Chapter 27
SIX WEEKS LATER
“Is that our baby’s heartbeat?” I asked when I heard the loud woo-woo-woo-woo sound on the ultrasound. We had come to the doctor’s office today for an appointment and to hear our baby’s heartbeat for the first time. I was fourteen weeks along.
“That is your baby’s heartbeat,” Dr. Jillian Carter confirmed with a smile. “Would you like to know the gender?”
“Baby?” I looked to Deuce to see what he wanted.
“I mean, if you’re good with it, I would love to know what we’re having.”
“Do you see this right here. That is—”
“His Johnson,” Deuce declared proudly.
Laughing, Dr. Carter replied, “Yes. Those are definitely his genitals.”
“We’re having a son, baby. You gave me a son,” Deuce stated proudly as he stared at me in amazement.
“I know, baby.” My heart swelled with joy at his happiness.
Deuce kissed my lips and my forehead. The doctor checked a few other things on our baby, pointing out different features.
“Okay, that little boy looks healthy and perfect so far. We’re all done here. You can go ahead and check out now, and they will make your next appointment at the registration desk,” Dr. Carter explained as she wiped the gel off my belly and trashed the wipes.
“Thank you so much,” I stated.
“You’re welcome, and congratulations to you both again.”
“Thank you,” Deuce replied as he turned and helped me off the exam table as Dr. Carter left the room.
“How are you feeling?” I asked as I adjusted my clothing.
“Man, this is so surreal. You have no idea, baby.”
“I can only imagine. I knew this would be an emotional time for you.”
He smirked. “It is, but I’m good.”
“Is that why you had that sheen of tears when you first learned you were having a son?”
He chuckled. “Okay, you got jokes.”
“No jokes, mister. You legit had a sheen of tears in your eyes.”
“That was because I was staring at that monitor so hard. My eyes got a little irritated, that’s all.”
I smacked his arm and laughed. “Boy, let’s get out of here with your sappy self.”
“Oh, I’m a sap now?” he asked, walking behind me. “Wasn’t that you who cried over that movie we was watching last night?”
“It was sad. His grandmother died and left him all alone. He lived in that house for a year, going to school and taking care of himself, before anyone figured it out. That poor baby was only fourteen.”
We walked to the registration desk to make my next appointment and to check out. “Hey, baby, let me take this call real quick. This is about a case I’ve been working on.”
“Okay,” I replied, accepting the kiss on the lips that Deuce gave me before he stepped away a few paces.
“Last name?” the registrar asked when I stepped up to the desk.
“Shields.” I had considered changing my name back to my maiden name, but Deuce said it was pointless. I would be taking his name soon enough anyway.
“Okay, Ms. Shields, Dr. Carter would like to see you back in four weeks. Would you prefer a morning or afternoon?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Okay.”
She lowered her head again to check her computer just as I heard a voice that sounded annoyingly familiar to me. My heart squeezed tightly in my chest, and my belly constricted with discomfort. God, please no. Don’t let that be her.
“Sevyn? I thought that was you.”
I looked to my right and saw the perfectly coiffed, black Barbie. Pandora was at the checkout desk beside me. She held a baby boy in her arms, and though I scoured his face, I didn’t see any similarities between him and my late husband, Ethan.
I turned back to the registrar as she gave me the date and time for my next appointment. I accepted the appointment card.
“Have a great day,” I stated to the woman, although I felt anything but great. I glanced around to see that Deuce was in the main lobby, still on the phone but waiting for me.
I walked through the door to Deuce, and we stepped out of the building. He was still on his call, but he grabbed my hand. I heard Pandora calling after me. I slowed up and turned around to see what she wanted.
She held the baby in her arms and walked toward me smiling, like we were old friends. There was a man walking beside her, and he was holding her free hand.
I decided to take the high road and not curse her ass out just as Deuce took a few steps away to wrap up his call.
“Your baby is so cute, Pandora. What’s his name?” I asked, deciding to be cordial. The baby was a cutie pie, I couldn’t deny that, but he didn’t look like my late husband or Pandora.
“Jalen.”
I nodded and replied, “Ethan would have been proud of the little guy. I’m so sorry that he doesn’t have his father in his life.”
“He’s got his father,” the man spoke up harshly, taking Jalen from Pandora’s arms as Deuce joined us again. Deuce didn’t utter a word. He stood behind me with his hand on my shoulder protectively, possessively.
I glanced at the man and then at Pandora who was beaming brightly. “Well, I had a DNA test done and found out that the baby wasn’t Ethan’s after all, but he belongs to my boyfriend, Rex,” Pandora explained.
“I don’t understand. I thought that you were—”
“Oh, I was seeing Ethan and Rex at the same time. Rex and I were new and still seeing other people back then. But we’re expecting another little one now,” she stated, proudly rubbing her belly.
Then she placed her hand on the man’s shoulder, smiled, shrugged, and declared, “I’m sorry for the misunderstanding. But my condolences on your loss.”
I had released Ethan, true, but her revelation hurt no less. She had caused so much devastation and pain in our lives. Even if Ethan and I hadn’t made it and had divorced, he might possibly still be alive.
The night of the accident, we had been arguing about her trifling ass.
If she had gone about her business and left us alone, that man very well could still be here.
I shook my head. “You’re nothing but a whore with no morals.
I feel so sad for you and for your babies.
Maybe you’ll grow up and learn what true love and sacrifice are about one day. ”
I walked away from them with Deuce beside me holding my hand and giving it a little squeeze. Once we were back in the car, he turned to me and caressed my face.
“I get it, that hurt you. But I’m not about to let you sit back and stew in the recriminations of that accident being your fault.
If it was God’s will for Ethan to come home, He would have called him no matter how it had to happen.
There’s nothing that could have changed that outcome.
So, please don’t beat yourself up, baby, over that girl’s lack of discretion and heartless behavior.
You are abundantly blessed and will continue to be so, as long as you stay humble and walk in righteousness. ”
I nodded and smiled at him. Deuce was so patient, understanding, loving, and kind. I was grateful to have him in my life. “Thank you, baby. You always know the right thing to say at the right time, because I was definitely getting in my head.”
“It’s all good. But there’s been something on my mind that I wanted to talk to you about. I’m not feeling you being all alone on your own, Sevyn, in that hotel, especially while you’re pregnant. I want you to come home, baby.”
“Okay,” I replied softly.
“Good.” He reached over me and opened the glove compartment.
I stared at the envelope he pulled out and handed to me.
“What’s this?”
“Open it.”
I opened the envelope and removed a sheaf of papers. I quickly scanned it, not understanding what I was reading at first. Then it dawned on me.
“Deuce, is this . . . did you—baby! You didn’t have to do this,” I proclaimed, sobbing hard. I covered my mouth with my hand as he reached over and pulled me into his arms.
“I have a friend who was able to help me out. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to give my future wife peace of mind and security.”
Deuce had added my name to his property deed for his home. Never had I felt more secure in all my life. To know that he would take certain measures to ensure my security and serenity gave me immeasurable strength and stability.
“Why are you so sweet?”
“Because you’re easy to be sweet to. Now, can we please go out on a date outside the house? I feel like we haven’t had one of those in a long time.”
“I would love to. Where are you taking me, baby?”
“Sit back and relax. We’ll be there soon.”
I did exactly as he asked.
“My goodness. I didn’t realize that my feet hurt so much.” I groaned and squeezed Deuce’s hand as I closed my eyes.
I was thankful for a morning OB-GYN appointment because that allowed Deuce to pamper me throughout the day. When we left the doctor’s office, he had taken me to brunch first at A Cup of Tea, a popular brunch spot in Cherokee Springs.
After we finished eating, I wanted nothing more than a nap, and I was able to get that. He had booked a prenatal spa day at Salon Estime. During my ninety-minute prenatal massage, I got a nice little nap in as I fell asleep to the sound of trickling water, harmonious flutes, and chirping birds.
Deuce was smiling at me when I woke up. He helped me climb off the massage table and get dressed before we were taken to another room for our facial and pedicures.
“Can’t believe I let you talk me into this.”
“Deuce, don’t start.”
“This is what those young niggas be doing. You come from that soft generation.”
“Soft?” I scoffed. “There’s nothing soft about me, sir.”
He reached over and grabbed a handful of my breast and replied, “I beg to differ.”
I swatted at his hand to make him move it before our attendants returned with fresh towels. He chuckled.
“But on a serious note, thank you for this day, baby. I needed it. I truly appreciate you.”
“You’d better. Otherwise, Gi—”
“Don’t you dare start,” I warned, holding my finger up to his face. “You’re about to be living with GiGi full time, keep playing with me. You’ll only see me on visitation days when you come to spend time with your son.”
“Ohhh. You’re playing hardball.”
“Keep your balls in your pants, and I won’t have to play hardball.”
“You’ve got it, baby. You know I’m never going anywhere.” His voice was low and thoughtful, and the look in his eyes was distant.
“What are you thinking about, Deuce?”
“My birthday is coming up in a few months. When this baby is ten, I’ll be forty-eight. When he graduates high school, I’ll be fifty-six with a head full of gray hair.”
“Where is this coming from, baby?”
“Our age difference. The fact that I spotted a gray hair in my beard this morning when I shaved.”
“So what?”
“Just thinking about how women always worry about their biological clock ticking, men have one, too, whether we want to acknowledge it or not.”
“Oh really?”
“Yeah. I mean, I can only throw a football, run bases, or dunk on somebody for so long. This kid will have to catch up with me fast.”
I laughed. “Detective Fullwood, you’re going to be just fine.
You wake up and work out seven days a week, and you work out almost every evening.
You eat healthy, for the most part, you have great genes from what I have seen of your parents and siblings, and you don’t really have a lot of stress in your life, aside from your job.
You’re a low-key, chill person. You have nothing to worry about.
Now maybe a little dementia might be a thing,” I sassed, pinching my index finger and thumb together.
“What? Man, please. My brain will always be sharp, even when my body wears down. I exercise and challenge this brain daily, especially as a detective.”
“Hmph. Then why did you fail to remember to let the toilet seat down this morning after you used the bathroom? Not to mention you left your lunch the day before yesterday.”
I had been spending the night at his house a lot, which was another reason why it was a good idea for me to move back in.
He twisted his lips as he looked at me. My technician lifted my foot and gently massaged my ankle. I relaxed in my chair as I smirked at him.
“I didn’t forget to let the toilet seat down.
I simply decided why can’t you let it down for a change?
And I didn’t forget my lunch. I was running late for work because someone wanted to exercise their right to morning extracurricular activities,” he replied, glancing at his technician who glanced at mine and they both smiled.
“So, you’re saying that you didn’t have time to grab your lunch on the way out?”
“Exactly.”
“See, if you weren’t getting so old, your joints would be in perfect working condition. You would have been able to dart to the kitchen, grab that lunch bag, and rush to the car without a problem.”
“That’s how you want to play it? Okay, I’ve got your senior citizen.”
“You need me to get you a little blue pill, baby?” I spoke in a baby voice.
“Oh, it’s like that now?”
I laughed. “I’m playing.”
“I was about to say. Let me run over to GiGi’s house later. I’m sure that she can help me get it up just fine by wearing those triple X thongs, and I won’t need a little blue pill.”
I smacked his arm and whined, “Deeeuccee!”
He laughed and leaned over. He kissed my forehead and declared, “That’s why you love me.”
“I do.” I groaned.