There is something so cosy about autumn evenings... She was sipping her tea as pleasant smell of hot apple pie filled the kitchen. Plop... plop... plop... the first drops of rain rushed down the window. It seemed that nothing could disturb such an idyllic moment. And yet...
A sudden knock on the front door as though someone's life depended on answering it. Jane looked out the window - a strange man with bewildered look in his eyes was standing there. Hesitant, she opened the door.
"I need to talk to you"
"I'm sorry, do I know you?"
"It doesn't matter. Just please let me in and I'll explain everything to you, I promise."
Jane knew it wasn't a good idea to let complete strangers inside, but there was something so familiar and oddly soothing about this strange man that she defied all logic and let him in and offered a cup of warm tea. After few moments of awkward silence Jane began to worry that perhaps this is all some twisted scam and now the man is going to rob her house. But finally the man began talking.
"Jenny, darling, I can't believe it's you!" A mixture of emotions coursed through her body - a relief followed by pure horror. Could it be...? No, that's impossible. And yet there is only one man that called her Jenny and last time she saw him was at his funeral. Rest seemed like a foggy dream - Jane sitting in the living room and her former lover, who supposedly died all those years ago, clutching her hand and telling his story.
"I know how preposterous this situation must seem to you. And please bear with me here as it may get complicated. The plane wreck after which they proclaimed me dead... I wasn't there. When I was at the airport, right before the flight, my wallet was stolen. My documents and plane tickets were there. Thief must have taken it to the plane and when what was left of it was found investigators assumed I was dead like the rest of passengers."
Jane started grasping reality again. She was awake from the dream and started thinking straight. Well, as straight as you can think under these circumstances. "But so many years have passed, why haven't you reached out sooner? Why did you let everyone believe you were dead? Your mother was so devastated on the day of your "funeral" that doctors had to sedate her only so she could say her final goodbyes."
"Yes, I know all of it. But don't you dare to patronize me. I was stranded in a foreign country. No documents, no money. Nothing. Spent few days asking strangers for money or any other help just so I could get back home. With some help I finally reached the embassy. Only to hear that I must wait another month so that my identity could be confirmed and new passport could be made. Those damn bureaucrats couldn't care less about my situation. I wasn't even allowed to call my family - they said they would do it for me since they needed confirmation. Eventually, after all the horror, I reached home and found out you have moved out of the city and moved on with your life."
Jane could feel the man she once loved was now getting agitated and bitter. Did he really blame her for moving on with her life? "Shoot, where's my phone?" she thought to herself, sensing she might need to use it in case she would have to call for help.
"Yes, you have completely forgotten about me and all the promises of eternal love were made in vain apparently." His voice rose, hands started shaking. He drew a deep breath and continued. "At first I tried to find you, but you did a damn good job making sure no one from your former life could get hold of you. So I decided to move on too. Found myself a girl, got married, had a child. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't forget you. You were the reason for my divorce." He looked deep into her eyes. Jane felt her heart beating faster. "And then just a week ago, a lucky coincidence, I've read an article in a newspaper written by you, my little Jenny. Did a little research online, called a few places pretending to be a cop investigating a file and... bam! I'm here."
Suddenly, Jane felt anger filling her body. "How dare you come in here unannounced, call me your Jenny, blame me with this ridiculous nonsense?! I moved out because I had to, knowing the situation I was in..."
"The situation YOU were in?!" Now Jack was shouting. "It has always been about you and what was best for you. Poor little Jenny..."
Awoken by all the noise downstairs, a little child appeared on top of the stairs, rubbing his eyes, looking confused. "Mommy, I can't sleep, there's so much noise here..." Only then did the child notice Jack. "Who's that man, mommy?"
"Come here little Jacky, I want you to meet... your father."