Every family has their secrets. Some are small and some are not. The one Mr. and Mrs. Layton were hiding was a doozy. One day when Matt was 15 years old, he was looking around in his father's desk for his scissors and he accidentally discovered that the small drawer in the middle that was normally locked was not. He was always curious what could be in that little drawer, jewels, gold, pirate treasure, secrets. Matt silently slid open the drawer and found nothing but some old papers inside. He carefully lifted them out and unfolded them. They were birth certificates for himself and his brothers. Each one had his brothers names written in scripted fountain pen with their birth dates and parents names and a large raised seal of the state of Pennsylvania. That was odd because Matt thought they had always lived in New Jersey. This said they were born in Philadelphia. That wasn't the strangest thing though. Matt couldn't stop staring, "Father's Name: Francis Layton" "Mother's Name: Margaret Kennedy". This was too big to keep to himself. "Are we adopted?" Matt wondered silently. He gingerly refolded the certificates and put them back in the drawer. He decided he would show his oldest brother Vincent. He was 18, soon to be 19, he would know what to do.
"Yeah, I know." That's what Vincent said when Matt told him about the birth certificates. "Dad told me when I turned 18. He told me not to talk about it and he would tell you guys when you turn 18." "Well what does it mean, why isn't our mother's name Teresa?" Matt wanted to know. Vincent whispered, "When you were a baby, our mother committed suicide. Mom isn't our real mom, but she is because she adopted us." Matt felt like he was just hit by a 200 pound middle linebacker. He just stood there dumbly staring at Vincent. "Mom, who makes the best meatloaf in the world. Mom, who was everyone's favorite school cafeteria lady. Mom, who was our cub scout pack's den mother. Mom, who organized our football teams' fundraisers. Mom, who loved me best of all and everyone knew it." All these thoughts swirled in Matt's head and he didn't know what to say. Vincent said, "So what, she's still our mom. Don't tell Marty and Frank, Dad wants to be the one to tell them." Matt went back to his room and shut the door. He felt like he was just punched in the gut. He couldn't even look at his mom right now, she would know that he knew. She always knew everything, she just had a knack for finding out everything she wasn't supposed to find out about. Matt tried to keep it to himself, but it was too big and he needed to talk about it with someone. Vincent didn't seem to care and didn't want to talk about it any longer.
A few days later, with their parents out at the neighbor's house for the evening, Matt couldn't keep it in any longer. He told Frank what he found and showed him the birth certificates in the secret drawer. He told Frank what Vincent had told him and made him promise not to tell their other brother, 17 year old Marty. He felt relieved to be able to share the secret. It was like carrying a heavy weight around and telling it almost made him feel like the weight was lifted and shared with both of them now. Frank was as shocked as Matt was and for some reason, watching Frank react, as he had himself had just a few days ago made Matt feel like he could breathe again.
Matt should have known not to share secrets with Frank. His middle name is Impulsive. He couldn't keep a secret if his life depended on it, and knowing their dad and his temper, it might. The very first time Frank got angry at their mom, he blurted out "I don't have to listen to you, you're not even my real mother!". Everyone stopped frozen and Frank realized what he had done, but it was too late. Terry didn't even have the strength to yell back, in fact she couldn't even make a sound. The secret that she lived with every minute of every day was finally out. She loved those boys from the tops of their sandy heads to the bottom of their little monkey toes. Never did she ever feel that she wasn't their real mother, but she was somehow terrified of the day that the secret was out. The fear of rejection was behind it. Would they still love her? Would they respect her? The biggest fear, would they blame her?
Everyone froze for a moment. Terry stood still as tears formed in her pea green eyes. Frank instantly regretted what he had done. "I'm sorry Mom, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it!" Everyone wished they could go back 30 seconds ago to pretending that no one knew the secret. Marty and Matt rushed to their mother's side and hugged her. Frank kept apologizing, but they weren't sure if he was upset at making Terry cry or for worrying about what their dad would do when he found out. Terry composed herself, wiped away the tears and told the boys that they would have to have a talk when their dad came home.
Frank got over it quick though. Within five minutes he was on the phone with his girlfriend Patty. They were together constantly. If they weren't together, they were talking on the phone. Matt was happy that it was time for him to go to work flipping burgers at Walgreen's lunch counter. He needed to escape the tension and do something to take it off his mind. Their dad, Frank Sr. was waiting when he got home later though. He wasn't mad, so much as sad and disappointed that Frank would use it against Terry the first chance he got. I guess it says something about his character that he would though.
Their dad explained that he was working all day and going to evening classes to become an engineer back then. They lived in Philadelphia and he knew Margaret from the neighborhood. He went to the boys Catholic school and Margaret went to the girls Catholic school and they met at a dance. They fell in love but didn't marry until Margaret graduated from nursing school. They couldn't wait to start a family though and were so happy when Vincent came along. Soon Martin arrived, then Francis Junior, followed closely by Matthew. One night after he came home from night school he sat down with Margaret to discuss their day and enjoy the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree that was still up in January. Margaret said she was tired and was going to bed. Frank Sr. fell asleep on the couch and when he awoke an hour later and went up to bed he found Margaret hanging by one of his ties in the shower. He never knew why she did it. She never threatened to kill herself and despite being very close to her family, no one saw it coming. She left no note. Their dad went on to say that he knew Terry from work and everyone loved her. Everyone at work knew about the tragedy and while some people were very nice, some people avoided him now for fear of saying the wrong thing. It was Terry who was the kindest. She always had a nice thing to say and always asked how the family was doing. It was the natural thing to become closer and the more he got to know her the more he knew that she would be the perfect wife and mother for his children. It would be a lot to ask, almost too much for some people, but Terry couldn't wait to slip into this family and take over. She loved the children as if they were her own, but Matthew, being a baby still, stole her heart and never let it go.
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