Chapter 13
Chapter
Thirteen
Bailey
When it was time for me to head back to Chicago, I basically brought all of Jackson Falls with me, with the exception of Mr. and Mrs. Strong, Perkins’s three girls, Collins, Beckham, and baby Blossom.
Perkins, Church, and I stayed at our mother’s house with her and Bayliss. Collins insisted that Bright stay at her house in the city. We arrived on Wednesday evening. Thursday morning the six of us, along with my daddy, arrived at the courthouse bright and early.
As we took seats on the hard, wooden benches, I spotted Xander walk into the courtroom with both his mother and his future wife.
“I’m surprised he came,” my mother commented.
“I’m not. You know how much Xander likes to control outcomes and narratives,” I replied.
“I can’t believe he brought old girl,” Perkins hissed. “She’s twenty months pregnant. I hope she doesn’t go into labor.”
Fuck her. Fuck him, too.
When the judge finally called us to the front, Xander didn’t waste any time opening his mouth. “Uh, judge. I know my wife filed for this divorce, but I never signed any paperwork, because I don’t want it.”
“What?” Rang out through the courtroom and I could only imagine that it was his pregnant fiancée asking the question. Either her or his mother. Because wtf?
“What?” The judge seconded. She looked down at the paperwork in front of her. “Mr. Eckhart, that is not how this works.”
The judge was a black woman with smooth hickory colored skin, a short hair cut, deep set brown eyes covered by glasses, a full nose, and a full mouth. She wore a serious expression and looked like she rarely smiled, let alone joked around.
“You had thirty days to respond to the filing. You chose not to do so. The ball is no longer in your court.” She gestured around. “It’s in my court. I will not allow you to hold this young lady hostage with inactivity. Now—”
“You don’t understand,” he began again.
The judge gave him the evil eye before looking off over his head. “Ma’am. You . . .” She pointed behind us and I didn’t dare turn around to look at who or what she was pointing at. “Yes, you. Please stand up . . . if you can. What is your relationship to Mr. Eckhart standing in front of me?”
“I’m his fiancée.”
My jaw dropped. The judge made the pregnant girlfriend stand up and state her relationship?
The judge’s facial expression remained stoic. “You’re the fiancée of a married man who just stood here and told me he didn’t want this divorce?”
“Yes. Sometimes he says stupid things.”
“Indeed he does. You may sit down. Mr. Eckhart—”
“Judge, I don’t know why she’s telling you that we’re gettin’ married.
I been called the wedding off. Right after she hit me in the head with a frying pan.
She ain’t marriage material.” He turned around to face the people on the benches.
“Your crazy ass ain’t marriage material.
You need anger management or some shit.”
The judge banged her gavel. “Respect my courtroom, Mr. Eckhart.”
“My bad. It’s just that she lyin’, your honor.”
“Why would you bring your pregnant fiancée to your divorce hearing?” The judge questioned.
“She’s not my fiancée. The only reason she’s even here is because she has a prenatal appointment right after this. That’s the only reason.”
Was Xander always this much of a shit show? I asked myself as the proceedings continued. Every time he opened his mouth I felt second-hand embarrassment.
When the judge ruled that the divorce was officially granted, it was a bittersweet moment.
Bitter because even though I had my doubts when Xander and I stood in front of the pastor and vowed to love each other through the good and bad, I always hoped we would make it as a couple.
It was sweet, because at this point in life, I was more in tune with Bailey.
I had a better idea of who I was, what I wanted, and most importantly, what I didn’t want.
I was free to explore the possibilities.
“I know everybody’s starving,” my mother announced as we stood outside the courthouse. “Come back to the house. I’ll whip up lunch.”
“Absolutely not.” Bayliss’s head shook in the negative. “Ain’t no way you’re standing over the stove cooking for all these negroes.” I couldn’t help but notice that his eyes were directly on my daddy.
“Let’s go out to eat,” Bright suggested. “Bailey keeps talking about how good the food is in Chicago.” He turned to me with a smirk. “It’s time to show and prove.”
I smiled, ready to accept the challenge. “Flame & Oak.”
“Flame & Oak,” my mother and Church said at the same time.
After lunch everybody was ready to go their separate ways.
My mother and Bayliss were headed back to her place, so they offered to drop Brighton off at Collins’s house.
Church went to catch up with old friends, while Perkins headed to the hair supply store.
She said she wanted to pick up some things for the girls’ hair that she couldn’t find in the Jackson Falls area.
My dad offered to drive me to my mom’s. He said he wanted to spend a little bit of time with me before he had to head back to the airport for his return flight home.
“Thanks for coming to support me, Daddy. It means a lot.” I buckled my seatbelt and settled into the rental car for the ride.
“You knew I was coming, baby girl. I needed to be there to make sure Xander’s ass didn’t try to pull anything funny with you. You know I never liked him, and I never wanted you to marry him. But you’re a grown woman. I had to let you make your own decisions.”
“I know.”
“Besides, I really didn’t have a leg to stand on when it came to giving out relationship advice. I wasn’t the best role model. I mean, me and your mama’s relationship went south when you were just a toddler. Then my marriage to Eva imploded just a few years after the wedding.”
“Don’t worry about all that, Daddy. I’ve never judged you for your relationships. All I’ve ever cared about is the fact that you’re a great dad. You’ve always made me feel like the most important thing in your life.”
“You are. You’re the apple of my eye, Bailey Boo.”
I smiled and basked in the warmth of my daddy’s love.
“Listen, now that this joker is out of the way, I have full confidence that your next choice will be the right one.”
I shook my head. “The ink isn’t even dry on my divorce decree. I’m not thinking about a next choice.”
He glanced away from the road to look at me.
“You sure about that? Because I saw the way you looked at that young man who paid for lunch. Now, he’s a class act.
Swooping the bill up off the table and paying it without a moment’s hesitation.
That’s the type of man I want for you. Classy.
Capable. Generous. Plus he couldn’t take his eyes off you.
He spent the entire meal watching you and based how he moved on the clues you put down.
I like him. I felt like if Xander said the wrong thing to you or about you, young buck was gonna put his head through the wall. ”
I giggled. “Get out of here.”
“I’m serious. You gotta notice these things. The way a man pays attention to you is important. Men study what interests them. He was studying you.”
“Bright’s my friend. We hung out a lot while I was in Jackson Falls. He encouraged me to get back into running. The two of us went running almost every morning I was there. We even did a 5k together.”
He chuckled. “You don’t say.”
“Daddy.” I hit him lightly on the arm. “Stop it. He’s my friend. He looks out for me. Makes sure I’m good.”
“Keep talking. You’re burying yourself deeper and deeper.”
I laughed aloud. “Daddy—”
“Stop calling my name. You’re telling me about a friendship you have with this young buck. Sometimes the best relationships are built on friendship. But friendship sure ain’t the vibe I’m picking up from the young buck.”
The next morning, I picked Bright up from Collins’s house early.
“Good morning,” he said as he slid into my truck. It felt good to be behind the wheel of my own vehicle again after spending almost eight weeks without it. “You good?”
Last night, my mom and Bayliss had taken all of us to an entertainment complex where we bowled, threw axes, drove go-karts, ate, and drank.
It took my mind off of everything that happened earlier in the day.
But at night when I was all alone, before I was able to drift off to sleep every thought, every emotion, and every feeling came racing back.
“It’s a lot. But even with it being a lot, I still feel like a weight’s been lifted off my shoulders.”
He leaned over and kissed me lightly on the cheek. “It’s gonna take a minute to process everything. Give yourself some time.”
My gaze fell on him momentarily before I shifted gears and pulled away from the curb. “Thanks for hanging out with me.”
“Why wouldn’t I hang out with you? You’re about to give me the insider’s guided tour of Chicago.”
I chuckled. “I am. I have to make a stop first, though.”
When we got downtown, I pulled into an overpriced parking lot.
From there, Bright and I walked to 789 Creek Street where the main offices of Chicago Transit Works were located.
Bright didn’t say a word. He didn’t ask any questions or talk at all.
He followed me into the elevator and the two of us rode with the other occupants to the floor where HR was housed.
“Resignation letter,” I told him, holding up the envelope as we stood outside of the HR office.
Bright’s eyes went wide. “You’re quitting your job, Bae-Bae?”
I shrugged nonchalantly even though my stomach was churning inside me. “I can’t work it from Jackson Falls.”
His lips curved into the biggest smile. “Yeah.” He nodded, still smiling.