And do you want to?” she asked, haltingly.
Mattheus took a step closer to her, tentatively. “Yes, I really do,” he said.
“Okay,” she said then, her eyebrows arching, “if you want to get to know me, fine.” Then she turned and pointed at Cindy, “but first you got to get rid of her!”
Cindy felt a huge weight bear down on her chest, as Andrea directed the full force of her anger against her. “I may have room for another dad,” she went on, “but not for another mom! That’s out of the question. My mom is spectacular, she’s beautiful, wonderful. No way I’m replacing her.”
“I don’t want to replace your mom,” Cindy pleaded.
“This isn’t about what you want,” Andrea answered, spitefully. Then she turned back to Mattheus and smiled for the first time.