ANSWERS AND UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

Briar had always prided herself on being a mother who made time for her kids. Even when her life felt like it was spinning out of control, especially after all the recent drama with Dwayne, she tried to maintain a sense of normalcy for her children. She wanted them to feel loved, safe, and protected from the mess that she was still trying to sort out.

On this particular afternoon, the sun hung low in the sky, casting a soft, golden glow over the school parking lot. Briar pulled into the familiar spot near the entrance, her car idling as she glanced at the clock on the dashboard.

It was just after 3:30, and the school bell would have rung minutes ago. As she unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car, she couldn't help but feel a little anxious.

It had been one of those days—one where everything seemed to be on the edge of unraveling, and she was just trying to hold things together for her kids.

Her mind briefly flashed to her recent conversation with Simone, the bond they had reaffirmed after everything had come to light. Briar still wasn't sure how to process everything with Dwayne, or how the whole situation would ultimately affect her relationship with her family, but for now, she had her children to focus on. They needed her to be steady. They needed her to be present.

She made her way to the school gates, waiting patiently as the stream of students began to pour out of the building. A few of the teachers were standing near the doors, chatting with parents and keeping an eye on the kids. Briar waved to a couple of familiar faces, exchanging polite smiles, but her mind was mostly on her kids—specifically her daughter, Giselle.

Giselle, at fourteen, was a little bit of everything: outgoing, sensitive, and fiercely intelligent. She had the kind of curiosity that made Briar proud but also left her on edge, knowing that one day she would have to explain things—real things—that her daughter would undoubtedly ask about. Today felt like it might be one of those days.

It didn't take long for Briar to spot her three kids. Giselle, with her dark hair pulled back into a ponytail, was walking with her younger brothers, Keola and Tane.

Keola was carrying his backpack lazily over one shoulder, chatting animatedly with his sister, while Tane clung to Giselle's side, still small enough that he needed to be escorted.

As Briar approached them, Giselle's face lit up when she saw her, her steps quickening as she jogged to meet her mother.

"Hey, Mom!" Giselle said, her voice full of the same energy that Briar loved about her daughter. She pulled her mother into a hug, the familiar warmth of her embrace a reminder of how quickly her kids were growing up.

Briar hugged her back, smiling. "Hey, sweetheart. How was school today?"

Giselle grinned. "You know, the usual. I got an A on my math test. But, Mom, there's something I need to ask you about." She shot a quick look at Keola and Tane before her gaze returned to Briar, her expression turning more serious. "Some of the kids were talking about Dwayne Johnson. They were asking me if he's really your dad. They were saying he's your father, and that makes him my grandpa. Is that true, Mom? Is he my grandpa?"

The question hung in the air, and for a moment, Briar felt like the ground beneath her feet had shifted. She blinked a couple of times, the weight of the question hitting her like a sudden wave.

She could tell Giselle was serious, her eyes wide with curiosity and maybe a touch of concern. Briar's stomach tightened, and for a split second, she was unsure how to respond.

Her mind raced as she glanced at Keola, who had stopped walking and was now listening intently. He was eleven, still young enough to believe most things without question, but she could see the confusion in his expression as he leaned forward.

Even little Tane, barely four years old, was looking up at her with wide eyes, sensing that something important was about to unfold.

Briar took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. Giselle wasn't a little girl anymore. She was old enough to understand what was going on, and Briar couldn't lie to her—especially not now, with everything that had happened over the past few weeks.

"Well," Briar started slowly, her voice carefully measured, "there's a lot of things that are a little complicated right now. But yes, sweetheart, Dwayne is your grandpa." She paused, looking at Giselle's face, which seemed to register both relief and excitement.

Briar continued, her voice softer now. "Dwayne... he's actually your biological grandfather, but he wasn't part of my life when I was growing up. And he didn't know about me until recently." She glanced at Keola and Tane, making sure they were both paying attention. "So, for a long time, we didn't have anything to do with him. It's all really new, and I'm still figuring out how to make sense of it myself."

Giselle processed this information in silence for a few moments, her brow furrowing as she looked at her mom. "So, does that mean he's not going to be in our lives? I don't understand... Why is he just showing up now?"

Briar exhaled, glancing down at her feet for a moment as she chose her next words carefully. "Well, he is trying to make up for lost time. It's a lot for me to deal with, and I know it will be a lot for you guys too." She let her eyes rest on Keola and Tane, who were both still staring up at her, hanging on every word. "I know it's confusing. And I know it might feel like it's coming out of nowhere, but we don't have to do anything we're not ready for."

Keola's eyes widened with realization. "Wait, so you didn't know he was your father or our grandpa before? And now he's like... trying to be a dad to you and grandpa to us?"

Briar nodded. "Yeah, exactly. But I don't want you guys to feel pressure, okay? We'll figure out what kind of relationship we have with him, and if you ever feel uncomfortable, you don't have to see him or talk to him. It's all on your terms."

Giselle looked thoughtful, then turned to Keola and Tane. "So, does that mean he's not like the grandpa Bishop?"

Briar smiled a little at Giselle's attempt to lighten the mood. "He could be one. But right now, he's just someone who's trying to be a part of our lives in whatever way feels right."

Tane, who had been quiet until now, tugged on Giselle's sleeve. "I want to meet Grandpa."

Giselle smiled at her little brother, her face softening. "Maybe one day, Tane. But we'll have to talk about it more first, okay?"

Briar reached down to ruffle Tane's hair affectionately. "We'll take things one step at a time, okay? But don't worry. We're a family, and we're gonna stick together, no matter what."

There was a moment of silence as the kids processed this, and Briar could see that they were all still trying to understand the new dynamics in their family. But for now, at least, they seemed okay with it. They trusted her.

Giselle turned to her, her tone shifting slightly. "It's kind of weird, though, right? Like, this big secret that's all coming out now..."

Briar nodded, her heart heavy. "Yeah. It is weird. But we'll make it through, I promise."

As they walked back to the car, Briar's mind lingered on Giselle's question: Is Dwayne our grandpa? In some ways, it was a simple question. But for Briar, the answer was anything but simple.

There were so many layers to untangle, so much history to confront, and so much emotional weight that even now, it felt like she was only scratching the surface.

But she would handle it. For her kids, for herself, and for whatever version of a family they could build moving forward.

For now, all she could do was keep moving forward—one step at a time.