Tyrell
There was too much happening at once, and my head was spinning. Mom was safe at the hospital, but I needed to get back to her. Ashley would probably be done with me after this fiasco, and things with Sabra were coming to a head.
The twins gathered behind me and cowered from their mother. I had never seen them cower before, and I realized I was done with her charades. I stood and blocked the girls from her view. “You will not be taking them anywhere. This stunt was the last straw, Sabra. I’ll be hiring an attorney to get custody of the girls.”
Up until this point, we had done everything civilly without the courts involved. We had worked out a good deal with the girls spending equal time between us, but I had long suspected that Sabra wasn’t giving the girls a stable home life. Foolishly, I had opted to ignore it because I could see that she loved them.
Crossing her arms, Sabra looked up at me. She was a tiny woman, but she was fierce. “You will not. I’m their mother.”
“And I’m their father. And I don’t go around cussing and raising Cain around them.” I looked over to where the girls were now playing frisbee, Ashley having snuck them away from us so Sabra and I could argue in private. The police officers were walking away slowly, checking back every few steps. “I have them until Wednesday. You can pick them up from school then. But be prepared. I’m going to fight for full custody. Everything will be documented from here on out.”
Her eyes grew wide as she backed away from me. She called to the girls for a hug before exiting the park alone.
I approached Ashley as she held the disc, waiting for the girls to resume playing. “I’m so sorry.”
“No, I’m sorry. I wouldn’t have pulled you away from your mother if Sabra had come up to us and been pleasant.” Ashley rolled her shoulders back. “If she had been polite and asked to take the girls back home, I wouldn’t have argued. She is their mother.”
I rubbed her back as Saffi ran after the frisbee. “I know. She’s been a pain for a while now, and I’ve been biding my time. I’m ready for full custody of the girls. I don’t think it’s good for them to be with her so much.”
The frisbee came flying to us, and I caught it mid-air. “Go long, Sam!” I flung it far and high; both girls ran after it. “I do need to get back to Mom in a few minutes. She’s okay for now, but I don’t want to leave her alone too long.”
Ashley bit her lip. “I can take them back inside. My apartment isn’t very big, though, and Trainer wasn’t too happy for the invasion.”
The girls came back and bowled into us. We all sat on the grass for a minute, and the girls said what animals the clouds looked like.
I took Ashley’s hand in mine. “You’re doing fine. She won’t bother you again, since I told her I was getting a lawyer.”
“Daddy, is Miss Ashley your girlfriend?” Saffi blushed as she asked.
That caught Sami’s attention. “Will she be our stepmom?”
I coughed. “How do you know what a stepmom is?” She was only four. How did she know that term? Both girls shrugged. With a glance to Ashley, I smiled. “Yes, Ashley is my girlfriend. Beyond that, we will see. But I need to get back to Gigi at the hospital. I’ll be back for you soon.”
The girls jumped on me and knocked me over with their hugs. Ashley laughed. This was the family I had always envisioned with her. Getting full custody of the girls could make it a reality.
I left them as they headed back toward her apartment and I went back to the hospital. Once Mom was feeling better, I would have to ask her about it. She was the wisest person I knew and wouldn’t steer me wrong.
By the time I had mom ready to go home, I realized she wouldn’t be able to do much on her own. She would need constant help. My house was half the size of hers, so the girls and I would need to stay at her place for a while.
When she was settled in her own bed and resting, I went to pack some things and retrieve the girls from Ashley. I wondered how the rest of the day had gone. Lunchtime had passed hours ago; she had to have been exhausted caring for two girls on the fly like that.
I knocked on her door, and she opened it, looking refreshed. How had she done that? My jaw dropped at how gorgeous she was. “Wow, here I thought you’d be completely worn out.”
She winked at me. “Guess again.” Allowing me inside, her apartment was cleaner than it had been that morning, and the girls were both passed out on her bed.
“Did you poison them?”
“Tyrell, really. They wanted to find Trainer, so I got them to help me clean up while we looked for her. Lunch, a movie, cuddles, and they were out.” She looked proud of herself. “I can even tell you who is who.”
Now I was impressed. Ashley knew which girl was which? I raised an eyebrow. “Do you now?”
“Saffi is in the green, Sami in the pink.” She beamed. And she was right. “How’s Gigi? The girls were worried, so we made cards.”
I filled her in on Mom’s break and her cast. “I think we’ll need to stay with her for a while. She won’t be able to move around easily with her leg in that cast. But she’ll be okay. Doctor said it was a clean break. And she’s young, so it will heal.”
The offer of coffee was made, and I accepted it. I sat at her bar while she popped a pod into her single cup coffeemaker. We were silent as I watched her prepare the coffee for me with a heaping spoonful of sugar and a splash of half-and-half. She popped another pod into the coffeemaker before handing me the steaming mug.
She leaned in close to me. “How about Sabra?”
I had been thinking about it all day while waiting for doctors. “I’m going to call some lawyers on Monday and see what my options are. I’ve been working toward this for a while, and I think it’s time. I don’t want to take them from her, but I’ve seen the string of men she’s brought around, and after hearing her today…” I shook my head, afraid to say more.
Ashley’s hand patted mine. “Say no more. It’s none of my business, but that outburst worried me.”
“Me, too. And I’m so sorry, again, for this mess. You didn’t sign up for this. You’ve barely signed up for me.” I stared down into my coffee. Once again, I felt as though I wasn’t good enough for her. I had too much baggage.
She turned and got her coffee, then looked back at me while she leaned on the counter. “Stop that right now. Stop feeling like you’re not enough. While I’m learning what I’m getting into, I’m not scared off.”
One of the girls sighed, but when I turned to look, they were still sound asleep. Turning back to Ashley, I saw she had tears in her eyes. Maybe she was scared. “Ash, I’m sorry. This is too much, too fast. I’ll wake the girls and take them home.”
She choked back a sob. “No, wait. That’s not why I’m like this. I need to tell you something. In case it’s a deal-breaker for you.”
A deal-breaker for me? I was the one with the crazy baby momma and two children. A thousand thoughts went through my mind, and my body flushed. I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat and nodded for her to continue.
With a deep breath, she whispered, “I can’t have children, Tyrell. I had some extensive issues during and after college, and it ended up being the best choice for me to have a hysterectomy. That’s why I’ve never had a long-term relationship. I’m defective.”
Shock did not cover what I thought in that moment—not that she couldn’t have children, though that did surprise me, but that she would think she was defective. I went around the counter to her and wrapped my arms around her as silent tears slid down her cheeks. I had the feeling she had already cried plenty over this.
“Hey, Dream Girl, you are not defective. Not at all. It’s okay if you can’t carry children. If some guy can’t see that, then he’s the one who’s defective.” I soothed her as best I could, rubbing her back and kissing her hair.
She pulled back and looked up at me, her mouth turned down. “Not according to my mother.”
If Rebecca Gloss had one talent, it would be filling her children with self-doubt. My mother had worked hard to keep us afloat and happy, always building me up. Rebecca Gloss didn’t care if Ashley or Tanner were happy or drowning, as long as they looked the part of dutiful daughter and son.
“Your mother is a piece of work. You know she’s wrong. You are not defective. You are not unworthy.” There were several more thoughts in my head that I didn’t dare say out loud because I was attempting to be respectful, even though the miserable cow didn’t deserve it.
There wasn’t time for her to respond beyond a nod because the girls did wake up then. Sami jumped up, startling the cat from her spot on a chair. Saffi blinked several times, trying to figure out where she was.
“Daddy! We had so much fun with Ashley. How’s Gigi?” Sami scrambled across the bed. Then she stopped cold.
I knew the look. Bathroom.
Ashley knew it, too. “Hurry, hurry!”
Without even closing the door behind her, Sami made it to the toilet, and we heard a huge sigh of relief. Sami, in all her decorum, hollered to us. “That was close!” We couldn’t help laughing at her declaration.
Saffi stumbled out of the bed and trudged after her sister, pushing past her as Sami came out.
“Wash your hands.” Ashley pointed back to the bathroom, and Sami turned on her heel to comply.
“How did you do that? I have to beg, plead, and chase the girls with soap to get them to remember to wash after using the bathroom.”
Her giggle made me relax. “I’m a teacher, remember?”
I hoisted Saffi up when she came from the bathroom, hands dutifully washed. “We need to go. Gigi is waiting for us. We’re going to stay with her for a few days.”
Sami went over to Ashley and stared up at her. Ashley picked her up effortlessly, and Sami rested her head on Ashley’s shoulder. The pang in my heart was immediate. That was where my daughter’s head belonged, snuggled up with Ashley.
“You be good for Gigi, okay? Help her out.” Ashley rubbed Sami’s back, and Sami nodded.
Sami looked at me. “Can we come back again tomorrow?”
I looked over her to Ashley, who blinked rapidly. I could tell it meant a lot to her that Sami liked and accepted her. Saffi would be a little harder, but she would follow her sister. Ashley hugged her tight.
“We’ll see Ashley soon, don’t worry.” I led the way downstairs to my car, Ashley following behind.
When the girls were buckled into their seats, I rubbed her shoulders. “Thanks again for keeping them.”
She shook her head. “Don’t mention it. Let me know if your mom needs anything.” She raised up on her toes and whispered. “And let me know if you need anything, too.”
The only thing I needed right then was a kiss, and I took that with joy. I would happily drown in this woman’s kisses. When we finally broke apart for air, I remembered the girls and pulled away from Ashley.
“I’ll call you later.”
She nodded. “You better.”
In the car, Sami was giggling. “Daddy, you were kissing Ashley.”
I couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face. “Yes, yes, I was.”