Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
A fter changing out of his uniform, Zion set his duffel bag on the bench in front of his locker, then grabbed his cell phone from the top shelf. For days, he’d been checking his email for one message only. The results of the paternity test.
There’d been no news, and he debated on calling his friend at the lab. He didn’t. The guy had already told him they were swamped, and it could still take up to a week for the results despite him asking they put a rush on it. Still, Zion wanted the answers sooner rather than later.
For the last few days, it had been all he could think about. Not just because he’d find out whether he was a father, but also because of Raven. Now that he’d made up his mind that he wanted her in his life, it was hard to think of much else. There was still so much to learn about each other, but once he had his answers, he’d know what direction he needed to go with her and the kids.
With his phone in hand, he went to his emails, then froze when he saw the one he’d been waiting for. The one that could change his whole life. Before opening it, he inhaled a long breath, then released it slowly. All the noise around him—the loud talking, laughter, locker doors being slammed shut—drifted away as he took another deep breath and released it. Then he opened the email.
“Zion,” someone called his name, but he ignored them as he skimmed the document with Drew’s name on it.
He ignored the lines of numbers and columns and went straight to the bottom of the page where it read, Probability of Paternity— 99.99%.
Andrew was his son.
Zion read the results again before he clinked on the link for the second document.
Zanaya was his daughter.
He leaned forward with his elbows on his thighs and stared at the information. A tremor skirted over him as he gripped his phone tighter. Raven had been telling the truth. While deep down he had believed her, seeing the truth documented in black and white shook him.
He was a father.
He had twins.
He had a baby boy and a baby girl.
Zion sat still and let that knowledge marinate for a moment. He wasn’t exactly sure what to feel. The news seemed surreal. Terrifying and exciting rolled into one, and now it was time to make some decisions that would affect not only his life, but three other lives.
He closed the email and went to his photos. The other day, when he and Raven had taken the twins to get the tests done, Zion had snuck and taken a few pictures. One was of Raven cradling Andrew as she fed him, and the others were of both babies.
He wasn’t sure why he’d taken the photos. Maybe because somewhere deep down inside he’d known the kids were his. Since then, he looked at the pictures every day, and each time he did, he felt his heart hitch.
When they were waiting for the tech to administer the tests, he recalled watching the twins and being in awe at how tiny they were. He wasn’t around kids often, but Zion was sure they were the cutest little humans he’d ever seen. Now he knew for sure—they were his kids.
A sudden bout of fear clawed through his body and snaked around his heart. He’d always considered himself responsible, able to handle anything thrown his way, but this? Raising kids? Taking care of their mother? He wasn’t so sure.
What if he screwed it all up?
The little time he’d been around them and Raven had proven how much work and patience was involved. How she managed them alone these last few months was a mystery. They might be tiny, but they needed a lot of attention. From feedings to diaper changes to tummy time on the floor, there was never a dull moment with them around.
“Dude!” Lynix yelled, and Zion startled, then gazed up at his friend.
Lynix stared down at him for a moment, and Zion wasn’t sure what he saw on his face, but the next thing he knew, Lynix was sitting on the bench next to him.
“What’s up? You okay? I’ve been calling your name for the last twenty minutes,” he exaggerated. “What’s going on?”
“Oh. Sorry,” Zion said robotically, and went back to staring at one of the photos. It was the one that he’d gotten of the twins together, and they wore matching smiles.
Instead of answering his friend’s questions, he handed over the phone.
“Nobody knows yet, but they’re mine.” He nodded at the phone and Lynix glanced at the screen.
After a long hesitation, he jerked his head so hard to look at Zion, Zion was sure the guy would have whiplash.
“Say what now?”
“You heard me. That’s my son and my daughter—twins.”
Lynix’s eyes rounded. “ Oh shit ,” he murmured, bringing the phone screen closer to his face as if not believing what he was seeing or hearing. “ Yours ? Since when? I mean… damn, man. When did you find out? And why you been holding out on me? Who’s the mother? Are you sure they’re yours?”
He rattled off one question after another in rapid fire succession, and Zion waited until he was done to answer with one sentence.
“Remember that woman I met in Vegas during that conference we attended— Raven ?”
Lynix’s mouth dropped open. “No way!” Then he lowered his voice and lifted the phone up and turned it to where Zion could see the babies. “You’re telling me that your mystery woman is the mother… and these are yours? How the hell did you find her? You had no information. Not even a last name.”
Zion released a breath as he grabbed his phone back and stood. “How about we go to Roby’s and talk?” he said of the cop bar. “Too many ears around here.” He wasn’t ready to broadcast this news though everyone would eventually find out.
Without a word, they both grabbed their duffels and headed to the door. Once they were in the parking lot, Zion felt like he could finally breathe. The air was chilly and brisk, but it felt good against his heated skin.
“I can’t believe it,” Lynix said. “You and the hottie have twins.”
“Don’t call her that!” Zion snapped.
He wasn’t sure why the statement about Raven being a hottie rubbed him the wrong way. Maybe because he and Lynix often said similar things like that about other women, and he didn’t want Raven lumped in that group. Sure, she was hot as hell, but she was also different from the others. Special. And if Zion had his way, she’d one day be his.
Lynix chuckled and bumped shoulders with him. “Oh, I see. You’re still feeling her despite the fact that it’s been what, a year since you’ve seen her? Or have you been seeing her and just haven’t said anything?”
“No, I haven’t seen her since that night in Vegas, and then she was just… gone.” His words sounded bitter even to his own ears.
Yes, it had been his idea to keep their fling casual, but that was before he’d spent time with her. Not only was the sex out of this world, but she was beautiful, funny, and sweet. He found all that out within the few hours they’d spent together. The next morning, he’d planned to ask to see her again, but she vanished while he’d been in the shower.
Instead of waiting until they got to the bar, Zion gave Lynix the short version of how Raven came back into his life. Needless to say, his friend chuckled a few times during the conversation, especially when he told him about his aunt GiGi’s revelation. Then again when Raven called him a jerk-face.
“The next day, we did the paternity tests, and I just read the results a few minutes ago.”
“Damn, man. I can’t believe you haven’t said anything.” He pounded Zion on the shoulder, then squeezed. “But congratulations, dude. The babies are beautiful… like their mother,” he said, and shuffled away before Zion could punch him.
“I’m just messing with you. I would ask how you’re holding up, but I can see you don’t look so good. Let’s go get that drink. Wanna ride with me in case you get shit faced?”
“Nah, I don’t need a ride, but thanks. I’ll have a beer with you, and then I’m heading home. Gotta lot to think about.”
“Look at you. You’re already turning into an old married man with kids, trying to get home before the wifey gets mad.”
“Man, shut up and go. I’ll meet you there.”
When he climbed into his truck, he shot off a text to his father, letting him know about the results and promising to call him later. Zion wasn’t ready to talk to his mother but knew his father would fill her in. The last thing he needed to hear from her was, “I told you so” or “I want the babies and Raven to stay in Chicago. Make it happen.”
Knowing Virginia Priestly, she was already planning the wedding that might never happen. But Zion would be in agreement about one thing. He wanted Raven to stay in Chicago. It had sounded like she was leaning that way anyway, but he wanted to make sure. He had no intention of being a part-time dad like some of the guys he worked with. Many were divorced and only saw their kids every other week.
Nope. Not him. He wanted to see them and their mother every day.
As Zion headed to the pub, he thought about what Lynix said. Married. He couldn’t say if he was ready for that, but if he ever got to that point, Raven would definitely be his choice. He couldn’t explain it, but from the moment they met, he was drawn to her. Even after their disagreement the other night, it hadn’t deterred him from wanting to be with her.
He could admit that she now seemed a little more serious than she’d been in Vegas, but it would be his guess that having kids could do that to you. Especially two at the same time. He still didn’t know how she managed that without losing her mind, but her strength and fortitude made her even more appealing.
Yeah, he liked her enough to entertain the idea of being with her all the time. He liked everything about her, and the fact that she was the mother of his kids was a bonus.
My kids.
I’m a daddy.
Zion wasn’t sure when that was going to sink in, but maybe if he told it to himself enough, it finally would.