Just when it seemed they had found a routine with 5 kids, Mandy, Dale, and Keith found themselves being tugged in several different directions between the track, hockey, band, dance, and Taylor’s after school yearbook meetings. Life was quickly passing them by, and before they knew it the season was wrapping up and Dale couldn’t be happier. It had been an adjustment trying to get the kids use to going back to school instead of the track. The distance between all of them was hard but he and Mandy wanted the kids to go to a normal school and get use to a normal life. They eventually got use to kindergarten, and Taylor had adjusted fine through the years, especially as she got older and made friends, so Dale knew they would be ok but it broke Dale’s heart to be away from all of them. Belle was taking it especially hard and although he would never admit it out loud he felt a connection with Belle that was stronger than his connection with any of the other kids. He wouldn’t call her his ’favorite’, at least not out loud, but he was closer to her than any of the others. She was daddy’s little girl and she wanted no part of being away from him.
He knew they would all get use to the new routine but Belle was pissed that he wasn’t with her all the time anymore. When he looked back on it he loved that he got to go to school and make friends, friends he still had to this day, sure he wasn’t too thrilled about it them but now he knew it was the right decision. He didn’t want to deprive that experience from his kids but he also remembered that the reason he hated it was because he felt he had been left behind by his dad and he missed him. He didn’t want his kids to feel deserted.
If they could just get through the next couple of months the season would be over and they would have 3 months of Dale being at home which would help everyone’s mood and schedule.
As if they didn’t have enough problems on their hands a few weeks later Mandy sat in the den reading through the newest Sports Illustrated. Dale was the cover story and neither of them had yet to read the article. "Oh shit." Mandy uttered loudly not realizing Dale and Keith were home with the kids.
"What’s wrong mom?" Taylor said walking into the den. Keith and Dale stopped behind her. "Ooo, is that the new article on daddy? Let me see."
"Uh, not right now. Help Keith get your brother and sisters ready for dinner." Mandy said giving Dale a ’get your ass in here look.’
"Ok, but I want to see it later." Taylor followed Keith and the kids out of the room.
"Babe, what’s up?" Dale said leaning across the desk and kissing Mandy’s cheek.
"We have what may be a potential problem that I hadn’t thought of."
"What’s wrong?" Dale saw the worry on her face.
"Read the first part of this article." She handed the magazine to Dale. "What if Tay saw that?"
"Shit." Dale threw the magazine on the desk. "What the hell were they thinking?"
"Probably that she knew, we always swore we wouldn’t wait to tell her and now she’s almost 10. We can’t let her see that. That isn’t how she can find out."
"We have to tell her and now." He shook his head. "I don’t know how she’s going to react though. This is huge."
Mandy walked around to Dale and put her arms around him. "Tonight, after dinner?"
"Yeah. I guess." Dale sighed and hugged her back.
They were both anxious, how would Taylor react to finding out Dale wasn’t her biological father?
Later that night after Keith got the other kids to bed and Dale and Mandy sat down with Taylor in the living room. "Tay, can we talk to you for a minute?"
"Uh, yeah, am I in trouble?"
"No, your mom and I have something we need to tell you." She sat in between them on the couch as Dale turned off the television. "Ok, uh, well," Dale himed and hawed.
"Taylor, what your father is trying to say, there is something you need to know. We honestly never thought this was a big deal but today I realized that you could find out from someone else and I want you to hear it from us." Taylor looked confused and worried. "Ok, man, this is hard." Mandy ran a hand through Taylor’s hair brushing it behind her ear. "Your dad, Dale, isn’t your biological father. He adopted you."
Taylor’s mind raced. "I am adopted?"
"No, your mom was already pregnant with you, when I met her. I actually helped deliver you. That’s part of how you got your name. Your aunt Taylor also helped. I adopted you when we got married, you were just 2 years old at the time."
"This was what your father had made for you, you wore it for a while but you kept pulling it off, so we put it up so it wouldn’t get lost. We could have it put on a bigger chain." She handed the silver racecar necklace to Taylor.
Taylor studied it. "What is the date?"
"The day the adoption was legal and you were mine." Dale said.
"Why, why didn’t you tell me before?" She was choking back tears.
"At first we wanted to be sure you were old enough then honestly, we never thought about it. Dale is your father, he always has been." Mandy said as she put an arm around her.
Taylor stood and walked away from them suddenly angry. "Who is my real dad?" She said in a tone that made Dale cringe.
"His name was John. He was your aunt Lexie’s brother and he was in the Marines. I loved him very much, we got married, he was sent to active duty and while he was there I found out I was pregnant."
"Lexie’s brother? So everyone knew about this but me?"
"No one ever thinks about it because you are my baby, you have been since the day you were born." Dale said as she paced the room.
"So where is he now, why don’t I ever get to see him? Doesn‘t he want me?"
Dale looked at Mandy, who looked away then back to Taylor. "While in Korea, one of his missions went terribly wrong. He was killed while I was only a few months pregnant. I moved out here a few months later to try and start over. There was a horrible snowstorm and I wrecked my car in Dale’s yard. He and Taylor found me and took me in and they with Teresa, delivered you. That‘s how we met." She smiled up to Dale. "Had it not been for you, I might not have met Dale." She looked back at Taylor.
Dale stood and walked over to Taylor. "I remember the first time they put you in my arms, I fell in love with you and your mother that day. I knew from that day, that I wanted you both in my life forever."
She was ignoring everything he had just said and was getting very smart with him. "What was all that about tell us anything, just feel safe to tell me the truth. What it doesn’t go both ways?" She looked to her mother "Where is my real father buried?"
Dale just stared at her stunned and hurt. He felt like he had just had his heart ripped out. "Taylor Louise Earnhardt, you will not speak to your father that way. He may not be your biological father, but he is your real father. He is the daddy that has taken care of you from day one, he is the one that…"
"Earnhardt?" She spat. "That even my real name?"
"That’s it I will not have you…" Mandy stood and started towards Taylor unbelieving that her own flesh and blood was behaving like this.
Dale grabbed Mandy’s arm and pulled her to him stopping her. "Taylor, John is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. We can take you to see his grave if you want. And yes Earnhardt is your name, the adoption was legal and all though you may not be my flesh and blood you are my daughter."
She stared at him that Earnhardt glare she had down so well burning a hole through Dale. "I am going to bed. I have school tomorrow." She walked out of the room leaving the racecar necklace on the floor.
"Dale why on earth did you let her behave that way."
"Cause we just shook that girls world up. We have this way of doing that. We thought her reaction to the quads was bad, well, she just found out she really isn’t an Earnhardt, and we waited ten years to tell her. Let’s give her some time." He said trying to convince her and himself that everything would be ok.
Mandy knew how hard this was on him. "You have the patience of a saint when it comes to that girl. You ok?" He nodded. "I am going to clean up the kitchen, I’ll meet you in bed in a few minutes."
A few hours later Mandy woke up to find the bed empty. "Dale?" She glanced to the bathroom but the light was off. She climbed out of bed and wandered down the hall. She noticed Taylor’s door open and stuck her head in to find Dale sitting on the floor against the wall, watching her sleep. Tears were streaming down his face and the necklace was in his hand. Mandy sighed and knelt down next to him.
He looked up at her. "What if she doesn’t forgive me?"
"She will. You were right before, she just needs some time to adjust, come on, come back to bed." She helped him up and led him down the hall putting him to bed and then wrapping herself around him.