How The Family Grows

“I’ve asked Kevin to investigate this cousin a little harder. I want to make sure first that she is family and second that this isn’t just a scam. Now I’m going to get ahold of some of the FAC investigators and have them do a deep dive into her, deeper than Kevin can go. While this is going on we need to tell Callie. Mostly to find out what she knows about this cousin and to assure her that we do not want her to go.” “What else can we do until then?” “Well, we can continue to love her and support her and keep her attitude positive. I believe we will come out on top of this. Usually people like her, the ones who come out of the woodwork when they think they can get something out of it, will lose in the end. She’ll slip up, make a comment that she shouldn’t or just do something stupid. Whatever it is we’ll find it and stop this whole thing.” He reached over and hugged Jan while watching the twins play on the floor. A few hours later Jan went to Jillian’s to get Callie. When they got home Jack began preparing dinner. During dinner Jack asked Callie about her dad’s cousin and she bristled at the mention of the woman. Jack pressed on and asked what the problem was. “She showed up when my mom died to ‘help’ dad for a while. She only stayed for a couple of weeks. After the first week I had enough of her. She acted as though she owned the place, changing where things went, adding chores to what I already had to do and doing less herself. She would tell Dad that I wouldn’t listen to her and said I refused to help out around the house all to get me punished. But Dad knew the truth. He and Mom had raised me and he knew I would never do what that woman was saying. After those two weeks she finally left. Said she had to get back to her own home and family. I don’t know what she was talking about, she wasn’t married and had no kids.” “How do you know that?” “Dad told me one day.” And there was the slip. That puzzled Jack, making him wonder even more about this person. He dropped the conversation and they finished their meal and cleared the table.