Page 9 of Empower

That was when I found out the man, I had thought was my father, wasn’t.

And I found out that Karly wasn’t my full sister, but only half.

“Red?” I asked her as I read the back of the receipt. “Why would you have the name of a color on the back of a receipt?”

I was eleven. Sue me.

She laughed softly and then smiled a tired smile at me, but I would take it, and treasure it for all time, “It's not a color baby, it’s a road name.”

“A road name?” I asked her softly.

“Yeah, sweetie. You see, when Daryl upset me years ago, I ran. I didn’t know where I would end up, but I just knew that I couldn’t be near him any longer.”

I gasped, “What did he do to make you of all people run?”

“I walked in on him and another woman.”

I sighed, “Yeah, that would do it.”

She laughed softly, and I missed her boisterous laugh, “Yeah, anyway, back to the road name because that is what’s important. I ran to a little town in South Carolina. And I happened to find myself in a clubhouse on a Saturday night.”

She took in a breath, and then kept talking, “A clubhouse is what you call the place that members of a motorcycle club hang out, and some of them live there.”

But something came to the forefront of my mind, “Mom, why did you call him by his name and not my dad?”

She let out a sigh, “Because, he isn’t your biological dad.”

Okay, well, now that I thought about it, I didn’t have anything in common with him.

Nothing.

I just always thought I got everything from my mother.

And that was when she further explained, “Your Dad was a biker when I met him. He used to be a part of Wrath MC. Not sure if he still is or not, but that’s the only number I have for him. I never got his real name. They didn’t give that to anyone except their significant other.”

She didn’t give me time to process her words before she continued, “He’s the one who gave you those eyes of yours. I’m so glad you got them, baby. But I always thought red genes were dominant, you didn’t get his red hair.”

I took in a deep breath, not letting the tears fall for a second time for someone who didn’t deserve my tears.

No one did.

I looked at the clock above my white dresser and saw it was nine at night which wasn’t too late, then I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

Sucking in a deep breath, I tagged my phone from my nightstand and had to use muscle memory to know which buttons to press.

I had Karly’s old cell phone because heaven forbid, I ever got a new cell and outdid Karly.

Once I punched in the numbers, I placed the phone to my ear and hoped that who I was looking for was there.

The phone rang five times, and I was on the verge of hanging up when some bubbly voice came across the line, “Can I help you?”

I pulled the phone from my ear, checked to make sure that I had indeed typed the numbers in right then put the phone to my ear, “Umm, yeah. I’m looking for Red. Is he there?”

The bubbly voice was still there, but I detected a hint of wariness in her tone, “May I ask who's calling?”

“Umm, he doesn’t know me. But he knew my mom.” I closed my eyes, at the headboard that was now banging against my wall and asked, “Is he there?”

“Hang on,” she said, and then she was gone.