“I was trying to save you!” she yelled back. “I… I’m…” She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. When she opened them again, she whispered, “I’m sorry, but don’t act like this is all on me. I know I fucked up but—”
“Never once fuckin’ said it was all on you, Tess. Not fuckin’ once. I know how it fuckin’ works and now we know why it happened. We’re past the blamin’ stage, anyway, and now we need to plan. If you ain’t willin’ to plan, you let me know what you are willin’ to do. But let me tell you somethin’, woman, and you listen good… You ain’t makin’ any major decisions about this kid from here on out without me being involved, you get me? Not fuckin’ one. Tellin’ you right now, this ain’t a ‘my body, my choice’ scenario. It may be your body housing that kid, but it’s half mine, so I get a fuckin’ say.”
“But…” Her chest rose and fell before the rest of the words tumbled out. “I’m not sure I can be a good mother.”
Before he could respond to that, Jemma stepped in again.
“You already are, Tess, with Dyna. You can do this, whether you realize it or not. And do you know why? It’s because your mother was the perfect example on what not to do, on how not to be. Just like mine. Just like Chris’s. We learn from the past. We do our best not to repeat the same mistakes our parents made. It’s all we can do. And honestly, we’re all doing it. You will, too.”
“I’m not sure that’s true.”
“I am,” Jemma said. “You have come so damn far since you came here a couple of years ago. You’ve thrived here. I see the difference, even if you don’t. You’ve come a long way, baby.” She smiled at that familiar slogan. “The truth is, we all have. Even though I’m older than you, I’ve grown, too. I accepted that I can’t change my past, but I can change how I handle the future.”
Easy had been annoyed Jemma was in the middle of their business but he respected her and she tended to say what needed to be said. However, no one could’ve said what she did better, especially not him, so he was grateful for her wisdom.
“I was nothing but a tool for my mother to trap a man. I found a purpose here. With you and Cage. With Dyna. Now I’m afraid I’ll be going back to being a tool, a vessel for this,” she pressed a hand to her stomach, “to grow in.”
“It may feel like you’re only a vessel right now, but your purpose will be this child’s mother. You and Easy will be this child’s everything. And you don’t have to be perfect. Neither of you do. One valuable benefit of being a part of the Fury is you’ll never have to do it alone. Trip’s right. It takes a village. We are that village. We are family. We will always be there for you, no matter what. The Originals were fucked up and your brother has worked so damn hard to keep this club from heading down that same path. He did something here I never thought would be possible… He built something worthwhile. He built something we, as the children of the Originals, never had. And he did it because he lived it. Like me, he grew up in that mess. He does not want that for the next generation. He wants to give our children so much more than what we had. And I’m not talking money. I’m talking love and support. Understanding. You are surrounded by all of that. And your child will be, too.
“Let me also say this… Your title as house mouse doesn’t even begin to describe who you are to Dyna. Not even close. I don’t know what Chris or I would’ve done without you. You were here when I wasn’t, when I should’ve been. When my childhood fucked with my head so badly that I couldn’t see past the past, something you also deal with. You stayed for Chris and Dyna even after I came back. You’ve stayed so I could continue with my career. It would’ve been so much harder for me if you weren’t a part of our family. When things were hard, you helped make them easy. And in turn, we will all do what we can to make it easier for you. You are loved, Tessa, and we will be here for you. Never doubt that.”
“Trip,” Tessa breathed.
“Your brother wouldn’t act like that if he didn’t love you, too. He’s passionate about what he believes in, he loves hard and he takes shit, like you and Easy sneaking around, to heart. Can he be exasperating? Hell yes, but he has a good heart and soul even though sometimes I want to club him upside the head with The Punisher. But I always remember that he only wants what’s best for all of us.”