Clean Slate: Diva's Ink

by Liberty Parker

  “I’ll call a lawyer once we get her home,” he tells me.

  Then, we take out the clothes we brought with her and get her changed. Once she’s changed and awake, the duty nurse for the day comes in, “Are you two ready to take this precious little girl home?”

  “We are,” I tell her, barely able to hold in my excitement.

  “I’ve got her discharge paperwork here—do you need anything before you go?”

  “We didn’t know what kind of formula she was on, so we didn’t buy any. I need to know what brand she takes so we can grab some on the way home,” I tell her.

  “Oh, I can get you a can from our supply to help you through the night. What about diapers and wipes?” she asks us, I look at Marcus to see him roll his eyes.

  “We have all of that, we went to the bulk store.”

  “That place is fabulous, it’s twice the diapers for half the money, good choice.” I turn around and stick my tongue out at Marcus, causing him to laugh. I’m happy to hear him laugh, he’s been sullen since he got the news of Shyann’s parentage. Which is to be expected, but I want him to enjoy the day we bring her home too.

  “Well, let me go grab that and a wheelchair and we’ll get you guys home,” the nurse says cheerfully.

  “I’ll go grab the truck and pull it around to the front, baby. I’ll go ahead and take whatever she has here down with me,” Marcus says gathering things. He grabs the open package of diapers, wipes and diaper rash ointment and places them in the bag we had with us that had her clothes in them. He gathers the balloons, flowers and stuffed animals that my family had brought up here for her stay and walks out the door. I’m worried about him and what he’s going through, emotionally.

  The nurse walks back in with the wheelchair, “Okay, let’s get you sitting down so we can put Shyann in your lap for the journey down.” As soon as we’re settled, she hands me the papers and unlocks the wheels and we’re off. I’m anxious and excited to start this new chapter in our lives.

  Chapter 7

  Marcus

  Life’s road is full of twist and turns.

  It’s what waiting at the end of that road that matters…

  I needed a minute to think, so I took the opportunity to bring the truck around to get some time alone. Corporal Steven “Sherry” Sheridan is one of the best men I’ve ever known…was, fuck! Jensen, Steven and I were with each other for three years, we learned to rely on each other for everything out in the field. The three of us were put in the same unit because we qualified with our MOP for medic and fire control. We trained together, slept together, shit together, showered together…well not together-together, but at the same times. Where one was the other two weren’t far behind. I can’t believe that neither Jensen or I knew of his passing. He was only supposed to be in for a few short months after we left. Carolina was barely pregnant when Jensen and I were handed our discharge papers. Jesus, was that only two-years ago? Jensen and I came here on leave and got jobs and places to live set up knowing we would be getting out shortly afterward. Steven went home to Georgia to see Carolina, that’s when she conceived Shyann.

  Steven had talked about moving his family to Texas to be with us once his discharge went through. Not hearing from him, I just naturally assumed he changed his mind. Now, I want to check into things and find out why Carolina was here, without him. Why was she alone? She could’ve called either Jensen or myself and we would’ve been there for her. Shaking myself out of these emotional feelings and thoughts, I make it to the truck and put everything inside. I double-check the carseat and make sure it’s secured. When I’m satisfied that it is, I get in and start her up. She purrs like a newborn kitten, bringing a smile to my face. I pull around and pull up under the awning, where my girls are waiting for me. I get out and help Emory out of the wheelchair.

  “Ready to go home?” I ask her.

  “I think we are,” she says smiling at me.

  The nurse helps us strap Shyann into the carseat, guess she needs to make sure we know what we’re doing, then says, “Good luck, and congratulations,” then she walks away as Emory climbs in the back to sit next to Shyann.

  I jump into the driver’s seat and look back, I smile at both of them then say, “Let’s get home, I’m sure we have a family anxiously awaiting us.” Emory smiles back at me.

  “You know we do,” she tells me, and I nod my head in agreement. Not much in the mood for visitors, but it’s our family, so I’ll put on my happy face and join the party. “You alright, Marcus?”

  “I’m fine, baby, I promise,” I say as we drive out of the hospital parking lot. Game face securely in place, I drive us home.

  Pulling up to the house I see the street is full of cars and bikes. There are signs in the yard and over the door that say, ‘It’s a girl, and ‘Welcome home’…damn.

  “Guess we have a welcome home committee.”

  “Looks like Mom called in reinforcements,” Emory says on a sigh. I have a feeling she was hoping it would be short and sweet and everyone would leave soon after we arrived.

  “Well, the sooner we get in there, the sooner we get everyone home,” I say as I exit the truck. I walk around and help Emory and Shyann out. The front door opens, and we’re suddenly surrounded by family and friends. I notice Jensen has joined in on the festivities, hopefully I get a chance to pull him aside and talk with him.

  Emory

  I notice Marcus’ eyes connect with his friend, Jensen. Knowing that he wants to talk to him and let him know of their friend’s passing, I say to him, “Go ahead honey, go talk to him.” He leans over and kisses me on the forehead.

  “Are you sure, baby, we need to get these things unloaded?”

  “Go ahead, I can get the guys to unload everything, go on, go talk to him. We’ve got this,” I tell him trying to encourage him. I know he needs this, to be able to talk to someone who knew his friend and can mourn his loss at his side.

  “I won’t be long,” he says, kissing Shyann’s cheek and then my lips.

  “Take your time, we’re in good hands here,” I say shooing him away.

  “Love you, baby,” he says walking away.

  “Love you, too,” I call after him. He turns, winks at me then blows me a kiss.

  “Where’s Marcus going?” Ariel asks me, holding Devon in her arms.

  “He needs to talk to his buddy, Jensen. I’ll tell y’all all about it once we get in the house. Dillon, Levi, do you think one of you can bring things in from the truck for me?”

  “We got it, sis,” Dillon says, and they move around the truck and begin to empty it. Mom, Ariel and Rainey escort me inside. They’re like leeches, never letting go once they get their hands on you. I can barely make it through the front door because they’re standing so close to my side talking to Shyann.

  When I finally get settled, sitting on the couch with Shyann in my arms, I tell them about her parents and their connection to Marcus.

  “That’s heartbreaking,” Ariel says.

  “That’s going to be rough on Marcus,” Rainey says.

  “That poor man, and oh my, this poor child,” Mom says dabbing her eyes.

  “We just need to be here for both of them,” I say.

  “That we do,” Mom says, “and we will. Neither of them will go through this alone.” Mom holds her arms out for Shyann, who immediately lunges for her. Mom snuggles her to her chest and breathes in her baby smell. “You’re ours, little one, you will never be alone again,” she says, bringing a tear to my eye. That’s exactly what Marcus and I promised her. Good to know my family is on the same page as we are. My family may be annoying, and clingy at times, but there’s no one else I’d want at my back when things get tough.

  Marcus

  As I walk away from my girls, I nod my head at Jensen, letting him know to follow me. He squints his eyes in question but follows me anyways with no words said. I walk through the house, then stop in the kitchen and grab a couple of beers. I walk out to the back yard and take a seat at
the table and chairs. He follows suit then asks me, “What’s up, Marcus? Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?”

  “I haven’t seen a ghost, but one has followed me, us.”

  “You’re going to have to explain that one, man,” he says tipping his beer back and taking a drink. Once he’s finished, he sits back in his chair and dangles his beer over the side, he’s holding the top of the bottle between two fingers, swinging it back and forth. I’m so transfixed on the swinging bottle, that I nearly don’t speak. “Marcus, man you need to talk to me. You’re freaking me the fuck out.”

  “Sorry,” I mumble, taking my eyes away from the hypnotizing swing of the bottle. “When we went to pick up Shyann earlier, I got the shock of a lifetime,” I say to him. “The woman we carried out of that burning building, it was Carolina Sheridan.” He looks at me but seems confused. “Sherry’s wife,” I say.

  “Fuck! Where’s Steven? Did he get wrapped up in another tour?” I swallow hard at what I have to tell him next.

  “He died in a roadside bombing before he ever even made it home.”

  “Fuck!” He stands up and throws his beer bottle against the brick wall of the house. “No way, we would’ve heard something!” he shouts.

  “I would’ve thought so as well,” I tell him.

  “This is fucked up, man. It’s bullshit!” he says, anger taking hold of him.

  “I’m going to make a few phone calls and find out why no one from our unit called us to let us know. As soon as I hear something, I’ll let you know.”

  “No, I want to be there when you make that call.”

  “Alright then,” I tell him, not wanting to argue with him. He was as close to Sherry as I was. Damn, I can’t believe he’s fucking gone. We sit on the back porch in silence for a while, drinking our beers, lost in thoughts of the past.

  I hear the back door slide open, but don’t look at who it is coming out. “Marcus, sweetie, Levi and Carson need to start the grill for dinner. Is it alright for them to come out now?” Glory asks me.

  “Yeah, Glory, that’s fine,” I say getting up from my chair. “I need to check in on Emory and Shyann anyways. You going to be alright, Jensen?”

  “I’ll be fine,” he begins, “but I think I’m going to hang out here for a bit. I’ll be inside later,” he says nodding his head at me.

  “I’ll just be inside if you need me for anything,” I tell him as I walk away. I know exactly what it is he’s feeling, and I needed some space, so I’ll give him his.

  I walk in the doors and hear Shyann squealing in happiness, causing a smile to form on my face. “I’ll do right by her, I swear it, man,” I say under my breath, then continue on into the house. The sight that greets me is one of happiness and contentment. Shyann is laying on the floor on a throw blanket with toys surrounding her. She lifts her head up and is reaching out to grab one of the toys, which immediately makes it into her mouth. I walk over and lay down next to her on the floor, “That doesn’t belong in your mouth, pretty girl.” She smiles up at me, and I can’t help but notice her father in her eyes. She definitely has his grey eyes, they sparkle with life. She gets up on all fours and rocks, excitement blooms in my stomach, she hasn’t been active since the incident, and now she looks like she’s ready to take on the world.

  “You going to crawl to me?” She giggles, and her sweet baby sounds are soothing my soul. “C’mon, sweet girl, you got this,” I say in a calming voice. She rocks back and forth then drops to her belly and army crawls her way to me. I throw my head back in laughter, and then notice the room around me is quiet. I look around and notice everyone is staring at me. “What?” I ask.

  “You’re so good with her,” Emory says to me.

  “She’s a baby, babies are easy. All they require is love, patience, food and a diaper change here and there. There are no expectations other than those things from her,” I say nodding her way. Emory comes and sits on the floor next to me, grabbing a stuffed animal on her way. She uses it on my stomach trying to coax Shyann into coming to us.

  “You’re the best man I know, Marcus.”

  “Nah, nowhere near the best, baby. But I’ll try to be everything you and Shyann need. I’m going to fuck up from time to time, but I’ll keep trying and learn from my lessons,” I say, knowing that every word I spouted is the truth.

  “You are your own worst critic, Marcus. Where every word you just said is the truth, you are so much more than you give yourself credit for.” I lean over and give her a kiss, then I feel something hitting my face and release her from my lips to look over and see Shyann is there, she was trying to gather my attention. I pick her up, lay on my back and lift her over my head. Her giggles become contagious, and next thing I know we’re all laughing.

  “We’re going to be alright, Marcus.”

  “That we are, beautiful.” I say, never taking my eyes off Shyann.

  The next couple of weeks fly by, between work, adjusting to having a baby in the home and my extensive phone calls, Emory and I are both beyond exhausted. I’ve called everyone under the sun to find out about Sheridan and my old unit. I keep getting the runaround and being told someone will get back to me. This is getting ridiculous, what’s the big secret? Why is everything so hush-hush anyways? I’m worried there’s something bigger at play here than what I originally thought. This is simple, basic information I’ve requested. The things I’ve inquired about, any civilian should be able to get answers to. I’m not just anyone however, this is my old unit and team members I’m inquiring about.

  I feel as if I’m being reprimanded for discharging. I’ve taken a bite of the forbidden fruit, and I am no longer considered a part of the government’s elite boys. This has all made me more determined than I was before to get my answers I seek. I will not give up until I know exactly what it was that happened and where the rest of my team is. I walk into the door of the station and Jensen is waiting for me in the lounge area.

  “Anything yet?” he asks me.

  “Well, hello to you too. I’ve been great, thanks for asking.”

  “Smartass, I can see you’re fine,” he says, following me to my bunker.

  “Nothing, not a goddamned thing. I don’t know what it is they’re hiding, but I’m getting irritated and pissed off.”

  “I’ve called some of my inside sources, they’re checking on things from their end, but every time one of them tries, the door gets slammed in their faces—literally.”

  “There have to be some bigger fish we can fry somewhere,” I say to him.

  “What’s bothering me the most, is that none of our team members can be found. What do you think that means, man?”

  “I wish I knew, I really do.” I sit on my bed and put my hands in my hair as I bend over, my thoughts are all over the place.

  Chapter 8

  Emory

  Follow the roadmap of my heart, and at the destination you’ll find you…

  Dillon, not wanting Devon to be in daycare, has used one of the rooms at his practice to place him in. He hired a nurse to play nanny and they’ve agreed to let Shyann come there during our working hours as well. It’s a relief off my shoulders, I know she’ll be well-guarded and taken care of there. Dillon is a fierce protector of Devon and Shyann is now a part of his ‘girls’ to protect from all harm. Ever since the ordeal with Dillon’s dad, he’s shadowed all of us women as often as he can. He’s profusely apologized to me for that day so many months ago. As I sit in the parking lot of Diva’s Ink House I’m suddenly slammed with memories of that day. It’s a day I will never forget for the rest of my life. I wish I’d taken Carson’s paranoia a little more seriously…

  Walking out the back door to get Ariel’s bag, Carson beside me, we are chatting away about how excited we are for the baby to come. I see Carson’s eyes scanning the parking lot, I know everyone is worried about Ariel’s stalker, but he or she won’t do anything to me. I’m not the one they’re after. I grab ahold of his arm and drag him quicker to the trunk. He stops me
and does a quick sweep of the parking lot, seeming satisfied with his findings he comes back over and stands next to me at the trunk of her car.

  “Carson, you’re being silly, nothing’s going to happen to us here. It’s too public of a place, even for psychopaths.”

  “Psychos have no common sense, Emory. There is no rhyme or reason for anything they do. Private or public, makes no difference to them.”

  “That’s ludicrous,” I scoff. I grab Ariel’s bag from the trunk, close it and as we turn around we’re met with a gun in our faces. I recognize him instantly, not only because he’s an officer of the law, but because he’s Dillon’s deranged father. My body begins to shake uncontrollably. I’ve never really been around guns, well— these particular types of guns anyway. To have one pointed in my face is unnerving, to say the least.

  “Where’s the bitch who’s carrying my son’s spawn?” the crazy man asks us.

  “She…she’s not here,” I sputter out, nervously.

  “Why don’t you step away and live to see another day,” Carson tells him. He laughs and slams the butt of his gun on Carson’s head. He doesn’t even stop once he’s down on the ground. Over and over, I see him smashing his head, and I lose my mind with worry.

  “Stop! You’re going to kill him,” I scream, jumping on the madman’s back. I don’t know what’s come over me, what’s possessed me, all I know is that I can’t allow him to kill Carson. We struggle, me still clinging to his back, and I hear a gunshot go off. I don’t stop long enough to see where the shot landed, I am on a mission to get this man away from Carson. As we struggle longer, I hear several more shots…I think, I mean who’s counting? Certainly not me, he finally flings me over his shoulder and I land with a thud on my back. He grabs my hair and pulls me up. Once I’m finally on my feet, he places the barrel of the gun to my temple.