Chapter 20 Mae
A few days later...
“Georgia Jane Cameron,” I say with a smile as my old friend from Lonestar Junction rushes towards me, squeezing me tightly.
"How have we let so much time pass without seeing each other?" Georgia asks as she pulls back, her brown eyes searching mine earnestly.
“It's been way too long. Come on inside and tell me all about what you’ve been up to.”
She smiles and walks into my home with a slight waddle, placing her hand protectively on her upper stomach. “I went to Cody’s tour opening concert in Atlanta last night and Troy has some press runs taking him to Montana, so I figured I’d stop by here to visit you on my way back to North Carolina.”
“Well, I’m glad you did. Do you want something to drink?” I ask.
“Water’s fine.”
I fill a glass with ice and water then push it across the counter to her. “I remember when I was pregnant with Elsie, ice water was the only thing I could drink.”
Georgia takes a long sip before setting it back down. “Ice water is the only thing that hits the spot for me, too. This boy loves it,” she points down at her adorable belly in awe.
“I know your parents must be thrilled that you’re having a baby.”
“Over the moon,” Georgia laughs. “Speaking of babies, how crazy was the whole pregnancy scare situation with Cody? He told me you helped secure the test with Harper Lane.”
I nod. “Yes, I did.”
“What’s going on with you two now?” she asks, raising her brows as she sips her water.
I smile. “We're back together..."
"And why do you seem worried about that? When I saw Cody yesterday, he was practically jumping up and down excited about the two of you and your future."
My heart aches, knowing I feel the same but unsure about what his intensions are long term.
"It’s intense, Georgia. In ways, it feels like we’re kids again.
It makes me feel alive, like we should have never split up in the first place.
But I’m starting to get nervous. My senior publicist had planned a straightforward Instagram post in response to Harper’s pregnancy announcement, congratulating her on her baby.
But Cody insisted it be changed at the last minute and what he included really makes it seem like he’s not ready to step in as a stepfather to Elsie in the future, even if he hasn’t met her yet…
” My voice trails off as Georgia nods in understanding.
“My cousin can be bone-headed. I highly doubt he thought what he said would come across that way.”
“I don’t know. He seemed relieved that Harper's baby wasn't his. I’m just trying to figure out what that means for us, you know? I mean, if he’s serious about us being together again, being with me also means becoming an instant father to an almost nine-year-old little girl.
I know that's a lot to take on. I haven't introduced Elsie to anyone I've ever dated because it's never been serious. It feels like we might be headed that way, but I don't know... I’ve been putting it off even though he’s asked when he can meet her, and he’s gotten the hint lately and has dropped it.”
Georgia nods. “I get it, I do.”
I sigh. Since he left for his tour, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the post and what he added at the end and what his intentions are. Is Cody really that opposed to fatherhood? Am I doing the right thing for Elsie by dating him?
Being a single mother means you’re constantly placed under scrutiny that men seem to avoid.
You work too much; you work too little.
You shouldn’t be introducing your daughter to men you’re dating.
You should be introducing your daughter to the men you’re dating.
Most days, I swear I can’t keep up or win when it comes to what other people are expecting of me which is why I’ve decided to do things my own way and go with my gut.
But this situation with Cody is… different.
There’s a part of me that feels like he could be a real presence in our future and that terrifies me if he doesn’t want to be a father.
The timer on the washing machine goes off, playing a jingle throughout the home. “Give me one minute, please. Elsie will be home from school soon, and I’m washing her cheerleading uniform. I need to move it to the dryer.”
Georgia waves her hand easily, her eyes roaming my home. “Take your time.”
I head towards the back of the house, switching her uniform over to the dryer and starting it.
On my way back I pick up her tablet and drop it in her room then grab her trash bin to empty it.
When I return to the kitchen, Georgia’s staring intently at one of the photos I've kept of Elsie on the fridge.
“That was her when she was only a couple of weeks old, right after Vance disappeared. The other photo is of her and Sienna, my best friend. That was when I left Vance and his family for the last time, for good and moved to Las Vegas.”
Her eyes squint as she stares at the photo. “This is the first time I've seen any photos of Elsie.”
“Yeah, I don’t ever post her on social media.
I want to protect her digital footprint, and with her dad’s prior reputation in the NFL and getting banned for drugs, I don’t want any scrutiny tied to her.
I just want her to have a normal, sheltered life.
” I chuckle. “Without controlling her like my parents did, of course.”
Georgia nods quietly as she continues to stare, then her eyes shift back to mine. “I know this is going to sound crazy, but she looks just like my Aunt Jovie did when she was a baby.”
“Cody’s mom? That’s… really random.”
Georgia continues studying the photo and something in my chest ticks. “Yeah, I mean… I guess it is…” her voice trails off.
“She’s Vance’s daughter,” I respond wondering why I even felt the need to say that.
“Show me a picture of Vance,” Georgia asks.
I pull out my phone, realizing I don’t have any photos of Vance holding Elsie.
He left us when she was only a couple of weeks old, and that time had been a blur of me trying to establish breastfeeding, long night feeds while Vance went out every night to party with his new team and sleep with other women.
Some days I wonder if he even remembers he had a daughter with me.
I type his name into the search engine, knowing some images from his college football and NFL career will likely come up.
Spinning the phone around, I hand it to Georgia.
Her eyes narrow as she assesses my ex-husband.
Vance has blue eyes like mine but dark brown hair just like Elsie’s.
I’ve always seen the similarities in the two of them, but anyone who sees me with Elsie tells me she’s my twin except for the green eyes that she has.
Beautiful, emerald, like the sea. A lot like Georgia’s Aunt Jovie…
“I guess I can see some similarities… but I’m telling you, she looks so much like the photos I’ve seen of Aunt Jovie when she was little.”
“It’s not possible. I found out I was pregnant with Elsie in September. I met Vance in August, right when I got to Texas State.”
“When was the last time that you'd slept with Cody? Didn't you both spend a lot of time together the summer before you left for college?” Georgia asks.
My head spins, and I start to feel sick because yes, we spent the whole summer together.
“We last saw each other in August, the day before I left for college...”
Georgia does the math. “So, you slept with Cody at the beginning of August, then Vance at the end of August, and found out you were pregnant with Elsie in the middle of September?”
I nod, trying to remember where my period fit into that, but it’s been almost a decade. I didn’t have a cycle tracking app back then.
“When I got my first ultrasound, I remember the tech asking when my last period had been, and I didn’t know.
I gave a best guess so that they could calculate my due date…
” My voice trails off, remembering that Elsie had come prematurely at 36 weeks’ gestation, 4 weeks early, yet had weighed a healthy six pounds five ounces.
Was it possible she hadn’t come early at all and had always been right on time?
My hand covers my mouth as I gasp, staggering backwards towards the counter until I grasp the ledge.
“I don’t know, Georgia,” I start to panic.
“Okay, well, there’s no reason to freak out. It could just be a coincidence,” she responds, but her eyes dart back to the photos on the fridge as I start to scrutinize my daughter's features as well.
How had I not seen it? The striking resemblance between Cody and Elsie. Sure, Elsie shares my hair color, and while her eyes mirror Cody’s green, genetics can be unpredictable.
Eye color alone isn’t everything.
Now, I’m studying every detail, grappling with doubt, trying to do the math and wondering if my mind is playing tricks on me or if I’m resisting an unsettling truth. A real possibility that Elsie’s father may not be the man I married, who hurt me, who wrecked my world and ended up leaving us.
“What the hell do I do Georgia?” I ask, panicking.
“We have to find out."
“How?” I shout a little louder than I intended to.
“If I tell him, and it’s not true, he’ll be a mess.
If I tell him, and it’s true, he’ll be a mess.
He just put out a fucking Instagram post about how he’s relieved he wasn’t the father of Harper’s baby!
He’s not ready to be a father to a baby, let alone a father to a nine-year-old!
” I'm practically screaming now as my heart races, and I begin to sweat.
I grab an empty glass from the cupboard, fill it with ice water and chug it, feeling the cold settle into my bones and mind.
That doesn’t do it though, so I start to pace, running my hands through my hair. “And what do I tell Elsie? No, no, things are better if he doesn’t know, and we just pretend there isn’t a question.”
Georgia is silent as she watches me, and I can tell she’s just as torn on what to do as I am.
“What do I do?” I ask exasperatedly as I sink into a chair next to her because I also know that’s not an option. I need to know for certain if Elsie’s father is really Cody.
“His tour kicked off last night…” she starts.
I nod. “Even more reason not to tell him anything yet,” I groan, “this could distract him and ruin everything. What if he cancels his whole tour?”
Georgia nods. “It’s your decision what to do, but I think the best thing is to be honest with him about it once you have conclusive proof.
Maybe give it some time. I can try to figure out a way to get his DNA without him knowing.
We could use his twin brother Wilder's and run the same test. There’s no reason to set off alarms and jeopardize his opening concerts or cause any heartbreak for Elsie or him. ”
I nod, thinking quickly. “You get Wilder’s DNA, I’ll get Elsie’s and try to play it cool.”
“It’s going to be okay, Mae. No matter what happens, it’s going to be okay,” she reassures me with a hug.
I nod, but in my heart, it sure doesn't feel like it’s going to be okay at all...