by Ancelli
“No!” Cody blurted.
Michele giggled, staring at him. “I don’t know, isn’t that what they all say?” She arched her brow.
“What would make you think that?”
“Well, you’re speaking to me, asking me personal questions. What am I to think?” She tilted her head to the side. “How well do you know my mom? Are you friends? I haven’t seen you before.”
“Yes, we go way back,” Cody responded. “We use to be best friends.”
“What’s her middle name?” Michele inquired.
“Nicole.”
“You could’ve looked that up.”
“You’re right.” Cody moved his chair back. “Your mom is an only child. She had a dog-named mickey; he died when she was fifteen. Yellow is her favorite color, and your grandma’s name is Irene.”
“So, you do know mom.” She smiled, showing her pearly whites. “Maybe you can make her relax and have fun.”
“Is your mom always like this, cranky?” he continued his questioning.
“No…” she blurted. “She’s the greatest mother. I couldn’t ask for a better mom. She raised me by herself.”
“Where’s your dad?” He knew he was asking too many questions. She already stated that, but she was willing to share.
“You mean my sperm donor?” Michele chuckled to herself.
“What!” he raised his voice. Shon told her that shit?
“Just kidding.” She tickled herself. “That’s what grandma calls him.”
Cody couldn’t stop staring at her.
“He was my mom’s first love.” She looked away from him. “They went their separate ways, and she never told him I existed.”
“She told you that?” Shon told her the truth; he was a little surprised.
“No, my grandma did. I asked her, and she told me the truth. My mom was so angry at her.” Michele stood and threw the cookie wrapper in the trashcan.
“Don’t you want to meet your dad?”
“My mom asked me that question, and I said, no.” She drank the last sip of her milk.
“You never want to meet him?”
“Okay, here’s the truth. I told my mom no, because he doesn’t know he has a daughter. What if he’s married and has kids. What if he rejects me?” Her eyes filled with unshed tears.
“He would never reject you.” Cody stood in front of her.
“How would you know?” she softly asked.
His heart pounded against his chest. Should he tell her? “Because I’m your father.” The words left his mouth, and there was no taking them back. Michele eyes widened as she surveyed him, as if she saw him for the first time.
She read his nametag. “Mitchell.”
“Yes, doll, my name is Cody Mitchell.”
“Really!” A tear rolled down her beautiful cheeks. “My name is Michele Mitchell.”
Shon gave her his name. He wiped her tears away with his thumb. “Sorry, no touching.” He pulled his hand back.
In an unexpected moved, Michele jumped into his arms, making him kneel down. He didn’t know you could love someone so fast. She cried, and he felt the tears on his blouse.
“I’ve dreamed you would come find me,” Michele said against his shoulders, hugging him tight around his neck. “My dream came true.”
His eyes teared up.
Someone rushed into the break room. He glanced up; it was Shon.
“Michele are you okay?” She gently pulled her out of his embrace.
“Yes, Mom,” she hiccupped. “Is it true? Is he my dad?”
Shon glared at him and then back at their daughter. “Yes, baby.”
He stood, grabbed Michele’s phone, and entered his number. Cody strolled up to her, handed her the gadget, and wiped his little girl’s cheek.
“How could you?” Shon asked weakly.
“Michele, I want you to know,” he tipped her chin, “that I love you, and I will make this right.” He kissed her forehead. “You can call me anytime you want.” He ambled by her. “Shon, I’ll be over at your house tonight. I have to start the assessments.”
He could hear his little girl chuckling. “My dad is awesome. You didn’t tell me he was so nice and handsome. Why didn’t you tell him he had a daughter?”
Cody smiled from ear to ear. Yep, she was her mother’s daughter. He pumped his fist in the air. He was a father. No matter what, he would leave a married man.
***
Shon left work early. She was an emotional wreak, and Michele just kept asking her questions. Cody was angry at her, and she didn’t blame him. However, she made the choice she though was right at the moment. Seeing them together almost broke her heart. She didn’t realize Michele longed for him. All Michele did on the way home was talk about Cody. In her eyes he was perfection, and now she was the bad guy.
Shon texted him her address. She wasn’t in the mood to listen to how wrong she was; she already knew that. Michele dressed while she cooked his favorite meal, spaghetti and meatballs. Why was she going through so much trouble for a man who hated her? He doesn’t hate you. He’s just disappointed, she reminded herself. The doorbell brought her out her thoughts.
She wiped her hands in the kitchen towel and hurried toward the door. She inhaled a deep breath, exhaled and pulled it open.
Cody stood there with two bouquets of roses in his hands, looking delicious in his washed out jeans and blue button down shirt, making his eyes stand out. “Good evening, Shony.” He leaned forward, giving her a kiss on the lips.
“Hi.” She arched an eyebrow. Where was the angry man she left at work today?
“These are for you.” He handed the red roses to her.
“Thank you.” She smelled them. “They’re beautiful.”
“Not as beautiful as you.” Cody sounded so sweet.
She eyed him, something was up. “Come in.” She stepped aside, allowing him to step into the house.
“Mr. Cody.” Michele ran from her room.
“You can call me Cody.” He handed her the other bouquet of pink roses, making her grin.
“Thank you, no one has ever giving me flowers.” She smelled them.
He chuckled. “And no one better until you’re like thirty.”
“Really, Mr. Cody.” She giggled. “Mom said I could start dating at sixteen.”
“She did?” He cocked an eyebrow. “Sweetheart, you can call me Cody,” he mentioned again.
“It’s disrespectful not to say mister or ma’am to an adult.” She glanced at her mother. “Right, Mom?” Shon shook her head, and Michele grabbed Shon’s flowers too. “I’ll put them in a vase.” She walked out of the living room and into the kitchen.
“She’s beautiful,” Cody stared at her retreating form. “We did good.”
“Yes, we did.”
Cody strolled up to her. “I was so mad at you today, and I’m still pissed.” He caressed her chin. “But I thought about it, and I get where you were coming from. I still don’t like it. Babe, you had years to tell me.”
“I was afraid,” she gazed at him, “at your reaction.”
His brows met in confusion. “To Michele?”
“No, to me…” her voice cracked. “I was afraid you would hate me.”
“Shony,” he moved closer, “I could never hate you.”
“Me neither, Mom,” Michele’s voice echoed in the room. “I will always love you to infinity and beyond.”
“To the moon and back.” Shon strolled over to her daughter and hugged her tight.
“You grown ups are too complicated for me.” She placed her index finger to her lips. “I wonder, can I stay a kid?” She giggled. “Mr. Cody, are you ready to eat dinner?”
“Yes, it smells delicious.” He followed them.
“It’s your favorite, spaghetti and meat balls,” Michele pulled out his chair for him. “It’s my favorite too.”
He watched their daughter and pulled out the seat for her. She sat, and he gently pushed her in, and then he repeated the same wi
th Shon.
Cody sat at the head of the table. He grabbed the fork and was about to dig in.
“Wait, you can’t eat without blessing the food,” Michele voiced.
Shon stared at him. “She’s right.”
“Mr. Cody, can you say grace?” Michele asked.
He placed the utensil down on the table. Michele grasped Shon’s and Cody’s hands in hers. They bowed their heads, and Cody said a prayer. “Dear God, we come to you together as a family, asking you to bless the food we are about to eat… Lord, thank you for my many blessing, and for giving me the chance to meet my little girl… Amen.”
“Amen…” they said in unison.
During dinner, Michel bombarded Cody with questions.
“Are your parents still alive? So, when can I meet my grandma and grandpa? Do you have brothers and sisters? Are you moving to be closer to me? Will I be able to visit you? What’s your favorite color, sports…” She went on and on.
Cody handled her with care and understanding, answering each and every question she had.
“Mr. Cody, I like you,” Michele stated.
His chuckle was deep. “I love you, sweetheart.”
“I do too.” Michele picked up his hand and kissed it. “You are my dream come true. I finally have my very own dad. I don’t have to call Mr. Devon anymore.”
It finally hit Shon. Her daughter was searching for a father figure. When they spoke about her father, Michele always brushed it off, saying she didn’t need one. Shon knew now it wasn’t true. She yearned for her own dad.
“Well, now you have me, and you can call me anytime you want.” Cody squeezed her hand.
“You promise?” She stuck out her pinky finger.
“I promise.” He entwined his finger with hers and pulled.
They finished eating, and Michele grabbed their plates, placing them in the dishwasher. “Mr. Cody… do you want to see the flowers I planted in memory of my grandpa?”
He arched his eyebrow.
“My dad past away three years ago,” Shon stood up and ambled over to the kitchen counter.
“I’m so sorry.” She could hear the sincerity in his voice.
His cell phone rang, and he dug into his pocket to retrieve it. “Hello.” His smile grew. Whoever was on the phone, must have made his night. “Michele, do you want to speak to your grandparents?”
Michele’s grin couldn’t get any bigger. “Yes…” He handed her the phone. “Hello…” she began talking and then headed toward her room.
“She’ll be on that phone for a long time,” Cody mentioned.
“You’ve made her summer.” Shon strolled over to the living room and sat on the suede sofa.
“I want to spend as much time as I can with her.” He sat next to her.
“Why don’t you stay here instead of the hotel?” Shon asked, knowing the implications of her offer. If anyone found out, she would be in trouble, but right now she didn’t care. Michele and Cody needed to spend time together, bond as father and daughter, something they should’ve done years ago. Cody eyed her. “You’ll get to spend your free time getting to know her.”
“Yes.” He smiled. “I would love that, but what about your neighbors?” Cody inquired.
“I don’t think we can keep this secret for much longer. It’s going come out. I can’t hide the fact that I have a child with you. If someone asks, I will tell them the truth; that you’re staying with your daughter. I know it will be frowned upon; but, we are not crossing that line, it’s the truth.” Shon leaned back against the pillow. “It’s been such a long day.”
“Yes, it has. I’ll spend the night at the hotel, and I’ll bring my things over after work.” He leaned back on the pillows too.
“I’ll set up the family room for you.” She observed him.
“The family room?”
“Yes, we only have two bedrooms, and I’m not giving mine up.” Shon chuckled. “The couch in the family room is really comfortable, and I can get you one of those cheap portable closets.”
“As long as I’m spending time with my daughter, I don’t care where I stay.” He stared at her. “Where does she go for the summer?”
“The youth center down the road.” Shon sat on her legs. She was still nervous being around him. He was taking this better than she thought he would. She could’ve called, emailed, or messaged him. Shon knew she could find out where he was stationed at any time, if she wanted to, but she decided not to. “Why?”
“I can take her and pick her up.” Cody’s fingers inched up her calves. “She’s a smart kid.”
“She is.” She closed her eyes, enjoying his touches. He was giving her goose bumps. “Michele has a mouth on her.” She started laughing. “She told me a little boy asked her what race was she, black or white? Because of the color of her eyes, and her answer was I am me… I’m not a color. I’m a human being and then walked away. I had to give her a high five.”
“Does she get that a lot?” Cody’s voice changed; he sounded protective.
“No, kids will be kids.” She opened her eyes, staring at him. “Michele can handle her own, Cody. She told me she’s African-American or Caucasian when she wants to be and sometimes Hispanic.”
Now it was him chuckling. “Smart girl. She takes after her mother.”
“Oh yes, she does.” Being with Cody like this was what she really wanted; she was just too afraid to reach out and grab it. She hadn’t seen Michele this happy in a while. Why couldn’t they just be happy and forget about the consequences?
“Shon, I still love you.” He tickled her feet with his fingers.
“I’ve never stopped.” She gazed at him.
“We will make this work… I will make this work, because I’m not losing you or Michele again.” He leaned forward, feathering a kiss on her lips. Cody backed away and saw the albums Michele had set out on the coffee table for him to see.
“Those are her albums.”
Cody grabbed the one closet to him and opened it. The first item in the book was the card that read, it’s a girl. It said, Baby Blake, followed by her newborn picture. “Five pounds, seven ounces.” Cody cleared his throat. “My baby.” He gently moved his finger over each picture. “She still looks the same.”
“Yes… yes she does.” Shon lowered her feet to the hardwood floor and stood. Cody needed this time by himself. She could see him getting emotional; he cleared his throat a couple of times and sniffed. She ambled away, and he didn’t even notice. Cody was too busy looking at the pictures and reading every note in the books. He was a proud father; she was so wrong for keeping the truth from him. She prayed he could forgive her one-day.
Chapter Five
Two weeks later…
Cody slept on the sofa, when he felt small, soft hands shake his feet.
“Mr. Cody…”
His eyes fluttered open, staring into his daughter’s bright eyes. “Yes.” He rubbed his eyelids, trying to focus. Sleeping on the couch was uncomfortable for a man his size, but he didn’t mind as long as he got to spend time with his little girl.
“Are you taking me to summer camp today?”
“Yes.” Cody sat up.
“I was wondering…” She twisted her hands together. “Can you join me today? They are having a father, daughter thing, and I wanted you to come.”
She stared into his eyes, making him feel like shit. He couldn’t make it; he had to wrap up one of his inspections at the command. Why didn’t she ask him sooner? “I’m so sorry, Michele. I have something very important to take care of at work.”
Michele’s features changed, and her lips turned down at the corners. “I understand.” She backed away from him.
Cody reached out and circled her wrist with his hand. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I promise I’ll make it up to you.”
“It’s okay.” Her eyes shone with unshed tears. “I have to get dressed.” She moved out of his embrace. Her shoulder dropped as she ambled to the back of the house to her room.
&
nbsp; “Shit…” Cody uttered quietly. He stood and grabbed his uniform out of the portable closet Shon had bought for him. The family room had become his temporary bedroom. He strolled over to the bathroom and got dressed.
***
Cody knocked on her open office door.
