Chapter 1762 All In The Family:>10
- Clearly either relieved or happy to unload her secret, mom started in earnest.
- "According to my mother her first husband died before I was conceived. She changed her name back to her maiden name – Dixon. We were left broke and in debt. She went to work for a lawyer named Jacob Harrison, who needed a receptionist and was willing to help her with the creditors. Mom didn't have too many skills and she thought the guy was real nice so she worked very hard for him, learning all she could and, about a year later, mom was promoted to his personal legal secretary. My mother told me that during that year she had fallen in love with someone and they had an affair. She got pregnant but the man was married so she had me alone. An abortion was out of the question. My mother said lawyer Harrison was very generous, giving her a little more money and the time she needed during the pregnancy. After I was born, my mother sent me off to live with her sister and continued to work for lawyer Harrison. About five years later the lawyer's wife died after a long illness. My mother spent a lot of time with him then, keeping him together so his practice didn't collapse. After all, she needed the job and the benefits."
- "Then late one afternoon, when everyone else had gone home, lawyer Harrison asked her to marry him – just like that. He said he had, after all, a seven-year-old son to take care of and he needed help. She could sleep in her own room and he wouldn't ask her for anything physical. In exchange for being his "wife" and helping to raise his son and attend the occasional social function, he would pay off all of her debts and the mortgage, sell her house and match dollar for dollar whatever she received as the sales price, have me live with her and him and provide for me and pay for my education. In addition, he would make sure she was provided for in the event of his death. 'Why don't you just get a live in' she asked. 'Because I am hoping you will come to feel about me as I feel about you' was his answer 'and I want someone I can trust to raise my son.' My mother ultimately agreed and shortly thereafter they were married. Over time, lawyer Harrison was right – my mother did love him and so did I. I could finally call him Jake."