Chapter 20 #2
Dr. Hanover quietly instructed Tachina to drop her legs open. Tachina calmly did as the physician requested. Vic’s eyes grew even wider as the woman inserted the probe into Tachina. He instinctively took a step backward. Tachina winced, and he was right back at her side.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She nodded, but her gaze was on the screen. He blew out a deep breath and tried to relax.
Then, on the monitor, gray shapes shifted into something recognizable. A small curve. A flicker of movement.
“There’s your little one,” Dr. Hanover murmured. “And give me one second.”
A galloping noise filled their air through the speakers. A heartbeat. Fast, insistent—strong.
Vic’s chest tightened, then cracked open. He blinked several times, and an overwhelming sensation came over him. Nothing prepares a person for the first sight of their child.
This was really happening.
Vic reached out and took Tachina’s hand.
He was ready to drop it if she refused, but she let him.
He entwined their fingers and brought her hand upward.
He brushed a kiss over her knuckles, not caring that the physician and tech were still in the room.
He needed her to feel something, anything that reminded her that they were in this together.
Dr. Hanover narrated measurements, printed a few images, and confirmed development.
She went over a few more things with them, offered recommendations and what to expect at this stage of the pregnancy.
Vic asked questions and even took notes.
The tech handed the photos of their little baby to him.
He swallowed hard as he glanced down at the black-and-white photo.
He could identify a head, a hand, and a round belly.
He smiled and showed it to Tachina whose eyes were shining with unshed tears.
“Everything looks healthy. Strong heartbeat. Baby is measuring right on time with what your last menses was.” When she was finished, she removed her gloves and handed Tachina some paper towels.
She assisted Tachina into a sitting position on the table.
“You can make your next appointment at the front desk. I’ll see you again in about four weeks. Congratulations again.”
She washed her hands quickly at the sink in the corner while the tech put everything away on the machine. The two left the room quietly and shut the door behind them.
The silence was heavy.
He had yet to release Tachina’s hand. He didn’t know if he was holding her or anchoring himself.
“Please come to my house tonight. You and Kian. We’ll eat dinner, and then we can talk. I don’t want anything hanging over us,” he said.
She looked at him like she was trying to decide if he meant it and if he was worth believing. After a long pause, she finally nodded. “Okay.”
Relief flooded him. He wanted to pull her into his arms, but he held back. He released her so she could get cleaned up and dressed. As she disappeared behind the curtain, thoughts assaulted him.
If she walked away from him now, he didn’t know what he’d do. He couldn’t go back to the way they were before—just two people co-parenting, living separate lives while raising not one, but two children. He glanced back down at the photograph of their new child.
That wasn’t what he wanted, and he’d be damned if Sydney was going to be the reason that cost him his family.
Vic couldn’t bring himself to go back to the office. Not after seeing the hurt in Tachina’s eyes. He’d heard it in her voice as if she had tried to keep it hidden. She wasn’t someone to lose it over nothing. If she was rattled, it meant something was seriously wrong.
And it was.
That ‘it’ was called Sydney.
He watched until Tachina’s car disappeared from the parking lot.
He resisted the urge to follow her. If he went back to work, he’d be useless.
If he went home, he’d do nothing but pace.
But there was one person who could answer exactly how deep this mess went and exactly who had helped Sydney bury the knife she’d just twisted.
His mother.
He dialed her number as he pulled out onto the main road. His jaw clenched so hard it hurt.
“Hello, Victor,” she answered cheerfully.
Vic scowled at the happiness in her voice.
“I was just about to walk out the door,” she said.
“Where are you going?”
“Oh, Margaret and I are going for a nail and spa day. You know, we need to beautify—”
“Did you meet Sydney yesterday for lunch?” he cut in. He wasn’t sure where he was driving, he just drove. He navigated through the streets until he was out of thick traffic. He decided he’d go to the metro parks. He always did love the beauty of the outdoors, and Cleveland had some amazing parks.
Silence greeted him.
“Yes,” she finally answered. Her voice changed to her ‘I didn’t do anything wrong even though I probably did’ tone.
“Why?” He turned off to a small road that brought him into a local park. He drove along the winding road until he found an area that was vacant with no other cars in the parking lot. He put his car in park and settled back in his seat.
“Because she asked me to and she’s lonely. The girl is still heartbroken over the two of you no longer being together,” she said. “She’s struggling right now, and I thought it best for me to help her.”
“She is not struggling,” he bit out through gritted teeth. “She’s causing problems. So why are you helping her do it?”
“What are you talking about? I’m not helping her do anything. I was just being an ear for her to vent to. Your relationship—”
“Ended,” he said flatly. “She made the decision that I probably should have made a long time ago.”
He completely regretted that now. He’d known what Sydney was after and he’d allowed her to stay around. But he had allowed them to blindside him, convince him he needed her and her family’s name…when in reality, it was them who needed his last name.
“I saw her face, Victor.” Nancy sighed dramatically. “She wants to fight for your relationship. She wants you back.”
“Not happening,” he snapped.
He didn’t know how many times he had to say this. Why couldn’t they just move on? He ran a hand over his face and stared out at the scenery before him. A few pedestrians strolled along a path, enjoying the nice fall day.
He inhaled and tried to calm down. “As I have said a million times, she doesn’t really want me.
She wants our name. She wants you to keep listening to her so she can get you on her side so she can keep doing things like lying to the press and trying to degrade what Tachina is doing at the Artisan Avenue. ”
“All Sydney did was mention her concern when asked in an interview.”
“Which she should have never commented on. She has nothing to do with this project,” Vic barked.
“But people care—”
“And you don’t think Tachina does?” He closed his eyes and raked his fingers through his hair. “Have you even thought of how this would affect Tachina? The mother of your grandchild?”
Silence met him.
“Tachina has worked extremely hard on the designs. That’s why I went with her and her company.
This project will not only benefit her but our company as well.
There’s so much talk about this project.
It’s headlining worldwide right now. It’s already in talks for awards, and recognition.
” He was sure that was something she’d be interested in hearing.
He was damn proud of Tachina and her work.
This would certainly catapult her career.
“I wouldn’t want to do anything to harm Tachina, but Sydney said—”
“If you ever have any questions about Tachina, come to me, or better yet, go to Tachina.” He needed to nip this in the bud right now.
He was so sick of hearing ‘she said this’ or ‘she said that’.
“Invite her to lunch, dinner. Hell, in the five years she’s been in my life, I’m not even sure you’ve spent twenty minutes alone with her. ”
“Now, Victor,” Nancy sputtered.
“Mother. No matter what you have thought over the years, Tachina is in my life forever. We have a child together.” He’d almost said children, but that was a conversation for another day. “No more gossiping, no more sharing rumors you hear. That is unbecoming of a woman of your stature.”
He was hitting below the belt and didn’t have a care in the world.
“Rumors? Who said they were rumors if they are true?”
“Such as what, Mother?”
“That she just wants money. Sydney said that you tried to negotiate and Tachina was not willing to work with you. Victor, you should be responsible for your child, but—”
“What Sydney didn’t tell you and never knew, because it was none of her business, was that it was me who wanted to pay Tachina a higher amount in child support and she refused.”
Again, silence.
“But what if she tries to take Kian away from us?”
“That would never happen. Again, if you truly spent time with Tachina, then you would know what type of woman she is.”
“Well, what about the news that she’s pregnant? Sydney heard her tell her client that after she caused such a mess at Chateau Noir yesterday. The girl even vomited in front of everyone.” Nancy sniffed.
Vic froze. This was the first time he’d heard about this. Why hadn’t Tachina told him? But he already knew. She’d overheard Sydney and his mother and had probably grouped him in with them.
“Yes, she pregnant.” He was met by his mother’s gasp. “And the baby is mine.”
“Victor—”
“And if you think for one second that I’m going to let you, Sydney, or anyone else question her integrity, you’re wrong,” he bit out through clenched teeth. “You don’t get to treat the mother of my children like she’s some opportunist, when if you think about it, you already knew the truth.”
“But, son—”
“No more lunches with Sydney. No more phone calls. No more gossip. If you want to stay in my life, in Kian’s life, and the new baby’s, then you stay away from Sydney. Period.”
“You’re giving me an ultimatum?”
“Yes.”
He disconnected the call. How could she think so little of Tachina? He had no regrets making his mother choose. It was only fair. Sydney needed to stay far away from his family.