Post by Tiff on Apr 18, 2021 12:42:29 GMT -6
April 17, 2021
They say time flies when you’re having fun, and that was certainly the case for Trinity and Tiff on their “Friend Trip” day. Annapolis wasn’t exactly the most exciting city in the country, or even in Maryland, but Thompson’s infectious excitement and her desire to help her friend forgetting the rough couple of weeks she just had, definitely made up for the lack of entertainment America’s Sailing Capital provided.
But most importantly, despite Tiffany’s doubts and concerns fueled by Faizah’s allegations and Trinity’s overly affectionate behavior, it wasn’t awkward or even remotely uncomfortable. Those rumors seemed to be absolutely groundless, a misinterpretation of the feelings the blue haired girl always showed and candidly admitted to have toward the former Cloud Gate champion.
Friendship, appreciation, respect, a deep admiration. And nothing more.
When dinner time came, Trin insisted that they would go home. “Dad is an amazing cook and he prepared a top notch dinner.” That was her line to convince her friend, who would’ve settled for pizza, or even tacos just so they wouldn’t be a burden. But she had to give up when it became clear Trinity wasn’t taking a no for an answer.
To her credit, she didn’t lie. Timothy, that was her dad’s name, was a charming man, young (Tiffany guessed he had to be in his early forties at max) and fun, and he really knew his way at the stove, even meeting the requirements Rollins’ strict diet established.
The mood during dinner was light and pleasant, Timothy seemed very interested in everything that happened at The Academy, “Unfortunately I can’t follow the show as often as I would like to, and whenever I ask Trin, her answer is always the same. All peachy. Even though that’s clearly not the case. ” He explained with a chuckle as he stood up from his seat.
His daughter rolled her eyes and as soon as he turned around, she leaned toward Tiffany to whisper in her ear “It’s not true!”
“Trin, honey… Why don’t you two wait for me in the living room? I just have to put the final touches on the cake and I’ll reach you there.” Tiffany tried to politely refuse, saying that she already ate enough, but her protest was vetoed by father and daughter. Outnumbered, she had no choice but to accept, following Trinity in the next room.
“Besides, it’s your birthday cake, you can’t refuse!” Thompson added, causing her friend to slightly blush and perhaps question, once again, if all this care and attention she was reserving her didn’t have an ulterior motive.
The living room was cozy, with a retro look that inspired a certain family feeling. A big couch dominated the scene, old-fashioned but comfortable looking, and there was a small coffee table in front of it. The TV screen was not too big, and it certainly had seen better days.
But what really caught Tiffany’s eyes was the fireplace, and all the framed photographs on the shelf right above it. It was a voyage through Trinity’s childhood, from her early days as a chubby newborn, her first steps, the first day of school and all the way to the most recent days. In all of them, there was an old woman next to her, the grandmother she so often talked about and that passed away last summer. Her dad, Timothy, only appeared in two of them, both taken when Trinity was under a year old. Her mother was nowhere to be seen.
“That’s grandma, she was an incredible woman.” Trinity said, sneaking up behind Tiffany. “She would’ve liked you, I’m sure.” An odd statement to make, one that caused Rollins to raise an eyebrow. The moment became even more awkward for the birthday girl when the light went off. Turning around she saw Trinity’s father entering the room with the cake, two candles on top of it (one shaped as the number 2, the other was a 1) lighting up his way. Trinity immediately started singing the “Happy Birthday” song, and she took her friend’s hand leading her to the couch.
“A smaller slice for me, thanks.” Tiffany said as Timothy was cutting it. She probably regretted her choice, because it was REALLY good. But on the other hand, she couldn’t let all the effort it took her to get back in shape go to waste. The mood went back to jovial and light as it had been all night, barring that brief moment at the fireplace. Another hour or so passed and it was almost time to retire for the night.
But surprises weren’t over for the Five Foot Death Machine.
“Tiff…” Silence fell upon the trio, heavy and deafening. The look on both Trinity and her father’s face suddenly changed, becoming more serious, sombre. Timothy moved to the couch, sitting on the left of Tiffany, who now found herself between Trinity and her father. “I… haven’t been completely honest with you. There’s something else I have to tell you.”
That was it. The moment that Tiff had secretly feared until now. The rumors sparked by Faizah at the Academy, the ones where there’s an ulterior motive to Trinity’s friendship. What made it worse in her mind was the fact that her father was present to see this. Tiffany’s heart began racing, and she clearly looked uncomfortable before Trin could finish what she’s saying. “Trin…” She couldn’t think of an excuse, but she had to leave before the truth could come out.
“Look…” She tried to come up with something on the spot. “...I don’t know what it is, but I’m not sure if now’s the time…”
“It is.. It is the perfect time, actually. It’s the moment I’ve been waiting for since… Forever, I guess.” She was speaking without filter, those words coming straight from her heart, loaded with all sorts of emotions, from hope to fear, the whole spectrum. She wasn’t even realizing how those words might sound to Tiffany, the rumors that were running in the Academy were the last of her concerns now. But her friend’s reaction, that visible embarrassment she was showing, the way she was trying to get away from that, for her, awkward situation made her realize that the approach she chose wasn’t probably the best. Instinctively, she reached for Tiffany’s hand with both hers which, as you can imagine, didn’t make the situation any less uncomfortable for Tiffany. “Wait no… It’s not what you’re thinking… I… You…”
How often in the past week she prepared for this moment, writing down what she had to say and how she needed to say it and learning it, word for word. How many times she repeated the speech in front of the mirror in her room at the Academy, studying the inflection of the voice, the tone. Picturing her possible reactions and how she should, in turn, react. All that was out of the window now as she found herself stumbling on those words she memorized, and that were now coming out in a random order that didn’t make any sense. Overwhelmed by the emotions and with tears in her eyes, she glanced at her father, asking, begging for help.
“What Trinity is trying to say is…” Even Timothy was struggling to find the right words. “There is no easy way to put this, but you and Trinity are more than friends…”
Her awkward demeanor was instantly replaced with confusion. Tiff had no idea what was going on. It became a team effort, father and daughter helping each other to reveal a truth that will, without a doubt, shake their lives. But even more than theirs, the life of their puzzled guest.
“I…” She took a deep breath, finding that courage deep inside her.
“You’re my sister, Tiff.”
It was like taking the weight of the world off her shoulders for Trinity. The downside was that she just dropped it on her half-sister. Far beyond that of a shock, Tiff stayed silent for a few moments, like she was frozen in time. On the outside, nothing. But on the inside? Her mind joined her heart in the race. Countless thoughts twisted and turned in her head. She felt faint. Her eyes were wide. The stunned look on her face was to be expected though, as Trin anticipated a response.
As if to rebound what she just heard, Tiff simply asked “What?” She needed to confirm if this was the truth, but even after Trin nodded her head, she refused to accept it. Shaking her head, she turned away and stared into the fireplace, almost lost in thought. That’s when Timothy chipped in, confirming that what Trin just told her was true.
She had a million questions, but she couldn’t possibly pick the first as they were so scattered in her mind. Trin realized that was a lot that she just revealed, especially considering how much family meant to Tiffany. Although Tiff did find out who her mother was several years ago, she never did get closure on who her father was, but the last thing that she expected was that there could be more family belonging to her. And now, seemingly from out of nowhere, she just received this bombshell. All this time, thinking she was all alone in this world, this girl that she met at the Academy, completely by chance, was telling her that she’s her sister. But if she was her sister, then did that mean that her father was…
“How? I mean…” That was the first question that Tiff could finally muster.
Timothy stood up from the couch and walked to the opposite side of the room in absolute silence. This must’ve been a very emotional moment for the man who was just revealed to be (allegedly) her father as well, and he knew he owed a lot of explanations to her. But first of all, she needed proof. Something to confirm that this wasn’t some sort of twisted joke, that what Trinity just revealed through tears was the truth. Luckily, he had exactly what she needed.
It was mere seconds, but they looked like hours for Tiffany who was waiting for an explanation to that news that shattered her whole world, and for Trinity as well. She could feel the doubt in her sister, and who could blame her? Finally their father came back, in his hands he was holding another picture. The guy in it was clearly him, though 21 years younger. Next to him was a blonde woman approximately his age, and she had a newborn in her arms, keeping her close to her chest. There was no doubt in Tiffany’s mind that the woman was Hallie Halliwell, sister of Heather Lasiewicz. Her mother. That could mean that the baby…
“I made a lot of mistakes in my youth. Things I’m not proud of, actions that took me on a dangerous path and consequences I’m still paying today.” Tiffany may not have noticed it, since her eyes and her full attention were on the pictures Timothy just gave her, but the man’s eyes flicked down to the ankle bracelet he was wearing at his right foot, and that was now sneaking up right under his pant cuff. “Leaving Hallie and her daughter… You.. Is something that haunted me for years. I was in a bad, bad situation and I had to leave New Jersey. But I never forgot you, and I have never forgiven myself for abandoning you.”
“Grandma always told me I had a sister, somewhere..” Trinity continued, coming to help her father who was struggling to keep his emotions in check. “But as you know, the identity of Hallie’s daughter wasn’t exactly public knowledge. When Megan exposed your story… That’s how we found out.”
“But…” Another flood of questions came rushing into Tiff’s head, but she could only muster another. “But…” She struggled to let it out, but seeing Trinity and her father together, realizing exactly who they were, she just couldn’t. She was too emotional, and understandably so. The last thing she expected today was to finally realize what her father looked like. The first time she discovered the identity of her mother obviously changed her life, but she was ready to accept never knowing who her father was and moving on with her life. She did exactly that too, until now.
It was too overwhelming for her to comprehend. The fact that she had even more family? She could barely even handle what she had already. But she couldn’t just stay there speechless. She had to say something else, something that she’s been waiting to say her whole life…
“But why? Why tell me now? Why did I have to wait 21 years to find out about you?”
Trinity, who never let go of Tiffany’s hand for all this time, was ready to answer. But Timothy cut her off. This was his duty. As a father, he felt compelled to explain the situation to the daughter he abandoned 21 years ago. He owed this to her. “My life was a mess, I was young and I got in with the wrong crowd. Drugs, thievery… You got the picture. I tried, I really did…” Those memories, and how they affected not only his, but Hallie’s and Tiffany’s lives as well, had to be painful. His voice was loaded with emotions, cracking under their weight. But he kept talking, wearing his heart on his sleeve. “I tried to turn my life around and leave everything behind when I found out that Hallie was pregnant with you. But the ghosts of that life kept chasing me, I got scared and came back here, to Annapolis.”
He had to take a pause. “My mother forced me into rehab, I got clean and everything was fine. I tried to get in touch with your mother, but every attempt I made failed. I met this woman, and Trinity was born. But I couldn’t find a job to provide for my family, and somehow wound up with another bad company.” Timothy sat down on a chair, right in front of both his daughters. “She was three when I was arrested, I spent the next fifteen years paying my debt with society. I have a few more months, then in December I’ll be free.”
Trinity picked up from there. “He was so happy when I told him we found you. None of us ever had any interest in wrestling until that moment, but the news was all over the internet and then you made that heartbreaking interview… You deserved to know the truth, you deserved to know that you had a father… I joined the Academy to become a wrestler, hoping that one day I could meet you and tell you the truth.” She smiled widely, giving a light squeeze to Tiffany’s hand. “It happened earlier than I expected, and in the most unpredictable way… But here we are. A family.”
Perhaps it was naive of her, but this looked like the happy ending she always dreamed, ever since finding out who her sister was. As for Tiffany however, this was the beginning of a whole new chapter in her own life. It was as if she had just found the final piece of a life-long puzzle. Although not as enthusiastic as the energetic Trinity, Tiff finally cracked a smile, seeing how happy her half-sister was. It’s an ironic twist of fate. After everything that’s been through, to find that final piece was enough to make her happy.
Though she was not about to grant Trinity’s wish for a happy ending. 21 years of waiting will bring a multitude of questions to a young girl, and while Tiffany was slowly more and more accepting of this, those questions were starting to become clear to her. What has her father been doing all this time? What will Trinity do now that she’s finally revealed the truth? Will she continue her career, or will she finally settle down? Who was Trin’s mother? Did her father have any other children? Did Hallie Halliwell have any other children? She regained a similar feeling to when she first found out about her mother, but then that also brought up something else.
Last time, she made the mistake of covering the identity of her mother and family ties. It wasn’t until Megan exposed her when the truth was finally revealed. This was now a second opportunity for her. Another chance to handle things with much more care. But would she go about it? That’s what led her to her next question…
“So… What happens now?”
Feeling unburdened, Trinity was back to her usual self, lightening the mood with a reply that sounded like a joke, but may not entirely be. “First thing first, I guess we’ll go to Faizah and tell her to eat shit and fuck off with her dumb accusations.” Tiff laughed lightly, hard to tell if it was at her sister’s comment or at the father’s shocked reaction. Or both. “Oops, sorry dad..”
Even if he tried, the man couldn’t keep the stern look on his face, not in these circumstances. He assumed a much serious expression though when addressing Tiffany. “I’ve been absent your entire life, but look at you… You did great even without me.” He spoke slowly, keeping his eyes on Tiffany. “I can’t change the past, and I don’t expect to become that certainty in your life, the safe haven that I failed to be when it was my responsibility.”
For the first time, not only tonight but in his and her life too, Timothy took his daughter’s hands in his. “To answer your question, I expect you to keep living your life now, and be the strong and smart girl I know you can be. Things around you may have changed, but you didn’t. You’re the same old Tiffany, now with a younger sister, a father, and a place you can call home.”
This was completely surreal for her, but it’s a moment that Tiffany never thought would have happened in her 21 years in this world. This wasn’t exactly something that she could walk away from, not like she did before…
“Mr. Thompson…” She was hesitant to call him by his first name, let alone call him dad. Understandably so, since Tiffany now had a man to call dad back in the Rollins home in California. “I… I just…”
Still at a loss for words, Tiff could only do now what she never could until now. As if to stop herself from balling her eyes out, she uncharacteristically gave the man before him a embracing hug. Timothy was taken back by this, almost as if he was expecting a much more hostile reaction knowing how long he’s been absent from her life, but much to Trinity’s delight, Tiff was just relieved to have finally found that final piece of the puzzle.
After a few moments, Tiff finally relinquished her hug in an attempt to regain her composure. She wiped the tears from her eyes before getting a good look at her father; the first look she’s had of him in her entire life. She nodded her head, trying not to let any more tears out, before she then turned to the girl, who she once called her friend, but can now call her sister. Trin simply smiled, realizing how much this moment must mean to her, especially after everything that she’s been through.
Still in shock over the whole thing, Tiff stared into Trin’s eyes, noticing a familiarity that she’s never realized before. Although they weren’t all too similar, possibly because Trin adopted most of her own mother’s traits, Tiff could finally see something in her eyes. There was a reason why she felt so safe around here. There was a reason why she could trust her. There was a reason why their bond was so strong. Faizah was partially correct; although Trin did love Tiff, it wasn’t for “that” reason. She loved her as sisters would. She loved her like family.
“And you…” Tiff couldn’t help but let out an awkward laugh in another attempt to stop herself from getting emotional again. “...you’re my sister?”
Trinity, instead, had no problems abandoning herself to those emotions she had kept locked in her young heart. That simple word she heard and said countless times, sister sounded so sweet and delicate coming out from Tiffany’s lips. For four long months she had dreamt about this moment, for four long months she watched her sister getting embarrassed, disrespected, humiliated. Trinity showed her support, she tried to be that rock Tiffany needed in those trying times, a safe harbor the former champion could always come back to when navigating through those stormy waters became too hard.
And perhaps she was just that, or at least she hoped so. But as a friend she could only get that close, Tiffany wasn’t letting her through her armor. A friend could never touch her soul and ease that pain the same way a sister could. And knowing that she could do so much more for her if it wasn’t for this secret that was getting heavier and harder to keep with every passing day was, by far, the most hurtful part.
As if by magic, that last barrier was now gone, those emotions she kept in check for all that time finally pouring from her heart and through her blue eyes. She threw her arms around Tiffany’s neck in a liberatory hug, crying on her shoulder. “Yes..” She sobbed, drenching her shirt in tears.”And I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you before now. You have no idea how many times I tried, but the words just weren’t coming out.”
There were no more words after that. Not for a while. Instead, with that last barrier removed, Tiff was free to reciprocate these feelings. As Trinity cried, so did Tiff. The two long-lost sisters shared an embrace that lasted a while. The puzzles of both their lives were finally complete, and they could finally call themselves a family.
The first words to come out from Tiffany’s mouth after this moment was a whisper. “I had no idea,” she stated the obvious, still trying to convince herself that this was real, “I’m sorry for everything I’ve put you through. To see what happened to me, and not being able to do anything about it? I can’t imagine. I’m just so sorry…”
“Shhh… There’s nothing to be sorry about, it…It’s in the past.” Pulling back from the embrace, Trinity rested her hands on her sister’s cheeks, holding her face almost as she wanted to make sure she was real, that this moment wasn’t just another dream, similar to the one she had so often in the past months. “Just… Know that you can always count on me."
Without hesitation, Tiffany nodded in response. Her quivering lip prevented her from saying anything else as they embraced each other again.