Chapter 6Eyes open
Chapter Six
EYES OPEN
Ivy would have preferred to wait, but neither she nor Emmanuel wanted their children to find out about the results of the paternity test from the media. The Saturday lunch was supposed to be a family get-together for everyone to catch up with delicious food. Instead, they were about to drop a bomb on their unsuspecting children.
They had decided that Emmanuel would make the announcement right before the meal was served. He wasn’t looking forward to it. The pair held hands as they sat beside each other. His knee bounced slightly.
As always, they shared the head of the table. It had been Manny’s idea. “We either both sit at the head of the table, or neither of us sit there.”
Oliver was the last to arrive. The moment he was seated. Emmanuel got everyone’s attention. “Your Mom and I have something we want to discuss with you all.”
Immediately Benjamin sat taller, on alert he looked between his parents. Oliver remained glued to his phone, giving them half his attention. While Sage seemed to be off in her own world.
“Just hear me out, and then you guys can ask whatever questions you want.” Emmanuel looked around the table, the seriousness of his tone drew all the children’s attention. “We are trying to get to the bottom of this, but the courts have determined that I am the father of a little boy.”
Silence. His announcement was greeted with silence. Oliver’s head immediately whipped in the direction of his mother. His eyes probed her features. While Benjamin and Sage held their father’s gaze.
“I’ve never met this woman. I am not sure how or why this is happening, but we will get to the bottom of this.”
The moment Emmanuel finished Sage shrugged and said, “okay.”
Benjamin just sat and looked between his parents. Whatever he saw there, must have satisfied him because he nodded.
Oliver though… “Mom?”
Ivy could see how skeptical he was.
“Dad and I promise we will get to the bottom of this.”
“Dad, there is no chance this is true?” Oliver asked, he hadn’t taken his eyes off his mother. While his attention was directed at his dad it was clear that they both needed to convince him, so he came on board.
“Positive,” Ivy and Emmanuel answer in unison. The united front that can weather anything. That seemed to be enough for Oliver. “Alright, well that’s messed up.”
“It is,” Emmanuel replied. “Do you guys have any questions?”
“Can we eat now? I’m hungry,” Sage said.
“You’re always hungry Junior!” Oliver jested.
The topic soon turned to appetites and which of their children ate more. Relief washed over Ivy. Although Oliver was 21, Benjamin 18, and Sage 16, they placed their trust in their mom and dad. Their parents’ words were enough for them to accept.
It was a messed-up situation and Ivy didn’t know why it was happening, but at least it wasn’t messing up the structure of her family. Emmanuel released her hand and placed it on her shoulder, drawing her closer to him. She looked up at him, their eyes connected, and they shared a private conversation. Their children were okay, and everything would be all right. She smiled as he kissed her temple.
T hank goodness for Frank. Even with all their money and influence, there was no way they would have been able to get in front of the top family law attorney in the province without him on such short notice. It took two days for her to grant them an appointment.
Ivy didn’t know what she was expecting, but it wasn’t the beautiful, petite, dark-skinned, delicate-looking woman before them. She looked more like a kindergarten teacher than a cutthroat attorney.
The moment Anna Harkness opened her mouth, she realised how deceiving looks could be. “All right Scotts, please have a seat.” She’d sat behind her large glass desk as she gave the instructions. There were no pleasantries.
“Yes, that isn’t an issue. What I really want is to get the paternity test redone, so we can put this behind us,” Emmanuel said as he cracked his neck ever so slightly. Tension was etched all over his body.
“Listen, the court will not do that. There is no cause. You took the test, and paternity was established. Done deal. Now, we can try to reach out to the other side and see if they are amendable to running another test at another lab.”
“Well, it’s worth a shot,” Emmanuel interjected.
“Frankly, I don’t see why they would agree to it, but we can ask. Is this Journee woman vindictive?”
“I wouldn’t know. I’ve never met her.”
Anna arched an eyebrow. Her gaze swung to Ivy, then back to Emmanuel. The look his lawyer levelled at him was borderline confrontational.
“I’m your attorney. If I am going to represent you, I want it to be clear that I will only continue to do so if I feel you are being straight with me. If at any time the information or the lack of information you provide becomes a deterrent to me being able to effectively represent you, understand I will drop you as a client in a heartbeat.” What the lawyer had left unsaid, that now sat in the air, was acrid judgment.
Emmanuel sat forward. Ivy could feel his displeasure pouring off him in waves.
“If you can make the request for a new sample for a retest, I can have it done at my lab.” Anna finally broke the staring contest she held with Emmanuel.
“That may come across as a conflict of interest.” Anna began engaging in a conversation with Ivy as to how, if they could get the sample, improprieties could be avoided.
Before they left, Emmanuel’s attorney made sure the air was clear between them. Ivy doubted it had to do with professionalism. It was probably due to the friendship she had with Frank. “Understand, while I am your attorney, I will do my level best to represent you. I truly hope this is resolved in a manner that you both find acceptable. However, in the meantime, we will have to play ball with the plaintiff and the courts. Prepare to pay substantial child support until this can be resolved.”
The money, however much it may be, really didn’t bother Ivy, and she was sure Emmanuel wasn’t concerned either. The amount of charity he donated both personally and professionally was exorbitant to some. He was generous to a fault.
Although Anna had prepared them, it was unlikely that the Journee woman would agree to another paternity test. It seemed Anna Harkness knew how to get things done. They agreed to have the paternity retest.
Ivy personally took Emmanuel’s sample. After hours, he came to her lab so she could draw his sample.
“Doc, I’ve been in your office, but other than a tour when you landed this job, I don’t think I’ve been back here.”
Very important work was done at her lab. It wasn’t the kind of work environment that you ‘hung out’ in. It was in pristine condition and the protocols she kept in place were stringent. Not that anyone would question her, but she was breaking one of her unspoken rules of taking care of this matter in the laboratory. The sample could have been drawn in her office, but she wanted it stored immediately in refrigeration.
Samples weren’t generally taken directly from people in the lab, but Ivy didn’t want to leave anything to chance. However, given Emmanuel’s extreme dislike for needles, she made some modifications to ensure he was comfortable. A recliner was moved into this space.
Anything Ivy could do to put him at ease, she did. Hell, Ivy even allowed him to find his comfort by rubbing her thigh. The distraction seemed to calm his anxiety. Manny looked away. No countdowns for him. She distracted him with holiday plans as she slipped the needle into his veins.
“I think we should go to Banff on Boxing Day for the Christmas holidays.”
“Yeah, that works. Benjamin’s board skills are really improving.”
“All done, here press down,” Ivy announced.
“Already? Good stuff. I didn’t even feel that.”
“Of course, I’m a pro. You can head through to my office. I’ll straighten up in here and be through in a moment.”
Ivy was so looking forward to having this mess behind them. The Christmas holiday was his absolute favourite, but he wasn’t his over-the-top self. His regular email to the family requesting their Christmas present request was three days late. Things would get back to normal once they resolved this bullshit.
When Ivy entered her office, Manny was sitting on the couch with his head tilted back. She took a moment to admire him. For the first time in a long time, he looked carefree.
Manny didn’t move a muscle, but called to her, “I can feel you staring at me, Doc. Come over here.”
When she stopped in front of him, his hands reached out and pulled her in between his open thighs. “Hey.” She laughed breathily.
“You know, Doc, what we’ve never done?” His hands left her hip and slipped beneath her skirt, caressing her thighs.
“What?” Her voice hitched.
“Made love in your office.”
Ivy searched her memory. They had engaged in love-making more than a handful of times in his office. But he was right, never in her office. She wasn’t opposed to changing that dynamic.
I vy stood in front of the mirror, putting on the final touches of her makeup. The colours were neutral and added to her natural beauty. She had been rocking the same look most of her adult life. For the first time, she doubted if the understated way she applied her makeup was the right way to go. It seemed she was second-guessing herself a lot lately.
Manny stepped out of the shower just as she turned away from the mirror. She watched as he wrapped the towel around his waist. “If you keep looking at me like that Doc, you are gonna be late for lady’s day out.”
Her already tender core clenched at what it considered an invitation. Even though she was awakened with his head buried between her thighs, followed by an intense quickie… the vigour of which could still be felt.
“No, I can’t miss today. Kimberlin and I skipped our lady’s day two weeks ago, and with the holidays coming up we need this time.” Ivy needed some time to calm her mind.
As she moved to walk by, he pulled her into his arm. The two colours of Manny’s eyes melded together to create a new stormy one. His gaze was pensive as he examined her features. “Hey Doc, you, okay?”
She nodded, giving him a small smile.
Manny had been asking that a lot lately. Checking in. “You’re sure? Are we okay?” He pushed.
“I promise, we are good.” She pressed a kiss to his lips. Surprisingly he didn’t take the kiss further. “I’ll see you later, okay?” It was his turn to nod. Before leaving his hold, she gave him another peck. He inhaled and nodded again.
Manny had remained rooted to the spot in the bathroom. Ivy had went in search of a purse and moved the contents she needed for the day into it. When she passed by the washroom again, he was standing in the same spot where she left him. Manny looked miles away, and pensive. Instead of going to him and offering reassurance, she called out, “bye Baby.”
He seemed to snapped back from where he had disappeared to. Running a hand atop his hair he gave her a barely-there smile.
At this point, who was to say if she was reacting to his mood, or he was reacting to hers? They were off… not in sync like they normally were. Of course, it was because of the elephant looming over their lives.
Absent-mindedly she had made it to the car, Roy was waiting with the door open. She slid into the back seat. Her head was pressed back into the plush headrest and her eyes closed before Roy could get behind the wheel. She wasn’t even tired. Well not sleepy anyways, she was tired of the swirling activity going on in her brain.
It had never even occurred to Ivy that the subsequent paternity test would have garnered the same result. As Ivy had run her own test the original lab had also retested the new samples. If anything, Ivy’s results were more conclusive.
Science, she knew and trusted.
Manny, she knew and trusted.
Of course, they had never been at odds before. Her mind raged with the conflict. The tests. Tests plural said one thing. Manny said another. Her heart never wavered. Her mind on the other hand. Well, it was an objective beast. It demanded to know why she was dismissing the empirical facts before her. Her love for Manny won these battles. She trusted him. Had to. That was the foundation their lives were built on. If they didn’t have that…
Kimberlin was waiting at the spa when Ivy arrived.
“Girl, I cannot tell you how much I needed today.” Her friend pulled her in for a tight hug as she greeted her. In response, Ivy just gave her a light squeeze.
They went through the many appointments they had booked, with Kimberlin filling Ivy in on some of the challenges she was facing with her ‘new boss’. Like Ivy, her friend was also a doctor, but she hadn’t gone the research route. Instead, she was a pediatric surgeon. The head of the pediatrics department held the position for nearly three years, but to Kimberlin, he might have arrived two days ago.
“Dr. Lucas Emerson-Poirier scrubbed in my surgery yesterday…”
She always addressed him by his full name. Ivy shook in laughter at her best friend’s antics.
Ivy nodded and responded when appropriate. She gave it her level best effort to stay in the moment.
Roy was waiting to whisk the ladies away when they left the spa. They were off to try an Italian restaurant that Chef Aaron Ma was soft opening uptown. Italian food was the ladies’ go-to. Especially because Manny avoided going to Italian restaurants.
Inevitably someone would walk up to him and start speaking Italian. They had vacationed in Italy and Manny had spent a considerable amount of time having to explain, “no, I’m not Italian, my father is Scottish and Swedish, and my mom is Swedish.”
A sweet little nonna at a bakery they frequented had disputed his assertion. “No, no. You Italian. I know my people.” She’d patted his hand indulgently.
So, although he was a huge Chef Ma fan, he didn’t want to try Fusilli.
Kimberlin was also a huge Chef Ma fan. When the announcement of his wedding was made, she called Ivy all dramatic. “Girl, you knew! You guys run in the same circles. Why didn’t you tell me? Cause if I would have known that fine-ass man, was into chocolate. I would have taken my shot.”
The memory made Ivy smile. She loved Kimberlin. “That’s your first real smile of the day.”
Ivy didn’t bother to dispute her friend’s claim. Maybe if she ignored it… she would drop the topic. Oh, this white wine is nice and crisp , she thought as she took a sip.
“Ivs you know better than to try to ignore me. What’s going on with you?” She reached across the table and squeezed her hand.
Ivy sighed deeply. She had purposely kept Kimberlin out of the loop about the paternity tests. Her friend was no-nonsense. If there was a situation in which a man needed Kimberlin to give him the benefit of the doubt… well that man waiting on her friend to give him one, was on a fool’s errand.
“Ivy!” Kimberlin pulled Ivy from her thoughts.
The remaining glass of wine was drained in one go. Ivy couldn’t keep this news from her friend any longer. Didn’t want to. It was a heavy burden to carry. Alone. Make no mistake, she felt desperately alone in this. There was no way she could voice her skepticism to Manny. Not without betrayal laying between them, wedging them apart.
Ivy left out her personal commentary. She unburdened herself of the secret she had been carrying. Kimberlin’s face was unreadable while Ivy told her about the first test, the subsequent second test, and the court’s mandate of the child support payment. The moment she stopped talking, the volatile expression that finally pierced Kimberlin’s features made her wish she could eat back her words.
“First off. Ivy, are you okay?” Belying her look, her voice was tender, full of concern.
“I’m fine.” She bobbed her head, trying to convince herself as well as Kimberlin.
After polishing off her own wine, and taking a deep breath she asked, “you believe him, don’t you?” Her voice was lowered and coated with her own disbelief.
“Yes, I do. Emmanuel says he has never even met this woman. He doesn’t have any reason to lie to me.”
“Ma’am!” She whispered but it felt like a roar. “Of course, he has a reason to lie. He got caught with his dick in the cookie jar.”
“That isn’t how that saying goes.”
Their meals arrived then. It looked amazing, the rolled lasagna sat on top of a creamy sauce peppered with crawfish and was topped with a succulent lobster claw. Ivy just stared down at the plate. Frozen. She couldn’t bring herself to dig in and she couldn’t look up at Kimberlin. She respected her friend but was certain she thought Ivy was all kinds of foolish.
A deep British voice penetrated her thoughts. “Ivy, I thought that was you.”
She looked up to see Aaron Ma. “Aaron,” She greeted in response.
He was in his chef’s coat, and the warm smile he was giving her died on his lips. “Is something wrong with the meal, neither of you have touched it.”
“No, not at all.” Both Kimberlin and Ivy answered.
“Sorry, we got caught up in conversation,” Ivy explained.
Aaron looked between the two women. She was certain he felt something was off, but he didn’t say anything. After all, they were casual social acquaintances. They knew each other through Karissa, and Aaron’s business dealings with Emmanuel.
“Oh, all right. Well, I’ll leave you two ladies to it. If you need anything Gio will be happy to take care of it. Enjoy your meals. It’s on the house. And Ivy please send my best to Emmanuel.”
Ivy forced a smile. “Will do.” It vanished when Aaron was gone, and she caught Kimberlin’s gaze trained on her.
“You wouldn’t understand.” Ivy hated having to explain herself like this. “I know what you are thinking?—”
“Do you?”
Ivy worried her bottom lip trying to keep the emotions out of her voice. “I know you think I’ve lost my mind. Logically I get how this looks. But I’m going with my heart here. Despite everything, I believe Manny because my heart tells me to.”
“Ivs. I get it. He is all you’ve ever known. Look at me.” Gesturing between her laser focused stare and Ivy, she advised, “eyes open my friend. Because maybe in this situation, you shouldn’t allow your heart to lead.”