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"Yes, I know," he said. "Cathy told me that."

"Oh?" Star said.

"That's all told him," I quickly added.

"She didn't reveal anything about anyone, if that's what this is about," Stuart confirmed.

"It's not exactly what it's about," Jade said. "But it's no secret that we've all had problems with our parents. Mine, as you know, are concluding a divorce. Misty's are divorced and her father remarried recently. Star's father deserted his family and her mother did the same."

"She came back the other day, but I'm hoping it's not for long," Star interjected.

"And Cathy's parents are divorced," Stuart said, "and still battling over who's the better parent. I know it's unpleasant. It's great that you're all friends and can help each other. OWP's," he said to Misty. "Okay. I guess it makes sense in a way when you have a divorce in a family."

"It makes sense in a lot of ways," Misty replied. "Cathy's parents aren't exactly divorced," Jade said.

"That's not the problem Cat is dealing with here today."

"Huh?" He looked at me. "I don't understand. She told me they were."

"Cathy, why don't you ..."

"My parents haven't got a formal divorce yet. Actually," I said, "to begin at the beginning. My mother is not my mother. She's really my sister. We were both adopted. She and my father adopted me because my real mother had me out of wedlock late in life'

Stuart just stared as if my words were like fish floating around his head, too fast to catch and hold.

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nbsp; "I didn't find this out until relatively recently and only after my father was prohibited from having anything to do with me."

"But I thought you said they were struggling over custody and--"

"I didn't tell you the whole truth."

"Why not?" Stuart asked. He thought a moment and then asked, "Why is he prohibited from seeing you?"

"Why would a father be prohibited from being near his daughter?" Jade asked as an answer.

"I don't know."

"Think," Jade ordered. "Use your X-rated imagination?' He did and then his face registered his conclusion. He quickly looked at me.

"You mean that he abused you?"

Even now, even after all the therapy with Doctor Marlowe, it was still difficult for me to do much more than nod.

"Her sister, sister, who pretended to be her mother for years and years, wasn't exactly easy to live with either," Star said. "She was never really involved with Cat and wasn't there when Cat needed her the most."

"Wasn't easy to live with?" Stuart caught. "Isn't she still here, playing the role of mother?"

"She's dead," Jade said. Her words fell like small bombs among us.

"Dead?" He looked at me and at them, and shook his head. "But I thought she was visiting a sister or something." He shook his head. "I don't think I understand any of this What's going on, Cathy?"

"Before anything more is said, we need a promise from you, or more to the point, Cat needs a promise that what we're about to tell you, you'll keep secret for as long as necessary," Jade told him. "If you feel you don't want to know any more, we'd understand. Even Cat would, right, Cat?"

"Yes," I said, "I'm sorry about all this, Stuart. I wish I could have told it to you another way, but..?' I looked at the others. "They're all involved now, too. They had to approve of telling you."

He sat back, a look of confusion moving to a look of fear that snapped him forward.