Presented by SHANNON MUIR’S INFINITE HOUSE OF BOOKS
SPONTANEOUS CHOICES SHORTS features short serialized fiction by author Shannon Muir, that may be later released as part of e-book or print collections. This summer runs a special event from August 12th through the end of the month on Mondays through Thursdays called “End of Summer”. This is part 11, which is also the final part.
Keep an eye out for a full week of ANIMATED INSIGHTS the first week of September! “How long have you known?” Summer demanded.
“A really long time. I noticed even when I was really young and asked my parents. They kept telling me it wasn’t true. Until one day, I overheard them talking. Dad and Mom got married right out of high school and at one point Dad got angry and doubted he’d made the right choice. So he had a quick fling with your Mom but realized something wasn’t right with her. He broke it off, but months later found out too late about you. But my parents were having me.”
“Do my parents know?” Summer continued to insist.
“They’ve been friends of my Dad’s parents for years. When they knew their friends looked to adopt and couldn’t have a child, they let them know about you.”
“So your father told his parents everything?”
“No. Brittia’s mom brought it out in the open. My Dad seriously considered leaving Mom for her, but in the end he didn’t.”
“Brittia’s our age too, Daina. Are you telling me we all have the same biological father?” Daina gulped.
“Yeah. And he’s paid child support to Brittia’s mom. But he had to give up his paternal rights for his parents’ friends to take you. My parents got through that rough patch, but not without a price. I really wish we could have grown up as sisters, Summer. I always felt like we were, even if you didn’t know it.”
Summer started to walk away. She couldn’t face Daina now.
Daina shouted after her, but she couldn’t make out the words.
It was the end of her friendship.
The end of all she knew.