Six Weeks Later

Grief was a strange emotion. There were some days that Lesly felt as though she could conquer the world and that the pain of losing her last parent had gone. Then she’d think about Chris and how much he’d hurt her and then remember it had been the same week her father had died. There were other days that it hurt so much that it was hard to get out of bed and face anything. And the anger that was building inside scared her because she often wondered how it would manifest itself. She’d heard about people who’d gone crazy after experiencing loss like she had and it frightened her. She didn’t want to be the resident crazy person in Grayson, but yet she had no idea how to express any of what she was feeling. Sometimes she’d write it down in a journal or type it into a word document on her computer. But then she’d rip out the page or delete the entry and wonder how to start it over again.

She hadn’t heard from Chris at all. He hadn’t texted or called and even though she was dying to find out from James if he’d tried asking about her through JC, she held back because it was better not knowing. It was better trying to forget Chris Kirkpatrick even existed and had ever been a part of her life.

And then there was Gabe. She’d run into his mother at Kroger two weeks after the funeral and his mother informed her that Gabe had gone back to California to try and settle his divorce. When Lesly had looked puzzled, Mrs. DeAngeles then went on to inform her that Gabe was going through a messy divorce and had come out to Grayson to get some closure. Lesly didn’t dare mention that she’d slept with Gabe while he’d been home, because it seemed to her that Mrs. DeAngeles had had no idea. It then made Lesly realize how stupid she’d been with that entire situation and had gone crawling back to James begging for forgiveness about not believing her story with the girl at the sex shop. It all made sense to her now. Gabe had only used her.

Even though James had told her she could take off as much time as she needed, Lesly went back to work almost immediately. She needed to be with other people, especially now that the Christmas holidays were fast approaching. James had already told her that she could spend Christmas with her and JC because Thanksgiving for Lesly had been an absolute disaster. She’d spent it with Dane and Briane at Briane’s mother’s apartment. It was crowded, Briane’s relatives were quite loud, and the food had been cold when everyone had sat down to eat. By the time Lesly left, she was more thankful to be away from her family than anything else that day.

She wanted things back to normal, even though she really didn’t know what “normal” looked like anymore. The last month or so had been a whirlwind of hurt and disappointment and even though Lesly knew she’d grow out of all of this into a stronger person, she still felt as though she was spiraling down the world’s biggest black hole.

Chris had not forgotten her. In fact, she was all he thought about. He barely talked to Stephanie, except when they had to go to the doctor’s office together. He tried to convince himself that things would be easier once the baby got here, but he knew it was a lie. If anything, life would only get more difficult and Stephanie would be in his world forever. Chris had texted and talked to JC several times, but JC told him he wasn’t going to take sides and that he should figure out a way to get over Lesly. Chris knew he had to, he just didn’t know how.

“Here,” Stephanie thrust a piece of cardstock at him, when he met her at the doctor’s office.

“What is it?” he looked at her warily, and then looked down at the cardstock in his hand. He rolled his eyes when he saw what it was. An invitation to a couple’s shower for him and Stephanie. He couldn’t believe it. They were anything but a couple…more like a sick arrangement of some sort thrust together because she was supposedly having his baby.

“And you can invite Josh and Jamie,” Stephanie told him, almost giving him a patronizing smile.

“James,” Chris cleared his throat.

“Well, whatever. You can invite her,” Stephanie sighed, and took the invitation from him. “I just need their address.” She began to dig around in her purse for something.

“Wait, are you only inviting them so Lesly will find out?” he asked her, raising an eyebrow as he sat down.

“No. I’m inviting them because you have some sick connection with them and I know you’ll want them there,” Stephanie didn’t look up at him.

“Why do I not believe you,” Chris muttered, and rubbed his face in his hands.

“That’s your problem, sweetie,” Stephanie snapped and pulled out her phone and started to text someone. “Invite them or don’t, I don’t care. I was just trying to be a good girlfriend.”

“You are not my girlfriend. We’ve been over that,” Chris didn’t bother looking at her when he spoke. He leaned back in the chair, closing his eyes, and praying for the whole ordeal to be over soon. He’d be a good father, but he’d be damned if Stephanie thought she was getting something out of this after the baby came.

JC opened the invitation and knew as soon as James saw it, it would go in the trash. There was no way she’d betray Lesly like that. He sighed and opened the pantry where the garbage can sat in the kitchen. Just as he went to throw it in, James walked in with a load of laundry and Sutton trailing behind her.

“But it’s not that cold, Mommy!” Sutton was protesting. “It’s sunny outside!”

“It’s 60 degrees today and you’re not going swimming,” James sighed, passing JC. “What’s that?” she looked at the invitation still in his hand.

“Um, we got an invitation,” JC answered, as James went back into the laundry room to put the clothes in the wash.

“To what?” James called, as she started the wash. “Sutton, no, stop asking. I told you it’s too cold. We can go outside and color with your chalk on the pavement, but you’re not swimming.”

“Well,” JC coughed. “Chris and Stephanie’s baby shower.”

“Daddy, do you think it’s too cold?” Sutton persisted and JC looked down at his daughter and shook his head.

“You’re not playing that card with me. You heard your mom. It’s too cold. Sorry, kiddo,” he cupped her chin in between his thumb and forefinger. “Go find something else to do.”

James walked back into the kitchen and took the invitation from her husband. She read it and snorted, shaking her head. “I have a feeling this was all Stephanie.”

“I’m sure it was,” JC answered. “And I already know we’re not going to go. I was just throwing it away when you walked in.”

James smiled at him. “Though it would be interesting to see what happened,”

JC looked at her incredulously. “What are you saying? We should go?”

James shrugged. “I’ll talk to Lesly first and see what she thinks about us going. But I think it would be a circus act and quite entertaining. Plus, it would definitely give me a chance to see just who this woman is that has such a hold on Chris.”

“Could we bring a DNA test with us? Make him take one? I just still can’t believe that kid is his,” JC said. “I believe he probably had sex with her when she says, but Chris has always said that Stephanie bounced back and forth with him with other guys all the time. He’s probably the only one that can give her stability with child support every month.”

“I think you’re right,” James nodded and looked back down at the invitation. “Also, who does their baby invites in purple and leopard print? Are we going to a bachelorette party or a baby shower?!” She shook her head and placed the invitation on the counter. Sutton walked into the kitchen dressed in her bathing suit.

“What do you think you’re doing?” James couldn’t help but nearly burst out laughing at her stubborn daughter.

“You said it was too cold to swim but can I run around in the sprinkler?” Sutton asked, just as serious as she could be.

It was JC’s turn to laugh. “Sutton Elizabeth Chasez. You are something else. No, you’re not doing anything outside that involves water. But I tell you what. You can go upstairs and play in the Jacuzzi in our bathroom. Do you want to do that?”

Knowing she was defeated, Sutton let out a sigh and muttered, “Ok,” before turning quickly and running toward her parents’ bedroom.

The next day at work, James showed Lesly the invitation for the couples shower for Chris and Stephanie. “I’m only going to go if you say it’s OK. The only reason we even thought about it was to see exactly who this girl is and judging from the invitations, it should be interesting for sure.”

Lesly looked at the invite in James’ hand. She couldn’t help but smirk at it. It was ridiculous. Purple leopard print for a baby shower. She could see why James and JC wanted to see for themselves what it entailed. Lesly looked at James. “Yeah. As long as you promise to fill me in on every tacky detail.”

James grinned at her friend. “It would be my honor, Les.”

Chris sat nervously and tapped his fingers against the arm of the sofa at Stephanie’s mother’s house. The entire living room had been draped in purple and everything from the food to the decorations was either purple, brown, or black to match the leopard print theme. Stephanie was having a girl and purple was her favorite color. Even though she was getting closer and closer to the due date, Chris still had yet to feel any sort of connection with the child in her womb. He’d tried to be excited, but the more he saw Stephanie, the more he wished there was a way to run the other way. He’d already told Joey that he was taking a paternity test just as soon as he was able.

The guests were mostly friends of Stephanie’s. Chris was relieved when he saw Joey and Kelly and then James and JC walk through the door. Both couples came over and sat next to him on the sofa.

“Thanks for coming,” he leaned over to JC and James. “It really means a lot.”

“We’re here for you,” JC said and gave Chris’ knee a small pat.

At that moment, Stephanie’s mother stood up to welcome everyone. She was just as skanky looking as Stephanie, James was thinking to herself. Stephanie’s mother wore thick eyeliner, had on too much lipstick, and looked as though the last surgery on her eyelift had gone terribly wrong. She spoke with a husky voice that told everyone she’d spent most of her life smoking non-filtered cigarettes. “We’re so excited for Steph and Chris! We can’t wait for Baby Rowena to get here!”

“Rowena?!” Joey looked over at Chris, who just shrugged.

“I have no say in this kid’s life. I’m just a paycheck,” Chris muttered, just loud enough for his friends to hear.

“Yes, Rowena Amanda Jaid Kirkpatrick!” Stephanie beamed from the other side of the room.

“Good luck learning to spell all of that,” JC whispered to James, who stifled a giggle.

“Let’s open presents now, Mom,” Stephanie pointed to the pile of presents next to her. “Chris, come over here and help me open them!”

“I’m good where I am,” Chris responded, prompting Stephanie to glare at him.

“Sweetie, this is our shower for our baby. You need to come over here and open our presents!” she was trying not to snap, but everyone could plainly see how obvious it was that the two shower honorees were not at all getting along.

“Oh, let him sit there,” Stephanie’s mother rolled her eyes. “He’s just being lazy.”

“I’m not being lazy,” Chris retorted. He reluctantly got up and went to sit next to Stephanie. She tossed a glaring smile over at JC and James and Joey and Kelly.

“Are we supposed to feel threatened?” Kelly whispered to James, who hid her face in JC’s arm to keep from laughing aloud. She looked back at Kelly and shrugged, rolling her eyes. Their attention was now focused on Stephanie, who, when opening a gift would practically throw it at Chris and wait for her friends to gush and ooh and ah over it. James thought most of the baby outfits she’d registered for were extremely tacky and had no idea where she’d even found them.

“Who knew they made leopard print and fuschia onesies?” she told JC later on, as they made their way through the food table in the kitchen.

“I hope you’re not getting any ideas for Olivia’s new outfits,” he winked at her and James shook her head. “Hey, I’ll take our plates. Can you grab us two sodas?”

“Sure,” James handed him her plate of food and went over to the drink table. As she was pouring her drink, she heard two voices behind her getting food. Two of Stephanie’s friends, no doubt, judging from the conversation.

“Do you think Chris knows?”

“You mean about Andy? Hell no. She’s not stupid. Andy’s got three jobs. She knows if she claims Chris is the father, she’ll get more money. Besides, all she’s gotta do is stay with him long enough to get child support once the baby’s born,”

“Yeah, but won’t they notice something’s up when the baby looks nothing like Chris? And isn’t Andy from Barbados or something?”

“No, he’s from Cuba,”

“Well, see, you can’t pass off a Cuban baby as Chris’s,”

“Maybe. He’s kinda dark complexioned…”

James had heard enough but there was no way to get out of the situation she was in without drawing attention to herself. Thankfully, one of the girls’ cell phone rang and it was apparently someone both of them knew, so they were distracted enough for James to bolt out of the kitchen and go back into the living room. She was fuming. She wanted to tell Stephanie off right then and there but she refused to make a scene. Her heart was racing. Chris had to know and he had to know sooner than later.

“We have to take Chris to dinner,” she told JC. “I just overheard a conversation that proves he’s not this baby’s dad.”

“Wait, what?!” Joey had overheard her and soon he and Kelly were in on everything. James tried to be as discreet as possible while filling them all in and as she did, JC looked over at Chris who was sitting alone, completely miserable. He stood and walked over to his friend.

“Hey, I hope you don’t have any plans after this. We all want to take you out for dinner. And once you hear what we have to tell you, probably a few drinks,” he told Chris. “Trust me, this is going to make your entire year.”

“Just tell me now,” Chris sighed, looking up at JC. “I’m exhausted and all I want to do is go home.”

JC shook his head. “I can’t do that, man. It would cause a scene.”

“I don’t care,” Chris responded. “I’m over all of this. Seriously. I’m done.”

JC nodded and patted Chris’s shoulder. He leaned down and quietly said, “Ask her who Andy is,” then walked back over to James, Joey and Kelly.

Chris waited for Stephanie to sit down again and while everyone was enjoying their food, he spoke, loud enough for all of the guests to hear him and said, “So, Steph, who’s Andy?”

Silence.

James reached over and grabbed JC’s arm, daring herself to look at what was about to unfold.

“I’ll ask you again. Who’s Andy?” Chris folded his arms and looked at her, waiting for Stephanie to say something.

“He, um, he’s a friend. What? I can’t have friends who are males? Should we get started on your little tramp in Georgia?” Stephanie smirked over at James, who went to say something, but JC put his hand on her leg and squeezed it, letting her know to keep quiet for now.

“Oh my god, he knows!” said one of the girls that James had overheard in the kitchen.

“Knows? Knows what?” Chris asked, waiting for Stephanie’s answer.

“Nothing!” Stephanie snapped and looked over at her friend. “Shut up, Renee!”

“No, I want to know what I supposedly am supposed to know,” Chris continued. “Who’s Andy and what should I know?”

“Andy is a friend. I told you that!” Stephanie was getting frustrated and the whole room was silent, watching the scene unfold before them.

“That still doesn’t answer my question,” Chris looked over at Renee. “Renee, what am I supposed to know?”

“I think he really does know but he just wants you to say it,” said the other girl who was in the conversation from earlier.

“Well, I’m not saying anything!” Renee looked down at her food, suddenly becoming quite interested in her pigs in a blanket.

“Oh, but please enlighten me,” Chris said, somewhat patronizingly. “I’d hate for all of this to come out after the baby’s born and I’ve been slapped with child support fees or something.” He looked at Stephanie. “I want to know who Andy is. And I want the truth. And if you don’t tell me the truth, I have a few sources who could tell me.”

“Shit,” James mumbled, looking up at JC. “Is he serious? I feel like we’re all on trial now.”

“Oh, I think it’s about to come out. Don’t worry,” JC winked at his wife, and went back to the show in front of him.

“Fine. Andy is, is a friend-“ Stephanie started.

“Yeah, babe. We got that. We know he’s your friend. What else?” Chris interrupted her.

Stephanie glowered at him and continued, “He’s a friend. And he’s kind of into me. We met a few months ago and-“

“How many months ago? Five months ago?” Chris prodded.

“Would you let me finish!” she practically screamed.

“I think this is a conversation you two should have after the shower. Let’s play a game!” Stephanie’s mother interrupted them.

“No, Barb, I think we’d all like to hear about Andy,” Chris said, and looked back at Stephanie. “Because if he is who I’m guessing he might be, I’m wasting my time here.”

Stephanie gritted her teeth and glared back at Renee, who was now looking at her friend, terrified. “Andy is a friend and we have been friends for a few months. I don’t know when we met exactly….” She trailed off.

“Whatever, this is stupid. Chris, Andy is really the father of the baby. She just wants money from you,” Joey suddenly spoke up. The whole room turned to look from Joey back to Stephanie and Chris. “We kind of figured that out back when you found out she was pregnant. So it’s not like any of us-“ he pointed to JC, James, and Kelly-“are in the least bit surprised. But I think if you leave now, you could probably follow the Chasez’s back to Grayson and get your girl.”