“Well, hell,” He leans against the vanity and looks stunned. “I didn’t think I was going to feel this disappointed.”
I look up to see he looks as surprised as I felt when I found out. “Right? I mean we should be a little relieved. Not going to lie, I was hoping for maybe six to eight months for just us but now...” I trail off.
“Yeah, but now.” Drakes kiss is soft and deep. “Next time, because it sure won’t be from lack of trying or desire. At first, I thought of a baby as another means of tying you to me. Then at the oddest moments of the day I’ve been imagining a baby girl with your smile and soft brown eyes.”
“A baby girl, huh? What if both are baby girls and we don’t have a boy?” My thoughts had been tortured with that scenario, as the signs of his long lived name and lineage were on stark display. Even Justin had felt it, wondering if he should be going to Harvard instead of MIT, I had assured him Drake was proud of him going to MIT and was more concerned about Justin’s happiness then another Hawthorne going to Harvard. It had been a hundred percent truth, Drake had said as much when I had studied the two diplomas and wondered aloud if our children would be able to get in. Drake assured me money made our children getting in wherever they wanted to go a given, and if they wanted to go Harvard that was nice, but he didn’t care if they went there or the University of Illinois, all he cared about was they were happy. He’d seen and felt what the expectations of a family could do to someone, and he didn’t want to weigh our children down with it.
“I’m already going to be getting a son, we’ll be adopting Justin together, making it legal. I’m going to be happy to call him my son. Two girls sound like heaven, as long as they are miniatures of you.”
His words fill me with happiness. I have a hard time blinking back tears, “I have a confession to make. All that hiding I was doing behind my job and then Justin. It was because I knew I loved you, and if I had you and lost you, it would be the end of me. I wasn’t trying to protect Justin, I was trying to protect me.”
“I know, sweetheart. I knew the night I made what was probably the worst proposal in Chicago in the last one hundred years.”
“Oh, Drake, I’m sure there had to be others worse, at least one or two.” I try to reassure him and he’s smiling.
A week later, I’m meeting Latisha at the same place Drake had taken me shopping. When she hugs me, I’m pretty sure she almost breaks a rib.
“Girl, I knew it. I told you. Looking at you like a juicy piece of steak and he hadn’t eaten in weeks. Thank you for asking me to be your maid of honor and even better not making me do anything. I can’t believe you don’t want any parties or me running around at your beck and call. My sister made me get down on my hands and knees to paint her nails when I was her maid of honor. She had me running all over the city like a chicken without a head. I love you, but I almost said no, until you told me I didn’t have to anything.”
“There’s nothing to be done, Jane is doing absolutely everything and since she’s charging so much, then no, you aren’t doing anything. I also have no desire for a party anyway. You know, I’m no good at parties. I’m simply grateful you said yes.”
“Of course, I was playing about saying no. A wedding like Drake is going to throw for you, I ain’t missing it for nothing. The only thing is, I’m feeling really bad.” She’s hiding behind a row of dresses.
“Latisha, stop hiding. What are you feeling bad about?”
Coming to a stop, she faces me and looks miserable. “I got your job.”
“That’s great! I’m so happy for you. Don’t feel bad at all. That job was yours for years, you and I both know it. After we get done here, we’re going for a little celebration.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course, I’m sure! Hugs!”
“I’m so glad you’re happy. I’ve been worried about telling you all day.”
“Oh, my god you have to be kidding me. I’m getting married to the man of my dreams who wouldn’t have wanted me working, anyway. Please, as you would normally say, don’t trip, it’s all good.”
“Ria, you are so my girl!”
Three weeks fly by and I’m floating on cloud nine, where Drake assures me I belong, when I come crashing to the ground one afternoon. I’m going over the seating arrangement and I have no idea what I’m doing. Meredith informs me a visitor is waiting and has been shown into the formal sitting room. I didn’t even hear the doorbell go off, so I’m off-balance from the beginning.
When I follow Meredith to the sitting room the woman standing at the window turns. Every nightmare I’ve had for the last eight years is coming true.
“Well, look at you, all fancy. My daughter looking like Prada is loungewear. I have to admit, you did better than I ever thought you would do. Do you know, I tried to get our neighbor to fuck you for a price, and he didn’t want you? His old lady was an actual old lady and gross. Even then he wouldn’t have you, a thirteen year old. Everyone else I offered you up to kept trying to bring the price down. I decided you just weren’t worth the effort anymore.
I gave up on your gangly ass. Finally, I managed to land a wealthy fat cat and have his kid, only to find he doesn’t pay up until I’m gone. You little bitch, you could have told me. You’re sitting all cozy with the kid in a house, all the bills paid no worries at all. Me, I’m out there with nothing, fucking one gross guy after another just to have somewhere to sleep.”
She stops to take in a breath and I can’t take anymore. I walk out of the room and head to the front door. Walking away from her is something she’s always hated and she follows me. I open the door. “Get the fuck out of my home. Don’t ever come back.”
“Are you fucking crazy? I came to get my kid. I’m not leaving without him.”
“You signed legal guardianship of your kid to me eight years ago and you are leaving now. Norman!” I practically scream. He comes running, he had to have been waiting, and he moves toward her with purpose.
“This ain’t over, missy. I found out what you had me sign was meaningless. You want to push me and I’ll go running to the press. The Tribune would love something meaty like this. The Dragon of Chicago and his wife keeping a mother away from her child.” She’s screaming as Norman leads her by the arm to her car.
I’m shaking as I lean against the door. I’m crying because she’s saying everything I feared when I tried to talk Drake out of the pictures and announcement. When I had her traced eight years ago I had known what she was signing was basically legal crap. It was something I had printed off the internet and wasn’t worth the paper it had been printed on. I had told her I needed it because I was moving to Dallas for a job.
Justin’s father had died weeks ago before then and the home he was paying for and the monthly deposits into the bank account had stopped with only one month of warning. There was a small part of me satisfied she had never known how close she had come to having her dream realized. Apparently, Justin’s father was waiting for DNA testing to come back before he would pay out. Only a day after she had left, the letter had come accepting financial responsibility and a debit card. An address had been listed, Justin’s father would pay all bills for the monthly rent and a monthly deposit would be made into the bank account. Relief had been overwhelming, the terrifying thoughts of CPS and foster care had disappeared.