Secrets

"Can you keep a secret?" my sister asked, barging into my room without knocking.

This was typical of Mary. Both the barging in and the question. Mary always had some wild secret that she wanted to share, but didn't want anyone else to share. She had all of these secrets because she was something of a snoop, which was why I didn't want her barging into my room.

Mary was ten years old, and I was thirteen and valued my privacy. Mom and Dad had talked to Mary about not knocking, but apparently it hadn't sunken in, because her she was.

"No, I can't keep a secret," I stated matter of factly. "I will open the window and shout it to the whole neighborhood. I will put fliers about it all over school. I will stand outside the supermarket and tell everyone that comes through the door."

"Ha, ha/ Very funny, Cooper. You aren't going to do any of those things."

She was right. I wasn't going to do any of those things. I couldn't care less about Mary's secrets. They usually weren't very good secrets, in any case. That didn't stop her from telling me all about them, anyway.

"Mary," I took a deep breath. "I really don't want to hear any of your stupid little secrets."

Usually, they were about her friends or someone at school, and I didn't even know some of the people that she talked about. Every once in a while, though, she had a good one. Like the time when she found our Christmas presents and told me where they wre hidden. Another time, she found out that we were getting a puppy. But mostly her secrets were useless.

"fine, Cooper, but it's a big one. It's about Mom and Dad, but since you don't want to hear it....." she said. She trailed off and started heading out of my room.

I gave in and called her back. After all, if it was about my parents, it might really be a good one. I wasn't opposed to secrets, just stupid secrets.

Mary slowly came back into the room. She sat on the foot of my bed and slowly looked me up and down. This was something she and her friends had seen in a movie and they thought it was so cool. I thought it was lame.

"Well, I heard Mom and Dad talking in the dining room and they were talking about a new baby. That must mean that Mom is pregnant."

"That's not possible." I stated knowingly. "Once you wre born, Mom and Dad decided they didn't want any more kids and Mom got fixed so she couldn't have any more."

"Can't be true. I heard it with my own ears, and you know my ears hear real good."

I sighed. Once she had an idea, she wouldn't let it go. She was like a dog with a bone. I sent her away so I could finish my homework, but I couldn't concentrate. I couldn't ask my parents about the secret, because then I wouldn't be keeping a secret and I prided myself on being able to keep a secret.

The next morning at breakfast, I paid close attention to Mom - especially to her stomach. She didn't look any different, and she didn't eat any more than usual. Actually, she didn't eat at all. She picked at her food. Dad didn't eat, either. They didn't normally talk much in the morning, but they seemed quieter than usual, also.

"Cooper, don't forget your lunch," Mom said.

"Oh, and Cooper," Dad spoke up, "I will pick you up from basketball practice today, so don't run off with your friends."

Now I was suspicious. No one ever picked me up from practice. I always hung with my friends and either walked home or took the city bus. I asked why.

"Because your father said so!" Mom said with an edge in her voice.

"It's not Cooper's fault." Dad stated quietly.

"No, it's not, your right. Cooper, I'm sorry. We are having a family dinner tonight to talk about some things so we want you home on time."

I headed to school, but school wasn't on my mind. Mary tried talking to me a couple of times, but I ignored her. I dropped her at her school and headed on to mine. When I got to the point that I could see my school in the distance, I decided that today wasn't the day for me to be stuck in a classroom. I texted my two best pals and we decided to play hooky.

It was a warm day, so we spent it at the river, swimming and goofing off. Finally, when we were laying out to dry off, Frank got up the nerve to ask me why I had suddenly suggested skipping school. I just told him that I had a lot on my mind and couldn't do school today.

Of course, Jimmy and Frank both wanted me to talk to them about what was bugging me, but I couldn't and I told them so. They were pretty cool guys, so they left it alone.

We made it back to school for basketball practice. We weren't supposed to be allowed at practice if we missed school, but Coach Acer didn't care. He just wanted his players at practice. he used to coach college basketball, so he was used to working around the academics.

After practice, Dad was waiting outside. I asked him if we could give Frank and Jimmy a ride home. He had never said no before, but he did today. Another occurrence for me to ponder over.

As soon as we walked in the house, Mom told me to go wash up for dinner. The moment I got upstairs, Mary was there waiting for me. She looked really concerned and was biting her lip, something she hadn't done in years.

"Coop, I have another secret." she mumbled.

"I don't want to hear about it, Mary, I really don't."

"But it's important."

"Fine. What is it?"

Mary proceeded to tell me that she had answered the phone when Mom was outside and there was a woman on the phone asking to speak to Dad. Mary offered to take a message, but the woman hung up.

"Mary, it was probably just someone from his job or something. Calm down."

Mom called us down for dinner. It was a fancy dinner, and it smeeled wonderful. We all sat down and began eating. Once we were good and into our meal, Mom set down her silverware and said that she and Dad had something to tell us.

Dad and Mom exchanged a look that I didn't care for at all. I looked over at Dad, then at Mom. Mom had tears silently running down her cheeks. Mary saw this and began crying, herself. Dad cleared his throat and began to speak.

"Your Mom and I have a situation. We have given it great thought and discussion, and we have decided that it is in our best interest and yours to separate, at least for now. We won't bounce you guys back and forth. You will stay here and Mom and I will take turns going back and forth.

"Why?" Mary sobbed.

"Well, sweetheart, Daddy made a huge mistake. Daddy started seeing another woman while married to Mom. I am no longer seeing her, but I recently found out that she is pregnant, and the baby is mine. She wants me to take the baby, because she doesn't want to keep it, and I feel that I should do that. I hurt your Mom terribly and I am so sorry."

We all sat in silence, not knowing what to say or do. No one was eating any more. Mary grabbed my arm and I put it around her. She was so pitiful that I felt sorry for her. Finally, when I thought the silence was going to drive me nuts, Mom spoke up.

"Actually, Harry, I changed my mind. After very, very careful consideration, I have decided that we can take the baby in and stay together. However, this better not ever happen again."

Mary and I looked at Dad. Now he was crying, as well.

About a month later, the baby arrived. The mother signed the baby over without even a moment of hesitation. She wanted to get ahead in her career and a baby was going to get in her way. Mary and I weren't exactly thrilled about the idea of a new baby, especially the was it came about. After we saw the little guy, though, we were hooked. Mom seemed to fall in love with him as well.

mom and Dad did indeed stay together, until Dad passed away ten years later. I was twenty three and in college on a basketball scholarship. Mary was twenty and in nursing school. Jeffery was ten, and we were thankful that Mom had decided to take him in, because she would have him to keep her occupied. As far as we knew, Dad never cheated on Mom again, and he was grateful to her unitl the end.

Oh, by the way, Mary still calls almost daily and asks me the same question.

"Can you keep a secret?"