Jaylin's World Read online

  Dinner was cozy and delicious. Jaylin and I walked to a sushi bar close by. On the way back, I hugged his waist, while he had his arm around my shoulder. Life had been so good to us, and I was a bit disappointed that Tiffanie and Shane couldn’t get their act together.

  “I’m staying out of it, Jaylin, but I hope Shane knows what he’s doing. Tiffanie is a jewel, and he’s always talked about meeting a woman who has her head on straight.”

  “Truth is, Nokea, Shane just ain’t ready to settle down. He’s talking to a few other chicks, and Tiffanie is having a hard time accepting that. He already told her that he wasn’t ready for the kind of relationship she wants. When he suggested that they take it slow and just be friends, she got upset. If you ask me, he’s being too damn nice to her. He needs to cut her off, until she’s willing to abide by the rules.”

  I slowed my pace, easing my arms from around Jaylin’s waist. “That’s not nice. I knew Shane was talking to other people, but I didn’t think it was serious. Maybe Tiffanie should just back off, because no woman needs to keep pursuing a man who doesn’t want her.”

  Jaylin pulled me back into his arms. “It’s not that he doesn’t like her, and believe me when I say he does. Shane is just ... He’s funny-acting about relationships. Since he’s been burned so many times, it’s hard for him to keep putting his heart into relationships. Whatever he decides, I got his back. He’ll know when the time is right, and only the man himself knows when that time really is.”

  Jaylin and I went into the house, but everyone was asleep. Shane was gone, and Jaylin said he was at a friend’s house. It was after midnight, so I changed into my short peach nightgown and got into bed. Like always, Jaylin stripped naked and climbed into bed behind me. He cradled my backside and kissed my cheek.

  “Good night,” I said, turning my cheek up to him. “I love you.”

  “I love you too, but you’d better remove that nightgown so we can finish what we started in the closet earlier. I had to rush, and now I can take my time, since the kids are asleep.”

  I swear, as soon as those words left his mouth, the double doors to our bedroom squeaked open. Jaylene stood in a soft pink nightgown, while holding a white teddy bear in her hand. Her thick, long pigtails were braided past her shoulders, and she had on a game face for her daddy. She held the teddy bear against her chest, and her big, round gray eyes stared right at Jaylin.

  “Daddy, can I sleep in bed with you?” she said, swaying from side to side.

  Jaylin dropped his head back on the plush pillow, letting out a deep sigh. “When ... Why in the hell did these kids learn how to walk? We didn’t have this problem when they couldn’t walk. We have got to get a lock on those doors.”

  Before Jaylin could say anything else, Jaylene had run into the room and got into bed with us. She was all smiles, and Jaylin couldn’t do nothing but cover his bottom half with the covers. He put his arms around Jaylene, and she laid her head on his shoulder. Within minutes, she was out.

  “Psst,” he whispered over to me. “Are you asleep too?”

  I yawned and chuckled underneath my breath. “I’m on my way.”

  “You think this shit funny, don’t you?”

  “It is funny. And that’s what you get for spoiling her so much. She’s going to keep doing that every single night. Until you start telling her no, then you can forget about getting some nooky.”

  Jaylin looked at Jaylene and kissed her forehead. She moved around; then she tightened her arms around his neck. I couldn’t help but laugh and turn my back.

  “Psst,” he whispered again. “What you doing?”

  “I’m going to sleep.”

  “Damn, that’s fucked up. I thought you’d play with my dick or something. You can bring some kind of excitement to a brotha, can’t you?”

  I reached over and rubbed my hand on top of the cover; I felt his hardness. After I slapped my hand around a few times, I turned my back and smiled.

  “Dang, you wrong for that.” He pinched my butt really hard.

  “Ouch,” I yelled, and then moved over. “That hurt!”

  “Good. And whenever I make my way into it again, I’m gonna kill it! I can promise you that.”

  “I look forward to it. Now go to sleep. Thanks to your precious little child, you don’t have anything coming tonight.”

  He agreed, and within the hour, we had all fallen asleep. I was knocked out, until I heard the phone ring. It was on the nightstand next to Jaylin, and he reached over to answer it.

  “Hello,” he said in a groggy, soft tone. “Who?” He paused for a while. Figuring that it was Shane, I barely tuned in. I glanced at the alarm clock and it showed 3:45. My eyes were too tired to stay open, but I heard Jaylin say, “All right, tomorrow.” He hung up the phone.

  When I asked who it was, he confirmed that it was Shane. I glanced over at LJ, who was now in the bed with us too. I dropped my head on the pillow so I could go back to sleep.

  JAYLIN

  The phone call I’d gotten last night shocked the hell out of me. All I could hear was Scorpio crying over the phone, telling me that she needed to talk to me as soon as possible. I had no idea what was going on. Even though I wanted to elaborate on her purpose for the call, I couldn’t. Nokea was awake, and there was no way I was going to tell her Scorpio was on the phone.

  Yes, I was a bit nervous about the call, and it had been at least two years ... more than that, since I’d last seen her. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about her from time to time, but it wasn’t like my thoughts of her were interfering with my marriage. I figured she was pretty happy with Bruce. Also, since I’d given up my parental rights to Mackenzie, everything, to me, was a done deal. That was something I never, ever wanted to do, but Scorpio made me feel so guilty for trying to hold her back. She had agreed to keep what had happened between us a secret, and the least I could do was give her something she had asked me for in return. The decision I’d made about Mackenzie didn’t come easy. As a matter of fact, that shit hurt me like hell. I wasn’t quite right after doing that. To this day, it disturbed me that Mackenzie was not a part of my life. She was the person who’d shown me how to love somebody, and giving up my parental rights to her was like giving up on the love of my life.

  On Sunday, I told Nokea that Shane and I were going to the office to catch up on some work. She knew I’d been spending some time at our new office, but she also knew that this was something I didn’t want to do on a regular basis. I told her I’d be back soon. Even though I wanted to tell Shane about the phone call from Scorpio, I didn’t. I wasn’t sure how he would feel about it. After all, the two of them used to be lovers.

  As soon as we got to our building, Shane went into his office and got on his computer. I went into my office and closed the door. I sat back in the leather swivel chair; then I picked up the phone. I called Scorpio’s cell phone number as I kept taking peeks at Shane through the tall glass windows. He seemed occupied, so I didn’t expect any interruptions. Scorpio answered her phone, causing my stomach to feel queasy.

  “It’s Jaylin. What was up with your call in the middle of the night?”

  “I’m sorry about calling so early in the morning, but I figured everyone would be asleep. I—I need you, Jaylin,” she said as her voice cracked. “I don’t mean to burden you with this, but I need you so bad.”

  I laid my index finger on the side of my face, almost afraid to ask her why she needed me. “What’s going on, Scorpio?”

  “My babies were in a car accident. They almost lost their lives, and I’m so—”

  “Who? Mackenzie? Mackenzie was in a car accident?” My brows went up.

  “Yes. She was badly hurt, Jaylin, and I can’t do this alone.”

  “Why you ... When did this happen?”

  “Almost three weeks ago. She’s been in the hospital since then, and she broke—”

  “Why you just now calling me? It’s been three fucking weeks and you just now calling? How serious is it?” M
y face was scrunched, and I could feel my frustrations building.

  “She broke her leg and arm. Her whole body is messed up. She’s covered with bruises, but the doctors said she’ll pull through this. My son is messed up pretty bad too, and—”

  “Where are you?” I was mad as hell at Scorpio for just now calling me. And even though Mackenzie was my adopted child, that I had given up my parental rights to, I still cared about her well being. I figured Scorpio was probably going through, so I did my best not to upset her—for now.

  “I’m at Cardinal Glennon Hospital. I’ve been here since the accident happened, and I—I feel as if I’m losing my mind. I want to take my babies home, but the hospital—”

  “If they need care, then you gotta let the doctors do what they have to do.” I glanced at my watch. It was one-fifteen. “Calm down, all right? I’ll get a flight out of here as soon as I can.”

  “Thank you,” she rushed to say. “You have no idea what this means to me.”

  “You know how I feel about Mackenzie, Scorpio. A piece of paper will never diminish what we have. Let her know I’m on my way.”

  I hung up. Even though I knew this shit was not going to sit right with Nokea, there was no way for me not to go to St. Louis. I wasn’t even sure how I was going to break the news to Shane either. Before I went into his office, I came up with something.

  I sat on the leather sofa in his office and placed my hands behind my head. “Check this out.... I just got off the phone with this brotha I met a while back. He’s from Chicago, and he wants me to fly in tonight to check out some property he got for sale. I’m gon’ shoot there, stay the night, then come back this way tomorrow.”

  “Do you need me to go with you? I’m not doing anything else, and I can let you know if I think the investment will be worth it.”

  “Nah, just chill. If it turns out to be something worthy, you and I will go back together later.”

  Shane nodded; then he looked down at his vibrating cell phone. He sighed, so I knew it was Tiffanie.

  “Yeah, baby,” he said, then paused. He rolled his eyes, then massaged his temples. “Yes, I’m working right now. I’m at the office with Jaylin and we’re in the middle of a meeting.” He paused and looked over at me, shaking his head. “Okay. Dinner sounds good. I’ll see you around eight or nine o’clock tonight.” He paused for a long while; then he ended his call.

  “Look, man. If you don’t want to be bothered with her, then tell her. Why you stressing like that over a woman you don’t seem to care much for?”

  “I am digging the hell out of Tiffanie, but like I said, she always trying to plan my life out for me. I gotta be on her schedule. When I got plans to do something else, her feelings get hurt. She’s always getting emotional, and I don’t like that shit, man. I like a strong woman, and Tiffanie ain’t really representing that.”

  “I know what you mean, but ease up on her. She is a nice woman. If or when you get too tired of the shit, back out of it.”

  I looked at my watch again; then I told Shane I had to go book my flight. Before I did, I called Nokea to tell her my plans. I didn’t like lying to her, but for now, I had to do what was necessary.

  “Are you at least coming home to say good-bye? I can’t believe it’s that urgent where you have to rush out right now,” she said.

  “The faster I get out of here, the quicker I’ll get back. I’ll be back tomorrow, and it shouldn’t really take that long.”

  I could always hear the disappointment in Nokea’s voice. She didn’t like being away from me, and I didn’t like being away from her either.

  “Okay, baby. Be careful and call me when you get to Chicago.”

  “Will do,” I said, and then I extended my love to her.

  Shane dropped me off at the airport, and almost four hours later, my plane had landed in St. Louis. I got a rental car, and then I drove to Cardinal Glennon Hospital. During my ride, I couldn’t help but think about Mackenzie. I was mad at myself for giving up on her, and it was not a good feeling. Thinking so much about Mackenzie caused me to think about my long-lost daughter, Jasmine. I hadn’t seen her since she was a year old, and it was like she and her mother, Simone, had disappeared. They had to be living in another country or something. I’d put out so much money for private detectives; but with no success, I gave up. I didn’t want to, but I felt as if I had to accept my blessings, LJ and Jaylene, and move on. I even thought about the son Scorpio had mentioned. I didn’t even know she’d had a baby, and I hoped that my visit wouldn’t interfere with her marriage to Bruce. I prepared myself to see him at the hospital, and I wondered what he’d think about me coming to see Mackenzie, who was his biological daughter. I thought about the kind of relationship he had with her. Had she forgotten about me? If I were Bruce, I wouldn’t be too happy about my visit, but my concern was only about Mackenzie’s condition. I had to see for myself that she would be okay. From what Scorpio had said, I could tell my little girl was probably going through hell. I was regretting even more that my attorney, Frick, gave Scorpio that letter terminating my rights. If I could take it back, I sure in hell would.

  Before finding Mackenzie’s room, I had to stop off at the restroom. I took a leak; then I went to the sink to wash my hands. I checked myself in the mirror.... My trimmed goatee was going strong; my face and body were tanned as ever; my healthy curly hair was lined to perfection. I was casually dressed in a tan military shirt and heavy starched jeans. A yellow gold Movado watch was on my wrist, and I couldn’t help but look at the platinum gold wedding band on my finger. I immediately thought of Nokea, but my mind quickly switched to the reason I was there. That was, of course, to see Mackenzie.

  I left the restroom and went to the information desk to find out what room she was in. The two receptionists sat behind the counter, looking as if they had been shocked by electricity.

  “Her name is Mackenzie Rogers,” I said, repeating myself again. “Can you tell me what room she’s in?”

  One lady turned to the computer, but the other lady held her stare. “She’s on the third floor.” The woman paused; then she gave me the room number.

  “Thank you,” I said, walking away with my hands in my pockets.

  Like always, heads were turning; women were whispering; I could spot a gay man a mile away. Sometimes the looks didn’t even faze me, but I would be lying if I said the attention didn’t make me feel good. I got on an elevator, full of women. I smiled and they smiled back. When the elevator stopped at the second floor, one woman, in particular, brushed herself up against me. I kept a blank expression on my face. When she excused herself, I responded, “No problem.” She wiggled her fingers, waving good-bye. The elevator closed; then it opened on the third floor. As I was getting off, I bumped into a nurse, who stumbled right into my arms. She seemed shaken up as she inquisitively looked into my eyes.

  “I am so, so sorry,” she said, holding on to my arms. “I must have tripped or something.”

  “Are you okay?” I asked, helping her keep her balance.

  “Yes, I am. Can—can I help you find someone?” she asked.

  “I’m sure I can find my way, but, uh, are you one of the nurses on this floor?”

  She held out her hand so I could shake it. “Yes, my name is Ann. Who are you looking for?”

  “Mackenzie Rogers.”

  Ann smiled and smacked her forehead. “I should have known right away. You’re Mackenzie and Bruce’s father, aren’t you? They look just like you, especially your son. He is so adorable! Trust me, the both of them will be fine. Come with me.”

  I followed behind Ann, anxious to see Mackenzie. I knew that a lot of people felt as if she was my biological daughter—and no matter what, I was claiming it. Ann knocked on a door, and when she entered the room, I went in behind her. Scorpio was standing by the window, biting her nails. She had on a fuzzy pink sweater, some hip-hugging jeans and a pair of white tennis shoes. Her face was pale as ever and her long coal black hair was pulled back into a
ponytail that was in no way sleek. No matter what, she still looked pretty, but I could see the stress on her face. She hurried up to me, putting her arms around my waist and laying her head against my chest. I embraced her back.

  “I’m so glad you’re here,” she said, full of emotions. “Thank God you’re here.”

  “You knew I would come, didn’t you?”

  She nodded. Ann left the room, closing the door behind her. Scorpio backed away from our embrace and I walked behind the curtain so I could see Mackenzie. She was resting peacefully, but seeing the bruises and swelling on her face damn near made me want to cry. I couldn’t believe how tall she’d gotten; time surely had gotten away from me.

  “Her face was a lot worse than that. They removed the bandages earlier, but the casts on her leg and arm will be there for a while. She will need therapy, and she keeps complaining about her side hurting. I know it’s from her ribs.”

  I stepped closer to the bed and leaned down to kiss Mackenzie’s cheek. My thumb touched the soft baby hair on her forehead, and I knew right then and there that I would never, ever part ways with her again. Maybe this wouldn’t have happened if I had done all along what I wanted to do, and that was allow Mackenzie to live with me. As I gazed at her, Scorpio touched my back.

  “I’m going to Bruce’s room. I’ll be back in about thirty minutes.”

  I nodded. When she had left the room, I sat in a chair beside Mackenzie’s bed. I held her hand in mine, smiling at her perfectly polished pink nails. I kept kissing her hand. When her fingers wiggled, I looked up at her. Her eyes fluttered and she slowly opened them. At first, she just stared with a blank expression on her face. I wasn’t sure if she recognized me or not. Water rushed to the brim of her eyes, and then poured over. I stood up, leaning over her.