Thank you for the feedback. 
Sanda, I'm glad that you're looking forward to Jenna and her kids arrival in Dallas.
Ms. Southworth, thank you. I'm glad that we have some regular readers who also are kind enough to tell us that you like our story.
Then as for Jenna, Charlie and Lucas. Since Charlie was like 14 when Lucas was born I think it's pretty natural that she knew who the father was. Then that Lucas doesn't know that's all on Jenna and Ray. Anyway at least Charlie's learnt to keep a secret by now. Back when Lucas was a baby she sure couldn't as she was quick to tell Christopher about Lucas being Bobby's son at Jenna & Ray's wedding.
Here's another update:
At exactly one o’clock the doorbell rang on Cliff Barnes’ door. Cliff opened it and found two familiar faces standing outdoors, “Afton! Becky!” Cliff smiled, as he greeted them, “How nice of you to come.”
“Hi Cliff,” Afton said nervously, as she could feel the butterflies start to roam around in her stomach. A part of her felt uncomfortable to be back at Cliff’s apartment even after all this time. Yet seeing the smile on her daughter’s face she remembered why she was there.
“Hi dad,” Becky’s eyes sparkled, as she loved having a father.
“So would you like to eat now or would you like to sit down and talk for a while first?” Cliff asked nervously, after he’d closed the door behind them. Afton and Becky exchanged a look and Cliff went on, “Whatever you’d like is fine by me.”
“Well I think I’d like to eat first,” Afton said.
“No I wanna have a look around at dad’s apartment first,” Becky objected.
“Sure you can have a look at whatever room you’d like,” Cliff offered.
“But Cliff these are the same furniture that I picked out, why haven’t you changed them?”
“Well I guess I like them. Besides you’ve always had good taste,” Cliff said to Becky’s amazement.
Afton laughed, “Becky honey, it looks like I can give you a guided tour of your dad’s apartment. I mean after all I was the one who decorated it for him!”
“That’s awesome mom,” Becky grinned and the three of them walked into the kitchen.
“Yeah this is the kitchen.”
“So what’s for lunch?” Becky asked.
“Oh you’ll find out soon. But let’s just say that it’s my special food from Marino’s Chinese restaurant,” Cliff smiled proudly.
“CHINESE FOOD?!” Becky exclaimed. “But I hate Chinese food!” Becky turned towards Afton, “mom?”
“I’m sorry sweetie, but your dad does have a thing for Chinese food,” Afton rolled her eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t remember to tell him you don’t like it,” Afton added, although a part of her was not that sorry, as she was having mixed emotions about Cliff’s reappearance into her life. So if he and Becky don’t hit it off, that just means I won’t have to worry about him trying to take my child away from me, Afton reflected.
“You really don’t like Chinese food?” Cliff asked surprised, as it was his favorite food and the thought that his daughter may not like it had never even occurred to him.
“I really don’t like it!”
“Okay so what do you like then?” Cliff asked.
“My favorite food is Pizza,” Becky replied.
“Well if that’s so, how about if I’ll order you a pizza instead?”
Becky’s face lit up at the prospect, “Really?”
“Yeah really,” Cliff picked up the phone and started dialing a number from a note by the phone. “Hello this is Cliff Barnes. I would like to order a pizza…” Cliff then turned to Becky and said, “What do you like?”
“Hawaii.”
“A Hawaii,” Cliff placed the order. “Yes I would like to have it delivered to my house,” Cliff then proceeded with giving out his address.
“Yes sir. It will be there within 10 minutes,” the man at the pizzeria promised and Cliff hung up the phone.
“Cliff I’m really surprised,” Afton said in amazement.
“Why’s that?”
“Because you won’t force your daughter to eat Chinese food,” Afton said, “Besides the pizza is going to cost you extra.”
“Don’t worry about that I’ll pay for it. Nothing’s too much for my daughter,” Cliff smiled proudly, as he gave Becky a hug.
Seeing father and daughter looking so happy together Afton could feel a sting of guilt tug at her heart, since she knew that it was her fault that they had missed out on so many years together. Maybe I was wrong trying to keep Becky from her father? Afton hated to admit it. But a part of her knew that Cliff would have been a wonderful father if he’d ever gotten the chance to. But she didn’t breathe a word about that to Cliff, instead she simply said, “You really have changed.”
“Well it’s been 6 years since I last saw you,” Cliff simply stated.
“Yes a lot can happen in six years,” Afton nodded.
“It definitely can,” Cliff said before he turned to his daughter, “So Becky why don’t you run upstairs and have a look at the rest of my apartment while we wait for your pizza to arrive?” Cliff suggested. “I’d like to talk to your mother for a little while if you don’t mind?” He then added and Becky smiled.
“Sure dad I don’t mind. I’ll go have a look at your place,” Becky disappeared upstairs and left her parents alone.
Being alone together for the first time in six years they could both feel the tensioning lingering in the air. It got uncomfortably silent as neither one of them knew what to say. They both had so much on their minds but didn’t know where to start. Eventually Cliff took it upon himself to break the silence by saying, “So I take it you never got married again?”
Afton felt like the blood in her veins froze to ice, as his question completely threw her off guard. Yet she tried her best not to let it show. “No,” Afton shook her head. “But I am seeing someone.”
“I know, Mario Badeau, isn’t it?” Cliff said in a way that made Afton feel like her heart had gotten caught in her throat.
Her eyes narrowed, “How did you know?”
“He called the other day when I was at your apartment.”
“Oh so it was Mario who was on the phone?” Afton finally pieced it together. “Why didn’t you tell me?” Afton then asked and seeing the jealousy in Cliff’s eyes Afton could feel her heart start to beat faster. Can it be he’s still interested in me? Afton pondered.
“You never gave me a chance to.”
“Fair enough, so I guess you don’t have a woman in your life?”
“How did you know?”
“The apartment,” Afton smiled. “If you’d had a new woman in your life she’d want to redo things.”
“Well not all women are interested in that. I mean I was seeing someone a few years ago that I wanted to marry. Liz Adams but…” Cliff started to explain but Afton won’t hear it.
“Cliff…” Afton interrupted him. “You really don’t have to tell me about it, I mean I’m only here for Becky’s sake.”
“Oh, so you really don’t care about me then?”
“I care but not in the way you want me to,” Afton explained and yet seeing the disappointment in Cliff eyes hurt her more than she wanted. “I’m sorry Cliff, but I just thought I’d make that clear from the start, as I don’t want you to build up any false expectations about us ever becoming a proper family, since that’s never going to happen.” Afton effectively crushed all of Cliff’s hopes and for a moment it got silent as neither one of them knew what else to say. So the ringing of the doorbell was a welcomed sound.
“Ah that must be Becky’s pizza, why don’t you go get Becky and I’ll get that,” Cliff plastered a smile on his face, as he was trying hard not to let Afton see just how much she had hurt him.
“Okay,” Afton nodded and started walking upstairs.
As she does, Cliff called out nervously after her, “That Pizzeria sure knew what they were doing. I mean it hasn’t even been ten minutes so how’s that for a speedy delivery to their customers?” Cliff rambled on as he opened the door. He then turned towards the delivery guy with a smile on his lips and said, “Yes we were going to have a hot p…” Cliff’s smile vanished, as he stared in shock at the brunette woman and child who was standing on his doorstep. Oh My God, it can’t be…I thought she never wanted to see me again… Cliff could feel his throat getting choked up, as the woman on his doorstep looked too much like his long lost little sister not to be. Yet he barely dared to believe that it’s really her. “Pa…Pam?”
Pam tried to swallow down the lump in her throat, as she hadn’t expected her older brother to have grown that old. Oh poor Cliff he’s aged so much while I’ve been away…these past years can’t have been easy on him, Pam reflected, as she could feel herself getting all emotional. Pam nodded as she tried to compose herself. “Yes Cliff, I’ve gotta say that this was a hot welcome, much warmer than I’d expected,” Pam joked in an attempt to break the ice.
Hearing her voice Cliff could feel the tears well up in his eyes, “Oh my God Pam…it’s really you…”
“Yes it’s me…” Pam confirmed and it got silent for a moment as the siblings stared at each other before Pam went on. “Can I come in?”
“Sure,” Cliff gestured with his hands.
Pam and the little girl then entered the apartment. But Cliff wasn’t paying much attention to the child as he was looking at Pam, like if he feared she would just vanish into thin air. For the longest time he hadn’t expected his sister to ever return to him. But here she was. Pam licked her lips nervously before she went on, “I know it’s a lot to ask but…I was sort of hoping you’d forgive me for the way I treated you in LA…I…” Pam swallowed as the tears started to fall down her cheek. “I was still very sick then and…I’m not anymore…so I’m back and…can you forgive me?” Pam pleaded with Cliff.
Looking into her sad big brown eyes Cliff knew that no matter of how much she’d hurt him, he had already forgiven her in his heart, “Oh Pam…” Cliff said emotionally as the tears welled over in his eyes and he scooped Pam up in a big hug. “I thought that I’d never see you again…” Cliff cried. “And I’ve been so lonely without you…”
“I know…me too…I’ve missed you so much Cliff…” Pam cried against Cliff’s shoulder. For a moment the siblings were just holding onto each other, as if they were almost afraid to let each other go again.
Knowing that her older brother had forgiven her Pam could feel a burden being lifted off her shoulders and yet she was almost afraid to believe that it was true. This went almost too easy. Where is Cliff’s anger? Why isn’t he yelling at me for deceiving him all those years ago? Pam pondered.
This has been a strange week. First I find Afton and my little girl and now my sister waltz back into my life again. It feels just like old times… Cliff reflected.
Eventually their reunion was interrupted by Afton’s voice. “Cliff, what’s going on?” Afton asked. “I take it that wasn’t the pizza delivery?”
Pam and Cliff pulled apart and looked up only to see Afton and Becky standing before them.
“Yes dad who are they?” Becky asked, as she looked from her father to the woman and the younger girl with brown curls and big hazel brown eyes.
But a moment later her question was answered by her mother who started smiling from ear to ear when she recognized the woman Cliff had been hugging, “Oh My God…Pam? ”
“Afton?” Pam smiled. “What a nice surprise to find you here! I always hoped you and Cliff would work things out…”
Afton could feel her smile stiffen, as she didn’t look forward to explain her relationship with Cliff to Pam. But at the moment she was so overjoyed of seeing Pamela again that she chose to ignore Pam’s remark about her and Cliff. So instead she just said, “It’s nice to see you too Pam.”
The two women embraced each other warmly. When they broke off the hug Pam said, “I can’t believe it. It must have been years since I last saw you.”
“Yeah, you look remarkably well Pam. I mean I heard about your accident so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect and…”
“I’d rather not talk about the accident…”
“Well of course you don’t. I’m sorry for bringing it up…I had thought about coming back to see you then but…” Afton paused for a moment. “Never mind,” Afton decided to change the subject so she gestured towards Becky. “Um…I don’t believe you’ve met Pamela Rebecca?”
Pam looked at the blond little girl for a moment and got all choked up when she realized who she must be. “Oh Afton…is she?”
“Yes,” Afton nodded.
“And you named her after me and Mama?”
“Yes…you were my family for years,” Afton said emotionally.
Pam could feel her tears spill over again before she turned to Cliff and said, “Oh Cliff you must be so proud.”
“I am…” Cliff nodded.
“Mom is this, the Pamela you told me about?” Becky asked.
“Yes honey, this is your aunt, she’s come back and…” Afton’s stopped herself mid-sentence as her eyes wandered off to the little girl who had come with Pam. “I guess this little girl must be your cousin…”
Afton’s words cut through Cliff’s awareness and for the first time since he had opened the door he realized that Pam hadn’t came to see him alone. “Pam is this little girl my niece?”
“Yes…this is Rebecca,” Pam confirmed.
“Oh you named her after mama,” Cliff smiled.
“Yes,” Pam nodded before she turned to an unusually quiet Rebecca and said, “Rebecca honey, this is your uncle Cliff, your aunt Afton and your cousin Pamela.”
“Hi everyone,” Rebecca smiled.
“Actually everyone who knows me calls me Becky,” Becky corrected Pam.
Pam smiled, “Ah another Becky Barnes, how about that?”
Afton shifted uncomfortably before she pointed out, “Actually it’s Cooper, Cliff and I are not married.”
“Oh…” Pam blushed. “I’m sorry I just assumed…”
“It’s okay Pam. You couldn’t know,” Afton said. The adults went quiet as they were trying to figure out what to say. There was so much to say that they barely knew where to start. Their children fortunately didn’t have that problem as they were hitting it off right away.
“I’m ten so how old are you Rebecca?”
“I’m seven.”
“Okay, do you wanna see my dad’s apartment?”
“Sure…”
“Great, he has a water bed we can go and jump in,” Becky smiled mischievously.
Rebecca smiled at that, “You know I think I’m gonna love having you as a cousin.”
The girls disappeared upstairs and Cliff turned to Pam and said, “So how’s that husband of yours?”
“Um…Bobby’s fine.”
“Bobby?” Cliff asked surprised.
“Yeah he’s still the only husband I’ve ever had.”
“But I thought...I mean what happened to that David Gordon guy then?” Cliff asked confused. “I thought you were head over heels with him so surely I expected you two to be married by now…”
Pam was dumbfounded, “I’m sorry but David who?”
“The doctor you introduced me to in Los Angeles…” Cliff reminded Pam.
“Oh you mean Dr. Gordon,” Pam smiled uneasily. “Um…we were never even a couple…”
“You weren’t?” Cliff asked surprised, as he had been sure that Pam had a new man in her life. He then frowned, “So who’s Rebecca’s father then?”
“Um…Cliff I think you’d better sit down for this one, since that’s a long story…” Pam said and the three of them sat down by the dinner table and Pam started to fill Cliff and Afton in on what had happened to her since she’d left Dallas…
Sanda, I'm glad that you're looking forward to Jenna and her kids arrival in Dallas.
Ms. Southworth, thank you. I'm glad that we have some regular readers who also are kind enough to tell us that you like our story.
Then as for Jenna, Charlie and Lucas. Since Charlie was like 14 when Lucas was born I think it's pretty natural that she knew who the father was. Then that Lucas doesn't know that's all on Jenna and Ray. Anyway at least Charlie's learnt to keep a secret by now. Back when Lucas was a baby she sure couldn't as she was quick to tell Christopher about Lucas being Bobby's son at Jenna & Ray's wedding.
Here's another update:
At exactly one o’clock the doorbell rang on Cliff Barnes’ door. Cliff opened it and found two familiar faces standing outdoors, “Afton! Becky!” Cliff smiled, as he greeted them, “How nice of you to come.”
“Hi Cliff,” Afton said nervously, as she could feel the butterflies start to roam around in her stomach. A part of her felt uncomfortable to be back at Cliff’s apartment even after all this time. Yet seeing the smile on her daughter’s face she remembered why she was there.
“Hi dad,” Becky’s eyes sparkled, as she loved having a father.
“So would you like to eat now or would you like to sit down and talk for a while first?” Cliff asked nervously, after he’d closed the door behind them. Afton and Becky exchanged a look and Cliff went on, “Whatever you’d like is fine by me.”
“Well I think I’d like to eat first,” Afton said.
“No I wanna have a look around at dad’s apartment first,” Becky objected.
“Sure you can have a look at whatever room you’d like,” Cliff offered.
“But Cliff these are the same furniture that I picked out, why haven’t you changed them?”
“Well I guess I like them. Besides you’ve always had good taste,” Cliff said to Becky’s amazement.
Afton laughed, “Becky honey, it looks like I can give you a guided tour of your dad’s apartment. I mean after all I was the one who decorated it for him!”
“That’s awesome mom,” Becky grinned and the three of them walked into the kitchen.
“Yeah this is the kitchen.”
“So what’s for lunch?” Becky asked.
“Oh you’ll find out soon. But let’s just say that it’s my special food from Marino’s Chinese restaurant,” Cliff smiled proudly.
“CHINESE FOOD?!” Becky exclaimed. “But I hate Chinese food!” Becky turned towards Afton, “mom?”
“I’m sorry sweetie, but your dad does have a thing for Chinese food,” Afton rolled her eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t remember to tell him you don’t like it,” Afton added, although a part of her was not that sorry, as she was having mixed emotions about Cliff’s reappearance into her life. So if he and Becky don’t hit it off, that just means I won’t have to worry about him trying to take my child away from me, Afton reflected.
“You really don’t like Chinese food?” Cliff asked surprised, as it was his favorite food and the thought that his daughter may not like it had never even occurred to him.
“I really don’t like it!”
“Okay so what do you like then?” Cliff asked.
“My favorite food is Pizza,” Becky replied.
“Well if that’s so, how about if I’ll order you a pizza instead?”
Becky’s face lit up at the prospect, “Really?”
“Yeah really,” Cliff picked up the phone and started dialing a number from a note by the phone. “Hello this is Cliff Barnes. I would like to order a pizza…” Cliff then turned to Becky and said, “What do you like?”
“Hawaii.”
“A Hawaii,” Cliff placed the order. “Yes I would like to have it delivered to my house,” Cliff then proceeded with giving out his address.
“Yes sir. It will be there within 10 minutes,” the man at the pizzeria promised and Cliff hung up the phone.
“Cliff I’m really surprised,” Afton said in amazement.
“Why’s that?”
“Because you won’t force your daughter to eat Chinese food,” Afton said, “Besides the pizza is going to cost you extra.”
“Don’t worry about that I’ll pay for it. Nothing’s too much for my daughter,” Cliff smiled proudly, as he gave Becky a hug.
Seeing father and daughter looking so happy together Afton could feel a sting of guilt tug at her heart, since she knew that it was her fault that they had missed out on so many years together. Maybe I was wrong trying to keep Becky from her father? Afton hated to admit it. But a part of her knew that Cliff would have been a wonderful father if he’d ever gotten the chance to. But she didn’t breathe a word about that to Cliff, instead she simply said, “You really have changed.”
“Well it’s been 6 years since I last saw you,” Cliff simply stated.
“Yes a lot can happen in six years,” Afton nodded.
“It definitely can,” Cliff said before he turned to his daughter, “So Becky why don’t you run upstairs and have a look at the rest of my apartment while we wait for your pizza to arrive?” Cliff suggested. “I’d like to talk to your mother for a little while if you don’t mind?” He then added and Becky smiled.
“Sure dad I don’t mind. I’ll go have a look at your place,” Becky disappeared upstairs and left her parents alone.
Being alone together for the first time in six years they could both feel the tensioning lingering in the air. It got uncomfortably silent as neither one of them knew what to say. They both had so much on their minds but didn’t know where to start. Eventually Cliff took it upon himself to break the silence by saying, “So I take it you never got married again?”
Afton felt like the blood in her veins froze to ice, as his question completely threw her off guard. Yet she tried her best not to let it show. “No,” Afton shook her head. “But I am seeing someone.”
“I know, Mario Badeau, isn’t it?” Cliff said in a way that made Afton feel like her heart had gotten caught in her throat.
Her eyes narrowed, “How did you know?”
“He called the other day when I was at your apartment.”
“Oh so it was Mario who was on the phone?” Afton finally pieced it together. “Why didn’t you tell me?” Afton then asked and seeing the jealousy in Cliff’s eyes Afton could feel her heart start to beat faster. Can it be he’s still interested in me? Afton pondered.
“You never gave me a chance to.”
“Fair enough, so I guess you don’t have a woman in your life?”
“How did you know?”
“The apartment,” Afton smiled. “If you’d had a new woman in your life she’d want to redo things.”
“Well not all women are interested in that. I mean I was seeing someone a few years ago that I wanted to marry. Liz Adams but…” Cliff started to explain but Afton won’t hear it.
“Cliff…” Afton interrupted him. “You really don’t have to tell me about it, I mean I’m only here for Becky’s sake.”
“Oh, so you really don’t care about me then?”
“I care but not in the way you want me to,” Afton explained and yet seeing the disappointment in Cliff eyes hurt her more than she wanted. “I’m sorry Cliff, but I just thought I’d make that clear from the start, as I don’t want you to build up any false expectations about us ever becoming a proper family, since that’s never going to happen.” Afton effectively crushed all of Cliff’s hopes and for a moment it got silent as neither one of them knew what else to say. So the ringing of the doorbell was a welcomed sound.
“Ah that must be Becky’s pizza, why don’t you go get Becky and I’ll get that,” Cliff plastered a smile on his face, as he was trying hard not to let Afton see just how much she had hurt him.
“Okay,” Afton nodded and started walking upstairs.
As she does, Cliff called out nervously after her, “That Pizzeria sure knew what they were doing. I mean it hasn’t even been ten minutes so how’s that for a speedy delivery to their customers?” Cliff rambled on as he opened the door. He then turned towards the delivery guy with a smile on his lips and said, “Yes we were going to have a hot p…” Cliff’s smile vanished, as he stared in shock at the brunette woman and child who was standing on his doorstep. Oh My God, it can’t be…I thought she never wanted to see me again… Cliff could feel his throat getting choked up, as the woman on his doorstep looked too much like his long lost little sister not to be. Yet he barely dared to believe that it’s really her. “Pa…Pam?”
Pam tried to swallow down the lump in her throat, as she hadn’t expected her older brother to have grown that old. Oh poor Cliff he’s aged so much while I’ve been away…these past years can’t have been easy on him, Pam reflected, as she could feel herself getting all emotional. Pam nodded as she tried to compose herself. “Yes Cliff, I’ve gotta say that this was a hot welcome, much warmer than I’d expected,” Pam joked in an attempt to break the ice.
Hearing her voice Cliff could feel the tears well up in his eyes, “Oh my God Pam…it’s really you…”
“Yes it’s me…” Pam confirmed and it got silent for a moment as the siblings stared at each other before Pam went on. “Can I come in?”
“Sure,” Cliff gestured with his hands.
Pam and the little girl then entered the apartment. But Cliff wasn’t paying much attention to the child as he was looking at Pam, like if he feared she would just vanish into thin air. For the longest time he hadn’t expected his sister to ever return to him. But here she was. Pam licked her lips nervously before she went on, “I know it’s a lot to ask but…I was sort of hoping you’d forgive me for the way I treated you in LA…I…” Pam swallowed as the tears started to fall down her cheek. “I was still very sick then and…I’m not anymore…so I’m back and…can you forgive me?” Pam pleaded with Cliff.
Looking into her sad big brown eyes Cliff knew that no matter of how much she’d hurt him, he had already forgiven her in his heart, “Oh Pam…” Cliff said emotionally as the tears welled over in his eyes and he scooped Pam up in a big hug. “I thought that I’d never see you again…” Cliff cried. “And I’ve been so lonely without you…”
“I know…me too…I’ve missed you so much Cliff…” Pam cried against Cliff’s shoulder. For a moment the siblings were just holding onto each other, as if they were almost afraid to let each other go again.
Knowing that her older brother had forgiven her Pam could feel a burden being lifted off her shoulders and yet she was almost afraid to believe that it was true. This went almost too easy. Where is Cliff’s anger? Why isn’t he yelling at me for deceiving him all those years ago? Pam pondered.
This has been a strange week. First I find Afton and my little girl and now my sister waltz back into my life again. It feels just like old times… Cliff reflected.
Eventually their reunion was interrupted by Afton’s voice. “Cliff, what’s going on?” Afton asked. “I take it that wasn’t the pizza delivery?”
Pam and Cliff pulled apart and looked up only to see Afton and Becky standing before them.
“Yes dad who are they?” Becky asked, as she looked from her father to the woman and the younger girl with brown curls and big hazel brown eyes.
But a moment later her question was answered by her mother who started smiling from ear to ear when she recognized the woman Cliff had been hugging, “Oh My God…Pam? ”
“Afton?” Pam smiled. “What a nice surprise to find you here! I always hoped you and Cliff would work things out…”
Afton could feel her smile stiffen, as she didn’t look forward to explain her relationship with Cliff to Pam. But at the moment she was so overjoyed of seeing Pamela again that she chose to ignore Pam’s remark about her and Cliff. So instead she just said, “It’s nice to see you too Pam.”
The two women embraced each other warmly. When they broke off the hug Pam said, “I can’t believe it. It must have been years since I last saw you.”
“Yeah, you look remarkably well Pam. I mean I heard about your accident so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect and…”
“I’d rather not talk about the accident…”
“Well of course you don’t. I’m sorry for bringing it up…I had thought about coming back to see you then but…” Afton paused for a moment. “Never mind,” Afton decided to change the subject so she gestured towards Becky. “Um…I don’t believe you’ve met Pamela Rebecca?”
Pam looked at the blond little girl for a moment and got all choked up when she realized who she must be. “Oh Afton…is she?”
“Yes,” Afton nodded.
“And you named her after me and Mama?”
“Yes…you were my family for years,” Afton said emotionally.
Pam could feel her tears spill over again before she turned to Cliff and said, “Oh Cliff you must be so proud.”
“I am…” Cliff nodded.
“Mom is this, the Pamela you told me about?” Becky asked.
“Yes honey, this is your aunt, she’s come back and…” Afton’s stopped herself mid-sentence as her eyes wandered off to the little girl who had come with Pam. “I guess this little girl must be your cousin…”
Afton’s words cut through Cliff’s awareness and for the first time since he had opened the door he realized that Pam hadn’t came to see him alone. “Pam is this little girl my niece?”
“Yes…this is Rebecca,” Pam confirmed.
“Oh you named her after mama,” Cliff smiled.
“Yes,” Pam nodded before she turned to an unusually quiet Rebecca and said, “Rebecca honey, this is your uncle Cliff, your aunt Afton and your cousin Pamela.”
“Hi everyone,” Rebecca smiled.
“Actually everyone who knows me calls me Becky,” Becky corrected Pam.
Pam smiled, “Ah another Becky Barnes, how about that?”
Afton shifted uncomfortably before she pointed out, “Actually it’s Cooper, Cliff and I are not married.”
“Oh…” Pam blushed. “I’m sorry I just assumed…”
“It’s okay Pam. You couldn’t know,” Afton said. The adults went quiet as they were trying to figure out what to say. There was so much to say that they barely knew where to start. Their children fortunately didn’t have that problem as they were hitting it off right away.
“I’m ten so how old are you Rebecca?”
“I’m seven.”
“Okay, do you wanna see my dad’s apartment?”
“Sure…”
“Great, he has a water bed we can go and jump in,” Becky smiled mischievously.
Rebecca smiled at that, “You know I think I’m gonna love having you as a cousin.”
The girls disappeared upstairs and Cliff turned to Pam and said, “So how’s that husband of yours?”
“Um…Bobby’s fine.”
“Bobby?” Cliff asked surprised.
“Yeah he’s still the only husband I’ve ever had.”
“But I thought...I mean what happened to that David Gordon guy then?” Cliff asked confused. “I thought you were head over heels with him so surely I expected you two to be married by now…”
Pam was dumbfounded, “I’m sorry but David who?”
“The doctor you introduced me to in Los Angeles…” Cliff reminded Pam.
“Oh you mean Dr. Gordon,” Pam smiled uneasily. “Um…we were never even a couple…”
“You weren’t?” Cliff asked surprised, as he had been sure that Pam had a new man in her life. He then frowned, “So who’s Rebecca’s father then?”
“Um…Cliff I think you’d better sit down for this one, since that’s a long story…” Pam said and the three of them sat down by the dinner table and Pam started to fill Cliff and Afton in on what had happened to her since she’d left Dallas…
:bravo: