The Truth in the Lie

Chapter 1

He was furious. How could she do this, just throw away everything that they had for that bastard? Again it was about Jason.

He sat in their living room and a million memories surrounded him. Making love on that couch, pancake breakfasts at the table. The wedding pictures and family pictures scattered throughout the room. Was it all a lie? If not, why did she stay?

In some ways this was worse than when he thought she was dead. At least then he could believe that she loved him and wanted to be with him. But now, with the decision that she has made…

He kept going over their conversation over and over again.

"Patrick, please understand – I can't leave, not now." Her dark brown eyes were pleading with him.

"No, Robin I don't understand. I need you. Emma needs you. After what your parents put you through, abandoning you time and time again, how could do this to her?" He was desperate to understand why she was refusing to come home with him.

"Do you think this is what I want?" She screamed it at him desperately, the calmed down quickly. "I just can't leave."

Something about that one question was nagging at him. He couldn't explain it but he could almost swear she was trying to tell him something. He had heard her say that to him before, hadn't he?

"If you don't come home with me now, we're done. I can't live like this – not knowing when you are coming home. Knowing that we will always come last. It's not fair to me or Emma."

"I know." She was devastated, he could see it in her eyes but she still refused to leave. "I love you and Emma so much and I want nothing more than to come home with you but it just not possible today. I'm sorry."

"I am too. Goodbye Robin."

"Patrick, wait! Have you been tested lately?"

"What?" He couldn't believe she was worried about an HIV test at this time.

"Have you?"

"Yes, last month. Clean bill of health." He almost spat the words at her.

He saw a wave of relief wash over her. "Good, that's just…good."

Now that he was home and really thinking about what she said, Patrick kept going back to that one line: "Do you think this is what I want?"

It struck him like a lightning bolt and took his breath away – of course! When Robin was being held by Jerry Jacks at Wyndamere and couldn't tell him, she had said the same thing.

He grabbed his phone. "Anna, you need to come over here - right now!"

Robin lay in bed, consumed with guilt and pain. She had wanted so much to tell Patrick the truth but Jerry would have killed him.

"This is the right decision, even if it is killing me, it is the right decision."

Instinctively she began rubbing her slightly swollen belly. "I had to do it. I couldn't protect your brother but I will protect you, your sister and your daddy, no matter what it takes."