Jaylin's World Read online

  Mackenzie had left the hospital with Jaylin and me. We went back to my house, and even though I dreaded going home, I knew Bruce wouldn’t be there. As a matter of fact, he’d already packed up his belongings and left. He hadn’t called to check on the kids or me. At the end of the day, Mackenzie was still his daughter. What a deadbeat sperm donor he was, and for him not to even care about her well-being showed me what kind of man he really was.

  Jaylin carried Mackenzie to her bedroom, and he spent at least an hour talking and playing around with her. I returned the numerous phone calls I’d gotten, most of them from the stylists at Jay’s, trying to find out how everything was going. My sister, Leslie, called to check on us too, and I returned her call, just to let her know we were doing okay. The nurse who was hired to assist Mackenzie had beeped in to say she was on her way. I was so glad about that. I wanted to get back to the hospital to check on Bruce Jr., so I went upstairs to Mackenzie’s room to see what she and Jaylin were up to. He was sitting on Mackenzie’s bed, listening to her read a book to him. I stood in the doorway, so happy to see them together again.

  “The nurse is on her way to see about Mackenzie,” I said. “When she gets here, I’m going back to the hospital to see about my son. Will you be here when I get back?”

  Jaylin stood up and stretched. He walked toward the door, and then stepped out in the hallway to talk to me. He stroked his goatee, so I knew his response was going to be slightly disappointing.

  “I’m leaving tonight. I’ll be back, though, and I already told Mackenzie that she and I will be spending more time together.”

  I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I don’t know how that’s possible. Please don’t hurt us again, okay? We just can’t handle—”

  He put his finger on my lips to shush me. “I’m going to work this out. Just give me a minute, okay?”

  I nodded, and trusting every word that he said, I reached out to embrace him, and we kissed. After the nurse got there, I said good-bye to Jaylin and told Mackenzie I would see her later. I wasn’t sure how soon it would be before I saw him again, but my gut assured me that it would be soon, just like he’d said.

  JAYLIN

  The nurse was there to see about Mackenzie. I could already tell she was in good hands, but no hands were better than my own. Not even Scorpio’s hands, and what I was feeling inside was in no way personal. Nokea had to deal with it, and so did Scorpio. As soon as Mackenzie got well, she was coming to live with me. No ifs, ands or buts about it. I would talk Scorpio into taking some time for herself and letting Mackenzie stay with me. As for Nokea, I intended to tell her the truth about Mackenzie’s accident, and let Nokea know that I wasn’t willing to walk away from Mackenzie again. More than anything, I wanted all of my children together, and having them grow up together would make me the happiest man in the world.

  For the last few days, I’d been in touch with Nokea. I told her that my trip was taking more time than expected. As much as I wanted to be home, I just couldn’t get there. I missed my family like hell, and three long days away from them was enough.

  Later that day, I said my good-byes to Mackenzie, but again, made her a promise that I intended to keep. I would see her soon and we would once again live together as a family. She seemed so happy, but definitely not as happy as I was. I was on my way out the front door, and just as I stepped onto the porch, a gray Lincoln MKT truck pulled into the driveway. I wasn’t sure who was inside it, because the windows were tinted. The door opened, and I swore it was Boris Kodjoe himself getting out of the truck. The brotha resembled Mackenzie, so I suspected that I had finally come face-to-face with Bruce.

  “Who the fuck are you?” he asked, closing the door to his truck.

  I walked up to him, holding out my hand. “Let me formally introduce myself to you. I’m Mackenzie’s father, Jaylin. Jaylin Rogers. You must be the muthafucka who abandoned your kids, right?”

  He turned up his lips. “This is one hell of a surprise. I assume you were just inside fucking my wife, but that’s cool with me. Have at it, bro. Since you’re here, maybe she’ll stop talking about you all of the time. Maybe I can stop being compared to a muthafucka I do not know, or have never met. Maybe you can be a father to her son that damn sure looks nothing like me. As far as Mackenzie is concerned, good luck with that. She’s spoiled as hell, and the shit just drives me crazy.”

  He walked away and went into the house. I wanted to say something, or even go after him, but I was stopped dead in my tracks. That brotha had some issues, and I could tell that he and Scorpio had a tumultuous marriage.

  I got in the rental car, and as I was driving, my mind started to wander. I played back everything Bruce had said to me, and did he suggest that his son, Bruce Jr., looked nothing like him? The words that Ann, the nurse, said came to mind: “You’re Mackenzie and Bruce’s father, aren’t you? They look just like you, especially your son.” Then my mind traveled back to what Mackenzie had said: “He’s handsome, just like you are, Daddy.” I didn’t even know how old Bruce Jr. was, but I quickly thought back to that night with Scorpio. I was so caught up with the thoughts of my dream on that day, I pumped all kinds of juices into her. Years ago, we’d tried hard for her to get pregnant, but nothing ever happened. I know damn well she didn’t get pregnant that night, and if she had, she would have been anxious to tell me. Even within the last few days, she would have said something. Wouldn’t she? I thought about how many times Scorpio played around with lying to me about my child she claimed to be pregnant with, but wasn’t. Actually, it was someone else’s baby. About her lying to Shane about being pregnant by him, and now, obviously, Bruce had some concerns too. Maybe he was just bitter about their marriage not working out, but the harsh look in his eyes said there was more to it. I made a quick U-turn in the middle of the street, making my way to Cardinal Glennon Hospital.

  It was already going on six o’clock, so I knew I’d miss my flight back to Florida. Maybe I could catch a later one, but for now, I had to see what was up.

  Very impatient, I tapped my foot on the floor of the elevator, while stroking my goatee. My thoughts were all over the place, and when the elevator opened at the third floor, I got off and went straight to Bruce Jr.’s room. I was surprised not to see Scorpio in there. When I looked at the bed, there he was. His head was turned to the side—beautiful curly hair lay on his head—and I watched as his chest slowly heaved up and down. I could see a few bruises on his face too. Wanting him to open his eyes, I stepped forward. I rubbed his hair, already stunned that he looked like a lighter-skinned LJ. As I continued to touch his hair, he slowly switched his head to the other side. That’s when I whispered his name, and, I admit, even that pained me. Because even with his eyes closed, I had known the truth.

  Moments later, he sucked his tongue, then swallowed. His eyes shot wide open and stared right into mine. I took a double look, seeing that they were gray just like mine. Almost losing my balance, I stumbled backward, dropping into the seat behind me. All kinds of shit was going through my head, but at the top of the list was ... Nokea. What in the hell was I going to tell her? My heartbeat had picked up and my hands had a slight tremble. The wrinkled lines on my forehead were laced with beads of sweat. I was nervous, because at that very moment, I knew that the perfect life I’d had with Nokea was about to change. A few seconds later, I could hear Scorpio outside the door talking to someone. Bruce Jr. started moving around a bit, and all I could do was sit there like a mannequin. When Scorpio came into the room, I remained in the chair. I gazed down at the floor, shielding my face and unable to look up at her.

  “Tell me something,” I said, clearing mucus from my throat. “Why in the fuck do you keep on doing this shit to me? Please, please tell me why, so I can understand the kind of woman you really and truly are.”

  I finally looked up and she stood dead in her tracks, speechless. She had a soda can in her hand, which she carefully laid on the serving table.

  “Do what?” she softly said, rubb
ing back her long hair. “What are you talking about?”

  My blood pressure was rising by the second. I just knew she wasn’t going to lie to me, was she? My face scrunched up and I stroked my goatee—hard. I nudged my head toward Bruce Jr. “Who—who in the hell is his father?”

  “It’s Bruce,” she said, lying her ass off. I couldn’t believe it.

  “Do you think I’m that fucking stupid? I don’t need you to validate a gotdamn thing for me. Just by looking at him, it’s obvious. How could you keep something like this from me?” My voice rose even higher and my fist swung out to hit the air. “Gotdamn you, Scorpio, how could you!”

  She clenched her hands together to stop them from trembling. “I—I just found out when he came to the hospital and needed a blood—”

  I jumped to my feet. “You’re a fucking liar!” I pointed to my son. “There ain’t no way you lived with him every damn day of his life and you didn’t see me! Do you really want me to believe that?”

  She jumped from my loud voice; then she lowered her head. When she lifted it, tears rushed to her eyes. “I’m sorry. I did it for you. I—I didn’t want to break up your marriage. I knew that finding out about him would devastate you, and I couldn’t hurt you anymore.”

  “You expect me to believe that bullshit? For real? You kept quiet because you didn’t want your marriage to end. You know damn well you wasn’t thinking about me or my marriage.”

  “It’s the truth!” she shouted. “I swear to God that I did it for you, and I would do anything ... anything in the world for you. I knew Bruce Jr. looked like you, but I kept telling Bruce that he looked more like my father than anyone. I tried, Jaylin. I really did try not to hurt anyone.”

  I was so damn distraught. I couldn’t believe that Scorpio had pulled this shit on me again, and just like every single child that I had, with the exception of Jaylene, the women in my life were playing games. This was yet another child that I didn’t get a chance to see come into this world, and one that had been kept from me. I was beyond pissed, and being in front of Scorpio down right disgusted me. I could have smacked her ass—I was so angry, but instead, I bumped her shoulder on my way to the door.

  “Please don’t be mad at me,” she cried. “Think about what I just said. You know darn well I would have been proud to tell the world this baby was yours. I did it to protect you, and no other reason even makes sense. The same goes for Mackenzie. I never moved forward with relinquishing your parental rights. I never saw a lawyer because I knew how much Mackenzie meant to you. Every thing that I’ve done, I’ve done it all for you.”

  I kept moving out the door and didn’t dare to look back. So much anger was inside me, and I had no idea what the hell I was going to do. I drove back to the hotel, deciding to stay there for one more night. I couldn’t let Nokea see me like this, and she, of all people, would know something was wrong. I didn’t know what to think—and never, ever did I think I would be faced with some shit like this. After nearly four years of having a flawless marriage, now this. I’d dreamed of having another son, but little did I know, he had already been born. So much for that peaceful-ass life I wanted, huh? My shit had caught up with me, and the truth had made its way to the light!

  I didn’t get much sleep last night, and after thinking about what I should do, I had come to a conclusion. I got dressed, checked out of the hotel and made my way back to the hospital. When I got to my son’s room, Scorpio was lying sideways in the bed next to him. She heard the door open, and she turned to see who it was. I walked up to the bed, and then I leaned down to kiss my son, who was awake and playing with a toy in his hand.

  “I’m on my way back home,” I said dryly to Scorpio. “In one week, you need to prepare yourself for some changes. I have a house up for sale in Miami, and you and my kids are moving there. Shut it down in St. Louis, and switch ownership of Jay’s to someone else. Put your house up for sale or let your sister, Leslie, move in. I will have a friend of mine help you with this transition. Once you’re settled into your new place, I’ll be there to discuss our future. Until then, do not call my cell phone, and don’t call my house. This may be a very difficult time for Nokea and me, and I need for you to show her some respect. She didn’t ask for none of this, Scorpio, and I was the one who fucked up. I gotta make shit right for myself, and this is the only way I know how.”

  Scorpio moved her head from side to side. “There’s no way I can move—”

  “You can, and you will,” I interrupted. “You’ve caused me enough heartache, and there ain’t no way in hell my kids are going to live without me. If you prefer that we take this shit to court, then let’s. I don’t think you want to go that route. Besides, you want to spend the rest of your life with me, don’t you? Here’s your chance, so let’s roll with it.”

  I kissed my son again. Before I left the room, though, I stopped at the door.

  “Stop calling him Bruce. And when I see you again, have a different name for him. Find out the process of what it takes to change his name and make arrangements to do it.”

  I turned my head, looking at Scorpio from the corner of my eye. She didn’t say anything. As far as I was concerned, my issues with her were a done deal.

  NOKEA

  At last, Jaylin was home. He made it in late Wednesday night, and for a second there, I had gotten kind of worried. He kept calling with one explanation after another, telling me why he wasn’t going to make it home that night. When he got home, though, his conversation put me at ease. He seemed excited about the numerous properties he’d seen, and said that he was considering purchasing two of them. It was good to see him throw himself back into work. He said that at the end of the day, there was nothing wrong with making more money. I wholeheartedly agreed. I wanted to make sure Jaylene and LJ didn’t want for anything when they got older, and the money Jaylin had been making was very much starting to be large enough for generations to come. I started paying much more attention to our bank statements. Every time Jaylin cut a new deal, he kept me posted. I did have a bank account of my own, and every time I looked up, Jaylin was throwing all kinds of money in it, just to make sure I had enough to do whatever I wanted. He had me spoiled. Maybe not as much as he had the kids, but I appreciated him always looking out for me.

  On Thursday afternoon, Jaylin and Shane came in, talking loud about an issue with work. The kids were in their study room, being homeschooled by their teacher, Mrs. Mahoney. Nanny B was resting, and I was in the kitchen being nosy, listening to Jaylin and Shane’s conversation.

  “I told you he was wasting our time,” Jaylin said, opening the refrigerator. “I could tell he didn’t have any money by looking at his shoes.”

  Shane laughed and slapped his hand against Jaylin’s. “Next time, I’ll know better. If a brotha’s shoes ain’t right, that says a lot about him.”

  Jaylin pulled out two bottles of water, tossing one to Shane. They gulped it down; then Jaylin cleared his throat. “Movie night is tonight,” he said. “Are you and Tiffanie going to join us?”

  “I’m going to join y’all, but Tiffanie isn’t. I invited Joy to come over—that’s if the two of you don’t mind.”

  Jaylin looked at me, waiting for me to say something. We had movie night in our theater room on Thursdays, and Shane always invited Tiffanie. I shrugged, having nothing to say.

  Jaylin left the kitchen to go take a shower and change. Shane stayed in the kitchen, so he and I could talk.

  “I hope you’re not upset with me, Nokea. I know Tiffanie is your friend, but I don’t want to rush into anything with her right now. I hope you understand.”

  “I do. And you don’t have to explain anything to me. I just want you to be happy, and I know what you’ve been through in the past. My only hope is that it doesn’t stop you from recognizing a good woman when you have one.”

  “I’ll do my best.” He smiled and gave me a hug; then he thanked me for being concerned about him.

  Shane went to the lower level, and as soon a
s the phone rang, I answered. It was Joy, implying that she tried to call Shane’s cell phone, but he didn’t answer.

  “He’s here, but let me go to the lower level to see if I can find him for you.”

  With the cordless phone in my hand, I headed to the lower level. Since Shane had the majority of the basement to himself, I rarely went down there. I wanted him to have as much privacy as ever, and when I opened the door to his bedroom, I understood why. I could see him in the glass shower, standing with his eyes closed, with water dripping down on his face and stallion-like caramel body. He, too, was a very sexy man, and this was the third time I’d walked in on him when he had no clothes on. I knew why Tiffanie couldn’t let him go, and he was packaged up quite well. I closed the door, telling Joy that he was in the shower. She asked for our address and I gave her directions to our house, even though I didn’t want to do that. After all, Tiffanie was my friend, but I also didn’t want any of the others to be upset with me for interfering.

  Afterward, I walked around downstairs, straightening the pillows on the pit couch, which sat in front of a wall-to-wall entertainment center. I went to the weight room and put the weights, which Jaylin, LJ and Shane had all over the place, back where they belonged. Next I went into the sauna and removed a few towels that needed to be washed, and then I searched in the wine cellar for a bottle of wine that Jaylin and I could drink tonight. I found the red wine that I wanted; then I went into the spacious theater room, which had six rows of comfortable black leather chairs. I checked the thermostat, making sure the room would be cozy.