I sit in the living room with Theresa in the playpen with the envelope in my hands. I’m sitting and waiting. Sitting and waiting.

And finally, all my sitting and waiting pays off because she just walks in. “Justin?”

“In here.” My voice is all full of nothingness.

She walks in and smiles and looks down at Theresa and runs her hand over her head. How sweet. “Brit?”

She looks over at me and her smile disappears. “You went snooping?”

“No. I was looking for a sweater I left here.”

“I got rid of it.” She crosses her arms over her chest. She’s leaning against the wall. Me sitting in a chair. “What do you want me to explain that?” She nods towards the envelope sitting in my lap.

“It’d be nice.”

She leans over the playpen and takes Theresa in her arms. It’s amazing how fast kids grow. She’s already four months now. She kisses her forehead and looks at me. “I lied.”

My jaw sets and I nod. “So she is mine?”

“Do I have to spell it out for you?” She places Theresa on her left hip and sighs. “She’s yours.” She hands her to me and walks away.

I guess she meant that in more ways than one.

The phone rungs.

I pick it up.

“You have a call from the Florida state penitentiary press one to connect.”

I push one. The damn son of a bitch isn’t going to keep doing this to me.

“Hello sweetheart.”

“Father.” I nod. Although I know he can’t see me. “What do you want?”

“Just checking up on you. I heard you have a new boy toy. Does he touch you the way I do?”

Tears fill my eyes. “Fuck off.” I hang up the phone.

The phone rings.

I stare at it and pick it up.

“Lauren?”

I sigh a sigh of relief. “Yeah? I thought we decided not to talk?”

“I need you.”

And it’s like that.

It’s always like that.

I’m gone.

She picks me up a half hour later. I can see the choclate cake from here. She knows it’s bad. She knows it has to be bad if I told her to come get me and Theresa as soon as possible.

She opens her door and gets out and helps me buckle Theresa in with her car seat. Not saying a word to one another. I figure it can wait until Theresa is asleep and we have time to ourselves to talk. We both get it and we head off onto the interstate and we head home.

“Michael lives with me now Justin.”

“I know.” I nod. I do. JC told me. “JC told me.”

She nods and bites her lower lip. “I’ll wait till later to ask what’s going on.”

I sigh and look out the window. “Good idea.”

A half hour later we’re at her house and I unbuckle Theresa and take her inside. I walk up the stairs and take her out of the car seat and place her on the bed and surround her with a thousand pillows.

Slowly I walk down the stairs and there’s cake on the coffee table for me. I take it and sit down and begin to eat. She walks in with hers too and sits down across from me on the couch. “What happened?”

I swallow the cake and sigh. My eyes drift upstairs. I need to go out and but a baby monitor for her, for where ever we are tomorrow or tonight. “She’s mine.”

She places her cake on the table and curls her legs underneath her. She’s acting more calm than I thought. “She is?”

I nod. “I found the proof. The one you were looking for to tell me she wasn’t.”

“She has your curly hair.” She licks her lips and grabs the glass of milk and takes a sip. “So what was the proof?”

“A few pictures that I have no idea what they mean. And a birth certificate that has Theresa Lynn Timberlake on it.” I sigh and place my cake down. I can’t eat.

She nods. “That’s all?” She plays with her hair. “She just handed Theresa over to you?”

“She said she was mine and handed her to me and left.”

“That doesn’t necessarily mean you could take her away from the house Justin.” She sighs. “Three could be problems with this. She could go and take you to court.”

“Let her. She doesn’t deserve Theresa. I mean, who would want their child in the care of a person who would straight up lie to someone about something like this? I don’t care if she is her mother.”

She sighs and rests her hand over mine. “I know you feel that way. But you need to think reasonably.”

“I am.” I groan. “I saw her eyes.” I sigh and look out the window at the street. There’s some teens walking by. “They were dark. Full of...disgust. I don’t know if she truly loves Theresa or not.”

“You think she was just acting it all until you found out?” she looks like she doesn’t believe me.

“Yeah.” I nod. “I think so.”

I nod.

I think so.