“No mom, it’s me. I know it’s been a while. I’ve changed a lot since we last spoke. Let me just come out and say what I want to say… I’m starting to realize that whatever went on with you and me is in the past. Ever since losing dad I’ve been trying to find a way to get in touch but I haven’t been able to do it. I just miss what we used to have as a family. I hate thinking that I ruined our family. I hate thinking that if it weren’t for my stupid choices none of this would have happened. These nightmares keep me up sometimes. But finally, there’s been a glimmer of hope. Something terrible has happened and I know this is the universe’s way of trying to push me back to you. Mom… I’m sorry for disappointing you. I’m sorry for everything. But I don’t care about all that stuff from the past anymore. I just want you back in my life before it’s too late. I already missed my chance with one parent,” Tammy finished.
Tammy could hear her mother sniffling on the other end. They stayed on the phone together in silence for a long time. Tammy heard her mother’s familiar breathing pattern and listened to the comforting sound until her mother spoke.
“Tammy… My precious daughter... I love you so much. I’m so so sorry for what your father and I did. Please Tammy… I want to see you. Tell me what you need and then once your problem is sorted through I want to meet you in person,” Her mother replied. Tammy could tell that her mother was choking back her tears. Nicole Powers never cried.
Tammy responded eagerly and told her mom everything that had happened with Randall since she’d been excommunicated from the family. After spending more than an hour and a half telling her story, Tammy finally got around to the important part: Randall was filing for custody and Tammy needed the Powers’ lawyer. Once Nicole Powers was done listening to her daughter explain her life situation, she was more than happy to get the family lawyer involved.
Nicole Powers apologized profusely and wept at the pain she’d caused her daughter by abandoning her.
“I know it might be too late Tammy, but I want to make it up to you. I want to get to know my daughter again,” She begged.
Tammy wanted the same thing.
“Of course mom… On one condition. I want you to have a real relationship with Jabari too. I know you didn’t approve of Randall and I understand why you didn’t, but Jabari is nothing like his father. He’s a sweet little boy,” Tammy implored.
Her mother agreed to the terms. The Powers’ were reuniting to fight for Tammy’s rights as a mother. Randall might have been serious about his threats, but Tammy was definitely serious about her rebuttal. Nothing could stand between her and her son.
When Jabari came back inside he was confused. When he’d left the house his mother looked wrecked. Now she was beaming like someone had just bought her a new car.
“Uh… Is everything okay mom?” Jabari asked.
Tammy gestured for Jabari to give her a hug. He was still befuddled by her behavior, but he wasn’t one to deny his mother a hug. Tammy held her son close. Everything would be okay, she just knew it. Years of bad blood was just starting to get resolved. How could this be a premonition for anything but good fortune?
“Everything’s okay Jay. I spoke to your grandmother and she wants to meet you,” Tammy announced to her son. She was beaming from ear to ear. Jabari didn’t know how to interpret this news. Should he be excited to meet this woman who had abandoned him and his mother in their time of need? Jabari couldn’t understand why his mother was quite so happy with this arrangement.
“She wants to meet me now? Why hasn’t she wanted to meet me the thirteen years I’ve been alive!” Jabari exclaimed as he pulled away from his mother’s embrace.
Tammy struggled with how exactly she would explain this to her son. How exactly could she explain to her son why reuniting with her mother was so important? Jabari didn’t understand the full story of his past and Tammy wasn’t sure he would be ready. As far as Jabari was concerned, his grandparents absence in his life was random and unjust. Tammy needed to finally come clean and tell her son that there was more to the story.
If Tammy was going to come clean to Jabari about her past, she would have to come clean about her present too. Tammy led Jabari to the living room and sat him down; she was about to be truly open and honest with her son in a way she had never been before. Jabari wasn’t a little boy anymore. Before she knew it, he would be a grown man. Jabari deserved to know the truth about his father, Tammy, Tammy’s grandparents and eventually, the truth about Victor.
Tammy began to explain her teenage love affair with Randall, sparing Jabari the details of her sexual encounters. She described her love of Randall with uncharacteristic honesty. Tammy had never before expressed how good Randall made her feel; that made his cruelty that much more painful when he finally began to reveal who he really was. Tammy told Jabari about the moment she found out she was pregnant with him. She confessed to her son how scared she was about becoming a mother…
“But you’re a great mom!” Jabari exclaimed.
Tammy felt heat rising to her cheeks. Every mother wants to hear that from their son.
“Thanks Jay,” She said smiling.
“But if things were going so great, what happened with you and dad?” Jabari asked.
Tammy choked back tears as she started to explain to her son the abuse Randall had inflicted upon her. She told Jabari of her parents disappointment in her as a teen mother. She told Jabari about how difficult things were once her parents had cut her off financially. Tammy eventually broke down why and how Randall had left her. She recalled how much she had cried. She remembered how tightly she held her son, pressing him to her bosom.
At that point, Jabari became her only reason for existing. Tammy had never known such pain in her life at that point. The only thing that felt worse than being abandoned with a five month old baby was the death of her father.
When Tammy finally told her son about the death of his grandfather, there was no pretense behind how upset she felt. The loss of her father devastated Tammy. There had been no time for her to make amends. One day he was there and then another day he was just gone without warning. His death was unceremonious and brought Tammy to the swift realization that life was fleeting. In processing her father’s death, Tammy had intentionally distanced herself from her mother. She blamed her mother for not forcing her father to make amends before he died.
Although Tammy had distanced herself from the Powers’ family, she was glad to receive her whopping inheritance. Jabari had never understood how his mother had so much money despite the fact that she never seemed to be working. Now it was all becoming clear. The Powers’ family name meant something. His mother had inherited a tiny portion of a massive empire that had always been just out of reach.
Jabari wanted to know why he had never gone to private school if they had so much money. Then Jabari got more information than he’d ever wanted about his mother’s reputation. It’s not every day you find out that your mother was labelled the “town slut” for a mistake that had happened years ago. Jabari finally understood why some of the older mothers had such negative energy around him once they found out who his mother was.
Tammy was the teen who had been knocked up by a poor man from out of town; she hadn’t even had the decency to get married before the baby was born. Everyone in town ostracized her for that reason alone. Jabari felt like he was starting to understand his mother on a whole new level.
Sure, he knew his mother well because he had spent all of his life with her but there were still new secrets to be unveiled.
Finally Jabari was caught up to the present day. Tammy sat there in silence; Jabari could tell that she wasn’t finished even if the story seemed to be over. What fresh secrets could his mother have to tell him?
“Mom? What is it?” Jabari probed. He wasn’t going to get off that couch until his mother had told him everything.
Tammy sighed.
“Jabari… I’ve been seeing someone new,” Tammy confessed.
Ew! This was
totally gross and it wasn’t what Jabari expected. Play it cool. He thought to himself.
“Oh?” Jabari squeaked out.
Tammy could tell her son was uncomfortable. She glared at him jokingly.
“Hey, I’m still young Jay,” She teased.
Jabari nodded and then continued, “Don’t change the subject, tell me who it is. If a man’s dating my mom I got a right to know.”
Tammy buried her head in her palms. “Okay I don’t know how to say this but I’m dating your Spanish teacher. There. I said it,” Tammy blurted out.
“Mom!” Jabari yelled.
“Jay! I know it’s inappropriate and if anyone found out it could cost you your seat at Willowcrest,” Tammy countered.
“Wasn’t he your Spanish teacher?!” Jabari said hoarsely. His voice cracked and Tammy held back a giggle.
“Yes… He was. But we met again and there was just a spark. Maybe you’ll understand when you’re older,” Tammy said.
“Mom. I know how this works. I’m thirteen,” Jabari reminded her.
Now it was Tammy’s turn to be grossed out. What “this” was Jabari thinking of exactly? Hopefully he hadn’t done more than hold hands and kiss…
“Well Jay… I love Victor. And I want him to meet you,” Tammy said.
Jabari nodded. “That’s cool,” He said.
Tammy tried to get her last point out all at once. She took a deep breath and announced, “One tiny last thing before you go… I think I’m pregnant and I’m going to have his baby.”
Chapter 13
Stanley Duffy stopped Victor Del Toro on his way to his office Monday morning. He knew exactly what he would do with Del Toro now.
“Uh, Mister Del Toro,” Stan called gruffly as Victor walked briskly over to his office.
Victor turned around to face his boss. He wasn’t exactly thrilled to see Stan Duffy’s red and blemished face so early in the morning.
“Good morning headmaster,” Victor replied, flashing the headmaster a big smile.
Stan Duffy coughed and waddled over to where Victor was standing.
“I… I have to tell you Victor, heh, it’s hard to catch up with a young man like you,” He began. Victor folded his arms. He wanted Stan Duffy to get to the point already.
Stan continued, “Yes… I want to tell you that I’ve been considering your words the other day in my office and I’m wondering if that’s the type of thing that should get a teacher’s position...terminated. After all, you are involved in some kind of relationship with the parent of a student. And I’m not.”
He looked at Victor with a twinkle in his eye as if to say, “I’ve won.”
Victor pulled something out of his hat that he didn’t know he had.
He stood proud and relaxed in front of his boss who had just made an explicit threat to fire him.
“How do you think that’s going to work Stan Duffy? I’m going to marry Tammy Powers. How do you think it would make you look if you fired me for trying to make an honest woman out of a single mother… How do you think it would make you look for putting a damper on real love especially when it comes out that Stephanie isn’t the only soccer mom you’ve boinked?” Victor finished.
He was kind of embarrassed that he’d ended his coup d’etats with the word “boinked”. However, his speech seemed to have the same effect. Victor hadn’t even proposed to Tammy; the thought had just crossed his mind earlier that morning and he was starting to think that it wasn’t a bad idea. He wasn’t even sure if his final accusation was even real but based on Stan Duffy’s facial expression, he had hit the nail right on the head.
Stan Duffy started blubbering like an idiot. His attempt at victory had been turned on its head fast.
“Do you have anything to say Mister Duffy?” Victor inquired.
Stan just stood there blinking like a fool.
“I think I’ll head to my first class now. If you have any business with me, you know where to find me,” Victor said. He turned his back to the headmaster and head to his class.
Victor was on top of the world. It was in that moment he decided that he was going to ask Tammy Powers to marry him. He didn’t care what happened; he didn’t even care if he lost his job. Victor arrived on time for his first class feeling like he was in a movie. His entire day was surreal. Victor would catch himself lost in thought, smiling about the gorgeous woman he was going to propose to. Victor wasn’t prepared, but he knew that he had to propose that very day. It was urgent.
Once work was over, Victor drove to the vintage jewelry store he’d been eyeing when he thought about marriage in the past. Victor had never imagined finding the perfect woman, far less the perfect ring at that point. With Tammy, Victor knew exactly how to satisfy her. He had the exact ring in mind and Marco’s Vintage Jewelry was the place to get it.
Victor walked into the store and was overwhelmed by the sterile scent. A peppy brunette shop assistant sprung to attention. After giving Victor a once over, she did a double take. Ah yes, Victor was used to that sign of attraction from women. For some reason, women in America seemed to find him irresistible in a way he hadn’t been in Spain.
“Can I help you?” the brunette asked.
Victor sighed, “Yes. I’m looking for a very specific type of ring. I’m about to propose to the woman of my dreams.”
The brunette looked noticeably disappointed to find out that Victor was here for a special someone. She pursed her lips.
“She’s a very lucky woman,” the brunette mumbled. She then asked Victor to describe the ring he wanted in detail. After presenting him with fifteen options, they finally managed to narrow it down to two. After twenty minutes of debating and explaining why this ring had to be perfect, Victor finally had the instrument he would use to propose to Tammy Powers.
He had been waiting to find the right woman for most of his life; Tammy was better than any dream girl he could concoct. She wasn’t a perfect woman, but that was what made her so desirable. She was real. She wasn’t a fictitious woman obsessed with trivialities of life. She was a compassionate woman whose heart was filled with love for the people around her. Victor couldn’t wait to see her that evening.
Victor arranged to meet Tammy and her son Jabari at their home at six in the afternoon. Victor and Tammy had sorted out their differences and parsed through Stephanie’s lies… Victor was forced to face the fact that he needed to trust Tammy more and trust her love for him. Tammy had confessed to Victor that she told her son everything, the entire truth. With that confession, Victor knew he had chosen the right woman. Whether or not their romance was taboo, it was meant to be. Regardless of their age difference, everyone would have to accept it. After all, if the boy Tammy loved most in the world could handle it, why couldn’t everyone else.
Victor arrived ten minutes late. He had forgotten to get a bouquet of flowers and needed to make a last minute stop at a florist. Victor had envisioned showing up on Tammy’s doorstep with a bouquet of red roses. When he arrived at the store, the only flowers left were expensive pink and white peonies. Some order had been cancelled so the flowers were being sold at a twenty percent discount. Victor hated the idea of proposing to his soulmate with discounted flowers but he figured that they were better than nothing.
Tammy let Victor into her house and gave him a huge hug. Jabari was peeking over from the dining room table trying his best to suppress his disgust. Was his mom going to kiss this guy too?! Tammy spared her son the horror.
“Jabari, you already know Victor but I want you to meet each other outside of the student teacher context,” Tammy did her best at an introduction.
Jabari mumbled, “Good evening Victor. I’ve done my Spanish homework.”
Victor smiled.
“I know this may be weird for you… But I hope that soon we can get along and be closer,” Victor said.
Jabari could tell Victor was a little uneasy and was desperately seeking approval. That meant a lot to him. Jabari warmed up just a little bit and offered Vict
or a glass of water as he sat down. Soon, Tammy’s dinner was ready. Spaghetti and meatballs, her favorite. Throughout dinner, Tammy was pleased to notice that her son was getting along better and better with Victor throughout the night. Even if Victor and Jabari were at odds when it came to the Spanish language, they did have something in common.
What they had in common was news to Tammy too. Apparently when Victor was Jabari’s age, he was a math genius. He’d won a number of competitions across Europe. Before long, Victor and Jabari were talking about theorems and famous mathematicians that Tammy had never even heard of.
Once dinner was long over, Victor finally paused his conversation with Jabari.
“Tammy, Jabari… I have a question to ask you both, but it’s mostly a question for Tammy,” Victor started.
Right there in Tammy’s living room, Victor dropped down to one knee and began to propose.
Prepped For Love: BWWM Pregnancy Romance Novel Page 11
