Seven: Baby Daddy

When I got into the house I went straight to my bedroom. Liam was still inside of his crib sleeping soundly. I didn't hesitate to take this brief break to shower and wash my hair. I felt like so human once I got out the shower that I decided to flat iron my hair which I hadn't done in weeks.

 

I was just coming out the bathroom with a towel wrapped around my body when Mike's room door opened.

 

"He stayed asleep the whole time," Mike said with his face set in an accusatory way.

 

"That's good," I told him, but the way he was staring made me stop, "what?"

 

"Are you leaving again?" Mike asked looking angry now.

 

"No," I shot back at him.

 

"Why is your hair done?" Mike asked and now I was mad.

 

"I can't take the little time I have for myself to do my own hair without people jumping down my throat, good Lord!" I practically screamed.
 

"It's just a f*****g question!" Mike shouted at me with his voice booming off the hallway walls, "it's not like you wouldn't leave in the middle of the night to chase after some dude."

 

"F**k you!" I responded.

 

"Go f**k yourself, watch your own damn kid!" Mike said and with that he slammed his door.

 

I turned to my left to see Celia's room door cracked opened. It hadn't been that way prior to me taking my shower.

 

"What the hell do you want?" I screamed and the door shut abruptly.

 

Without another word I went into my room and dressed for bed. I wrapped my hair up and laid down with the lights off. As soon as my head hit the pillow my cell phone went off.

 

"She had the babies, I'm a dad!" Sonny wrote in his text message to me.

 

"Congratulations!" I answered him.

 

"I have a son and a daughter now. I beat you," Sonny sent to me.

 

"Ha," I responded before falling into a deep sleep.

 

During the week I kept busy by focusing all my attention on Liam. He was happy to be in my arms constantly and with the birth of Violetta and Sonny's little boy and girl mom and Arthur were always away making the rounds as proud grandparents.

 

I avoided calls, texts, and MySpace messages from anyone in The Crew. I knew they wouldn't come looking for me so I was glad for the break. The only person I truly wanted to see was Greg and on the seventh day my wish came true.

 

To cure my endless boredom I continued to take walks in the evening while pushing Liam in his stroller. I was rounding the corner just down the street from my house and across from the park. I didn't expect to see anyone, but there he was walking toward me looking quite handsome I might add.

 

Greg spotted me before I did him and I was relieved to see him still advancing toward me. If anything he sped up.

 

"Myra," Greg said when we were five feet within each other.

 

"Hi," I managed to say and I knew I'd have to blame the sudden rush of redness plastered across my face on the heat.

 

"How are things?" Greg asked and his wedding ring reflected off the sun and almost blinded me.

 

"Good, you?" I asked trying to keep myself together.

 

"Wonderful, I moved to New York, started school, and got married," Greg said listing off his accomplishments.

 

He showed no outward signs of wanting to hold or ever see Liam. Hell, he didn't even bring up the events that proceeded his departure from Pinewood Acres. He stood there smiling impishly. My shyness was quickly turning to rage.

 

"That sounds dandy," I quipped flatly.

 

"Is everything alright?" Greg asked me and it was now that I noted how he hadn't made any effort to move closer toward me.

 

"Yes..no...it's just...," and I found that my my had gone blank with anger.

 

Liam, my saving grace, began to squirm and cry. The heat was getting to him and the little fan I had propped up against his bottle holder wasn't helping much.

 

"Is that," Greg paused, "your son?"

 

"It is," I said, going around the stroller and lifting Liam out.

 

Greg stood there no longer grinning. He looked like he wanted to run and yet he held his composure.

 

"You're a good mother," Greg said, "that's what my mom tells me."

 

"I guess," I answered him as I fished out a bottle full of cold apple juice from the baby bag.

 

"What did you name him?" Greg asked and I looked at him as I frowned.

 

"Liam Andrew," I said proudly.

 

"Liam, I like that name, when was he born?" Greg asked and now I sucked my teeth.

 

"March sixteenth," I answered rudely.

 

"Is it alright if I come closer, I want to look at him," Greg said.

 

"It's ok, he doesn't bite," I told him trying to lighten the mood.

 

Greg wiped a bead of sweat off his brow and stepped closer until he was no more than a foot away from Liam who looked up at him and smiled. Even with the bottle in his mouth I knew Greg could see the resemblances.

 

"He looks healthy," Greg commented.

 

"He looks exactly like his dad," I said looking up at Greg who met my gaze.

 

We locked eyes until the car pulled up right next to us. Eddie was blasting his reggae music and Greg jumped back looking disturbed.

 

"Hey Myra, what are you doing out here with that baby?" Eddie asked me.

 

"Taking a walk," I said turning my body toward him.

 

"I'll give you a ride home, hop in," Eddie called to me, but I shook my head.

 

"I'm just up the street from my house, I'll be fine," I said.

 

"It's not you I'm worried about, it's Liam," Eddie corrected my blunder.

 

I looked over at Greg who was still trying to make sense of the situation.

 

"He's ok," I told him, but Eddie had fixed his eyes on Greg and I knew he was sizing him up.

 

"Who are you?" Eddie asked Greg who now looked pensive.

 

"I don't want any trouble, buddy," Greg said putting his hands in front of him.

 

"What's his problem?" Eddie asked me.

 

"Nothing," I said annoyed, "Greg, this is Eddie. He's..."

 

I couldn't finish because Greg was already backing away.

 

"Talk to you later, Myra, and take care of Liam," Greg said before retreating back to his house.

 

"Crazy cracker," Eddie said loud enough for Greg to hear, "so hey girl, what you doing?"

 

"Ugh, going home," I said as I put a smiling Liam back in his stroller.

 

"Fine, I'll walk with you," Eddie, who had now stopped his car and was opening his door, said.

 

"You're parked facing the wrong side of the road," I said as I walked away from him.

 

"Who cares? In a neighborhood like this they'll think I'm some movie star who can't be bothered with little things like parking violations," Eddie said.

 

"Don't talk about my 'hood like that," I said with a smirk.

 

"Your 'hood? Honey, there's nothing 'hood about this place," Eddie told me.

 

"How would you know?" I asked turning to him.

 

"Better question is how would you?" Eddie said threw back at me.

 

We crossed the street. I could see Greg going up his driveway and into his house.

 

"Anyways," I said, not wanting to go into my sordid past, "what are you up to?"

 

"Just cruising around," Eddie said, "I'm leaving tomorrow."

 

"Back to Iraq?" I asked with my heart racing as I did.

 

"Yes ma'am," Eddie replied to me.

 

"Did you find what you were looking for in Eliza's room?" I asked trying to keep my probing casual.

 

"What makes you think I was looking for anything?" Eddie shot back at me.

 

"I don't know, it just seemed like you were very interested in that little book you were reading," I said without backing down.

 

"I just didn't want anything important to be thrown awhile is all," Eddie said, now less tense, "that's part of the reason I came looking for you."

 

Eddie stopped and so did I. We were one house down from mine as he dug through the pocket of his jean shorts and produced the thick pink book that I'd seen in Eliza's room.

 

"What's that?" I asked, not giving him a chance to explain.

 

"It's Eliza's diary," Eddie said, "I've been reading it since I got here. There are detailed accounts of all the stuff that happened to her when she was living with her mom. I didn't want Whitney to find it because I know Eliza wouldn't want her to know."

 

"You're a thoughtful man," I said looking Eddie in his beautiful eyes.

 

"Don't go getting all sentimental on me, I liked you better when you were tough," Eddie said laughing as he spoke.

 

"I'm not tough," I said growing red with embarrassment.

 

"Yes you are and I like that. Don't ever change," Eddie said.

 

"I won't," I promised him.

 

"Good, now take this book with you and hide it," Eddie instructed, "I'll be back after Christmas to get it."

 

"I could just mail it to you," I said, not wanting him to waste all his time coming out here to California to pick the book up.

 

"No, I'll pick it up in person," Eddie said and we were now stopped right in front of my house.

 

"So, this is the last time I'll be seeing you until next year?" I asked him.

 

"Yes, are you sad?" Eddie asked.

 

"Not really," I said and he rolled his eyes.

 

"You're so different from these other girls, when you're birthday?" Eddie asked me.

 

"March sixth," I replied.

 

"Oh, and you'll be sixteen next year?" Eddie, now looking toward the car pulling into my driveway, asked.

 

"Yep and I couldn't be more excited," I answered him as I turned to see Arthur and mom getting out of her range rover.

 

"I'll be twenty by then, I hope I'm not too old for you," Eddie said awkwardly.

 

"You're not," I said with a smile.

 

"Well see you later," Eddie said turning away from me, he stopped in his tracks and then turned around again, "oh and Myra."

 

"Yes?" I asked.

 

"Would you mind if I wrote to you?" Eddie asked, "it get's awfully lonely out there."

 

"I wouldn't mind at all," I said because I really didn't.

 

"Good, because I've already memorized your address," Eddie said and before I could respond he walked away.

Reviews

[Tina Kline]

Like this chapter. The diary is perhaps just a easy way to stay connected to Myra, an excuse to come back perhaps. Grey seemed shook to see his son and perhaps yet another man interested in Myra. Myra will read the diary I'm thinking.

Excellent story!

[trish420]

Ahh! What's in the diary?!? And damn Greg's bein' a d****e LOL Very good writing.... can;t wait to see where it goes...