Daisy's Choice (A Tale of Three Hearts)

by Mynx, Sienna

  “And so do I,” he said circling to stop her. “Got the life I want, with you and our baby and I’m gonna work on it. Get you everything I promised.”

  “It’s not that, Pete.”

  “I worked things out with Daisy. Amy will visit. She and Aiden are getting married.”

  Nina looked up at the news. “Married?”

  “She’s moved on, Nina. So have I. It’s over.”

  “No it’s not. That means Aiden Keane will be Amy’s stepfather. You telling me you’re okay with that?”

  “No, I’m not. That’s the truth. I’ll never be okay with that man, not really. But don’t you see? I don’t have to be. He’s Daisy’s problem. My concern is Amy and I will only focus on her happiness. I’m not looking to have any say in what he and Daisy do.”

  “That war between you too?”

  “Was won and lost the day I found out that I could have it all and pissed it away. Do you think I would let my hatred for him destroy the best thing that’s ever happened to me?”

  Nina folded her arms to keep again from reaching for him. Pete slid his hands up and down her arms and then held them. “I want to love and raise my daughter. Teach her the things I was taught. Expose her to the things a father wants for his daughter. That’s all. That’s what I’m focused on. That’s all I’m focused on.”

  Pete wasn’t a talker. He usually grunted through his emotions. This was the real thing.

  “Excuse me, Nina?”

  Her head turned. There under the arch of the doorway she saw Dr. Budim. The doctor looked from her to Pete’s then back to her. “I’ll be leaving soon and—”

  “The appointment. I haven’t forgotten. Can you give me a moment?”

  The doctor nodded and walked off.

  “What’s wrong? Is it the baby?” he asked.

  “A check up. I’m fine. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay.”

  “Can I… can we do it together?”

  She bit hard on her bottom lip.

  He touched her belly. “C’mon, babe, I came straight here from the airport. Don’t send me away. Introduce me to my son.”

  She stepped away from his touch. Her belly burned. She felt heat spread through her, warm and softly comforting from that touch. “I have work to do still. We’ll see the doctor and then you leave. Okay?”

  “I’ll go,” he conceded, hands up in the air, but a big grin on his face.

  She walked a few paces ahead of him, fighting the urge to look back. She felt his eyes on her and felt him pulling at her love for him: felt it and didn’t want to deal. It was too hard. She was tired of things being hard. Nothing ever came easy for her when it came to love.

  The doctor wheeled over the ultrasound machine. Nina knew the drill. She got on the exam table positioning on her back. Pete took hold of the stool and eased up at the opposite side. Nina didn’t look at him as she pulled her shirt up to her breasts and drew down the band of her pants. She kept her eyes on the blank monitor.

  “Nina,” he said in her ear.

  “Yes.”

  “Nevermind.”

  “How you feeling, Nina,” Dr. Budim asked. “The nausea?”

  “It’s better. I’m a little tired though.”

  “Getting rest?”

  Nina blinked away her tears. Pete was so close Nina could hear his breathing.

  “Trying.”

  “Well, you’re in your first trimester, so you have to take care of you.” The doctor typed at the keypad.

  “That’s my job, doctor. I’m on it,” Pete said. She glanced over and he winked. “Gonna take good care of you. I promise.”

  When the doctor turned around, she smoothed over the gel on Nina's belly and the ultrasound wand. It gave her shivers as the rest of her grew tense with anticipation. She couldn’t wait to see the baby for herself.

  “Hi, I’m the father. Sorry I didn’t introduce myself,” she heard Pete say.

  The doctor laughed. “I guessed that. Congratulations. I’m Dr. Budim.”

  “So, can we know the sex? It’s a boy, right?”

  Nina and the doctor both looked over at him, frowning. The doctor smiled and so did Pete. His big goofy grin was contagious to any and everyone but her. She was growing immune.

  “We should be able to tell around the twelfth or thirteenth week.”

  “How many weeks?” Pete pressed.

  The doctor looked to Nina for approval and she nodded it was okay. “She’s seven weeks.”

  “Oh babe, I bet we made him when—” Pete reached for Nina’s hand. She drew it immediately away, lifting her arm and placing it under her head. He didn’t finish his statement. She could see the hurt on his face from the corner of her eye but didn’t acknowledge it. He had no idea how many tears she shed for his love. The doctor moved the wand over her lower stomach. The black and white screen revealed something neither of them could determine. A peanut shaped image that fluttered black and white.

  “There we are… well, hello there.”

  With a concentrated stare, it became clear to both of them. A jumping bean. A heartbeat. Their child’s heartbeat. Beautiful.

  Nina glanced to Pete. His eyes narrowed and a smile spread over his face. It was full of wonder and excitement. And she knew it was genuine. “That’s our baby, see,” she said, the hopeful pitch of her voice not intended. She didn’t want to come off as needy.

  “Is that the heart beat?” he asked.

  “Yes.” The doctor answered. “We’re looking really good here.”

  “That’s our baby,” Pete repeated. “Pete Jr!” He surprised her with a kiss. “Our baby.”

  ****

  “Mr. Keane.”

  Aiden turned from the wall of degrees. The office was covered with them—too many for it to mean anything. Slipping his cell phone in his pocket, his vision was singular. The Chief of Staff. The doctor felt the heated accusation in that gaze and looked on puzzled over the summons. When his name dropped in this place or anywhere along the coast and as far east as Oklahoma, gave others pause.

  “Mr. Keane, what can I do for you?”

  “Danielle Locke had a paternity test done here for her daughter, Amy Johnson.”

  “Who is Danielle Locke?”

  Aiden stepped from the wall. The doctor went around a desk covered with files and office clutter. “I suggest you find out the answer to that question quickly, doctor. My patience is short.”

  “We provide paternity test to hundreds through this hospital. If you are looking for the results then the nurse can assist.”

  “I’m looking for more than that.”

  The doctor frowned. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  “Donovan McBride. Have you met him?”

  “McBride?”

  “He paid your hospital a visit. I want to know what that visit cost me. Now.”

  ****

  “I love you, girl. Call me, okay?” Denise’s grip on her was so tight Daisy felt as if her eyes would pop out of her skull. “Okay, I will.” Denise then dropped to Amy’s level and pulled the little girl into an equally tight hug until Amy whined for release. “Be good, sugar. Auntie Denise loves you.”

  Amy put her thumb in her mouth and tried again to latch on to her mother’s leg. Janette was next. Daisy kissed her sister, blinking away tears. “Thanks, Janette, for bringing them, for everything. I… can’t tell you how much I needed you guys.” A sob caught in her throat.

  “We family, Daze. Never forget that, and I’ll see you soon. I got a wedding to plan.”

  Daisy sniffed, nodding.

  “Mommy, why you crying?” Amy asked.

  Janette laughed. She stooped. “You coming to stay with auntie?”

  “No. I’m going to grandma house, to Pete house and not yours.”

  Janette shook her head. Out of all her aunts, Janette was the strictest and Amy avoided her at all cost. “This girl’s mouth, Daisy. We gonna have to work on that.” She kissed Amy and pinched her butt. “Be a good girl f
or mommy.”

  “Ow!” Amy said, her lip poked out. Her hand still curled from the thumb-sucking as she rubbed her butt with her other. “Mommieeee, she hit me.”

  “Don’t be pinching my baby,” Daisy said. Janette winked and then headed after her sister. Together, they climbed the ladder to the private jet. Sandra gave Daisy a hug. “Drama girl. That’s what mama and daddy should have named you, Drama.”

  “Whatever, you ain’t no saint,” Daisy laughed.

  “Compared to you…” Sandra hesitated. “Can’t nothing compare to you Ms. Thang. I love you, sis. I’m so happy that you’re okay.”

  They embraced again. “Call me,” Daisy said.

  “Yeah, cause um, I got my eye on this Porsche back home and my mortgage. Chile, tell that soon to be brother in-law of mine that sister needs a loan.”

  Daisy laughed. She let Sandra go, watched her kiss up Amy, then hurry off. Martha watched them all silently but approached with opened arms. She couldn’t help but cherish that hug. Daddy was dead. She, her mother and sisters only had each other. How she wished this reunion had come sooner. That she had been stronger to return home and be with her family. But this start-over was enough.

  “I am proud of you, baby. You done good for yourself here. Your own business, everything. You did real good.”

  “Thank you, mama.”

  “Promise me. Promise me that you will always put Amy and yourself first. That you won’t ever forget who you are and what we believe in. Promise that you’ll get that man on his knees into a church,” Martha smiled. “You’re the best of me, Daisy. Not the worst. The best. Okay?”

  “Okay,” Daisy sniffed. “I’ma see ya’ll real soon. Mama, you’ll love Aiden. You wait and see.”

  “Yeah, grandma. You’ll love daddy. He does magic,” Amy joined in innocently.

  Martha wiped at her tears. She and Daisy chuckled at Amy’s proclamation. “Who I love is you, my gummy bear. Give me a kiss.”

  Amy hugged her neck tightly. Daisy could see her sister’s faces all pressed to the airplane windows watching.

  “I’ll call you when we get there,” Martha said, reluctant to let Amy go.

  “Okay. Okay,” Daisy said. She reached for Amy’s hand. Together they watched her mother go up the steps, then inside. The pilot was the last. She stepped back as the plane began to taxi along the runway. Having made it to the hanger once the Cessna picked up speed, the sonic blast of the engines made their ears pop. It shot like a rocket into the clouds and Daisy felt an immediate sense of loss to see them go. But that did nothing to replace the joy she felt.

  “Mama, where is daddy? He coming next?”

  Daisy smiled down at her. “Yes baby. He’s coming soon. Let’s go.”

  ****

  “You changed the locks to the apartment?” Pete asked.

  “Of course not,” Nina said. She hugged herself at the doors of the hospital. Two paramedics she knew walked past. One that had asked her out several times before, took a slower walk, waiting to catch her eye and give her a sly smile.

  “Hi, Nina,” he said, ignoring Pete altogether.

  “Hi, Dexter,” she answered.

  Pete doubled back at the gall, shooting the man a challenging glare that packed several seconds with tension before Dexter slipped inside. “Who the hell was that?”

  “Who?”

  “That dude ogling you.”

  Nina sighed, “I think you should stay with your mother. I need some space.”

  “Don’t do that, Nina. We can’t work it out if we’re apart. I don’t want to be away from you.”

  “It’s not about what you want anymore, Pete. It’s about what I need for once. I need some distance. I get so caught up in my feelings for you. I just have to get my head right.”

  “You don’t have to fight us. I won’t hurt you. Not again. I swear it.”

  “I know you mean it.”

  “I do. Second chances. We both deserve one here.”

  Nina looked away. “I want you to stay with your mother.”

  Her head turned to see Dexter and Milo at the nurses cubicle for admittance, staring. Especially Dexter. “Oh, Pete, stop it. I don’t want anybody else, and you know it.”

  “That don’t change the way he’s looking at you.”

  “Are you kidding? You jealous? After years of me walking in Daisy's shadow, you got the nerve to be jealous!”

  “Damn right I’m jealous. I know how special you are. I’m not letting you go.” He touched her cheek, then held both and drew her face up to his to give a kiss. She put her hands to his arms to stop it, but it was brief. Didn’t last as long as she liked and the release filled her with so much renewed strength.

  “I’ll see you soon,” he smiled weakly and then let her go. Nina watched. She had to admit seeing him jealous of Dexter was an ego boost. But more importantly, seeing him period and hearing his vow to be with her felt right. Then she realized her request for him to give her space went totally unheard.

  “Pete, I’m serious! I need space!”

  He threw up his hand and kept going. Nina chewed on her bottom lip, turned and went back to work.

  ****

  Daisy helped Amy out of the tub.

  “And grandma said that I can ride a horsie in Bentucky.”

  “Kentucky.”

  “She said my granddaddy had a horsie.”

  “He did, once.”

  “She said I can go to church with her.”

  “I’m sure you will.”

  “She said that I’m her baby.”

  “You are.”

  “She let me brush her hair too.”

  “She did?”

  “Mmhmm… she said I not to paint my toes no more. To tell you not to put polish on them, mommy.”

  “I see.”

  “She said—”

  Daisy went on agreeing to all her pronouncements about what grandma said, trying to get Amy into her panties and nightdress. By the time she completed the task, she already had a cramp in the back of her thighs and lower back. She rose with the assistance of the sink, hearing the doorbell.

  “Go to your room. Okay, baby?” she said, walking out of the bathroom, hand to back, going to the window in her bedroom.

  “Can’t I watch TV in your bed, mommy?”

  Daisy pulled down the blind. A limo parked out front brought a smile to her face. “No, sweetie. Go to your room, okay?”

  “Aw!”

  “On second thought, come with mommy.” She took hold of Amy’s hand and led her out of the room and down the hall. She thought he was still in Vegas. He said it was an important night. Evidently, nothing was more important than them.

  The unanswered bell’s chimes soon turned to several knocks at the door.

  “Who is it, mommy?”

  Down the stairs they went with her carefully holding Amy’s hand, leading her daughter’s steps. “Guess?”

  “Daddy?”

  Daisy laughed. She opened the door with Amy jumping at her side like a spring. It was Aiden, who looked at her then down at Amy with a brow raised.

  “Dadddeeee!!” Amy squealed.

  He reached for her first, lifting her up into his arm as if she weighed a pound.

  “I thought you were coming in the morning.”

  Aiden winked at her and walked in. Amy riding high in his arms grinned so wide her cheeks puffed and her eyes were almost shut. “What took you so long?”

  “Sorry, peanut. I wanted to get here sooner.”

  “Guess what! Guess what!”

  “What?” Aiden said sitting on the sofa positioning her on his lap.

  “I got two daddies! Two!” She held up two fingers.

  Aiden looked to Daisy. She walked over. She wanted to get close as well. There was nothing better than his attention. He opened his arm and pulled her under so he could hold them both. “That’s great, peanut. You're one lucky girl.”