Chapter 360 - We are a Family (2)

2 May, Matthew's Villa, City K

Matthew sat watching Lexi and Dominic. It was obvious Dominic had inherited her tendency to challenge her parents and stifled his laughter. Lexi felt his actions and turned and said "Matthew Rong!"

"Lexi, we can say he is your son. As someone said to me about children it can be Karma, in that what you did to your parents gets returned to you from your own children. I remember…"

Shocked Lexi said "Matthew Rong, you better not say a word."

"No, I want you Daddy Matthew to tell me what my mummy did."

Looking between the two, Matthew said "Dominic, you remember about how everyone has told you how your uncles Phillip, Chester, Andrew, Steven, Paul and I all grew up together. Your Mummy, Aunt Sally, Joan, and Rachael were also there. Your mummy loved pushing the rules her parents set…"

"Hey, you did the same Matthew Rong, so you can talk."

"Your mummy is right. I pushed my parent's rules as did everyone else. But we knew there were limits, which we tried not to cross. Your mummy struggled with that at times, and you are like that. But this time, your mummy is right, you went too far. We spoke to you about what was going to happen and told you that you were not to look at that on the internet. You were to come and ask us questions and we would let you look on-line if it was appropriate," Matthew continued firmly but with enough harshness in his tone to see Dominic know that he was wrong.

"Dominic look at me. Do you understand that you were wrong?"

Quietly Dominic responded, "Yes Daddy Matthew," before turning to Lexi adding "Sorry Mummy, but daddy's parents said that it was alright for me to do that because everything that people were saying, including what you told me was a lie."

Lexi was furious. How dare Richard's parents circ.u.mvent her role as Dominic's mother. They knew the limits she had set. But then, they were still in denial of Richard's actions despite the evidence she was continuing to pile on them in the proceedings about their time with Dominic. It made her stop for a few seconds. Is she told the truth she suppressed about Matthew being Dominic's biological father, this would go away but Dominic's sense of identity was shaped by the lie forced on her and continued to be perpetrated by her parents until their deaths backed up by Richard's parents.

Before she could respond Matthew said "Dominic, your daddy's parents have their view as to your daddy. He is their son, like you are your mummy's son and it is hard for them to imagine that he was anything other than what they believed him to be. Your mummy believes you to be a good son who generally follows the rules but knows that you sometimes slip up but do not go too far. Your daddy's parents believe that your daddy was the same. But that was complicated as he felt forced to marry your mummy for you rather than the person he loved. That had him react outside what he would normally do. That hurt your mummy, but your daddy's parents find that too hard to accept because he is not here anymore and cannot explain things. They believe that they must protect him. That does not go away for any parent and will not go away for your mummy and I even when you have a wife and children of your own. It will be almost impossible for us to believe the worst of you."

Lexi relaxed slightly; Matthew was diffusing the situation but not attacking Richard's parents. She knew them well enough to realise each time he visited them they were pumping him about everything that was said.

"Dominic do not worry. I do not blame them for being like that. They only have their memories of your daddy and want to protect them. But, when I set a rule, you need to follow it. That is not up for negotiation."

"Yes Mummy," came Dominic firm and positive response. "But I want to ask my question. While I never want to forget my daddy, can Daddy Matthew adopt me? I do not know what to believe. Daddy Matthew tells me he loves me and I am part of our family, but daddy's parents tell me that that might be the case now when you have children I will be forgotten so that the only way I cannot be forgotten about is to live with them all the time, because I will be the centre of their world. But if from what I found out asking questions at school if Daddy Matthew adopts me, I will be his son, not something that can be cast aside when things change."

Lexi looked at Matthew. This was the exact same question he had asked her, but she needed to test Dominic on this. "Do you realise that will hurt your daddy's parents." Richard's parents were they last people that needed any consideration, but for Dominic they were his grandparents.

"Mummy, they will always be my grandparents. Whether Daddy Matthew adopts me or not will not change that. I have no memories of daddy, only what everyone else tells me. He will not come back, and no matter what anyone wants will not change that. But I have the chance to have what my classmates have, a family with a mummy and daddy and I want that. If Daddy Matthew adopts me, I will have that."

"Are you certain on that Dominic. You must know that it will hurt your grandparents because they will feel your daddy is being forgotten. I will not do anything unless you are certain, but if you are I will talk to the lawyers and organise for your Daddy Matthew and I to talk to your grandparents about this. They need to hear about this from us."

"Mummy, daddy will always be here," and with that Dominic pointed to his heart "but we are a family and I want that known to everyone, and this is what I can think will do that."

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