Mizspelred Tie Toe

"I was thinking it should be a surprise but I won't do that to you. Clark and his family are coming over. I need you two to keep Stacy and Laura entertained while I hash things out with him."

"Yelling again?" Sue asked.

"I hope not. I know I won't yell."

"Is that a good idea?" Reggy asked.

"You asked me to fix it. I'm fixing it. One way or another."

...

Uncle Clark, his wife, and their daughter arrived well before dinner was set to be served. The greetings were cordial all around and tempers were being kept in check.

Sue noticed the way Reggy was looking at Laura. She could tell that he did not like the idea of her being there. She also did not like it when Laura went up to Reggy and put her arm around his and sat right next to him when they all went into the dining room and ate.

After eating they all retreated to the living room and at first, it was just generic topics being discussed but then Stacy was the one who asked if Reggy would be kind enough to take Laura to go do something while the rest of them talked over something sensitive. Stacy never let her eyes leave Reggy for a moment and Reggy noticed.

Reggy looked at his mother and sister to see if he should comply. He felt they'd given him enough of a hint that it would be ok so he asked Laura to come and listen to him play piano. Laura didn't look happy to be cut out of the conversation but she went with Reggy all the same.

Reggy sat at the piano and started to play the Bartered Bride.

"What are they talking about?" Laura asked him.

Reggy at first just looked up at her since he was incapable of speaking and playing at the same time. It always amazed him to see musicians who could sing and play an instrument at the same time since for him it was physically impossible to do both. His hands actually had to come to rest before he could answer.

"I don't know."

"Liar. No one wants to tell. And why does your sister get to hear?"

"Maybe it's a business thing. How should I know?"

"You know. I know you know. What's going on?"

"Can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"Because it doesn't have anything to do with you. And me neither so we were sent away."

"But it has to do with your sister? That doesn't make sense."

"How's your boyfriend?"

"What? You don't get to ask me that."

"Why not?"

"You don't get to tell me who to date."

"I wasn't telling you who to date."

"Yes, you were."

"Fine. Date whoever you want. I don't care."

"You don't care?" she accused.

"What's with you?"

"You. You're supposed to be my best friend and you don't care?"

"Make up your mind."

...

"I know." Stacy said as she sat trying to look as dignified as she could.

Lori nodded in acknowledgement of what it must be that Stacy knew.

"I told her everything." Clark added. "Did you tell Sue?"

"She told me." Sue answered for herself.

There was a particularly long and awkward silence that followed. It was Stacy who was the first to speak again. Addressing Lori she said "I hope you already know how disgusting I think this is." That got an angry look from Sue but she didn't say anything. "Honestly, it's a challenge to even be here or look at the two of you."

"Me?" Sue asked with rage.

"Not you, honey. You're not to blame here. Your father and his sister. I might have been able to accept it if I knew it was only one time but Clark tells me it was a lot more than that."

"It was." Lori admitted.

"He's lucky I came and saved him when I did. What kind of a sister are you? How would you like it if your own children started to behave that way?"

"I don't think that's the real issue here." Sue said.

"Isn't it?" Stacy countered.

"No. The issue here is ... he's my father but he's never acted like it."

"How could I?" Clark defended.

"How could you not?" Sue challenged. "I'm your daughter and you've never so much as given me a kind word."

"I ... I ..."

"Susan, you and I have every right and reason to be angry with these two. Your father found it difficult to ..."

"My mom at least acted like a mother to me."

"Your father couldn't bare to remember the sin he committed when he was with your mother. I hope you can understand that and find a way to forgive him."

"That's all he sees me as?"

"Sue," Clark began to say but then his words failed him.

"Well," Lori interrupted. "Is that all you came to say? I, for one, like to think that the past is the past. What's really important is the future. So in the future, Clark, do you want to be a father to Sue or not?"

Stacy looked over at her husband and then looked back at Lori. "We think it would be best to formally cut ties."

"You're leaving?" Sue asked in shock.

"What do you have in mind?" Lori asked.

"We want you to buy back the interest that Clark has in the two companies you own." Stacy produced a document from her bag and handed it over to Lori.

There was another silence as Lori read over what she'd been handed. "Tsk. Tsk. You can't expect me to sign this."

"We can take you to court if that's what you really want."

"Clark, are you just going to let her do this to you or are you too blind to see what's happening?"

"We talked about it." Clark responded. "We're going to move back to ..."

"No." Sue said. "How can you hate me so much?"

Clark was shaking his head. "It's not about hating anyone. Lori, what have you been telling her?"

"Don't look to me to defend you." Lori said. "I invited you over so you could have a chance to do right by your daughter. As for that, you can take it back. I'll have nothing to do with it."

"Sis, this revelation has caused a lot of strain on us. Susan, I know I'm your father and I'd love more than anything to be a good father to you. You have to believe me when I tell you that the ... the ... the only reason I was cool to you was because the stress from the secret was, at times, more than I could tolerate. I was so afraid that everyone would see me favoring you and then figure it out."

"So instead you acted like I didn't exist."

Stacy looked over at her husband. He saw and then bowed and continued. "My marriage is the most important thing to me. I have a family. I have a daughter and they have to take precedent. I'm sorry. Stacy doesn't want Laura exposed to this kind of sin anymore and I have to agree with her. It's wrong."

Lori looked at her brother incredulously. "The shares in my company were a gift to make sure your family had a steady income. If you don't want them anymore then give them back to me. Why should I pay for something that should have always been mine?"

"But they're not yours anymore." Stacy said. "They're ours."

"They're his." Lori countered.

"You made sure we couldn't sell them on the open market. We have to sell them to you so that's what we want to do."

"Is that what you want to do, Clark?"

He nodded. "It's the best thing for my family, my marriage."

"Fool. The moment I sign that your marriage is over."

...

"Well, I believe it." Laura said.

"You don't even know the guy." Reggy commented.

"I met him and Kate once and I think I definitely saw that there was some weird stuff going on between them."

"What made you think that?"

"Like, just by looking at them. You could tell."

"I don't see how."

"If you ever saw the guy with his sister around you'd see it."

"That doesn't mean they were sleeping together. It could have been anything. Siblings have a lot of secrets and stuff. It could have been a thousand other things. Why jump to conclusions?"

"I'm serious. Trust me. You can tell there's something wrong with that guy by just looking at his face. There was just something wrong with it, you know."

"Just by looking. Hell. I'd hate to find out what you think when you look at me."

"You always make everything about you."

"If this guy Tim and his sister are getting it on or not, it has nothing to do with me; which is why I don't want to talk about it. If you were sleeping with your sister, would you want people talking about it?"

She reeled back. "Why'd you put it like that? I'm not gay."

...

Lori and Stacy went to the kitchen together, both of them keeping an eye on Sue and her father from a distance.

"It's not going to work." Stacy whispered. "He's not going to fall for your manipulation."

"My manipulation?"

"I'm sure you've trained that little girl of yours to say just the right thing to ensnare my husband but it's not going to work. He's smarter than you."

"By which you mean to say that you think he's an idiot. Otherwise, why bring him here? Why ask him to sell?"

"For the good of our family. Get him away from you."

"More like so you can get away from him."

"You don't know anything about us."

"I know that if you divorce him now you'll get nothing since he has nothing he can legally give you. Ah, but if he were to acquire some assets that were more liquid, you could leave him and bully him into letting you take everything."

"The only thing I want is my family's happiness. You're just trying to tear us apart."

"If that's true then I suggest he make a gift of the shares to my niece. That would allow her to keep her income at least and you and Clark would be free of me."

"Curious choice of word but I'm not playing your games. Your daughter is also your niece."

"I never realized you were so petty."

"I don't know why you're dragging this out. Just take the shares back and leave us alone."

"I'll make this as clear as I can. If you plan on leaving my brother, you'll get nothing. I'll see to it. And if you go running your mouth the gloves come off."

"You don't scare me. I'll do as I will and you can't stop me." Stacy was standing her ground against the unscrupulous business woman and she felt very proud of herself.

"Scare you?" replied Lori. "You're going to hell when you die. What hope have I of scaring someone who's already damned."

"How dare you."

"How dare I? How dare you. Where exactly is your first husband? Hm? Dead? No. He's alive and well and still hopeful that his wife will return to him."

"What are you getting at?"

"You're an adulteress. The Lord Jesus Christ, Lamb of God, Son of the Father in heaven says so."

"Don't try to quote scripture to me. You don't even go to church."

"But apparently I know more about the bible you claim to believe in than you or anyone else down there. Divorce is a sin. You're still married to that other man," Lori paused for a moment on those words before continuing, "in the eyes of God but you go about pretending to be married to my brother."

"You're a pharisee."

"I'm just being honest. Or was Jesus Christ wrong?"

"You committed incest and you have the nerve to even mention that name. You're foul. You're the lowest kind of scum."

"Well, at least when I was committing incest, I wasn't cheating on my husband. According to your bible, which is worse?"

...

Sue and Clark looked at each other but neither spoke. Clark reached for Sue's hand but then pulled the motion back before he could take it.

"Why don't you love me?" Sue asked."

"That's not fair. I love you. Did Lori say I didn't love you?"

"No. I've always known. Ever since you first came."

Clark lowered his head. "I was ashamed of what I'd done."

"Ashamed of me, you mean."

"I didn't even know you'd been born until you were almost a year old. Lori didn't tell me anything."

"And you still never showed up until almost a decade later."

"Eight years. Come on. Be fair."

"Every time we ever did anything, you acted like you didn't want to touch me with a ten foot pole."

"I was scared."

"Of what?"

"It was incest. If anyone figured out what had happened, I could have gone to prison."

"You could have told me in secret. Why would I tell the police about my own father?"

"I was happy I got to be around. I didn't want to mess it up by trying to get too close."

"I'm a grown woman. I should have been told years ago. Laura is my sister. I've had a sister all this time and never knew."

"You're right. I'm sorry. We could do like your mother said, if you want. I can't change the past but for the future, I'll be as much a father to you as you'll let me."

"Really? You'll let me move into your house?"

"Ah ... well, I'd have to talk it over with Stacy first."

Scoff. Sue rolled her eyes. "To think, I used to like her."

"Oh, and she loves you very much. She always has."

"When she didn't know I was your daughter."

"It's been difficult for her."

"Well, if you really want to be my father, can I live with you or not?"

"I say yes, of course, but you have to let me check first."

"Is it your house or not? Are you the man of the house or not?"

"Adult relationships are more complicated than that."

"No, father. They're not."

...

"I don't know. What is it?" Laura asked as she listened to Reggy play. Reggy gave her a face that told her to do as he'd asked to do and guess. She listened for a bit longer but then just shrugged and shook her head. "I don't know it." Reggy got to the next part of the piece and smiled as he looked up at his cousin. "Now you're just showing off." she said when she saw him putting his left hand across his right to hit the higher notes with it.

Just then, Stacy and Lori came upon them. Reggy was still playing but stopped when he heard Laura's mother tell her to follow her outside.

"Why? What happened this time?" Laura asked.

Stacy had the floor and everyone's attention so she loudly announced her words. "Fine. I'll say it here in front of everyone so you'll have to admit it and can't take it back later. I assume your other one knows already. He isn't also my husband's child, is he?"

Reggy stood up from the piano. He knew where this was going.

"Susan is your father's daughter." Stacy declared with a voice that would have been heard outside the house if anyone were listening.

"I don't understand." Laura said.

"Sue's your sister." Reggy whispered to her.

"Get away from my daughter." Stacy said with anger.

"Mom, calm down. What happened?" Laura again inquired.

"Your father had sex with his sister is what happened."

Laura stood there in shock unable to respond.

"We all should have been able to guess, really." said Reggy. "I took one look at Uncle Clark's face and I could tell right away there was something wrong with him."

"Shut your mouth." Stacy said. "It's your whore mother who put him up to it."

"Who's the whore here?" Lori asked. "I certainly didn't marry for money. In fact I haven't even been with a man since my brother."

"And what man would even want you?"

"Wait. Stop it." Laura screamed. "What is going on?"

"Your mother is trying to divorce your father." Lori said.

"That's a lie." Stacy shot back.

"You know, all of this is going way over my head. I'm out." Reggy said as he started to leave the room.

"Where are you going?" Laura asked him.

"This all has nothing to do with me."

"But you knew about all this?"

"Yeah. Don't tell me you've never suspected your father of this."

Laura was starting to hyperventilate. "I can't take this. I don't understand." Reggy looked over at Stacy, who was still arguing with Lori. Laura's mother was going to be no help so he went over to his cousin and hugged her.

"Come to my room. We can talk like real adults and I'll explain everything."

"I want to talk to my father."

Reggy nodded and Stacy was so wrapped up in arguing that she didn't even notice when her daughter had left the room.

Reggy and Laura found Sue and Clark behind the house by the swimming pool. Clark was speaking very softly but it was obvious that Sue was glad to hear whatever it was. Laura walked up to her father and asked the question.

"Is it true about you and Sue?"

Clark nodded. "Does everyone know now?"

"Mom and Aunt Lori are arguing in the house."

"That was the last thing I wanted."

"Then go in there and tell them to stop." Reggy said.

"I'm not suicidal."

...

"I guarantee you, I'll ruin you. I swear it. You sign that form or I'll go to the tv news with this."

"Go. Don't let me stop you. Tell Richard 'hi' for me if you go by channel 13."

"On top of being a whore and a harlot, why do you have to be so difficult? Why can't you see reason."

"That's the second time you've called me that so now I have to teach you a lesson."

"Empty threats are all you have."

"You're a selfish, greedy little woman. You care more about money than your family."

"You're the one who's getting rich on the backs of others. You've never done an honest day's work in your life."

"Says the woman who's never held a job."

"My family is my job."

"I tell you what I'll do. I will sign your form, after my lawyers have looked it over for legal accuracy, if ..."

"No need. My lawyer was the one who prepared ..."

"Let me finish or you'll get nothing. Your lawyer doesn't know the first thing about how I've organized my company. Neither would I trust anyone under your employ."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'll have my lawyer look at the document just in case you hired an incompetent. And then I will sign it."

"Good."

"But, you have to do one thing for me first."

Stacy looked at Lori. "Why can't you just do the right thing without adding something on top of it?"

"You called me a whore. I don't think you really know what the meaning of that word is so I'll have to educate you. Hear me now. You will do this one favor for me or you will get nothing. Not a cent. Do as I ask and I might even throw in a little extra for your trouble."

"What do you want?"

Lori smiled in triumph. "You will lick my pussy until I have an orgasm."

Stacy started wearing a face of disgust. "You're depraved."

"You'll do it if you want any money from me."

"Homosexuality is a sin."

"Where does it say that in your bible?"

"Everywhere."

"Hardly. The word homosexuality didn't even exist when the bible was written. So do you want to try again?"

"Sodom and Gomorrah."

"Were destroyed for the sin of sodomy. I understand you and Clark are quite fond of sodomy and the sin of Onan to keep from having any more children. But as to the question at hand, where in the bible does it say lesbianism is a sin? You believe in the bible alone, right? So don't quote me some sermon or some other book. Use the bible alone. Show me where in the bible is spells out that a woman having sex with a woman is wrong. Go. Go look all you want. You won't find it."

"Well, it's in there. It has to be. But even if it isn't spelled out crystal clear enough for a sinner like you to see it, any real Christian will be able to tell you that women can't be with other women."

"Then how was Jesus conceived? I seem to recall that it was by the Holy Ghost. That's very interesting because in Hebrew, the Holy Ghost is female."

"That's completely different."

"So, not only does the bible not say a woman can't be with a woman, we have a woman becoming pregnant by a female and she gave birth to a living God."

"You are twisting that really far. You insult me by continuing to talk of my religion."

"Your religion wouldn't be so easy to insult if you all would at least live according to your own rules. Anyway, I'll give you a few moments to think about what I told you. If you want any of my money, you'll come and ask to go to my bedroom. If your family and integrity is more important to you than your greed, you can leave with nothing and never ask me for a thing in the future, because I will certainly cut you, and anyone connected to you, off completely."

...

Laura and Sue hugging.

Snap.

Uncle Clark smiling with each of his daughters on an arm.

Snap.

Each daughter kissing one of Uncle Clark's cheeks.

Snap.

Golden hour had passed but Reggy was getting some pretty good pictures thanks to the Christmas lights they had covering the archway to the flower garden all year round. It was great lighting and some of the shots looked like they'd already been doctored or air brushed. They were that good.