Chapter 32
Josh and Jacob went back to the hospital. They pulled into the parking lot, parking next to Josh’s pickup.
“You OK?” Josh asked.
“Again, with the stupid questions.” Jacob smiled wryly. “No, but I have to be. I have a daughter to take care of. I can’t let Mattie down there. Do me a favor?”
Josh nodded, “Name it.”
“Can you tell Mom and Dad what the cops found across the lake? I just don’t have it in me.”
“Of course. I’ll call them when I get home. Let me know if you are taking Jayden home tonight.”
Now it was Jacob’s turn to nod, “I will.” They both climbed out of Jacob’s truck and Josh gave Jacob a hug before climbing in his truck and driving away. Jacob made his way into the hospital, going straight to the NICU. Dr.Patel was just coming out, seeing Jacob putting a gown on he said, “No need for that, Jacob,” Jacob must have looked panicked for a minute. “Oh no, no,” Dr.Patel said holding up his hands.
“I’m sorry. I should have been more considerate of what you have been through. I just meant that your daughter is ready to go home. You don’t need to gown up. The nurse is in there getting her dressed. She passed her hearing test, and the car seat test and her lab is looking really good. The nurse will show you how to use the car seat if you need her to and then you can take your beautiful baby girl home.”
“Thank you, doctor,” Jacob said, shaking his hand. “That is the best news I’ve had.”
“No need to thank me. You have a strong little girl there. I’ve set up an appointment for her in a couple of days with the pediatrician on file for her. It is important she follow up then. ”
Jacob nodded, “I’ll make sure she is there.”
“The nurse has all the paperwork for you to sign, you should be able to leave soon.” The doctor turned, starting to walk away, when he looked back and said, “Take care of yourself Jacob, and that little girl. If you ever need anything…” He trailed off, turned after a moment, and walked away.
Jacob smiled, Jayden seemed to have the doctor wrapped around her little finger, just like everyone else. He turned, entering the NICU for the last time. After some car seat training and signing a bunch of paperwork, he finally walked out of the hospital with his daughter.
The car ride home was uneventful. He kept looking back, seeing the car seat. He couldn’t believe he had a daughter. Oh, Mia Amata , he thought. I wish you were here to see how beautiful she is .
He pulled up to the house, walked around to get Jayden out and also grabbed the diaper bag. They went into the house, where he sat her seat on the table. He was surprised to see that she was wide awake. They had told him when she would need her next bottle, and she was freshly changed before she left the hospital. She wasn’t fussy, she was just awake. He unbuckled her, taking her out of the seat. He walked over to the couch with her, sitting down.
“Hey, baby girl,” he said softly. “It’s just you and I now.” He unwrapped the blanket from her.
She stretched her little arms above her head. He examined her hands and fingers. She grasped his finger in hers, letting out a huge yawn. When she let go of his finger, he slipped off her little socks, examining her little feet and toes. She was so perfect , he thought.
He put her socks back on and realized that the newborn outfit was too big for her. He should probably get her a few preemie outfits since she was so small. The hospital sent home some smaller diapers for her, but they won’t last him very long. He wrapped her back up in the blanket. She appeared sleepy, so he took her back, lying her in the crib.
She looked at him, then closed her eyes, falling to sleep. He stared at her for a while, watching her sleep, then remembered he needed to text Josh. He walked out, shutting the light off after making sure the monitor was on. He walked out to the living room, sat down, and turned on the baby monitor. He made sure to set it up where he could see Jayden.
Pulling out his cell phone, even though he was exhausted, he sent his family a text message, letting them know he was home. He called his supervisor who told him he could start his FMLA, after his bereavement time off. That meant he had several weeks at home with Jayden before he had to go back to work. He then sent Randy a text, asking her if she would possibly have time the following day to pick up some smaller outfits and diapers. She replied that she would be happy to, asking him if he wanted help tonight since it was his first night home with Jayden.
He thanked her, saying he thought they would be fine, but promised if he needed anything he would let them know. He invited them to come over in the morning, to bring Lucky home. He looked at the live video on the baby monitor, smiling as he watched his new daughter sleep. She was sleeping so peacefully. He decided he would try to nap while she did, she would want a bottle soon. He lay down on the couch, soon falling asleep watching his daughter as she slept in her crib.
Jacob woke up a couple of hours later to Jayden fussing in her crib. He got up and walked into the nursery, turning on a small lamp, so he could see. “Hey, baby girl,” he said. “What’s wrong?”
He picked her up, taking her to the changing table. He changed her diaper, swaddled her, then took her out with him to get a bottle. She stopped fussing but was trying to fit her fist into her mouth like she could eat that. “Hang on,” He smiled at her, “I’m going as fast as I can!”
He followed the nurse’s instructions, made a bottle, then walked to the couch and sat down. He gave her the bottle, and she ate hungrily. “Well, you take after your dad in one way at least! You have a good appetite. Your mom ate like a bird.” His heart hurt when he mentioned Mia, but he was determined that their daughter would get to know her through him.
***
Jacob and Jayden survived their first night together without much trouble at all. He was able to get some sleep in between feedings and diaper changes. He was up the next morning, sitting at the table drinking coffee and eating toast when someone knocked at the door. He opened it, letting Randy and Josh in.
They brought Lucky with them. “Hey, Lucky,” Jacob said, leaning down to scratch his head. He wagged his tail, then promptly went straight back to the nursery, limping on his sore leg. Everyone watched him go, then quietly followed him back to see what he was up to. They entered the nursery to see him with his paws on the rail, standing on his back legs, looking in the crib at Jayden.
Jacob started to say something, but Josh grabbed his arm, motioning for him to stay quiet. Lucky soon got down, lying down beside the crib, promptly falling asleep. They all backed out, heading back out to the table.
Josh spoke first, “Lucky is something else. He didn’t sleep the best last night; we could hear him whining in the living room. Checked on him a couple of times but couldn’t find any reason for it, he seemed fine. He was waiting at the garage door for us this morning, ready to come home. It’s like he knew Jayden was home.”
Randy said, “I noticed he didn’t look for Mattie like he used to do.”
Jacob nodded, “He is a smart dog. Mia and I came to the conclusion a few weeks ago that he was not her dog, he was Jayden’s dog.”
Josh and Randy agreed with that, there was too much they had witnessed not to believe it. They finished their coffee and left. Josh was taking Randy into town to pick up a few things for Jacob. Jacob had given her a small list of things he needed, along with his credit card.
About mid-morning, when Jacob had just put Jayden down after feeding her again, this time lying her in the cradle he brought out to the living room, his cell phone rang. “Hello?” he said. “Mr.Jacob Vance?” a man’s voice asked.
“Yes,” he replied.
“My name is Harry Wilkens. I was your wife’s lawyer.”
Jacob was surprised. “My wife’s lawyer? I didn’t know she had one.”
“She came to see me right after the two of you married. I was sorry to hear of her death.”
Jacob thanked him, then asked, “Why did she come see you?”
“To make a will. She asked that I get a hold of you right away after her death to read the will with you. I was wondering if I could swing by today? Maybe in about an hour?”
“Um, sure. I’ll be here.”
“Perfect. I will see you soon.”
Jacob hung up, standing there pondering what the lawyer would tell him. Josh and Randy showed up, carrying in the sacks of things they had picked up. Seeing Jacob looking so intent, Josh asked him if something was wrong. Jacob shook his head, “I don’t think so. I just had a strange phone call. ”
“From whom?” Randy asked. Jacob was putting away the groceries she picked up for him, while she was taking the clothes, she had bought for Jayden out of the bags, starting to take tags off. “Mattie’s lawyer,” Jacob said.
Josh and Randy both stopped and looked at him, “Her what?” Josh said.
“Her lawyer,” Jacob said. “He is on his way over here to read her will.”
“She had a will?” Randy said, as she went back to taking the tags off the clothes. “Apparently. I never knew anything about it,” Jacob said.
“I guess it makes sense,” Josh said.
Jacob looked at him, “How so?”
“Well, if she was running from an abusive husband like the detective said then she might have been worried about him finding her. She would have wanted to leave something for you and Jayden.”
Jacob thought about it as he finished putting groceries away, stowing the sacks. “I guess. The problem with that is, if she left with only the clothes on her back, what could she possibly have to give us? I know she owns the house, so maybe that is it. I wonder now how she managed to be able to buy the house.”
Randy took the baby clothes to the washer and put them in, starting it up. There came a knock at the door, Jacob said, “Well, I hope we get some answers from the lawyer.” He opened the door and let him in.
Jacob introduced the lawyer to his brother and Randy asked if it was OK if they stayed. The lawyer smiled and said, “Mattie thought they might be here and said it would be fine for them to stay if you wanted them to.” They started to take seats at the table when they heard a little fussing from the cradle.
“I’ll get her,” Randy said. She went to pick Jayden up, coming back to the table with her. She sat down, “I guess she just wanted to be included.” Jayden was wide-eyed, looking up at Randy.
Harry looked at them, “Again, I am so sorry to hear about Mattie. She was a very special young woman, I only met with her a couple of times, but it was obvious how much she loved you all. This must be Jayden? Her daughter?”
Jacob nodded, “Our daughter.”
Harry replied, “Of course. Shall we get to it?” Without waiting for a reply, he pulled a manila folder out of his briefcase. “Before the will, Maddie asked that I read you a letter.” He opened the letter and started:
“My dearest Jacob, if Mr.Wilkens is reading this to you, then I assume that Allen has found me and killed me. ”
“You would also by now have learned that I was married to him. I am so sorry that I had to lie to you, but I was terrified. The five years that I spent married to Allen were a living hell. He controlled my life, flying off the handle for nothing. I was beaten on a daily basis, usually his punches were to areas that could be hidden by clothing. I can’t tell you how many times I contemplated suicide just to end it all. I came to the conclusion that either he would kill me, or I would, until that last day.”
“I woke up, after having had a severe beating the night before, the worst yet. In the shower, I grabbed the razor, almost slit my wrists, but something stopped me. Maybe I was too much of a coward. Allen dictated my entire world, from what I would wear to what I did with my time. He created what I see in my mind as ‘THE LIST’.”
“It dictated what I would be doing that day. Any detour from that list would result in a beating. This particular morning, he wanted me to go get groceries. He had the list and money waiting for me and told me which store to go to, how long it would take and what time I would get home. He laid my clothes out for me, even makeup which I never was allowed to wear, but this time he had lost control in the beating, so my face was all bruised up.”
“I got to the store, but once I got out of the car, I found myself getting sick. I can’t give you details, but two people came to my rescue. They knew by looking at me that I had been recently beaten. They took me away, helping me to escape.”
“I need you to promise that you will not look for them, as it could put their lives in danger. They are in a similar situation as I was. I cannot tell you how I got the house or the job. I hope you can understand. There is a network of people that help others to escape situations like mine and by giving you details; I would endanger them all.”
“I never expected to meet your family or you. I didn’t expect to fall in love with you. I thought there was no such thing as love at first sight, my marriage to Allen almost made me believe that love didn’t exist at all. Then I met Randy and Josh. They seemed so deeply in love my doubts were starting to go away.”
“Randy became my sister by heart, Josh my brother, before I even met you. I love them both with all my heart. Then I met you. The moment I saw you on the path in the woods, I knew. I loved you then.”
“I tried to deny it, tried to fight it. You helped me to realize that I never loved Allen at all. He was… a way to survive. I wanted to be loved by so meone, having never been loved before. I was in love with the idea of being in love. The story of my childhood was not a lie. The only thing I kept from you was the fact that I was married. I thought Allen loved me. I was so wrong. I made another bad decision when I married him, I paid for it, dearly.”
“I found out I was pregnant just a couple days after I left him. When I saw the baby on the ultrasound, I knew I had to survive for her. I knew it was a girl from the start. I argued with myself about you, I wanted you to love me so badly because I loved you so much, but how fair was it to you that I couldn’t tell you the truth?”
“Several times, I thought I should let you go, so you could have a real marriage with a woman who was truly free. Then I started thinking that I was not Megan Davis anymore. Megan Davis died in a car accident when it went into a river. I could have the life I wanted with you that I dreamed of. I’m sorry if I wasn’t fair to you, but I hope I made you as happy as you made me.”
“I imagine Randy and Josh are with you as Harry reads this. I just want them to know I never took our friendship for granted. I love them so much. I hope they, as well as the rest of your family, can come to forgive me for my lies. Tell Nora and Donald, Janet and Jack that I love them all.”
“Jacob, I love you with everything in me. You gave me so much happiness and love, I never wanted anything. I hope that our daughter, Jayden Lee, is with you and that she survived whatever happened to me. I know that you will be the best father to her, that you will love her unconditionally. I hope that you can also forgive my lies and eventually tell Jayden about me. Let her know that I love her so much, that I am sorry I had to leave her when I did.”
Harry looked up, there was not a dry eye around the table, even his. “It is signed ‘All my love, now and forever, Mia Amata’.”
Jacob stood up, “I need a minute.” He went back into the bedroom, closing the door behind him. Those left at the table could hear him sobbing, crying out her name. Randy and Josh both had tears running down their faces, Josh got up, heading into the bathroom, washing his face. He came back out, taking Jayden from Randy. She then went and did the same, throwing water on her face. She came back to the table.
Harry stated, “I hope that this letter ultimately gives you all peace. I know it is hard to deal with the loss of a loved one.”
Randy spoke up, “It will. We all loved Mattie so much. ”
A few minutes later, Jacob came out, red-eyed but under control. “I’m sorry,” he said. “Please continue.”
Harry pulled out the next paper. “This is Mattie’s last will and testament. I will skip the usual sound mind and body legal jargon and get right to it. Let’s see, I leave my husband, Jacob Lee Vance, my house and all my belongings, in the hope that he can raise our daughter there close to his family. I also leave Jacob the money that I have in my savings account, $10,000.”
“I also make him benefactor to my life insurance. He is free to do what he wants with the money, but I hope that he will put some of it away to pay for college for our daughter, and any other children that we may have before my death.” Harry read on, but the rest was mainly just legalities. He then pulled out the insurance policy. “Here is her life insurance.” He handed it over to Jacob. Jacob looked at it, then looked back at Harry.
“Are you serious?”
Harry nodded. “I’ll send it into the company along with a copy of Mattie’s death certificate and your marriage certificate. You should receive a check within a month or two.”
“But this is for a million dollars?”
Harry nodded again, “Mattie shopped around. She got the best deal she could for the largest amount she could. At first, it was to be put into a trust fund for her daughter, but after you married, she wanted you to be able to raise your daughter comfortably.”
Jacob sat back, stunned. He looked at Josh and Randy, they were also stunned into silence. Jacob reached for Jayden, taking her from Josh and wrapping her in the blanket Mia had made for her. He looked down at her, her bright blue eyes looking back at him. After a few minutes of silence, Jacob looked at the lawyer, “I want half of it put into a trust for Jayden, can I do that?”
Harry nodded. “You can. It is yours to do whatever you want with. I’d be happy to handle all the paperwork for you if you would like.”
Jacob nodded. “I would appreciate that. Maybe you could also help me draw up my will. I have a daughter to look out for now. ”