by J. E. Parker
Ashley’s tear-streaked face immediately came into view. “Clara,” she cried, pointing toward her house. “She n-needs you… My m-ama needs y-you.”
Clara didn’t hesitate.
Looking at me over her shoulder, she said, “Stay with the kids!”
Then, she crossed the porch, bounded down the steps and ran for Shelby’s house as hard as she could. Ashley stayed right by her side, crying harder with each step she took.
Every cell in my body screamed at me to chase after them but I couldn’t leave the kids. Especially not with my psycho ex still lurking somewhere in the shadows. If I turned my back for just one second…
“Brantley!” Evan hollered, running out of his house. “What the fuck is going on?”
I pointed at Shelby’s. “Get your ass over there and see!”
Like Clara, he didn’t hesitate before running full speed ahead.
A second later, Grandmama came out onto her porch to see what all the hullabaloo was. When she saw Clara, Ashley, and Evan running toward Shelby’s, panic swept across her features.
Then, she moved.
Hoofing it down her concrete driveway, she scooted across the traffic-less road at a pace quicker than I’d see any old lady move before. It wasn’t long before she, along with my girl, brother, and Ashley all disappeared from my view.
I stepped out onto the porch, trying like hell to see something.
“Come the fuck on,” I murmured to myself.
“Where did Mama go?” Declan asked, coming to stand next to me.
I peeked down at him and dropped a hand to his shoulder. “Aunt Shelby needed her for something.”
“What did she need her for?” Declan’s brows furrowed; his face scrunched up in concern. “Is she okay?”
Knowing I needed to keep everybody calm, I forced a smile. “Yeah, little buddy,” I replied while praying like hell I wasn’t lying. “Why don’t we go inside? You can help me get the table set for supper while we wait for your mama to get back.”
Declan hesitated.
Then, “Okay…” He eyes stayed locked on mine. “Promise nothing is wrong?”
My chest tightened.
It was a promise I couldn’t make.
“I’ll tell you what,” I replied, avoiding his question. “If she isn’t back in five minutes, I’ll call Aunt Shelby and see what’s going on. Deal?”
Declan nodded, a small smile on his face. “Deal.”
“Come on, Dec”—I nodded toward the inside of the house—“let’s get the table set.”
With a quick nod of his head, my youngest boy headed back inside. After glancing over at Shelby’s one last time, I followed right along behind him.
Clara
I couldn’t breathe.
Heart nearly beating out of my chest, I stood in the center of Anthony and Shelby’s living room with my palms covering my mouth. Tears, an entire slew, streamed down my face and I swear I felt my legs shake.
Beside me, Ashley’s entire body shook with the force of her silent cries.
Next to her, Evan stood frozen to the spot, his mouth gaping.
Grandmama, who’d just walked through the front door moments earlier, stood next to the wall, her back pressed to the sheetrock. Like Ashley and I, tears streamed down her wrinkled cheeks as she stared at the scene before all of us, clutching the front of her floral dress in her hand.
The room was silent; the air charged with emotion.
Pulling my eyes from Shelby, who sat on the center of the sofa, a small pink bundle in her arms, I looked over at Patty Thompson, Ashley’s former social worker. Wearing a giant smile on her face, she winked at me before moving around the sofa and sitting next to Shelby.
“I thought of you and Mr. Moretti the moment I got the call,” she said. “I had your name, along with a few others down on the paperwork before I ever made it to the hospital. But the moment I laid eyes on her”—she nodded toward the beautiful baby girl that Shelby held against her chest—“I knew there was only place she should go.” She paused. “And that place is right here”—another pause—“with you.”
Shelby, who hadn’t looked up once, held the little girl tighter. “What’s her name?” she asked, her voice shaking.
Patty straightened her spine. “Right now she doesn’t have one.”
Confusion marred Grandmama’s face as she took a step forward. “I don’t understand.”
“Me either,” Evan added. “How can she not have a name?”
“When an infant child is abandoned at birth, the state assigns them a temporary identity,” Patty explained. “For now, this sweet girl”—she stroked a finger down the baby’s puffy cheek—“is known as Baby Girl.”
Abandoned at birth?
Oh God, I thought. Just like me…
Beside me, Ashley made a sound that resembled a distressed growl. “That’s a-wful,” she stuttered. “Can we n-name h-her?”
Patty nodded. “Yes, Miss Ashley. If your mother and father accept placement, whether it be as a temporary foster or something more permanent, then your family will have the opportunity to name her.”
Pressure built in my chest as Ashley took a step forward. “Mom,” she cried, barely able to speak. “P-please…” Her voice trailed off, and I moved closer and wrapped an arm around her middle. She leaned into me, letting me take some of her weight. “Can we k-keep her?”
Shelby looked up, meeting Ashley’s gaze.
I held my breath as I waited for her to respond.
Suddenly, a commotion by the door caught my attention. A second later, a frantic-looking Anthony stepped into the living room. His eyes first went to Ashley, then to Shelby, and finally to the sleeping baby that his beautiful wife held in her arms. “Sunshine,” he said, his tone guttural. “Baby, what’s going on?”
Shelby stood.
“Tony,” she whispered, her chest rising and falling in rapid succession. “I found our reason.”
Anthony moved forward. “Talk to me, Shelby,” he whispered, confused.
“The reason I can’t get pregnant,” she said, the first tear falling, “is because of her.”
The meaning of her words slammed into me with the force of a freight train.
“Oh fuck me,” Evan muttered before lacing his fingers behind his head.
“I know I sound crazy, but I’m not,” Shelby continued, her tone a tad desperate. “I feel it.” Holding the baby with one arm, she placed her palm across the place where her heart laid. “I feel it in here. This baby is meant to be ours.”
Anthony sucked in a deep breath and swung his gaze to Patty. “Talk to me, Patty. I want to know everything.”
Patty nodded. “The baby was surrendered under Georgia’s Safe Haven law. Two days ago, her mother, an unnamed teenage girl, left her with a nurse in the Emergency Room at Toluca Memorial Hospital when she was only hours old.” Patty cleared her throat. “Before she walked away the mother made the nurse promise to find her a good home, something which she couldn’t provide.”
Hearing those words broke me.
Letting go of Ashley, I walked into the foyer out of everyone’s line of sight and placed my hands on the wall for support. Dropping my head forward, I let the sobs I’d been fighting to hold back free. They wracked my body, making my shoulders shake and my legs feel weak.
Evan’s strong arms wrapped around me from behind, surprising me. “Breathe for me, Red,” he whispered in my ear. “Just take a breath for me.”
My strength vanished, my legs gave way.
I started to drop when Evan caught me and lifted me into his arms.
“Ev,” I cried, clutching the front of his shirt in my hands. “I need him.” My chest tightened, my lungs burned. “I can’t breathe”—I clenched my eyes shut tight—“without him.”
“He’s coming,” Evan assured me. “Grandmama knew you needed him and she went to get him.”
I don’t know how much time passed—a minute or two maybe?—before the sound of approaching footste
ps reached my ears. Without having to look, I knew who it was. The calmness that washed over me, unfreezing my lungs and steadying my shaking hands were the only clues I needed.
Brantley…
Holding me tight, Evan spun around.
In one quick move, his body heat left my side as Brantley took me into his strong arms. His familiar scent tickled the tip of my nose and the beating of his heart bled into me. With him holding me close, and with the safety of his presence surrounding me, I took a breath.
Then I took another.
And another.
Until finally—finally!—the grief that had welled up inside me receded.
I opened my eyes to find Brantley smiling down at me. “If you wanted my attention, bella dama, all you had to do was ask. There was no need to almost give Grandmama a heart attack,” he joked, trying his best to pull me further away from the dark thoughts that lived in my head. “I don’t have the slightest clue what’s going on”—he cut his eyes toward the living room—“but I have a feeling it has something to do with the beautiful little girl I saw Shelby holding when I walked in.”
Knowing I needed to get back in there, that I needed to give Anthony, Shelby, and Ashley my full support, I said, “Put me down, Pretty Boy. They need me.”
Brantley’s hands went to my hips as he stood me on the ground.
Keep it together, I told myself. You can fall apart later.
Straightening my spine, I walked back into the living room and faced Anthony and Shelby.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered to everyone minus Grandmama, who must’ve stayed at Brantley’s house with the kids. Pointing at myself, I continued, “As a former trash can baby, hearing what her”—I nodded toward the baby—“selfless mother did and said got to me.” Forcing a shaky smile, I waved a dismissive hand in the air and blew out a breath. “I’m being crazy. Pay me no mind.”
Anthony’s beautiful grey eyes were locked on me. “You’re not crazy, Clara,” he assured me. “You’re emotional, babydoll. There’s a difference.”
Silence fell over the room.
Moments ticked by.
Then, “Bee!” Pop’s booming voice echoed through the house as he stormed into the living room and made his way to where we all stood. When he saw Shelby, he stopped. His eyes moved to the baby, then to Anthony. He looked around the room once before focusing his gaze back on the baby. “What the hell is going on? Where’s my grandson?”
Ashley grabbed my hand, lacing her fingers with mine. “Lucca is with Hendrix and Maddie,” she replied. “As for what’s going on…” Her voice trailed off as she looked over at Shelby.
“We found her, Daddy,” Shelby whispered as a smile tilted her lips up at the corners.
Pop’s brows climbed his forehead. “You found who?”
“Gracelyn,” she replied, saying the name she and Anthony had saved for when they had another daughter. “I found our Gracelyn.”
Patty looked close to bursting into tears. “Does this mean you’re accepting her for placement?” She asked, her voice hopeful.
Anthony stared down at his wife, and from the looks of it, their newest daughter. “Yeah,” he stated simply. “We are.”
Relief washed over Ashley’s face as she dropped her head back and stared up at the ceiling. “Thank you,” she whispered to the heavens above. “Thank you so much.”
“Shit, Bee,” Pop said, his eyes filling with tears. “So you’re keeping her?”
Shelby looked at Anthony.
Anthony looked right back at her.
Neither spoke to the other, but they didn’t need to. It was obvious from the expressions on their face that they knew this was meant to be.
It’s fate, I thought. Why else would I be here to witness it?
“We are,” she said. “We may have to start out as her foster family, but I know this little girl will become ours permanently.”
Pop’s face softened and I swear his chest expanded as it filled with pride.
Meanwhile, Patty walked around the sofa, picked up a black bag that sat on the floor, and pulled out a thick manila envelope. “We must go over a few things, fill out some paperwork. As for her name, are you set on Gracelyn?”
“Yes,” Shelby stated matter-of-factly. “She’s Gracelyn… Gracelyn Rose.”
My entire body stilled.
Shelby’s gaze met mine.
“It was always going to be you,” she whispered, answering the unspoken question that danced in my eyes. “From the moment Anthony and I started trying for a baby, we decided that if we had a daughter, we wanted to name her after someone strong, someone beautiful. And that’s you, Clara.”
Holding Gracelyn tighter, she smiled.
“I wasn’t there to save you as a baby and I wasn’t there to save you as an adult, but I promise to save her, Red. I will not let her be hurt, and I will not let her feel the pain or loneliness that you did as an abandoned kid growing up alone in the system. I swear on my life I’ll give her everything you were supposed to have.”
I didn’t doubt that.
Not for one second.
“On that I give you my word,” Shelby continued. “The only thing I ask for in return is that you to let me give her your name.”
“Shelby—” A lump formed in the base of my throat, making it impossible for me to speak.
“Just say yes, Clara,” Shelby begged. “Please.”
I didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
Brantley wrapped an arm around me from behind and pulled me back into his chest. “I’m so proud of you,” he whispered next to my ear. “So damned proud.”
I held out my arms. “Can I hold her?”
Shelby smiled as she closed the space between us and placed Gracelyn in my arms. Warmness radiated through my chest before spreading to my limbs.
“Hi, Gracelyn,” I whispered, running my index finger down the side of her chubby cheek. “I’m your Aunt Clara.” I leaned back further against Brantley, letting him share the moment with me. “I have a feeling that you and I will be the best of friends.”
Gracelyn’s heavy-lidded eyes opened.
When her unfocused gaze met mine, my last broken piece snapped back into place, and I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I’d finally healed. No longer was I an unwanted foster child, scarred domestic violence victim or broken survivor. No, instead, at that moment, I became the person I was always meant to be.
And that person was beautiful, happy, and free.
Brantley
It was a Friday, half-past three in the afternoon, and the office was empty.
Evan had agreed to pick all three kids up from school, Ashley had taken the day off from work to spend time with her family, and my schedule was clear for the rest of the day. This led to Clara and I being the alone, and us being alone led to Clara being bent over my desk.
Panties ripped. Ass bared.
Fucking perfect.
The skirt of her dress was bunched up around her waist, her chest was pressed against the smooth surface, and her fingers were curled around the edge of the wood as I drove my thick cock deep inside her.
Beads of sweat covered my brow and my fingers dug into her hips. “Lift up, bella dama. I want your tits in my hands.” When she didn’t move fast enough, I slid my hands beneath her, cupped her breasts and forced her back to arch by lifting her up a few inches.
Her entire body jerked in response.
“Oh God,” she moaned, grinding back against me. “Harder, Brantley. Please.”
Slamming into her so hard that my heavy desk moved a couple of inches, I gave her what she wanted. Thrashing her head from side to side, my girl screamed in return.
“Is this what you want?” I asked through gritted teeth.
Panting, she met each of my thrusts. “Harder!”
Feeling the base of my spine tingle, I changed the angle of my hips and pounded into her as hard as I could, hitting her G-spot as the desk continued to inch forward. Knowing it wouldn’t be long before she ex
ploded around me, I pinched her nipples just how she liked and leaned over her. Back to chest, I released the hold I had on her perfect tits and covered her soft hands with my own.
Then, my lips found her neck.
Her pussy fluttered over my throbbing cock and I nibbled her earlobe with my teeth. “Come for me, bella dama,” I demanded, making her shudder beneath me. “Come for me now, baby.”
One stroke.
Two strokes.
Three—
“Brantley!” Her body tensed and she arched into me as her mouth fell open and she clawed at the wood with her turquoise-painted nails.
Fucking perfect, I thought.
Removing one of my hands from hers, I slipped it over her hip and down to her soaked pussy. Sliding my fingers through her wetness, I found her clit. Brushing over the sensitive nub in time with each of my thrusts, I drew her orgasm out until her entire body went limp beneath me.
Knowing my girl was satisfied—for now—I let myself go. Burying my face in the side of her neck, I emptied myself inside her, giving her all I had to give. Breaths mingling with one another, I pressed a kiss to her sweat-laden skin.
“That,” she said, out of breath, “may be the best late lunch break I’ve ever had.”
I smiled against her skin before nipping the column of her throat with my teeth. “Better than the tacos I fed you yesterday?”
“Now you’re pushing it,” she quipped, her voice filled with humor.
Half-heartedly thrusting into her one last time, I nipped her neck again. She moaned in response. The small sound went straight to my dick, forcing it back to life. “Don’t be a smartass when my cock is still inside you, Firecracker. Else you may get fucked to death.”
Looking at me over her shoulder, she smiled. “Sounds like a hell of a way to go.”
Unable to resist the siren song of her lips, I touched my mouth to hers. But as quickly as it began, the sweet kiss we shared ended when my cell phone rang.
Yanking her lips from mine, Clara touched the tip of my nose with her own. “Answer it, Pretty Boy. It may be Evan. I told him to call when he and the kids were on the way here.”