“I know. We’ve had this discussion as to why you can’t do it now. I’m just telling you of the disaster that lies in wait if Imani finds out some other way.”
“Well, right now I’m adhering to Gabrielle’s wishes. She wants to wait until after her wedding in June. She says Jasmine has endured a lot these past two years and your mother and I agree with that. Jasmine was extremely sick. Her adoptive father died. She had to fight for her life. When she finally gets a reprieve with a bone marrow transplant that still put her out of commission as her body and immune system mended, her mother, or the only mother she knew, is diagnosed with cancer and dies. Then the poor child had to deal with being an orphan, only to learn that she was originally adopted and that the person stepping up to adopt her was her birth mother.”
“Go ahead, Daddy, and say it. And I made things worse by being the villain to tell it so she could overhear that her birth mother, as I said it so clearly, didn’t want her and essentially threw her away. I did that. I shattered that little girl’s world. And why? Because I hated Gabrielle just that much. And I hated her even more when I discovered that my wonderful and devoted husband, who wouldn’t stand by me as I launched my heroic crusade against the evil queen—the ex-exotic dancer better known as Goodness and Mercy—to rescue a damsel I perceived to be in distress, was legally representing her against me.” Paris nodded and dabbed her face with a dry tissue. “Well, I guess I showed everybody, didn’t I, Daddy?”
Lawrence grabbed her hand and squeezed it. “Paris, I have to ask this. You know what I’m about to ask, don’t you?”
She leaned her head back, then straightened it again. She nodded. “You want to know if there’s any chance this baby I’m carrying is not Andrew’s but Darius’s.”
Lawrence grabbed hold of her other hand and held them both.
Paris looked at her father as tears slid down her face. “Yes, Daddy. Yes, there is a chance. And I’m terrified that this baby is really Darius’s and Andrew is going to find out the truth. Then he’s going to leave me and the baby. And after everything that I’ve done, my child and I will be left all alone merely because Darius is a jerk. He now ignores the fact that there’s a chance he might be the father—”
“So you’ve talked to Darius about it already?”
“Yes.” She frowned. “Within the first few weeks of me learning that I was pregnant. I asked him to participate in a procedure with a short window where a paternity test could have been done. It’s called prenatal paternity. But to do it, the father has to contribute his DNA. As you can imagine, I couldn’t go to Andrew and ask him to participate to confirm that he was the father without him figuring out what was going on. Even if it the results had confirmed that Andrew definitely was the father, there would have been a lot of tension following that entire revelation.”
“That’s putting it mildly,” Lawrence said. “Although Andrew really loves you. I’m sure the two of you would have worked through it though.”
“Yeah, but too much stress during pregnancy is not good on a developing baby. I can’t say for sure how Andrew would have reacted. He might have turned into a totally different man if he knew what I’d done,” Paris said. “So I couldn’t involve him at that point. I did, however, contact Darius and inform him of all that was going on. I asked him to submit to the prenatal DNA paternity test.”
“And he wouldn’t cooperate,” Lawrence said, scooting back onto the couch.
Paris shook her head. “No, he wouldn’t. And if he had, we could have eliminated him as the father, and since Andrew is the only other person I was with, I would know for sure right now that this baby is his.”
“So why wouldn’t Darius agree to do it?” Lawrence asked. “I would think he would want to know early on himself.”
Paris readjusted her body, placed her hand behind her back and arched it.
“Getting uncomfortable?” Lawrence asked as he watched Paris.
“A little. It gets like this when I don’t move around.” She stood up and arched her back again. “That’s better.” Paris looked down at her father, who leaned forward, crossed his leg, and locked his fingers around his knee. “One of the reasons he likely balked about it was the cost. I told him I would put in half. But when you’re talking two thousand dollars and it comes to a cheapskate like Darius, you can forget it.”
“Yes, he’s definitely not one to pay for anything if he can manage to get it for free or manipulate someone else into footing the bill.” Lawrence leaned back, his fingers still locked around his knee. “We call those kinds of people moochers.”
“Oh, but last night at the restaurant he was Mr. Moneyman,” Paris said as she gently and slowly eased back down on the couch next to her father.
Lawrence released his locked fingers and planted both feet squarely on the floor. “Mr. Moneyman? Last night? Restaurant?”
“Yeah.” Paris smiled. “Andrew took me to that expensive restaurant out on two-eighty; you know the one you and Mom like to patronize a lot. I’m not even going to try and pronounce the name of it, but you know the one I’m talking about.”
Lawrence chuckled. “I know which one. I’m with you; I let your mother say it and leave it alone. She’s the one who knows French in the family.”
“Anyway, Andrew took me there and who comes strolling in, and almost flattens our waitress by knocking her down, but Darius. And he’s with some woman.”
“Some woman? But he’s married with children,” Lawrence said.
“Apparently that’s about to be all over soon. The woman he was with is named Dee Vine, but she combines the two names and calls herself Divine,” Paris said. “He must have been trying to impress her or something because when Andrew offered to pay for everyone’s meal, Darius decided to trump Andrew and pay for ours. He is such a jerk!”
Lawrence reached over and patted her hand. “Calm down now. Don’t let this upset you.”
Paris frowned. “Daddy, he made me so mad that I got sick just being in his presence. He was throwing off about my baby. He knows it’s possible the baby might be his, so he was trying to toy with me and, on the sly, mess with Andrew.” Paris released a sigh. “So that’s where I am right now. I’m pregnant with a baby me and my husband have been praying for, and I’m not sure now that it’s his baby. I talked with Johnnie Mae—”
“Johnnie Mae? Who is Johnnie Mae?”
“Our new pastor’s wife. Remember, I told you that Andrew and I joined Pastor George Landris’s church?”
“Yes, yes, you don’t have to remind me. I’m still praying you and Andrew will come to your senses and come back to the church you grew up in and where you belong.”
“Daddy, we’re not coming back. Spiritually, we weren’t growing there.”
“Fine. Fine. But you’re telling me that you’ve actually spoken to someone outside the family about what’s going on with you and this?”
“Yes. I had to talk to somebody. And at the time, I didn’t feel comfortable telling you or Mom the truth about what was going on. I sure couldn’t talk to Andrew about it, although Johnnie Mae says I need to tell him the truth. She says the truth always has a way of coming out eventually. And that it’s better when you’re in control of it instead of leaving it in the hands of others who don’t have your best interest at heart.” Paris looked toward the ceiling. “I wanted to tell Andrew. In fact: I tried.” She shook her head and looked directly into her father’s eyes. “I just couldn’t do it. It’s so hard to get the words out when you don’t know what will come next.”
“I don’t know if I agree with the advice your first lady gave you. She may have good intentions, but I see no good to come out of telling Andrew this without knowing for sure,” Lawrence said. “I mean what if Andrew is the father? Why put yourself through something for nothing. I’d say just let things play out, for now. Andrew is ecstatic about this baby. Why go and ruin things for him at this juncture?”
“So you’re saying I shouldn’t tell him? Not even after the baby come
s?”
Lawrence grabbed her hands again. “Let’s say the baby is Darius’s. Do you really think Darius will step up and do right by this child? The man’s a playa minus the e-r. He has three children now, that we know of, and you’ve seen firsthand how good of a father he is to them.”
“I don’t know. He seems to be great about his children. It’s his wife he didn’t seem to do right.”
“Okay. Maybe it’s not fair to say he’s not a good father. Maybe he has been and maybe he is now. But he’s demonstrating to you already that he doesn’t care anything about the baby you’re carrying.”
“That’s true. But I’m praying that the baby I’m carrying isn’t his, so it won’t matter.”
“On the other hand, Andrew wants this baby more than anything, right?” Lawrence asked.
“Yes. Absolutely,” Paris said.
“Then even if the baby is not his biologically, why would you hurt him by taking this child away from him?” Lawrence forced a smile through his frown.
“Because I would feel like I’m lying to both of them. Andrew deserves to know the truth, doesn’t he? Then he can decide what he wants to do from the side of truth. If he still wants to be the baby’s father, at least I’ll know he’s doing it from the right place. I don’t want this baby to not be his and, God forbid, something happens down the road and he discovers the truth. What if after learning the truth Andrew decides to walk away? How would that affect my baby then?”
“You’re right. It’s a difficult decision and a difficult call to make,” Lawrence said. “And I’m probably the wrong person to be giving advice since I messed up so royally when it came to my own call when faced with the same issue. Maybe that’s the cautionary tale for you, daughter. Maybe that Johnnie lady was right. Maybe the best thing is the truth and to just let the chips fall where they may. But I’ll say one more time: If it was me, I’d probably wait until after the baby is born. Maybe there’s a way for you to find out the paternity after the baby arrives without Andrew ever knowing what you’re up to. You’re a smart girl. You’re a Simmons.”
“Maybe you’re on to something, Daddy. You know they do have these home DNA kits now.” Paris’s face lit up. “I could swab the inside of Andrew’s cheek while he’s asleep maybe. Take some from the baby. Send it off. Get back a definitive answer. And if the baby is Andrew’s, I can drop all of this and we can carry on with our lives as though nothing ever happened.”
“See, now you’re thinking like a true Simmons,” Lawrence said with a slight laugh behind his words.
“But if the baby is not Andrew’s, I’m going to tell him the truth,” Paris said with a sigh and a determined look.
“Sounds like a game-winning plan to me.” Lawrence stood up and opened his arms as he waited for Paris to fill them.
Paris stood up and allowed her father to totally engulf her with a nice warm hug. “Thanks, Daddy. Who would have ever thought you’d be so much help with this.”
“Yeah, I know, right? That’s always been your mother’s department. But maybe I was better equipped to handle this one because I’ve been where you are now.” He kissed her on the top of her head, lingering a little longer than necessary. “I love you, cupcake. You hear me? And if you need someone to talk to about this later on, you come to me. You don’t need to be putting your personal business out there to some stranger like that Johnnie Mae lady. We’re family. I’m here for you. I mean that.”
“I know.” Paris hugged him back tightly. “I know. And I love you, Daddy.” She began to cry again.
“And I love you. So stop all this crying. You hear me?” He held her now with tears in his eyes. “I love you, baby girl.”
Chapter 21
Then Naomi her mother-in-law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?
—Ruth 3:1
“Gabrielle,” Miss Crowe had whispered over the phone when she’d left the message on voice mail. “I don’t mean to bother you, but something is going on here at the house and I think you need to get here as soon as you can. Jasmine is fine, so it’s not anything to do with her at all. But if you can, hurry and get home.”
Gabrielle had gotten the message and left work an hour earlier than she’d originally planned, thankful that being the dance director at Followers of Jesus Faith Worship Center allowed her to do things like this.
“Thank the Lord, you got my message,” Miss Crowe said, greeting her before she got in the house good.
“Yeah, I got it. What’s going on? You say Jasmine is all right?”
Miss Crowe kept her voice low. “Yes, of course. You know if it had been anything to do with Jasmine directly I would have told you that on the message. I wouldn’t dare have you to worry like that.” Miss Crowe looked back. “But your aunt Cee-Cee is here with one of her sons. They’re in there with your father, and I’m not liking what I’m hearing coming from that crew.”
“What did you hear?” Gabrielle whispered back.
“It’s that boy mainly. Well, I suppose you can’t actually call him a boy anymore, but it’s the son who’s doing most of the selling. I think his name is Jesse?”
“Yes, Jesse would be right. What’s he trying to sell? But even if he has something to sell, it’s not like my father has any money to buy it.”
“I suppose selling is a figure of speech and a bit misleading. Jesse’s trying to get your father to go work for this place, but it’s not adding up. The troubling part is that your father seems interested and your aunt isn’t helping as she’s pushing it, too. You know if she’s pushing something, there has to be something not right about it.”
“I’ll check and see what’s going on,” Gabrielle said.
“I hope I didn’t sound an alarm for nothing,” Miss Crowe said. “But I have a bad feeling about all of this. I didn’t think it was my place to butt my nose in it. So I decided to call you and let you. I wasn’t sure if you’d be able to get home in time, and maybe I should have waited for you to arrive normally and tell you—”
Gabrielle touched Miss Crowe’s hand. “No, you did the right thing. I’m with you when it comes to both my aunt and my cousin Jesse. I’m not saying my father is not street-smart if they’re trying to finagle him—”
“But he also may be primed to get involved with the wrong thing.”
“And he’s still on probation. He’s been a bit dejected lately with the job prospects not panning out and the fact that no one seems to want to give an ex-con a chance. He might be easily talked into doing something he shouldn’t do.”
“My sentiments exactly,” Miss Crowe said.
“Where’s Jasmine?”
“I made her go to her room and read a book as soon as your father let them in and led them into the den, where he and Jasmine had been watching the Disney Channel.”
Gabrielle took a deep breath. “That’s good. I told my father I would prefer my aunt not be here when I’m not at home.”
“Yeah, I heard you when you told him that. I probably wouldn’t have called you, but, like I said, I didn’t care for what I was hearing. If they’re in the process of doing something illegal, directly or not, I don’t want you involved in any way.”
Gabrielle shrugged. “Well, I suppose I’ll go see what’s up.” Gabrielle stepped away, then came back over and kissed Miss Crowe on the cheek. “Thank you. You are such a blessing.”
“Yeah . . . well . . . right back at you,” Miss Crowe said with a wink. “Now go on and handle your business. And if you need me, just know I have my ears tuned and I can move a lot faster than folks think. I’ll be in there in a flash.”
“I’m sure I’ll be all right.” Gabrielle touched her hand, then left and headed for the den. She stood outside the entranceway and listened in a minute. Just as Miss Crowe had said, Aunt Cee-Cee and Jesse were there with her father. She walked in. “What’s going on in here?” Gabrielle said.
“Hey, there, Gabrielle.” Bennie stood up, walked over, and gave Gabrie
lle a quick peck on the cheek. “Look who stopped by unannounced.”
“Yes, I see.”
Aunt Cee-Cee gave Gabrielle a quick nod of acknowledgment. “Gabrielle. How are you?”
“Hey, cuz!” Jesse said as he jumped up and hurried over to Gabrielle, wrapping his arms around her and giving her a bear hug. “What’s poppin’?”
Gabrielle instantly could tell that Jesse was on something, some kind of drug. He couldn’t be still for more than two seconds. He was bouncing around almost like his pants were full of ants.
“Jesse, come and sit back down,” Aunt Cee-Cee said, patting the couch cushion. “I’m sure Gabrielle doesn’t want you all over her.”
“Sure, Mom. Sure,” Jesse said. “So Uncle Bennie, what do you think? Are you interested? I’m telling you, there’s some real easy money to be made.”
“What does he think about what?” Gabrielle asked Jesse.
“Jesse, please come and sit down next to me.” Aunt Cee-Cee patted the couch cushion again.
“I’m cool, Ma. I’m good. I’ve got all this energy. I need to burn it off.”
“Jesse . . . what opportunity are you talking about?” Gabrielle asked again as she directed her full attention to her cousin, who was only a few years younger than her.
“Hey, cuz! Come to think of it, you might be interested in getting in on this yourself. Everybody can always use some extra cash.”
“Jesse! I said to hush up and come sit down!” Aunt Cee-Cee said.
“Why don’t you want me to tell Gabrielle? She could likely use some extra money just like Uncle Bennie here. Didn’t you say she was getting married soon? She might be interested in becoming a smurf or a cook.” He twitched and scratched. His face had visible burn-looking marks and scars in several places.
The Other Side of Divine Page 14
