by Leila Lacey
“What?” Logan croaked out. Clearing his throat he tried again “What are you doing here Tessa?” Logan said to her. Giving a fake laugh Tessa leaned her head to that side. “I just told you daddy... I had not heard from you in a few days and I was worried. Luckily when I came over our mom was wonderful enough to let me stay and wait for you. And allow me to play with your beautiful daughter.” She said smiling at Gia.
“I tried to call you a couple of times son, to let you know you had a visitor.” Logan’s mother said to him with, as she mouthed “I am sorry”. Logan shook his head to let her know this was not her fault. Stepping closer to him again, Tessa rubbed her hand over the bulge in the front of his pants, from his button to the bottom of his zipper whining “Baby you do not look happy to see me.” Grabbing her shoulders Logan pushed her away from him. Gia stood up and walked up to Shelby and offered her baby doll to Shelby.
“Want baby?” She said to Shelby. Handing the doll to her and smiling.
“Thank you so much Gia.” Shelby said squatting down in front of the little girl. Extending her hand she said to the gorgeous child. “My name is Shelby, it is an honor to meet you” she finished. When Gia decided to jump into Shelby’s arms.
“Shelby it is so good to see you! How have you been?” Logan’s mother said smiling.
“Shelby?” Tessa said pretending like she was shocked to hear that name. Looking up at Logan she pretended to whisper “Isn’t that the spoiled right bitch you told me about?”
“LOGAN! His mother said. Logan heard a sharp intake of breathe coming from Shelby.
“Oops” Tessa said “Did I let the cat out of the bag?” she said looking around at all the people in the room pretending to feel bad.
“Ooooh... Daddy Miss Tessa said a naughty word she needs a time out.” Gia said. Shelby smiled at Gia and say her back on the gloor keeping her head held high she walked over to Logan’s mother and hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. “It was so good to see you again.” She said. She then turned around walking past Logan to the door. But not before hearing Tessa say “I guess money can’t buy you a backbone.”
“SHUT UP TESSA!” Logan said to her. “Shut up and get the fuck out of my house” Logan said pointing toward his front door.
“Logan! Not in front of Gia!” his mother said to him.
“You are right momma. I apologize.” Logan said grabbing Tessa’s arm to pull her toward the front door.
“Logan, let go of me! Why are you acting this way?” Tessa whined. Attempting to seem hurt.
“Cause I want you out of my house you two bit hoe.” Logan said still dragging her toward the front door.
“This is how you treat the mother of your child?” she yelled. Logan stopped dead in his tracks and turned around looking at her and dropping her arm.
“What did you say to me?” Logan said. His face had become completely white. That was when Tessa knew she had him.
“That is what I came to tell you” She said rubbing her arm. “I took a test yesterday and I am pregnant Logan. With your baby.” She finished.
CHAPTER 8
Shelby was sitting in the car in front of his parent’s house. The Beasley Mansion was one of the largest homes in the south the ultimate in both luxury, and old world elegance was successfully accomplished in one home through several strategically built items like, stone planters they were great for accessorizing especially when the goal was to seamlessly mesh the design layout throughout the home and garden. The antique water fountain transformed the front yard, it could change your mood every time you look at it or walk past it. The majestic ancient limestone portal is a prerequisite to any stately southern home of any style. This kind of entryway was handpicked by antique dealers globally and on occasions sold directly to a small discerning clientele that reads something like a Forbes 400 list including a few heads of states. For both interior and exterior use, columns were all over the house in many forms and shapes. They are either newly hand carved out of old limestone block or were simply reclaimed from older structures that have gone through renovation and no longer required their functional structural usage those columns were first intended for. The columns heights and diameters vary in sizes. a unique water feature that transformed the front and back yard into a lush oasis of limestone, water and greenery was a fountain that was a hand carved stone art piece instead of that stacked, bricked or stuccoed wall that you currently see on larger homes. Shelby was dreading what was about to happen. From the looks of things everyone was here. Shelby had not seen or spoken to her sister and her mother or should she say, her step-mother since the family wedding dinner. Her mind also roamed to Logan and the events that had unfolded yesterday. Sitting there in the driver’s seat of her car she thought how ironic it was that yesterday morning she was planning to start a new relationship and ending old bad ones. Now today at the same time she was planning to end all bad relationships old and new. Just as Shelby was about to get out of the car to go into her parents’ house, her cell phone rang it was Logan. She knew she was going to have to talk to him sometime he had been calling since she got out of his car yesterday without saying a word. She had used to the entire ride back to her house to try and think of something she could say to him, and had nothing. She still couldn’t believe that Logan had spoken about her the way he had to that waitress bar whore. But then for him to get in his car and solemnly say. “She is pregnant, I think it might be mine.” That had been a little more than she was prepared for. She answered her cell
“Hello” Shelby said in a disgusted tone.
“Shelby are you alright? I have been calling you all night!” Logan said frantically into the phone.
“I am fine Logan. What can I do for you?” Shelby said irritably.
“Shelby I did not say that about you!” Logan said softly into the phone. “I mean I did but not like that. Not the way she said it. I was drunk...” he started to finish but Shelby cut him off.
“LOGAN, LOGAN!” Shelby yelled into the phone. “Let me help you, YOU have a child, YOU have a new baby on the way with poor white trash and I” Shelby said pausing. She rested her head back on the headrest. When she did she noticed her father waiting for her in the front door.
“I don’t have time for this shit!” she said hanging up the phone and getting out the car. Shelby knew that Logan would be very angry and probably confused but right now they were in the same boat.
“Good Morning Baby Girl!” her father said to her as he kissed her cheek and walked her into the house with his arm around her. “I thought you forgot how to get out of the car for a minute there” he finished smiling.
“Sorry about that Daddy” Shelby said giving her father a side hug. “I had a phone call that I had to take” she finished smiling at her father.
As they walked into the library all the ease that Shelby felt went out of her body. She immediately felt like she was in the lion’s den. Her mother was sitting in a wing backed chair in front of the old limestone fireplace. It was rooted in the deep French and Italian tradition of stone mantle carving and single handedly metamorphosed the look of the house and transformed the living area into the desired dreamscape of regal sophistication. Savannah and Greyson were sitting across from their mother and her grandmother Queenie was sitting in her wheel chair at the center of the room. There was two people there that Shelby did not expect to see and that was Cassidy and her mother Grace. Jumping out of her seat Cassidy walked over to Shelby giving her a big hug.
“Good Morning sugar lips!” Cassidy said happily hugging Shelby. “Did you climb out of bed with that sexy ass man to come to THIS? She finished gesturing to the room.
“No, Logan is expecting another baby to he and I are... well we never were.” she whispered to her friend.
“SHUT UP!” Cassidy yelled which made everyone turn and look at the two of them realizing she had said the first words to loud she finished in a whispers. “Well that has to be about as welcome as an outhouse breeze”
“Yeah!�
� Shelby said shaking her head and grabbing the bridge of her nose. “So what is all this about, why are you and your mom here?” she finished.
“I have no...” Cassidy started to say when Jackson Beasley cleared his throat and said “Ok, let’s get the meeting started”
Shelby and Cassidy looked at each other and went to take their seats. First Shelby greeted her grandmother. “Good Morning Granny don’t you look pretty today” she said leaning down kissing her on both cheeks.
“I know!” her grandmother said smiling. I feel SEXY today!” she said wiggling in her wheel chair
“HA! Get is Granny!” Cassidy said leaning across to give Queenie a high five.
“MOTHER!” Jackson said disapprovingly. Waving him off
Queenie said “Oh hush Boy! You are the only grown ass man I know that needs to call a peace conference to get you wife to treat your daughter better. Don’t you chastise me Jackson Beasley!
Rolling his eyes and taking a deep breath Jackson said “Mother may I begin?”
“Oh shut up boy and say your peace. My high is wearing off.” Queenie said.
“Granny have you been smoking weed again?” Greyson said trying his best to keep a straight face.
“Yes! I have glaucoma! That is my story and I am sticking to it!” Queenie said turning her head up and looking away. Cassidy was hiding behind Shelby in laughter.
“As I was saying” Mr. Beasley said talking over the laughter. Which encouraged everyone in the room to straighten up. “Sarah, Grace and I have called this meeting because we think there is time that some truths be told.” He finished
“Truth? Momma what is going on?” Cassidy said turning toward her mother.
“Sit still Cassidy” Grace said to her daughter regally. Grace Graham came from one of the richest families in the world she was beautiful and very educated woman. She commanded respect in the home and the boardroom. Shelby knew that her father and the Graham family had brokered many deals together and Grace had been the representative from the Graham family. Cassidy had always been close to her mother and their relationship was one that Shelby wished she had with her own. Who was sitting across the room looking at anywhere but at the people in the room?
“First I want to say to my children. Shelby, Savannah, and Greyson I love you more than my life you are the Beasley legacy. You may not like my decisions but they are mine and you will respect them. Clear?” Jackson said. “Yes. Yes, Yes Sir” came from Shelby, Savannah and Greyson respectively.
“Translation. I’m gonna shit on you and you should call it apple butter! Queenie said.
“Your mother and I need to clear up some things from the past.” Jackson said like his mother had not said anything. “Mrs. Graham needed to be here to accomplish the full story being told” he finished.
The room was so silent that you could hear a pen drop everyone was waiting with bated breath to find out what was going on.
Sigh “Oh, daddy could you forget the dramatic and tell us what you are talking about?” Savannah said annoyed when the silence drew out too long.
“Savannah!” Sarah said
“As you all know from my beautiful daughter’s outburst and our last family gathering. Sarah is not Shelby’s biological mother.” Jackson started.
“Which explains a lot.” Cassidy mumbled. Grace slapping her hand and putting her finger to her lips.
“What you all DON’T know.” Jackson continued. “Is that Sarah is not Savannah nor Greyson’s biological mother, either.” He finished.
“WHAT!” Savannah and Greyson said simultaneously. Placing his hand on his shoulder. Jackson pushed Greyson back down into his seat.
“Children! I would like to be allowed to finish! There shall be no more interruptions... CLEAR?” Jackson said to all of them.
“Yeah... shhh! This just got good!” Cassidy said.
“You just cannot help yourself can you young lady!” Sarah said to Cassidy with disdain.
“No, No I really can’t!” Cassidy said right back to her.
“Grace I see you still have not learned to control your filly” Sarah said.
“Yes Sarah and I see that you still are not able to have one.” Grace said to her.
“HA!” Queenie said “Now that was good! I knew I liked you!” she finished laughing.
“ENOUGH!” Jackson said “The next two people to speak with be Sarah and I” he paused to turn toward his mother. “And ONLY Sarah and I!”
“Boy I have told you about pointing at me!” Queenie said rolling her eyes at her son.
“The Beasley family has a long standing tradition of arranging the marriage of the first born son. Which happens to be me.” Jackson started to tell the story. “I told my father I was unwilling to be married off to some woman I barely knew. But I was willing to give him grandchildren and heirs to the Beasley name. Sarah was the woman that I chose.”
“Wait a minute. You turned your father down for the arrangement to marry a hooker from North Carolina? Good choice son” Queenie said sarcastically.
“Why do you let her speak about me that way?” Sarah yelled standing up and going to the bar to make herself a drink.
“Because young lady, my son knows what side his bread is buttered on.” Queenie answered for her son.
“Anyway! Unfortunately Sarah forgot to mention to me, that she was unable to carry a child” Jackson said.
“Because I loved you Jackson! How many times do I have to say that?” Sarah said she was getting more and more upset by the minute.
“Sarah not now!” Jackson said to her.
“So wait. Who is our mother? I thought that Shelby’s mother died giving birth, she didn’t? Greyson said standing up and pacing.
“To answer your question son. No, Shelby’s mother is not deceased. When she was eaves dropping as a child she heard THAT part wrong. However, Shelby’s biological mother is not yours or Savannahs.”
“WHAT!” Came in unison from everyone in the room except Sarah and Grace.
“Shelby. Your mother was the love of my life, I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. Sadly she was a poor girl with a scholarship from the other side of town. I knew that my father would have no part of that union. When she had you she knew that I could give you a better life than she could so she agreed to let you go and be raised as a Beasley should be.”
“My mother’s alive?” Shelby said staring into the air.
“So let me get this straight my genius son. You thought your daddy would have more of a problem with you marrying a poor girl than a hoe?” Queenie said pointing at Sarah. “Boy you are a dumb as your father said, and you did not know him at all” she finished.
“Really momma? I wonder why that is? It couldn’t be because he was there and communicated with his children.” Jackson yelled.
“Well it isn’t like you were listening!” Queenie yelled back at her son. “Obviously! Your family is in shambles boy and you want to blame it on being a Beasley. This is not happening because you are a Beasley, THIS is happening because you are Jackson!”
“That has been the problem hasn’t it mother?” Jackson started to say but was cut off by Savannah.
“ENOUGH! Daddy who is my mother?? Momma what is he talking about?” Savannah said tearfully. Sarah could see that Savannah was very upset and wanted to comfort her but she knew that what she is about to learn she may not want that.
“I am!” Grace said from her seat.
“WHAT?” Savannah and Cassidy said at the same time.
“Momma. Puh-lease tell me that you are NOT serious!” Cassidy said turning to her mother. Taking her hand Grace said to her daughter. “Baby girl I have always told you that I was not a perfect woman. This is one of my imperfections. Many of years ago Jackson and I had an indiscretion. Savannah was a result of that indiscretion, neither one of us wanted to shame our family names and I did not want to hurt your father any more than I already had. So I agreed to let Sarah and Jackson raise Savannah as their daughter.” She f
inished rubbing her daughter’s hand. Jumping up out of her seat Cassidy looked down at her mother in shock
“So this escapee from Whore Island is my SISTER?” Cassidy said to her mother in a high pitched scream.
“Oh I got your whore island” Savannah said starting to walk toward Cassidy to fight. Grayson grabbed his sister and held her back.
“Savannah! You sit yourself down and stop acting like a round the way girl!” Queenie yelled at her granddaughter “Besides you cannot fight! You are two steps from being a white woman” she finished.
“So Shelby’s mother is alive and Savannah’s mother is...” Greyson said pausing and pointing to Grace. “Is Mrs. Graham. Who is my mother?” he finished.
“Your mother is a young woman I met years ago on a business trip. She too could not afford to raise you in the manner you should so agree to disappear from your life.” Jackson said.
“Unfortunately Greyson, Your mother passed away 3 years ago from breast cancer.” Sarah chimed in.
“Oh my God!” Greyson said sitting down in the chair he had once occupied.
“Children I love all of you. As if I carried you in my womb. I am so sorry that your father and I demons have come to haunt you all in this way.” Sarah said to them.
“So my son cheated on his wife and made children for her to pass off as her own for years.” Queenie said looking at Jackson. “Oh the fruit of my loin.” She said pausing “That rotted! Boy, you are a disgrace to this family name! You did not do all of this to honor the Beasley name. You did this because you are a selfish ass that needs to be flogged! Sarah for all these years of giving you a hard time I apologize. I can only say to you. I am sorry” she finished as she turned her wheelchair to leave the room. “Jackson! No mother has known no more disappointment then me today. I am so ashamed to be your mother.” Queenie finished as the left the room calling for her driver.