by Jaxx Steele
“Phil, what’s wrong? Have you been crying? Has something happened?”
His mother’s knowing nature made the tears fall again. He could barely speak without choking on the words.
“Mom, I have so much to tell you.”
“Come home, Phil. We will sort it all out when you get here.”
He nodded as though she could see him. “All right. I’ll be home tonight.” He hung up the phone with a sigh.
* * * *
Phillip packed his car quickly and was at his mother’s door in less than three hours. When he pulled into the driveway, she was at the door instantly. His mother ran down the walkway, meeting Phillip on the passenger side of the car to hug him.
“Phil, we’ve missed you so much. Why did you just disappear like that? It’s been almost three years since you’ve been home for a visit,” his mother inquired when she released him. “And don’t you dare say you’ve been texting because that doesn’t count,” she added, wagging her finger at him.
He nodded, holding her hands. “I know, Mom. I’m sorry. So much has happened. I don’t even know where to begin.”
She looked him over then caressed his face. Her voice was softer when she spoke again. “Yes, I can see that. Come inside, sweetheart. Your sister is here. We will do whatever we can to make it all right.”
Phillip stopped her from pulling him away. “Wait, Mom. I have something to show you. Well, someone.”
He turned from her confused look to reach into the car. Her features quickly shifted to shock when he lifted the sleeping baby from the car and presented him to her.
“This is Tyrell.”
His mother looked at the slumbering toddler as a gamut of emotions played across her face. She sent a questioning look at her son. Phillip nodded, confirming her unasked question. A smile lit her face as she took the baby from him.
“Hello, Tyrell. I’m your grandma,” she told the child as they walked back to the house.
Inside, when his sister was introduced to Tyrell, she had the same reaction as his mother.
After finding a place to lay Tyrell down, Phillip’s mother rustled up something for Phillip to eat, then as the three of them sat at the table he explained what had transpired during the time he had limited communication with his family. When his story was done, everyone still had questions for him.
“So let me get this straight,” his sister began. “You and Monica got married just so that Tyrell would have a chance at a normal family?” she asked, making quotation marks in the air.
Phillip nodded.
“You didn’t love her?”
Phillip tilted his head. “Rachel, I’m gay. I think it’s safe to say that I don’t like women in that way.”
“So you felt nothing for this woman at all?”
He let out a frustrated groan. “No, it wasn’t like that. I did have love for her. She was the mother of my son, and we were friends.”
His sister rubbed her temples. “Phil, did it ever occur to you that you could have been a good father and her friend without marrying her?”
“Yes, Rachel, it did, but I didn’t want to be a ‘baby daddy’,” he said, doing his own quotations in the air. “They don’t really have any rights to their kids. I wanted to have equal say and be a part of Tyrell’s life.”
“I can understand that, Phillip, but didn’t you think your actions were a little reckless from the start?” his mother asked in her chastising motherly tone.
“Yes, Mom, in retrospect I do realize that getting drunk and allowing some strange woman to ride me was probably not the best idea that I’ve ever had,” he answered with an irritated edge.
“I’m sorry, Phillip. I’m sure you have gone over that scenario several times since then. I don’t mean to bring up what can’t be changed.”
“No, I’m the one who is sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you.” He picked her hand up and kissed it.
“You know, Phil, you could have told us what was going on with you. In fact you should have told us in the beginning before everything got crazy,” his sister reprimanded, crossing her arms over her chest.
He turned to Rachel’s scowl. “I know and I meant to. I just… I mean, everything seemed to happen so fast. Monica and I were his parents, equal in everything that we did for Tyrell and now…”
His mother squeezed his hand and completed his sentence. “And now you’re a single father with your family here to help you. Your sister is right, Phillip. We are your family. We had a right to know. You may not have felt so overwhelmed if we were there to help you from the beginning.”
Phil nodded knowing she was right.
“What about Monica’s family? Did you talk to them at the funeral? Will they help you with Tyrell?” Rachel asked.
He scoffed. “Oh, yeah. We spoke all right. They made it very clear that Tyrell was my son. Her mother told me that he is my responsibility and that I would be taking care of him, alone. They’ve washed their hands of me and Tyrell.”
“Well, that was nice of them,” Rachel said, rolling her eyes.
“It’s all right, Phillip. You have us to help. You will just have to come back home. You’ll stay here until you find a house in town and get your affairs straight in Kentucky.”
“Thanks, Mom. I… I know I should have called when all of this started. I just—”
“Yes, you should have,” she said in that same scolding, motherly tone. “I missed out on a lot because you were trying to be an adult about the situation. His birth, first words, crawling, first steps—” She stopped her rant and sighed, giving his hand a squeeze. “Well, what’s done is done. You’re here now and so is he. That’s all that matters.”
“Phil, when is Tyrell’s birthday? He looks about two years old,” Rachel asked.
“Yes, he will be two September tenth.”
“That’s great. His birthday is only a few days away from mine.”
“Wonderful! We will have one big birthday party for the both of you. We’ll invite everyone and introduce Tyrell to the family,” Phillip’s mother added.
“Come on, Phil. Let’s get the rest of your stuff from the car. You might as well get settled into your old room,” his sister said, pulling him from the chair.
He looked over his shoulder at his mother.
“Relax, Phillip,” she said and stood. “I will check in on our little prince.”
He nodded and followed his sister out of the door. They were quiet as they walked, but when he pulled the folded playpen from the trunk, his sister broke the silence.
“You know, Phil, James asks about you all the time.”
At the sound of his name, Phillip froze instantly, but he quickly regained his composure.
“He still cares for you too,” she continued, grabbing a bag from the backseat.
“I can’t think about that right now, Rachel. I have Tyrell to worry about.”
“You can’t make Tyrell happy if you’re not happy. Kids have a knack of picking up on those things. If you could just talk to James and tell him what happened, maybe—”
“Maybe what, Rachel?” he asked, slamming the trunk. “Maybe he’ll take me back…after I dropped off the planet without saying a word for almost three years? After I basically left him for a woman? Yeah, I just don’t see him forgiving me for all that. James and I are done. I gave up that life—the life I desperately wanted and miss like hell—for my son,” he screamed in borderline hysteria.
He shoved Tyrell’s things under his arm, dropped them then picked them up again before she grabbed his hand.
“Phil, you don’t have to be unhappy in order for your son to be happy. You could have someone in your life and have your son.” Her tone was calm and soothing. “It’s possible for you and James—”
“No, Rachel.”
She jumped at the sharpness of his voice and dropped his hand.
He sighed, taking her hand in his again, and spoke softly. “Sacrifices had to be made, Rachel, for me to be with my son. Only Tyrell ma
tters.”
She nodded. “Okay, Phil. Let’s just get you guys settled in.”
Order your copy here
About the Author
My writings are a combination of some things that I have learned over the years, good and bad, mixed up with a lot of imagination. I can only hope that you like what you read.
I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, but I escaped and I now live in Indiana. My dream is to buy a house near the beach and write all day and make enough money to live off it. I spend most of my time working a nine to five and traveling, when I can, to new and wondrous places that I can incorporate in to my stories (or that will at least spark ideas for me). I do have love in my life thanks to my life partner, Hou, and our cat, Judo, who graciously lets us live with him in his house. So, all in all, I have a full and happy life.
Email: [email protected]
Jaxx loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and author biography at http://www.totallybound.com.
Also by Jaxx Steele
A Package Deal
Totally Bound Publishing