by ANDREA SMITH
I had so much to be thankful for. I had my Trey and Preston; I'd found my father who I adored and who adored me; I had my best friend, Gina; I had Trey’s wonderful family that I loved dearly.
God had blessed me in so many ways. Trey and I drifted off into a peaceful slumber in each other’s arms.
It was much later when we were both awakened by a ruckus coming from Gina and Tristan’s room. I awoke first hearing the loud voices. I rose up looking at the clock on the nightstand. It was nearly 1:00 a.m. Trey awakened right after I did.
“What the hell's going on?” he asked, groggily.
“I think maybe Tristan and Gina are arguing.”
“Jesus Christ, what now?”
We lay there listening to what was taking place.
“I love you Tristan, can’t you see that?” Gina was crying; her tone was pleading.
“How can I fucking believe anything you say, Gina?”
Tristan was enraged. I'd never thought that he had it in him to sound so angry.
“Because it's the truth, Tristan! Why are you letting Ian come between us?”
“Me?” he asked, his tone sounding incredulous. “How can you possibly say it’s me? My God, Gina - Ian didn’t come between you and me. No, by God, he came between your fucking legs!”
“What the hell?” Trey said, starting to get up out of bed.
“No, stay out of this. It's between Gina and Tristan.”
“What? What are you saying, Tylar?”
“I’m just saying that whatever their issue is should stay between Tristan and Gina. We don’t need to be involved.”
“I’m thinking you know exactly what the issue is. You're protecting Gina at the expense of my goddamn brother!”
Trey was shouting at me; he hadn’t done that in a very long time.
“Trey it’s not like that at all. I’m not protecting anyone. I don’t want you or me to be involved in this.”
“That’s too fucking late, Tylar,” he spat. “If you or your fucking BFF or whatever it is you two call each other have somehow conspired to hurt my brother, then it damn well is my business.”
“I'd never conspire to hurt anyone, Trey!” I sobbed. “How could you possibly think that?”
“Then, for the love of God tell me what you know. Tell me now.”
I was sobbing by this time. I'd completely shut out the argument that was still going on between Gina and Tristan. This had been a perfect night for me and Trey; it had turned into a nightmare in minutes. I relented and told Trey the details of Gina’s pregnancy. He was horrified I'd not told him sooner.
“You mean to tell me you were going to sit by silently and let that bitch make a fool out of my brother?”
“Trey, for God sakes, in all likelihood that baby is Tristan’s. I encouraged Gina to be upfront with Tristan because I felt he'd understand. My God, her last time with Ian was before she was ever with Tristan.”
“Oh, so that makes it alright? She had a fucking obligation to let Tristan know what had happened with her and Ian once she found out she was pregnant.”
“Trey, I agree with you. Had I been in Gina’s situation that's exactly what I'd have done; but it wasn't my decision to make.”
“I get that, Tylar,” he replied, “but let’s face it. If anyone has any influence over Gina, it's you. You could have persuaded or convinced her to talk to him.”
“It wasn't my place to do that and you know it! I’m sorry, but Gina was making her decisions long before she met me. I don’t come into someone’s life and suddenly take the wheel like that.”
“Oh, so now what are you saying? You think I’m a ‘Nazi’ just like Gina says?”
I was totally getting pissed with the whole conversation. It had somehow morphed into a major fight between Trey and me on our magical night together. I suddenly felt like going into the bathroom and giving myself a high-pressured douche just in case we'd conceived. I didn't deserve to be at the receiving end of his anger.
“Well, I guess if the swastika fits, counselor . . .”
Trey immediately threw the covers off of us and exited the bed with his pillow and a blanket.
“Where the hell are you going?”
“I’m going to sleep on the couch, Tylar. I guess I don’t know who you are anymore!”
He barreled out of the room slamming the door behind him. I buried my face into the pillow. From somewhere out in the apartment I heard another door slam. I was still sobbing when I felt someone climb up on the bed.
“Trey,” I said turning my tear-stained face from the pillow.
“No, girlfriend, it’s me,” Gina said whimpering.
She was all cried out I could tell.
“What the hell happened?” I asked her, wiping my eyes.
“Oh shit, Ty. It was awful. I got a call from Ian late this afternoon. Apparently, someone at the club called him and told him that Tristan had told several of the workers that I was expecting and how thrilled he was by it. He gave them my tentative due date and, of course, one of them obviously still loyal to Ian decided to phone him and tell him the good news.”
Holy shit!
“So, Ian makes a mad dash to the club and decides to share with Tristan the details of our last interlude including date and time. I told you that it was just several days apart from when Tristan and I first made love.”
I was horrified at the chain of events that had occurred this evening as a result.
“So, anyway Tristan, being the sweetie that he is, gave me the benefit of the doubt. You know - he figures Ian's still jealous and just trying to make trouble for us since that last scene at the club a few weeks back, so he blew it off."
I nodded waiting for Gina to continue.
“Then Ian presents Tristan with a piece of mail that he'd picked up from the condo that night he came by to collect his mail from me. It was postmarked the day before I'd received it at the condo. It hadn't been opened and had Ian’s name on it with our condo address. He told Tristan to open it. He said he'd no clue about the contents of what was inside but guaranteed Tristan it would answer the question as to whether Tristan could be 100% positive the baby I carried was his or not. You'll never guess what was inside that envelope.”
“What?” I asked practically screeching.
“It was a letter from the Fulton County Urologists Group where Ian had gone a couple of weeks prior to get his sperm tested for fertility.”
“A couple of week prior?”
“Oh yeah,” Gina said, “The bastard wouldn’t do it for me when I nagged him to. Seems Shelly wanted to know for sure whether he was sterile or not, so she insisted he get tested and the son of a bitch did!”
“So, what were the results?”
“The results were that Ian has a normal sperm count.”
“Oh my God,” I replied.
“Yep,” she said. “Naturally, Tristan's all freaked out at me thinking that I purposely withheld this information about Ian hoping to trap him.”
“Damn it, Gina,” I hissed, “I told you that you should've told Tristan from the get!”
“Please Ty, no lectures.”
“So, what happened at the end of your argument?” I asked. “By that time, Trey and I were in the middle of our own because he accused me of covering for you.”
“No shit?”
“Yeah, Gina, no shit.”
“Well, Tristan told me I've lied to him by omission and he can’t be with someone he can’t trust no matter how much he loves her. Then he left.”
Gina started crying again.
“Don’t cry, Gina. Let’s get Trey in here and explain everything to him. I know he'll understand once he hears your side of it.”
“Trey’s not here,” she sobbed.
“What?”
“No…after he heard Tristan’s side of the story the Hot Nazi ducked into the laundry room and got some street clothes on. They both left. I don’t know where they went or if I'll ever see my Tristan again,” she sobbed.
> I was reeling in disbelief. After the wonderful and magical evening Trey and I'd spent together how could he possibly have just walked out like that without telling me? I was devastated and disappointed. I could understand if he wanted to console his brother; but why not let me know he was going out? Why had he put me into the middle of this?
Gina was still sobbing which I knew wasn't good for her condition. I needed to make her my first priority.
“Gina, I'm going to make you some herbal tea and then we're going to get you into bed to rest, okay?”
“Okay,” she whimpered, still sobbing.
She was so vulnerable, which wasn't Gina. I knew now she was truly in love with Tristan and a mess over all of this.
I made her some herbal tea which seemed to relax her. I helped her change into her jammies and tucked her into bed convincing her Trey and Tristan would talk and everything would be put into perspective. I bet her that Tristan would be back in her bed by the time she awoke the next morning. I think I succeeded in putting her mind at ease.
I crawled back into my bed. The bed where just a couple of hours earlier Trey and I'd made love like we never had before; where we'd declared our love and commitment to each other over and over again. I buried my face into Trey’s pillow smelling his scent and feeling my own tears as they burned a path down my cheeks.
Epilogue
North Bay Hospital, July 31st.
I was pacing back and forth in front of Gina’s hospital bed. I had my Cell phone up to my ear talking to Gina’s Aunt Becky. Gina’s mother was supposed to be here, but since Gina was two weeks early, her mother had to make last minute arrangements at her job in New Jersey in order to get away.
“She's still at four centimeters, Becky,” I said. “When's her mom planning on getting in here?”
Just then Gina screamed out in pain.
“I gotta go, Becky. She's having another contraction.”
I hurried over to Gina’s side and began coaching her just like she'd coached me over a year ago.
“That’s it Gina,” I said soothingly, “He-he-he, again, he-he-he, that’s right. You're doing great.”
“Fuck this shit, Ty! I need some meds!”
“Gina, you've had all of the meds they can give you at the moment. You'll get your epidural once you reach five centimeters which hopefully will be really, really soon.”
“I know I’ve been a pain in the ass today to you, Ty,” she said. “It’s just we weren’t expecting little junior this soon, you know?”
"I know Gina. It's all good. Don't worry."
Yeah, I know. Could I please have some more ice chips? They really seem to help.”
“Of course, Gina,” I replied, grabbing the cup. “I'll be right back with your ice chips.”
I left her room and went out to the hallway heading down to where the ice machine was located. I decided to phone Jean to check up on Preston. She answered the phone quickly.
“Hi Jean, it’s me. How's my baby girl doing?”
“Well, she's perfect, as always. Do you want to talk to her?”
“Yes, please. Put her on the phone.”
“Mama,” I heard Preston’s sweet voice over the phone.
“Hi Preston,” I said. “Aunt Gina's getting ready to have her baby. Isn’t that exciting?”
“Baabyy!” she squealed laughing.
“Are you being good for Jean?” I asked her. She said something I wasn't able to make out but she finished with a giggle so it must all be good I thought. Preston was delighted with feeling my blossoming tummy that held her baby brother or sister. She was constantly laying her head across my belly trying to hear the baby as she called it.
“Mommy loves you, now please give the phone to Jean,” I instructed.
“Bye, Mama.”
“Bye, sweet girl.”
Jean got back on the phone. “Don’t worry about anything here, Tylar,” Jean assured me. “We're doing just fine. You stay with Gina and help her through this. I’ve got everything under control here. Just take care of yourself okay?”
“I will. Thanks, Jean.”
I got Gina’s ice chips and hurried back to her room. She was likely to bitch at me for taking so long to get back. When I got there her nurse was examining her under the sheet tent. She pushed back from Gina’s bent legs, peeling off her Latex gloves and announced that she was at five centimeters.
“Oh thank God! Give me my fucking epidural now!"
The nurse scurried away to do Gina’s bidding. She wasn't what one would consider a model patient. But then, I never figured she would've been.
“Did you bring my ice chips?” she demanded.
“Yes Gina, they're right here,” I replied setting them on the tray table next to her hospital bed. She immediately grabbed a handful and started shoveling them into her mouth.
“Oh, that's better,” she breathed.
“Really?” I asked. “Those ice chips never did much for me.”
“It’s like they make my teeth hurt so much that I forget about the fucking pain between my legs,” she gasped crunching on the ice.
That had to be a "Ginaism." That's what I'd started calling her particular quotes and sayings she seemed to always be coming up with. I got a damp washcloth and wiped her forehead with it.
“Ty,” she said, “I just want to thank you for being here with me. Who else would come to my rescue like you have?”
“Really Gina? I know of one person that would.”
“Who?”
“You,” I laughed. “You've always been there for me, girlfriend,” I said imitating her New Jersey accent. “Hey, I called your Aunt Becky while I was out getting your ice chips. She said your mom's trying like crazy to rearrange her work schedule to fly down. She wasn’t expecting an early arrival. No one was apparently,” I laughed.
“That’s me,” she conceded. “Never a dull moment, I guess.”
“That's what makes you special, Gina,” I said to her, taking her hand. “Listen to me. I want to tell you something that you told me a while back. "You're my best friend and you're like my sister. I'm here for you, always. Got it?”
“I got it, girlfriend,” she said smiling.
The nurse came in just then bringing the long needle that would administer Gina’s epidural. I was about as relieved as Gina was that she was finally getting it.
My one ear had gone slightly deaf with the screaming and cussing. The nurse gave her the shot and Gina relaxed back against her pillows. I watched as she laid back and totally relaxed. Hopefully she'd be able to doze off until it was time to push which shouldn’t be all that far off. It seemed as if we'd been going at this for hours.
I felt the baby kick inside of me. It felt like he or she was doing somersaults inside my belly. This baby was quite a bit more active than Preston had been in the womb. My due date was October 2nd. Tess’s due date was November 2nd. I didn’t know the sex of this baby. I wanted to be surprised just as I'd been with Preston. I rubbed my rounded belly with the palm of my hand. This pregnancy had been so much different than my pregnancy with Preston. I'd suffered bouts of morning sickness for months. The thought of sex had repulsed me. My only hope was that I delivered a boy. Somehow that would make it all worth it. I needed to get back to my plan for the future. The plan that had dissipated once I'd become pregnant with Preston.
Just then Gina woke from her momentary doze. Something was wrong. I saw the look of alarm in her eyes. I immediately went closer to her bed. The epidural should've kicked in; she should've been feeling no pain. She writhed in agony.
It was then I looked down and saw the blood stain spreading across her bottom sheet. Her body started convulsing. I pressed the buzzer for the nurse. I heard the screams then; they were coming from me, not Gina.
“Somebody get down here, freaking stat!”
BONUS CHAPTER
I led the short, dark-haired woman down the corridor to the room where inmates were allowed to meet with their legal counsel. I wasn't real co
mfortable breaking the rules, since I knew this bitch wasn't an attorney but a relative.
Hell, the nice chunk of change she laid on me was worth a little risk-taking since the county didn't pay shit to the guards that had to oversee these bastards day in and day out. Besides, it was the graveyard shift and most of the other guards were sleeping or on a smoke break. What the hell? I mean what harm would it do? The skinny bastard was likely to fry anyway with all the murder one charges that had been slapped against him.
I opened the door, stepping aside so she could enter the small, private conference room. She looked around as if she wanted to make sure it met her expectations. She was mighty snooty for a bitch that'd whelped a loser such as Matthew Renaud.
"Have a seat, Ms. Deeny. I'll be escorting Matthew here in just a few minutes." She nodded, turning her hawkish, wrinkled face from me quickly as if the sight of me disgusted her! Get a clue, bitch! You're a fucking loser just like your son!
All the guards knew the story of Matthew Renaud. There're no secrets in county jails or federal prisons for that matter! What the hell else was there to keep everyone entertained other than spreading gossip which may or may not be true?
In Matthew's case, the source was fairly reliable: the county shrink was fucking one of the first shift supervisors. Matthew was apparently a real nut job; had learned about sex from his own mother as a young kid. His father had gotten wind of it and promptly got full custody of him.
Once his parents had died suddenly in a horrible car accident that the twisted midget had orchestrated, she'd convinced him to take up where they'd left off. He was over 21 by then; she taught him the way to pleasure women, then tasked him to take that knowledge to teach and then pimp his own damn half-sisters for which he'd legal custody at the time. The elder of the two sisters was totally on board with it; probably some genetic thing that ran through the 'Renaud' bloodline.
His mother apparently shared in the wealth, and with her connections to some very prominent families in New Orleans and Baton Rouge (one in particular where she'd worked as a household staff supervisor) she was able to orchestrate even more devious schemes using Matthew as her foot soldier.