by Lee Heaven
“Oh fuck,” Liam said as he finally took in the scene and what he was holding in his hands. “Jimmy, call the fucking paramedics.”
“What the hell is with all the yelling?” Sarah asked as she waddled out the hallway leading toward her bedroom. She finally eyed what I had in my arms and her eyes bugged out of her head. “What the fuck?” She said as she hurried over to me just as Maggie appeared with a blanket to wrap the baby in.
Liam started digging around in the big bag as I wrapped the baby in the blanket, muttering shit the whole time. “Found it,” he said as he pulled a pile of papers out of the bag. “Tyler, I can’t continue to raise your children without your help any more….”
“Wait children?” Maggie interrupted.
“Shut up bitch, let him finish,” Sarah smacked her shoulder.
“I tried my best over the past year but your insistence on ignoring Payton, then while I was pregnant with your child again and now your son …”
“What?!” Maggie interrupted again. “Pregnant with his child again,” she looked down at the child in my arms.
“Shut up,” Sarah smacked her in the shoulder again.
“Your son was born on Tuesday,” Liam continued reading. “His name is Gage. All the paperwork is here in this bag. I won’t be back for them. Emily”
“What does that mean? She won’t be back for them? They aren’t even Tyler’s!” Maggie said ripping the papers out of Liam’s hands.
I looked down at the little baby boy in my arms. This little boy obviously had a different father than his sister over there. Could he really be Tyler’s? Gage’s little head was free from hair so it’s not like I could tell from his hair and his little eyes were closed as he snuggled into the blanket I had wrapped around him. Nine months ago? I was here but Tyler and I weren’t together yet. He was still hiding Emily from me. He was still grouchy and scowling at me every time he looked at me. Nine months ago he was still battling by himself not letting anyone help him. Could he have had a moment of weakness? Could he have slept with her after everything?
The knock at the door didn’t even pull me from my thoughts that maybe this really was Tyler’s baby. He wouldn’t do this. Would he? Would he have really slept with her after everything they went through?
“Chrissy,” Sarah said standing in front of me. “You have to give the paramedic’s the baby. They need to check and make sure everything is alright.”
I nodded my head and passed the baby over to the paramedic who was standing next to Sarah.
“The boys are in the air?” I asked her.
“Must be, all of their phones are going straight to voicemail.”
I looked over to where Gage and Payton were being looked at by the paramedics. “They’re going to be stuck in the system till they can figure out what to do with them.”
“We’ll figure it out. We won’t let that happen.” Maggie said coming to stand with Sarah and me.
As fast as I thought it Detective Kelly and a lady walked into the apartment. Detective Kelly has been around since the first time Sarah had a panic attack when she was attacked by all the paparazzi over a year ago. I could only assume the lady with him was from child services. I couldn’t let these kids go into the system. It wasn’t fair to them. It wasn’t their fault their mother is a little on the crazy side.
The paramedic handed me back Gage with an all clear. His little lips started to quiver and a squeal came out. I have no idea how long they were at my door before I found them. He’s probably hungry. I walked over to the giant bag and found a bottle and some formula. I walked with Gage into the kitchen and made up a bottle.
“Ms. McAllen?” I looked up to find the lady from child services walking into the kitchen. “I’m Kristen Lewis from OCFS.”
“Please don’t take them,” I said trying to hold the tears back as I looked a little Gage. He was only born two days ago. He was defenseless. He couldn’t fight for himself or his big sister. I had to do it for them. I had to stand up for them.
“Do you know where we can find Emily Green?”
I shook my head, “I only met her twice and both times we were in court. I don’t know where she lives.”
“Is Mr. Ellis the child’s father?” She asked as she eyed Gage.
I shook my head. I wasn’t sure. How do I answer that? “I don’t know. Please don’t take them into the system. Please let me keep them until we can sort them out. Please they are just babies.” I begged her.
She smiled kindly at me. “Your friends just asked me the same thing. I’ve made an appointment for you to meet with a judge, in about an hour. He’s actually agreed to come here and meet with you on his way home, otherwise we would have had to stick the kids in the system.”
I nodded my head at her. I knew it was a big deal that a judge agreed to come here and meet with us here. I had nothing for a baby though. How would I convince a judge that they were best here with me if I couldn’t provide anything? We don’t even have a bedroom for them. What would Tyler say? Would he even want these kids? Why did Emily just drop them off like that? Where is she?
I pulled my phone from my back pocket and hit the little picture of Tyler’s smiling face, straight to voicemail. I don’t know why I bothered to call. All the calls from everyone else were going straight to voicemail, why would this be any different. But I wanted to hear his voice. I wanted him to tell me I was making the right choice by fighting for these kids to stay with us. I wanted him to tell me that there was one hundred percent chance that this little baby boy wasn’t his. That he hasn’t been with Emily.
I walked back into the living room and sat down on the sofa. Gage sleeping in my arms. I stared at his precious little baby face. How could a mother just walk away? What did either of these two precious little babies ever do to her? What did they ever do to be just left outside my door like that? Not even a knock on the door or press the doorbell and run. Just left them at the door like it was a package in the mail. How did she even get past security?
“Jimmy?” I called his name. “How did she get in without anyone seeing?”
“Tyler never took the garage pass from her. Security camera’s show her coming in the garage, heading up the elevator and then leaving the kids at your door. Fortunately, they were only there about ten minutes before you opened the door.”
I sighed looking at Payton sitting on Maggie’s lap and giggling as she was tickled. “Did she hesitate at all before she walked away?”
Jimmy’s quietness was all the answer we needed. She didn’t hesitate at all. She walked away without a second thought. How could a mother do that? I would fight tooth and nail for my kids. I could never walk away from them, even when they are at the point where I want to rip my hair out, I could never just walk away from them.
~~~
I listened to the kids giggle and fight over what baby stuff we should buy as they surf the computer in Sarah and Decker’s apartment. The judge who had been gracious enough to come to the apartment was really nice. He toured all the apartments, wanting to make sure that the kids would be safe. He loved the support group and family that we all have become. At the moment we were allowed to keep the kids for the night, but had to show up tomorrow morning to be heard in his courtroom. He couldn’t grant complete temporary guardianship until he talked to Tyler. Most importantly, he couldn’t do anything until Emily was located to find out her wishes or if her paperwork for giving Tyler the kids was indeed what she wanted.
The boys should be home any minute. I was nervous to find out what Tyler’s reaction was going to be. Was he going to be mad? Was he not going to want to keep the kids? Would he want to keep them? How was he going to react? These were Emily’s kids after all, the woman who screwed him over.
I walked out of the nursery in Sarah’s apartment, where I had just put the babies down to sleep. I wasn’t sure what we were going to do for sleeping arrangements tonight. I had nothing for the babies up in our apartment. The kids giggled again from where they sat at the co
mputer. Fighting over which crib would be better, Josie saying she knows what to get because she just helped her mom and Decker buy two cribs for the twins that were coming.
I walked into the kitchen and started the tea kettle. I stood looking out the window at the city below. Even though it was well after sundown the city was lit up and still busy with people moving around like they were on their lunch break. The trees were green and swaying in what I knew was a warm breeze, as spring was here. I wish I could open the window and feel the breeze on my face.
I heard the front door open and close and the commotion of the guys coming in. The tea kettle started whistling but I still didn’t move from where I was staring out the window. Was Tyler going to flip? Would he give the kids away? Would he go looking for Emily to try and work things out with her, leaving me behind? Where was she and why did she leave her kids to begin with?
The tea kettle stopped whistling and a pair of arms wrapped around me, pulling me back into his hard chest. It’d only been five days that they were away but it sure felt longer. I melted into his body. I wondered if anyone said anything to him before he came to see me.
“Darlin’,” he whispered into my ear as he nuzzled my neck. “Sarah said you had something important to talk to me about?”
I nodded my head, spinning around I linked my arms around his neck and pressed my lips to his. I wanted one last kiss. If he was going to walk away then I wanted one last kiss. Tyler pressed me up against window with a groan. I could feel his erection pressing against me. God I wanted to fuck him right there against the window. But I can’t I have to let him know what is going on.
With a painful I groan I pulled my lips from his. “Tyler, you have to stop a minute,” I panted as he slid his lips down my throat. “I need to tell you something, show you something.”
“What is it darlin’?” He said between licks and kisses on my neck.
With all the strength I can muster up, I pushed off the window, grabbed Tyler’s hand and walked out the kitchen headed toward the nursery. Slowly and quietly I pushed open the door and led Tyler over to the crib that Payton was asleep in. I saw the flash in his eyes the second he recognized the little girl snuggled in the crib with her little pink blanket. I moved him on to the next crib. When he looked down he choked and quickly walked out of the room so his coughing wouldn’t bother the babies.
As I clicked the door closed quietly I looked at Tyler who was pacing the hallway. Grabbing his hand I led him back into the kitchen.
“Why is Payton here and who is the new baby?” he finally asked as I poured the water from the tea kettle into some mugs for us.
I placed them on the table as I sat down across from them. “Emily left them sitting at the front door this afternoon. Just dropped them off and left. Didn’t even ring the doorbell.”
“So the baby is hers?” he said as he ran his hands through his thick black hair. His muscle bulged as he fisted his hair and let it go over and over again.
“Gage. That’s his name,” his eyes popped a little as I said his name. “He was born Tuesday…” I hesitated before I continued. “She said he’s yours. That you are Gage’s father.”
His chair skittered and tipped over as he shot out of his seat, “There’s no way. It can’t be mine. I haven’t had sex with her since before Payton was born.” His fist connected with the door that used to be Maggie’s bedroom. “No, it can’t be true!” he screamed as his fist connected with the door a few more times.
“Dude!” Decker bellowed as he came in and watched as Tyler put his fist through the door a third time. He looked at me as tears leaked from my eyes. “What the fuck are you two doing? Why does everyone need to beat my house up?”
Sarah waddled into the room with Maggie and Tobias following her.
“Jensen, sit your ass down,” she barked at him. “Tyler, the shitty dishes, always the shitty dishes and not the doors or walls, have I taught you nothing.” She shook her head as she pushed both men over to the table and then plopped her very large pregnant body into a chair. “Your fucking giant babies are going to be the death of me,” she muttered to Decker as he wrapped his hands around her large stomach and rubbed it.
I grabbed all the papers off the counter and placed them on the table. The boys just looked at me without even looking at the papers. Well I guess I need to talk. “This afternoon Emily walked into the building and left Payton and Cage outside the apartment door.”
“Wait, who is Gage?” Tobias asked.
As if on cue a little baby cry came through the baby monitor Maggie was holding. She muttered that she got him and disappeared down the hall.
“Gage, is Emily’s son. He was born two days ago, at least that’s what her letter said,” I sighed as I waved toward the pile of papers. “The police are looking for her, but they haven’t been able to locate her.” I turned my eyes towards Tyler just as Maggie walked in the kitchen. I took the baby from her as she went about making a bottle for him. All the boys sat there staring wide eyed at the baby I held in my hands. I continued, “Emily claims that Tyler is the father of Cage. She’s also still claiming that Tyler is Payton’s father. So she just left the kids by the door and walked away. I couldn’t let them be put into the system. They’re just babies; it’s not fair to them.”
I looked at Tyler. He was angry. Was he going to be angrier when I told him the next part? Was he going to be okay with me saying that I plan on keeping these babies until they can find Emily and figure out what she wanted with them?
“A judge allowed us to keep the kids for the night. There is a court date tomorrow morning,” I looked at Tyler as I said my next words. “I won’t let these babies be put into the system. I will be going tomorrow morning and fighting for them. I want temporary custody until Emily is found and this mess can be straightened out.”
“Tyler,” Tobias turned to him. “Is there any way you could be that kid’s father?”
“Fuck!” Tyler bellowed as the chair he was sitting on went flying across the room and smashed into the door leading into the hallway.
“God damn it,” Decker bellowed at Tyler, but it fell on deaf ears as Tyler walked out of the kitchen thru the dining room door.
Sarah was pushing herself up off the chair to follow him. Decker grabbed her arm to stop her and she turned running a hand down his face, “I’ll be fine.” With a whisper from Decker she giggled and waddled out of the room.
I walked into Maggie’s old room and stood in the window overlooking the city. I looked down at little Cage as he sucked on the bottle. “See those trees out there? That’s Central Park. It’s this wonderful place. There’s room to run around and play. There are playgrounds and statues. In the winter you can ice skate. There’s horse carriage rides. There’s even a zoo. I’m just learning about the city myself, but don’t worry. You’ll have everyone else to show you around. You can learn with me.”
I pulled the bottle from his mouth and put him up on my shoulder to burp him. “You’ll get to know all the guys to. Decker, Tobias, Roman and Tyler, they all play for the Yankees.” I heard Tyler at the door and the next part I said for him with a smile hidden on my face. “They’ll try to make you a Yankee fan, but don’t worry I won’t let that happen. I’ll make sure you grow up being fan of a real team. Maybe the Met’s or the Red Sox’s?”
I heard him clear his throat and I turned to him smiling. He eyed the baby in my arms.
“Darlin’, I’m sorry,” he whispered as he came closer to me, his eyes never leaving the baby. “Its…you just can’t imagine the shock.”
I gave him angry eyes. I can’t imagine the shock? Hello, I found those kids! “Tyler I opened the door to two babies. One who was just born and in a diaper bag, not even in a car seat. I was the one who had to listen to the letter that claimed you are the father of this baby, that she still believes you are the father of Payton. I was the one who was the first to be shocked. I know shock when it comes to this. But you have to remain calm. Punching Decker’s door and th
rowing his chair isn’t going to do anything except make your wallet lighter because now you’re going to have to pay for what you broke.”
His hand slid down Cage’s bald little head. I shifted the baby and placed him in Tyler’s arms. He sat on the edge of the bed and stared down at Cage. “Don’t you listen to that crazy woman, little man. She’s a Yankee fan, just like the rest of us. Just like you will be.”
I placed a kiss on his forehead as I sat down on the bed next to him. Now came the hard part. Now came the part where we had to discuss the paternity of this baby and if there is any chance he is the father.
“Tyler, is there a chance?”
He looked at me and he understood what I was asking without having to ask too much. “The last time Emily and I slept together was a week before she went into labor with Payton.”
“Are you sure? There was no other time after Payton was born?”
He shook his head but I can tell he was thinking. “There was one night. It was a couple of days after I met you. I was so angry at Emily, at myself, for this situation with her. I was pissed that I was so fucked in this situation that I couldn’t start something with you. I got trashed. I went home with a girl. But she was a brunette, Emily is blonde. I used a condom every time that night.”
I looked at him, “Are you sure?”
“Fuck Darlin’ I was trashed, I don’t remember her name but I remember the night. I had three condoms, we did it three times. No more. I flushed all the condoms in the toilet when we were done.”
“Then to be sure, we need another DNA test,” he nodded his head at me. “Tyler, I won’t let these babies go into the system. I won’t. So you can either do this with me or walk away now.”
Just as he was going to answer Maggie popped her head into the room. “Detective Kelly is here. Say’s they found Emily.”
I stood and nodded as she walked out of the room. Tyler held on to Cage with one arm and wrapped his other around me as we walked out of the room and into the living room where everyone was waiting. It was close to eleven in the evening Detective Kelly being here so late could only mean one thing and that meant it wasn’t going to be a good situation.